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Doug Benc / Associated Press Jameis Winston might have a hard time in 2014 replicating the level of success he enjoyed in 2013.
NFL scouts are already looking to the future to identify potential franchise quarterbacks in the collegiate ranks.
Although it's way too early for speculation about what quarterbacks will become blue-chip players at the next level, evaluators are studying tape and making notes on the guys that will garner significant interest over the next few seasons.
Top college QBs to watch in 2014 SEE PHOTOS Take a look ahead to the 2014 college football season with the best quarterbacks to follow this fall.
This is a preseason version of my Quarterback Tracker, which will let you know what quarterbacks to watch this fall. Remember, this isn't a 2015 draft preview list, but a compilation of college quarterbacks already generating interest in scouting rooms across the league.
1. Jameis Winston, Florida State
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has been in the headlines for all of the wrong reasons during the offseason, but scouts are still smitten with his prototypical physical dimensions and A-plus arm talent. Winston exhibits the core characteristics teams look for in franchise quarterbacks, including charisma and poise. He's been a clutch performer under pressure, too. While he must make amends for the off-field behavior that's led to concerns about his maturity and focus, there is so much to like about his game that scouts are willing to take a "wait and see" attitude with Winston.
2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon
There's a faction of NFL scouts that believed Mariota would have been the top quarterback in the 2014 class if he decided to jump to the pros following a spectacular sophomore campaign. However, the 6-foot-4, 212-pound playmaker elected to return to Eugene to continue to refine his footwork and fundamentals in the pocket. More importantly, Mariota is on a mission to lead the Ducks to the College Football Playoff, which would showcase his exceptional leadership skills and poise as a potential franchise quarterback. With a rare combination of skills as an athletic pocket passer, Mariota is a new-school quarterback capable of taking the NFL by storm in a few years.
3. Brett Hundley, UCLA
The UCLA star contemplated making a jump to the NFL last season, but wisely decided to stay in Westwood to polish his game under the watchful eyes of head coach Jim Mora and offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. Hundley is a spectacular playmaker with outstanding passing skills, but he's a bit inconsistent with his deep-ball accuracy, which prevents him from vaulting to the top of this list. If Hundley can improve his ball placement, anticipation and touch on intermediate and deep throws, he could emerge as the top quarterback in college football by season's end.
Top 25 seniors-to-be SEE PHOTOS Take a look at the best college players to watch in the fall.
4. Bryce Petty, Baylor
Art Briles' system is as quarterback-friendly as they come, but observers shouldn't overlook Petty's talent as a pinpoint passer. The 6-3, 220-pound senior completed 62 percent of his passes for 4,200 yards with a 32:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. It was most impressive that he took superb care of the football while firing bullets to every area of the field. Sure, the frenetic nature of Baylor's offense creates plenty of easy opportunities for Petty, but the consistent production and performance over the course of the season makes it hard to dismiss his chances of developing into a quality starter at the next level.
5. Sean Mannion, Oregon State
Coaches and scouts love quarterbacks with experience directing a pro-style offense because their games typically transition well to the NFL. Mannion is an evaluator's dream because he plays in a Mike Riley system that accentuates his strengths as an efficient passer from the pocket, as evidenced by his sensational numbers in 2013 (Mannion completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,662 yards with a 37:15 touchdown-to-interception ratio). Additionally, he possesses the prototypical size (6-5, 220) and arm talent to make all of the throws required in a pro offense. Mannion must reduce his turnovers and questionable throws into tight coverage, but he exhibits all of the traits to be a standout player at the collegiate and professional level.
6. Connor Cook, Michigan State
Evaluators are keeping a close eye on Cook after the Michigan State standout put together a pair of impressive performances in the Big Ten Championship Game and Rose Bowl. He displayed the poise, moxie and resiliency to make big plays in a high-pressure environment with the game on the line in those contests. Additionally, Cook showcased the pocket-passing skills and arm strength to thrive in an offense that places the burden on the quarterback to create plays in the passing game. With Michigan State expected to open it up in 2014, Cook could make a major move up the charts this season.
College QBs with most potential As good as this year's quarterback class was, next year's class is arguably better. Our panel of experts provide their take on which college football quarterback has the greatest pro potential. As good as this year's quarterback class was, next year's class is arguably better. Our panel of experts provide their take on which college football quarterback has the greatest pro potential. More ...
7. Kevin Hogan, Stanford
Head coach David Shaw has routinely touted Hogan as a new-school quarterback with the versatility to effectively run read-option or function as a traditional pocket passer in the game plan. Those skills make him an intriguing prospect for teams looking for an athletic playmaker to direct an offense at the next level. Of course, Hogan must show scouts that he is more than a game manager after posting eight games with fewer than 200 passing yards in 2013. He also needs to display better big-game moxie after failing to play well in each of the Cardinal's three losses (Utah, USC and Michigan State) a season ago. If Hogan can make significant steps in each of those aforementioned areas, he is an ideal candidate to make a rise up the charts when scouts dig into his game this fall.
8. Christian Hackenberg, Penn State
The 6-4, 220-pound flamethrower was spectacular as a freshman, completing nearly 59 percent of his passes for 2,955 yards with a 20:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio. More importantly, Hackenberg helped the Nittany Lions knock off a couple of Big Ten heavyweights (Michigan and Wisconsin), while displaying the kind of grit and determination scouts covet in franchise quarterbacks. With Hackenberg also showing impressive arm strength, anticipation and awareness at this stage of his career, NFL scouts are already salivating about his potential at the next level.
College football cheerleaders SEE PHOTOS Take a look at the cheerleaders of college football in action during the 2013 season.
9. Jared Goff, California
It's hard to heap a ton of praise on a quarterback with only one win under his belt as a starter, but anyone who watched Goff progress over the 2013 season could see his extraordinary talent and potential. The super sophomore is a polished pocket passer with A-plus arm talent and a terrific feel for the position. He is capable of making every throw in the book with zip and velocity, while also displaying the timing, touch and anticipation to make finesse throws down the field. Given more chances to toss the ball around the yard to a talented set of pass-catchers, Goff could lead the nation in passing yards as a second-year starter.
10. Anthony Jennings, LSU
Jennings' inclusion on this list is a little premature based on his limited playing time, but I'm willing to take a chance on an exceptional talent who has shown flashes of brilliance in brief action. Measuring 6-2, 205 pounds with a big arm, Jennings is also a dynamic athletic with the speed and quickness to create chaos on the edges. Although he is a pass-first playmaker, his ability to extend plays with his feet will add a different dimension to LSU's offense. However, Cam Cameron's experience coaching Antwaan Randle El at Indiana could help him transform Jennings into one of the most feared playmakers in the SEC.
Others to watch: Devin Gardner, Michigan; Taylor Kelly, Arizona State; Chuckie Keeton, Utah State; Jacob Coker, Alabama
Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter @BuckyBrooks. |
The growing efforts at Islamization of Turkish society have largely gone unnoticed. For many years, Islamization was the dog that did not bark: in spite of dire predictions by secularists, the AKP did not introduce conspicuous efforts to Islamize Turkey. But since 2011, this has changed. The main exhibit is the education sector, which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has remodeled to instill considerably more Islamic content, in line with his stated purpose to raise “pious generations”. Ultimately, the Islamic overhaul of the education system is bound to have implications for Turkey’s civilizational identity, and on the choices it will make on where it belongs politically.
BACKGROUND: In February 2012, then Prime Minister Erdoğan raised eyebrows when he said his government was aiming at “raising pious generations”. Beginning that month, his government embarked on a wholesale reform designed to Islamize Turkey’s education system.
The timing of Erdoğan’s reforms was not coincidental. They came fifteen years after the February 1997 military intervention, which had decreed comprehensive changes to Turkey’s education system. Prior to 1997, compulsory schooling in Turkey was only five years; after primary school, parents were free to enroll their children in traditional secondary schools, or vocational schools, including the imam-hatip schools that had originally been designed to provide training for imams and preachers in Turkey’s mosques. In addition to the regular curriculum, these schools provide 13 hours per week of Islamic instruction to students. These schools had grown exponentially since 1973, when Necmettin Erbakan’s Islamist National Salvation Party (MSP) used its position in a government coalition to put them on par with secular schools. By 1997, they enrolled one in every ten middle and high school students. Moreover, close to half of the enrollees were girls, who could neither become imams nor hatips. The imam-hatip schools were a deliberate effort to increase the Islamic consciousness of the young generation, having become a parallel system of education that provided a voting base and manpower for Turkey’s Islamist movement.
When the Turkish military intervened with what has been called a post-modern coup on February 28, 1997, one of the key reforms was to increase the length of compulsory schooling to eight years – thus preventing children from being enrolled in religious schools until the age of 14. The university entrance examination system was also reformed to make it difficult for imam-hatip graduates to gain acceptance to non-theology undergraduate degree programs. The reforms worked: imam-hatip enrollment declined from 11 percent to 2 percent of relevant age students, and the rate of graduates entering higher education dropped from 75 to 25 percent.
In February 2012, the AKP launched a reform program termed 4+4+4. On the surface, the law extended compulsory schooling by four years, making school compulsory for a full 12 years. But in fact, the reforms did exactly the opposite. Vocational schools are once again permitted from fifth grade – including imam-hatip schools. The law also allows parents to home-school children after fourth grade, which is expected to lead to a reduction of formal schooling, especially for girls in rural areas.
As columnist Orhan Kemal Cengiz has observed, the reforms turned “religious schools from a selective option to a central institution in the education system.” This is the case because the reforms introduced entrance examinations for all high schools except the imam-hatip schools. Thus, all students who do not qualify for other schools would have no choice but to enroll in religious schools.
In August 2013, over 1,112,000 students took the placement test for 363,000 slots in regular, academic high schools. Those that did not make the cut had to choose between secular vocational schools, imam-hatip schools, and a variety called “multi-program high schools”. But the latter are only available in remote areas, and do not even exist in the entire province of Istanbul. In other words, parents and students were forced to choose between vocational schools and religious schools. As a result, 40,000 students were automatically enrolled in imam-hatip schools against their will, including numerous Alevi and several Armenian students, neither of whom are Sunni Muslims.
IMPLICATIONS: When the AKP was first elected in 2002, 65,000 students studied in imam-hatip schools. That number grew to 658,000 in 2013. In May 2015, Bilal Erdoğan, the President’s son, who is (informally) in charge of the Türgev foundation that is spearheading the expansion of imam-hatip schools, announced that the number of students had reached one million.
Imam-hatip schools are only one side of the story. The AKP’s reforms have also greatly expanded the religious content of regular academic high schools. In so doing, Turkey is in direct breach of a 2007 ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, which held that Turkey’s compulsory classes in religious education violated the religious rights of minorities, since the classes featured only education in the tenets of Sunni Islam. The government renamed the class to “Religious Culture and Moral Values”, to make it appear broader in scope, but in practice nothing changed. Students are required to memorize a long list of Quranic verses and prayers, but no texts from any other religion. Moreover, Christian and Jewish students continue to be exempt from the class – implying that the government itself views it as an education in Sunni Islam for Muslims.
The reforms, far from removing the compulsory classes, extended them from one to two hours per week. Also, the reforms enabled the rollout of elective courses in “the life of Prophet Muhammad”, and “the Quran”. That way, students could receive up to six hours of religious education per week. Meanwhile, the number of total hours of school per week was shortened; and thus, several other classes were either merged or abolished, such as that on “human rights, citizenship and democracy.”
In theory, these classes are elective; in practice, they may not be. School administrators decide what elective classes are to be offered. And amendments to the law in 2014 strengthened the government’s control over the appointment of school principals, who have the decisive influence on what courses schools offer. At least ten students are required to open an elective class, and thus, students may be forced to choose among the religious classes even if they do not want to. In a well-publicized case, the daughter of a protestant pastor in Diyarbakır was exempted from the compulsory class on religion and culture. She was forced, instead, to choose between elective classes on the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet.
Community pressure invariably provides considerable incentives to follow the conservative majority’s behavior. As Newsweek recently reported, when a student in a largely secular area of Istanbul was exempted from a supposedly elective class on the life of the Prophet to which she had automatically been assigned, she was bullied for being an atheist. If this can happen in secular districts of Istanbul, the very thought of asking for an exemption would not occur to parents in towns and rural areas across the country. It is not a coincidence that the class on the life of the prophet was the most popular elective course in the first year it was being offered.
In March 2014, new legislation was adopted that provided the government with a mandate to overhaul the entire structure of the ministry of education, including terminating thousands of high-ranking officials, who could then be replaced by political appointees. Furthermore, reforms in 2010 made it possible to transform regular high schools into imam-hatip schools; in 2012, this was made possible for middle schools as well. The government claims that such processes only take place as a result of popular demand, but the record proves otherwise. In fact, government plans to turn secular schools into imam-hatip schools have led to street protests in a number of places.
On top of the changes to the educational system, the 2012 education reform made considerable changes to the Qur’an courses offered by the state directorate of religious affairs, the Diyanet. The Qur’an courses, particularly summer courses for children, operated by the directorate, used to be co-managed with the Ministry of Education; the directorate now manages them alone. More importantly, the 12 year minimum age to attend Qur’an courses was abolished. Theoretically, kindergartners can now be sent to Qur’an courses. In 2013, indeed, a special project was launched for the provision of “Qur’an courses for preschoolers.”
The reform also relaxed regulations on the physical nature of appropriate buildings and requirements for eligible teachers. This is a boon for religious brotherhoods that can now essentially run their own Qur’an schools with their own teachers. Finally, Quran schools are now allowed to be boarding schools and to have dormitories – an important change, since it enables the full immersion of young children in a religious lifestyle.
CONCLUSIONS: Since 2012, the AKP has embarked on a systematic, multi-pronged effort to Islamize Turkey’s education system. These changes are likely to be lasting, as the AKP is retaining its grip on power even though it has lost its majority. In any coalition government in which it is the senior partner, the AKP is certain to jealously protect the education reform it has embarked on. On top of that, President Erdoğan’s parallel administration -- as well as Türgev, the private foundation run by his extended family that is spearheading the expansion of imam-hatip schools -- will continue to have a strong informal but direct influence on the education bureaucracy.
The consequences of these reforms will be visible only in time. It is not unlikely, however, that they are going to encourage a Sunni Islamic radicalization among sections of the population. Social harmony between Sunnis and non-Sunnis could be endangered as a result. Ultimately, the Islamic overhaul of the education system is bound to have implications for Turkey’s civilizational identity, and on the choices it will make on where it belongs politically.
Svante E. Cornell is Director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center, and Publisher of the Turkey Analyst. This article draws on the author's contribution to a Bipartisan Policy Center study on Turkey’s domestic evolution, to be released in September 2015, co-authored with Amb. Eric Edelman, Halil Karaveli, Aaron Lobel and Blaise Misztal; and on the author’s article “The Naqshbandi-Khalidi Order and Political Islam in Turkey”, co-authored with M.K. Kaya, published in the Hudson Institute’s Current Trends in Islamist Ideology in eptember 2015.
(Image attribution: Wikimedia Commons) |
(Getty Images)
When it snows in New York City, everything goes to shit. The subways jam up, the roads get slick, and suddenly a 40-minute walk from Midtown to Greenwich village becomes a journey that tests both mind and bodyunless you can afford to drop $250 on a ride. It wasn't the first time they'd done it, but Uber shocked the smartphone-clutching bourgeoisie this past weekend when they instituted "surge pricing" that charged fares eight times the normal rate. Logically, more cabs on the street is good for passengers. But when does surge pricing become price gouging?
Basically, there is no discernible difference.
"The best way to look at it is during Hurricane Sandy," says one financial expert. "You had these long lines because there was a limited amount of gas. But if you had surge pricing, gas could have been raised to $10 a gallon and there would have been less people on the line."
The expert, who works for a major news outlet and was not authorized to speak about Uber on the record, adds, "Is it fair? Not exactly, but it helps companies deal with demand."
Surge pricing is also extremely profitable.
"It's like a fantasy. You come to America with a dream, and the last four months have been a fantasy for me," UberX driver Ali explained to me on Wednesday night. The skies were clear, but there was still a 2.5X price surge in effect on my $30 ride from East 7th Street to Atlantic Terminal.
"Last weekend, I got an UberX call to go from Connecticut to New York Cityby the end of the ride, it had cost the passenger over a thousand dollars."
Ali, who emigrated from Turkey 20 years ago, has worked in taxi service for most of his time in the U.S. Through UberX, he has started his own livery company out of Clifton, New Jersey, where he owns four cars.
Ali also said that several passengers got angry with the pricing over the weekend, but it wasn't his decision or his responsibility to collect money. All he needed to do was pick up the passenger and drive them to their destination. On a regular night, Ali says he can make more than $1,000 dollars. Compare that to a yellow cab driver, who's lucky to make more than $100 dollars in a shift.
Now, Ali explains, his son and daughter were driving UberX, helping put themselves through college.
Of the total fare, Uber takes around a 20% cut. That seems like a good deal to most UberX drivers, and enough to make UberX wildly profitable. Last month, Valleywag posted a peek into Uber's financials. Suffice to say, they're looking good.
"Surge pricing is a sign that there actually is a market," Reuters financial blogger Felix Salmon explains over e-mail. "If prices can't rise and fall, then that's prima facie evidence you don't really have a market in the first place. Markets are, by their nature, price-discovery mechanisms. Surge pricing is that, while set cab fares are not."
New York City created its strict taxi laws precisely to prevent this market free-for-all, when a few inches of snow can transform a cab ride into the last chopper out of Saigon.
A traditional taxi doesn't consider the highest bidder or largest fare, but whoever had their hand up. To ensure that this egalitarian scheme is profitable, taxi operators keep their numbers low, while the city has looked for ways around this impasse.
Mayor Bloomberg has threatened to "destroy" the taxi industry, though Uber would probably prefer the term "disrupt."
Thanks to the e-hail bill that was passed this summer, Uber can charge more for their service to meet the clear demand.
While Uber still uses yellow cab drivers who are beholden to the regulations stipulated by their TLC medallion (which means no crazy price surges), the company is rapidly expanding through its UberX program. Depending on who picks you up (it's clear when you agree on the App who you are going to get), you can have a normal fare, or a surge-pricing fare. In situations like this past weekend, it's mostly black cars responding to Uber calls. And for those drivers, like Ali, UberX has been a windfall.
In a statement, Uber defended its practice:
"This is the busiest time of year for Uber. Surge pricing helps get more cars on the road quickly when demand outstrips supply, helping to guarantee the Uber reliability users count on. Users are clearly notified of - and must acknowledge - the elevated pricing within the app before they can request a car. As soon as demand falls or supply increases sufficiently, prices return to normal. In the end, Uber is always reliable and seeks to maximizes the number of people that can get safe and reliable rides; without surge, consumers simply wouldn't have that choice."
Still, the idea that a trip from Midtown to Lower Manhattan could cost almost $250 is unfathomable to most New Yorkers, even more so if they've been taking advantage of Uber's recent largesse with faresthe discounts and free rides the company has used to ingratiate themselves with New Yorkers over the past year. We pay premiums for almost everything in the city from housing to alcohol, the argument goes, so why should a short car ride be any different?
To be able to summon a car and have it cost just as much as a regular cab was an incredible deal for New Yorkers, but as many found out this weekend it's just that: an incredible deal.
Because of its long battle with the TLC, Uber will most likely see its most serious expansion through UberX, which sidesteps the use of taxi drivers who work for other companies. UberX will help transform what was once an App for hailing a cab instead of finding one on the street into an efficient premium car service that will sometimes offer good fares, and other times totally scam you. On Wednesday night, the sure pricing fluctuated between 1.25X and 2.75X in a matter of minutes.
Ali explained to me how several friends of his are leaving yellow cabs and livery companies to do UberX full-time.
With such a good deal in place for drivers working for UberX, and the resulting drain on livery cab drivers, how will the city make sure that all areas of the city (and not just the ones populated by people with disposable income) are served by taxis when people need them most?
An answer to this might already be flowing through the streets of the outerboros, in the form of the now-ubiquitous green “boro taxis.” Part of an effort to make street-hails legal for livery cab companies (the black cars), within three years, 18,000 new taxis will be able to offer a metered fare to outer-borough residents. It won’t necessarily meet demand, but it’s a smart way to better serve places where Uber will not go.
To some, that signals that Uber is a product specifically geared towards the city's wealthiest residents.
"Uber is a luxury product, while UberX is definitely aimed at the regular cab-hailer or livery-car orderer," Felix Salmon says.
Luxury product, or miracle drug for the rich? Speaking to Bloomberg News, Uber investor Venky Ganeson said, "There have been so many times I've walked in New York or San Francisco and there have been no cabs. Thank god there's now an app that can get you a cab, just like you're thankful for the drug that saves your life." |
Donald Trump backs 'One China' policy in call with Xi Jinping
Updated
United States President Donald Trump agreed to honour the longstanding "One China" policy during a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the White House says, taking steps to improve ties after after angering Beijing by talking to the leader of Taiwan.
Mr Trump further unnerved Beijing over the self-ruled island in December, saying the United States did not necessarily have to stick to the policy, under which Washington acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of "One China".
Diplomatic sources in Beijing said China had been nervous about Mr Xi being left humiliated in the event a call with Mr Trump went wrong and the details were leaked to the media.
Last week, US ties with staunch ally Australia became strained after the Washington Post published details about an acrimonious phone call between Mr Trump and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
The two sides also signalled that with the "One China" issue resolved, they could have more normal relations.
The two leaders had not spoken by telephone since Mr Trump took office on January 20.
A White House statement said Mr Trump and Mr Xi had a lengthy phone conversation on Thursday night (Washington time).
It came hours before Mr Trump was to play host to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House and later, at his Palm Beach retreat.
"President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our 'One China' policy," the statement said.
The statement marked a return to a more traditional US policy after Mr Trump had told The Wall Street Journal last month that the "One China" policy was up for negotiation.
"Representatives of the United States and China will engage in discussions and negotiations on various issues of mutual interest," the statement said.
"This is an important step," said Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser on Asia at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.
"This will now pave the way for the engagement of the US and Chinese Governments on a wide range of issues."
The policy, which has been in place since 1979, requires Washington to maintain only unofficial ties with Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own territory.
China views any hint of official US recognition of the island as anathema to China's revival as a great Asian power.
Some had questioned why Mr Trump took so long to call Xi, given that he had already spoken with more than a dozen world leaders.
Chinese observers also noted that Mr Trump broke with his predecessors in not extending good wishes on the Lunar New Year holiday last month.
Tensions aplenty
The move comes at a time of uncertainty in US-China relations.
Trump has accused Beijing of cheating in trade, criticised China's military build-up in the South China Sea and said the country is doing too little to pressure North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.
He has accused China of manipulating its currency to keep its exports inexpensive and threatened a 45 per cent tax on Chinese imports, potentially setting off a trade war.
Underscoring the uncertainties, the call between the leaders came as the US Pacific Command reported a Chinese KJ-200 early warning aircraft and a US Navy patrol plane had an "unsafe" encounter over the South China Sea this week, without elaborating.
The Chinese defence ministry has not commented, but Beijing routinely complains about US military surveillance missions near China.
In a statement read out on Chinese state television, Mr Xi said China appreciated Mr Trump's upholding of the "One China" policy.
"I believe that the United States and China are cooperative partners, and through joint efforts we can push bilateral relations to a historic new high," the statement cited Mr Xi as saying.
The White House described the call as "extremely cordial" with both leaders expressing best wishes to their peoples.
"They also extended invitations to meet in their respective countries. President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes," the statement said.
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, us-elections, donald-trump, world-politics, united-states, china, taiwan
First posted |
The House is under attack by hackers hoping to infiltrate congressional computers, encrypt their contents, and then force users to pay a ransom to get their access back.
“In the past 48 hours, the House Information Security Office has seen an increase of attacks on the House Network using third party, web-based mail applications such as YahooMail, Gmail,” the House’s Technology Service Desk wrote in an email to House staffers on April 30.
According to the email, obtained by The Intercept, the hacked emails impersonate familiar people and invite staffers to download an attachment laced with malware — what’s known as a “phishing” attack.
“When a user clicks on the link in the attack email, the malware encrypts all files on that computer, including shared files, making them unusable until a ‘ransom’ is paid,” the email said.
But House administrative offices refused to say how many, if any, attacks have been successful, what sort of data may have been affected, or how much has been paid in ransom, if anything.
“The potential for ransomware attacks the House faces is similar to any large organization,” a spokesperson for the chief administrative officer of the House wrote in a statement to The Intercept. “The House recognizes the importance of taking steps to employ a cybersecurity plan to protect our infrastructure, and we constantly work to improve training and education for all House users.”
A lockdown on parts of the House internet network — from Wi-Fi to Ethernet — remains ongoing.
Access to both YahooMail and Google Cloud services hosted by Google’s appspot.com appear to be completely blocked on the House’s network, according to Ted Henderson, a former Hill staffer and founder of two social-network applications designed for Capitol Hill communication: Cloakroom and Capitol Bells. It’s unclear if both blockages, not just Yahoo’s, are related to the ransomware attacks.
Henderson says his several thousand users cannot post to the social networks inside the House office buildings. The way Cloakroom works, you’re normally able to log in either anonymously simply by using Capitol Hill Wi-Fi or with your staff email address. The Senate office buildings don’t appear to be affected.
“This is the first time I’ve seen this happen at a scale like this in five years,” Henderson wrote The Intercept in an email.
In recent months, several lawmakers have penned letters asking the Obama administration how it’s dealing with the problem of ransomware — a type of attack more than two dozen government agencies have admitted to confronting in the past as well.
Now that Congress itself is the target, security researchers are hopeful the issue will draw more national attention. “What you’re seeing in Congress is just part of what’s happening,” Markus Jakobsson, founder of ZapFraud, a scam email detection service, and an expert on phishing attacks, told The Intercept. “This will hopefully bring some awareness to decision makers. … Once they start [going after Congress], there will be changes.”
Ransomware attacks take many forms. Some hackers have managed to infect entire websites with malware.
It’s not clear whether the current spate of attacks on the House network was targeted, or whether House users just happened to find themselves among the ever-growing number of victims.
Ransomware is a major and growing threat to security. Just the day before the House emailed its staff about the attacks, the FBI published a press release titled “Incidents of Ransomware on the Rise,” warning that “hospitals, school districts, state and local governments, law enforcement agencies, small businesses, large businesses” are all under increasing threat of being hacked and ransomed.
Nonprofit health care organization Health Information Trust Alliance warned in April that more than half of 30 hospitals it surveyed were infected with malware — most of it ransomware. Los Angeles hospital Hollywood Presbyterian paid $17,000 to recover its data in March.
Police departments have also been victims of ransomware attacks, sometimes forced to pay up to recover everything. One police chief compared the extortion to “what felt like terrorist threats.”
It’s not at all clear how to solve the problem, though researchers have come up with some solutions and recommendations. “This is something that the technical community is still struggling with getting a firm grip on,” Jakobsson said.
He suggests Congress install several levels of filters to detect possible spam and scams, back up their data, and launch awareness campaigns to alert people to the reality of the problem. “The problem of social engineering is so vast that you can’t just do one and hope that’s enough,” he said. |
Sergeant Harrison Yates is the lead detective of the Park County Police Force and as far as we know, the highest-ranked police officer in Park County. He is usually accompanied by his partner Mitch Murphy or generic police officers.
He first appeared as a member of the FBI, but has since been seen as part of the Park County Police, a role he has consistently kept in the series since then.
Contents show]
Background
A shaved police officer who is identical to Yates appears working under Lieutenant Dawson in "Lil' Crime Stoppers".
Although never being extremely prominent, he has played a major role in many episodes. In "The Jeffersons", when Michael Jackson (also known as Mr. Jefferson) moves into South Park, it is revealed that Yates hates all black men wealthier than himself and frames them — but panics and becomes disillusioned when he realizes that "Mr. Jefferson" is black despite his "white appearance". He discovers Jefferson is indeed black, but when he decides he will give away all of his money, Yates lets him go, having no need to put another poor black man in jail.
In "Cartman's Incredible Gift", when a serial killer strikes South Park, Yates becomes convinced that Cartman has psychic powers that can capture the killer and dismisses proven science such as fingerprinting and blood analysis as "Hocus Pocus". As a result, he arrests and even kills a number of innocent people based on Cartman's alleged "psychic visions", failing to identify the killer as such when he first investigates him, despite an overabundance of evidence.
In "Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy", Kyle reports to Yates and the cops that the Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Stevenson, is in a relationship with his younger brother, Ike. It is shown that Yates and his pals, like all the other men in South Park do not see anything wrong with women committing sex crimes like this one. At one point he remarked that he would have gladly hooked up with a sexed-up teacher when he was a kid, again proving to be more of a hindrance than anything else to the case.
In "Butters' Bottom Bitch", he went undercover as a prostitute after learning of an increase in South Park prostitutes. Though it was obvious when he was a man in drag (he retained his male sexual organs, his mustache and his hairy body), no one seemed to notice this or at least chose to ignore it. He also is unaware of the fact he doesn't need to have sex with the Johns to arrest them for soliciting prostitution, something that creeps out the rest of his squad. He seems to take his role so seriously that he not only has sex with his Johns, he also is involved in a bareback gang-bang with dozens of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity men at the college, and he also "falls in love" with his pimp, runs off to Switzerland, is married for a year, before at last arresting him.
In "The Coon", Yates is the primary police officer approached by Cartman in the guise of the Coon. While he seems to see the Coon as an annoyance and tells him to leave, Yates praises the assistance and work of the town's other hero, Mysterion, despite neither hero doing much to assist the police force themselves and the lack of response by them to either hero.
Criminal Record
Mariujana paraphernalia: In "Bike Parade" he is seen smoking cannabis. Though usage of marijuana is legal in the state of Colorado, due to it being federally illegal, police officers are prohibited from usage of this drug.
Appearance
Yates has orange hair, an orange mustache, and thick orange eyebrows. He wears a white button-up shirt, black tie, black suspenders, gold watch, a belt with a gold buckle, and in a brown leather holster his stainless Smith and Wesson 5900-series pistol with wood grips (as does his partner Mitch Murphy, indicating this is most likely the standard issue duty sidearm for South Park PD) As a prostitute, he wore a short red skirt, a red bra and a blonde wig.
To see images of Harrison Yates, visit Harrison Yates/Gallery.
Personality
Yates appears to be rather gullible and believes in the supernatural, and often wastes time by conducting extremely trivial investigations. He seems to enjoy letting other people solve crimes for him, be they supposed psychic mediums, the Hardly Boys, Butters Stotch or Mysterion (Kenny). He is also stupid (possibly slightly more so than Officer Barbrady), racist and misogynistic, the last two of which he is perfectly willing to misuse the law to satisfy. Like most other South Park citizens, however, he does not notice these negative traits or rather believes they are good. His microscopic intelligence is showcased when it took him (presumably) hours of extensive research to understand that a left hand remains as such, regardless of the angle of which it's seen. There is a great possibility that he is a closet homosexual or at least bisexual as depicted in "Butters' Bottom Bitch" where he takes his prostitute role way too seriously and marries his pimp in order to arrest him. In "Naughty Ninjas" he suggests he "might even kiss a dude" while hula dancing.
Family
Maggie Yates
He is married to Maggie Yates, who shares his views on rich black men, as she supported him in "The Jeffersons". Ironically, in "Butters' Bottom Bitch" he engages in a long term affair with a wealthy black man, citing him to be his "pimp".
Unnamed Son
He has an unnamed son, mentioned in "Cartman's Incredible Gift".
Trivia
Prominence
Video Games
Yates appears in the police office as a "friendable" friend. He sends the player to collect five rings from the Nazi zombies. When they player collects the rings, Yates befriends him. Yates cannot be befriended when the Nazi zombies disappear. |
GDANSK, Poland (Reuters) - Solidarity, the trade union movement which led the Polish struggle against communist rule, distanced itself on Monday from a visit to Poland by U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney, saying he supported attacks on unions in his own country.
Romney was in Poland on the third and final leg of a tour aimed at burnishing his foreign policy credentials and demonstrating that he would be a viable alternative to President Barack Obama on the world stage.
Romney visited the Baltic port of Gdansk, cradle of Solidarity which toppled Poland’s communist government in the late 1980s, where he met Lech Walesa, the shipyard electrician who led the union movement during the struggle seen as the start of the end of Soviet domination of eastern Europe.
“Regretfully, we were informed by our friends from the American headquarters of (trade union federation) AFL-CIO, which represents more than 12 million employees ... that Mitt Romney supported attacks on trade unions and employees’ rights,” Solidarity said in a statement.
“Solidarity was not involved in organizing Romney’s meeting with Walesa and did not invite him to visit Poland.”
Romney has in the past complained about “union bosses” who he said have donated large sums of money to Obama’s re-election campaign.
Romney is trying to avoid any further missteps after gaffes during the first leg of his tour, in Britain, generated negative newspaper headlines and criticism even from some of his own supporters. He came to Poland from Israel, his second stop.
In Gdansk, Romney, who has called Poland’s neighbor Russia the top “geopolitical foe” of the United States, tried to show that if elected president he would be a stronger ally to Moscow-wary Poland than Obama.
The White House incumbent angered some Poles by making conciliatory moves aimed at “re-setting” strained ties with the Kremlin. Walesa, who was Polish president for five years in the 1990s, effectively endorsed Romney at their meeting.
“I wish you to be successful because this success is needed for the United States of course, but for Europe and the rest of the world too. Governor Romney, get your success. Be successful,” Walesa said.
U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney waves to hundreds of people gathered outside before his meeting with Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the Old Town Hall in Gdansk, July 30, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Reed
Walesa ended his association with the Solidarity movement several years ago following disputes over policy.
DIVIDED OPINION
Romney, a former governor of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, also had a 45-minute meeting at the Gdansk Old Town Hall with Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Later, with his wife and son, Romney placed flowers at the foot of a memorial to trade union activists killed by the Moscow-backed communist authorities. There, Romney got a taste of divided opinion about his candidacy.
“Good luck Mr. Romney,” a male onlooker shouted as the Romneys walked back to their motorcade.
“Obama,” a woman shouted.
“No, no more Obama,” a man shouted.
“Obama,” the woman insisted.
On Tuesday, the final day of his week-long foreign tour, Romney is to give a speech in the capital, Warsaw, on liberty and Washington’s ties with Poland.
“The relationship that our countries have is very important and it would be a high priority in a Romney administration,” said a senior Romney campaign adviser.
Slideshow (20 Images)
However, it may prove difficult in Poland for Romney to draw a sharp contrast with his Democratic rival in the presidential election because Polish leaders enjoy fairly strong ties with the Obama White House.
Solidarity is still known abroad because of its historic role in the collapse of Communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall. At home, it is now closely linked with Poland’s biggest opposition party, which promotes conservative social values. |
Josh Alpert, Charlie Hales' Chief of Staff, Is Leaving City Hall
Josh Alpert—Heading out of City Hall.
Josh Alpert— Mayor Charlie Hales' chief of staff and the central architect of the city's new strategies around homelessness—is leaving City Hall next month.
After 11 months as Hales' top deputy, Alpert tells the Mercury he's accepted a job with London-based C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a nonprofit coalition working to curb greenhouse gas emissions in cities worldwide. He's leaving July 1.
"Not under a cloud, I hope," Alpert joked in an interview on Thursday, hours after he'd informed the mayor's office staff of his decision. Hales has known about the departure since last week, and is supportive, Alpert says..
The departure means Hales—like Sam Adams before him—will have at least three chiefs of staff during his four-year term. Former chief Gail Shibley left last July for a position with the state. Tera Pierce, Alpert's deputy, will succeed him for Hales' final six months in office.
But Alpert's departure has the potential to be more acutely felt than Shibley's. No member of Hales' staff has haunted City Hall quite as thoroughly (we named Alpert the most underrated City Hall staffer not long ago. It's difficult to find people who'll speak ill of him in that building, even if they have beefs with how the office conducts business.)
More importantly, Alpert has been the point person for a homelessness strategy that has earned Hales the ire of business interests and some neighborhood organizations, even while cheered by advocates and watched closely by other cities.
That strategy—which includes allowing people to sleep on the sidewalk and erect tents on some lots, as well as providing for more organized homeless camps—is still seriously in flux. Not only that, but Mayor-elect Ted Wheeler has been promising to undo at least part of it when he takes office.
Alpert vows that his departure doesn't mean Hales is abandoning the controversial effort.
"I wouldn't leave if I didn't feel like our team has this," he said. "They're moving forward. We're not giving up on any of the big ideas."
Central to Alpert's view of the homelessness issue—and therefore Hales'—is the fact that the city has no options for thousands of people who are without shelter on a nightly basis. Given that, he says, it's wrong for Portland to outlaw camping in every form. And with recent hints that the US Department of Justice agrees, Alpert says federal court opinion is headed toward the same conclusion.
"Nobody other than our office has put forward a plan about: What do we do tonight?" he says. "I will not stop singing that song."
Alpert's relatively short time as chief of staff has been eventful to say the least. In October, Hales shocked the city by announcing he wouldn't run for a second term. That followed a break with business interests, who'd been quietly encouraging Wheeler to pose a stern challenge.
The months since that announcement have been Hales' most dynamic in office—largely due to the homelessness policy and the declaration of a housing state of emergency (which kicked in a few weeks before Hales said he wouldn't run).
Alpert, one of three remaining staffers who've been with Hales since he took office in January 2013, makes no secret of the fact he's "burned out." But he insists he'd have stayed on with Hales if his new employers hadn't asked him to start sooner. Still he's giving himself a month-long break between gigs—he starts August 8.
"I wanted my deputy to have meaningful time as chief," he says of Pierce. "There is stuff for her to do as chief before we leave that’s big."
Besides, "I've been working for a really long time without a break."
Alpert will remain in Portland, making more money and working on limiting inequities in how global climate change is felt. He says he will not have any business before City Council. |
My bet is that if they try this, it may look like this.
This unfolding pre-revolutionary saga in the land of Colt, Mossberg, and Ruger is going to be interesting to watch. I watched earlier when the line of sheep who decided to prepare to disarm themselves stood in lines to ensure that the government had all their pertinents and such, so that the government would know that they were on the up and up, evil black rifle-ly speaking.
But now, it appears that what is happening is that a great many of the good citizens of the Nutmeg State decided to forgo the bowing to the government and surrendering their liberty; thereby making themselves felons through the possession of something that was previously legal, but now is not. I wonder if they have seen the Ken Burns documentary on Prohibition? Quite compelling if you ask me.
But by failing to accede to the demands of their “betters” I guess they are proving the maxim of “only criminals will always have guns.” My guess is that the legislators thought that all the good sheep would just line up and do as they were told, but it didn’t work out that way.
Which leads me to the winner of our daily “most deliciously self unaware politician” being awarded to Connecticut State Senator Tony Guglielmo. His reply to the Hartford Courant is the most priceless thing I have heard this week.
“I honestly thought from my standpoint that the vast majority would register. If you pass laws that people have no respect for and they don’t follow them, then you have a real problem.”
Really? You don’t say? Like not having respect for the laws against gun-running and then allowing a government agency you are the head of to run guns into a foreign country? Or maybe like not respecting and not following a duly passed law by Congress that the President signed into law because it is now wrecking the nations health care system and it makes him look bad, and then allowing the Congress to exempt themselves as well? The reason they don’t respect the law is that you have no respect for the law yourself. Anyone else read their Declaration of Independence lately?
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance….. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation…. For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent…. For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments….
So if the educated buffoons that run Connecticut and inhabit most every state house and out house in the centers of power pass a law that says that in no uncertain terms I need a permit to attend church, or to register myself with the government in order to speak about politics as I walk down the street, and if I don’t follow that law, we, the citizens are going to have a “real problem?” I would be the first to ask what kind of problem is that going to be Senator? Do you plan to arrest them? Are you going to turn Connecticut into a penal colony?
Let me tell you what Connecticut’s “real problem” is Senator; you guys think that the citizens who elected you serve you and not the other way around.
My husband has an AR-15. It is, according to him, an exact civilian replica of the one he spent much time carrying about the battlefields of the world where he spent some time. I know that one time, because I heard him tell the story to a friend, that he used it to fight his way into a place to reinforce a unit that had been surrounded, and then used it to fight his way back out.
From that one story, and watching him at the range, I was able to determine that the safest place for me to be if spineless shells of men like Senator Guglielmo ever come to take my liberty is going to be about 2 feet behind him, handing him ammunition.
So Senator Guglielmo, you might want to have a change of panties because I am about to say something that is going to frighten you past the point of bladder control:
There is not a law that you can make that will give you the right to do what is wrong. There are so many other citizens like my husband, who are willing to die fighting in order to keep their rights to defend themselves and their family. You will never find them all, and you will never beat them all. This country doesn’t have enough police and military members who share your views and are like minded enough to take by force all of the guns that free citizens possess. You will orphan many children and widow many wives on both sides trying to take from citizens what you cannot lawfully take; their right to defend themselves. The citizens are not your serfs and you are not royalty. They do not need a “by your leave” to exercise their rights to own a gun in the same way they do not need a “mother may I” from you to attend a church of their choosing, speak out in the public square, or petition the government for the redress of grievances.
When citizens have guns, government cannot deal with them by force. They have to use reason and try to persuade them, because they have a way to negate the threat or employment of force. It would be wise of you to remember who you work for Senator. It is these same citizens whom you are trying to force into disarmed criminal servitude. Perhaps starting from a point of reason, instead of modeling your program after the one created by the Weimar Republic wherein you just exchange the word “jew” for “gun owner” or “2nd Amendment advocate.”
The person ultimately that is going to have a “real problem” is going to be politicians like you. |
[pullquote]“Nobody who takes on anything big and tough can afford to be modest.” – Orson Welles[/pullquote]
This is chapter 4 of The Producer Log, a journal written by writer/director/producer Alison Kathleen Kelly as she advances on her journey producing a micro-budget feature film. You can find all the installments on the Make a Film page.
When Things Don’t Go As Planned
I know I told you that this week I was going to talk to you about contracts, setting test days, equipment, finding locations etc, well I can’t do that, because I haven’t done any of that stuff yet, so I figured I would tell you how I’m [really] feeling about producing a micro budget feature film.
Producing any type of film or show is HARD WORK but when you’re new to producing it’s even harder because you think you know what needs to be done and then you find out all about the things you didn’t know that needed to be done too. It’s called GAINING EXPERIENCE…
…So get HELP (and no I don’t mean the psychiatric kind). The other producer I’m working with is actually, a bit of a genius, I’ve been working with him for a mere 3 months and I’ve learnt so much along the way, I can’t put everything down here because it’s confidential, but I will try and impart some of the wisdom I’ve gained (in an anonymous way) in my next few posts…
WHAT HAVE I LEARNT?!?
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
I have learnt that you have to TRUST my INSTINCTS… both in the casting process and during the interview process when you’re finding your crew. Every now and then when we interviewed someone I would have an instinct about that person, about whether they would fit with our vision of what our team should be like, and whether they might complain a lot, or disagree with our director, or just basically, be a pain in the butt.
More often than not we passed on those types of people. And we picked the people that had solutions when we told them about a potential problem or issue. It didn’t matter if they had less IMDb credits, or a shorter resume/CV, their passion is what you need to guide you.
PRODUCERS GET TO LEARN FROM ALL DEPARTMENTS
I didn’t know what a gimble was, or a ronin, but now I do.
It is my intention to learn as much as I can about ALL the aspects of filmmaking; from the crew, to the cast, to the equipment, from pre-production through to editing, so that one day, if I decide to direct a feature film, or on the next film I produce, I will be better equipped to know what the capabilities of all the people (and things) around me are, so that I can utilize them better.
BIG RESUMES ARE NOT EVERYTHING
We were very careful during the interviewing to ask the right questions aimed at seeking out potential moaners from the crew [I said in a previous post that you don’t want any of these for obvious reasons]. No Moaning Myrtles please!!
We’ve actually let a couple of people go along the way, not because they weren’t up to scratch, believe me some of these people have been in films you’ll have seen in the cinema this last year, but mainly because they just weren’t the right sort of fit for our team. One person couldn’t deal with the small budget we gave them for their department (because they’re used to a BIGGGER budgets) but that’s okay, that person wasn’t meant to work with us on this production.
Does it mean I wouldn’t work with them on a future project?
Not necessarily… if the time is right maybe I will. Never rule anyone out, and always (unless someone really does something terrible) tell people that you’ll bear them in mind for your future productions. I have a growing list of people I wasn’t able to work with on this project, who I’d like to work with on the next one.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE’S NOTHING DO
Do your laundry, tidy your room, paint your nails, go grocery shopping…
NO those are things you need to avoid, at least until you’ve made a list of all the things that are going to need to be done.
In my case, the list looks like that right now:
LIST OF THINGS TO DO
1. Make a folder for contracts for cast and crew.
2. Make a folder for expenses and a spreadsheet.
3. Make a spread sheet of contact details for cast and crew including addresses (for contracts) also find out agents details too.
4. Contact locations to find availability for location recce and plan your recce. (If you’re going to Scotland for the day, what day will you be going and what are the prices of the train tickets? Think about who needs to be in the car, Director, producer, location manager, etc are they all available to go on that date.)
5. Email the cast and crew to find out if they have any dietary requirements to be aware of during the shoot.
6. Get an update from the Art Department and Make-up Departments.
7. Find out what meetings are taking place (is the head of make-up meeting with the head of the art dept?) and do I want to attend?
The more prepared you are now the smoother the production will run later.
PASSION WILL COMPENSATE LACK OF BUDGET
When you’re making a low budget/micro budget film, there’s not a lot of room for error, you have so little time and so little money that literally everyone involved at every moment has to know what they’re doing and how to work with the little they have and yet, make it look like a £100m film.
Now that’s a hard thing to do, but if you find people who are passionate about your project, who really want to work with you, who have the right attitude, they will go the extra mile for you and that’s when the magic happens...
That’s when you sit around a table at your first big production meeting (like I did on Friday) and you listen as the people you chose talk about the things you hoped they’d talk about, and ask the questions you may not of thought they’d ask… but that’s great because you now know you NEED TO KNOW those answers!!!
YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION FOR EVERY SINGLE DETAIL
During our first production meeting, we talked for hours, we figured things out; we brainstormed and shared ideas and made decisions.
It’s not hard to make a decision when it’s just you, or it just affects you, but when you’re deciding how many crew members should sleep in each room, and what food people are going to eat, and you want them to be happy you find out whether their vegan or Pescatarian or allergic to sunflower seeds…
We are shooting in France, so I’m going to make sure we have some delicious pastries and cheeses on our craft service table.
CULTIVATE HAPPINESS
I am a BIG believer that a happy crew will be the best crew in the world. So feed them well, and treat them well, and thank them always for their hard work. Because they are working for you, for national minimum wage – For You.
AND – YOU – NEED – THEM.
And that’s all I have to say because now I’ve got to finish the actors’ contracts now. It’s a wonderful ever-changing world, this movie making.
NEXT CHAPTER
Join me next week when I discuss finding locations and planning your location recce (in another country).
—
Alison Kathleen Kelly is an award winning writer/director/producer from London. Alison studied directing at UCLA Extension and went on to produce several successful short films, she is now producing a horror feature film in France and preparing to direct her first feature, a gangster film set in London. You can contact Alison at alisonkathleenkelly@yahoo.co.uk |
US-backed Ukrainian regime mobilizes reserves, threatening war with Russia
By Alex Lantier
3 March 2014
In the most serious military crisis in Europe since the end of World War II, the Western-backed Ukrainian regime that took power in Kiev in a fascist-led putsch a week ago put its military on high alert yesterday. It also began calling up its reserve forces, totaling around 1 million men, threatening war with Russia.
The day before, the upper house of the Russian parliament had unanimously passed a bill authorizing the deployment of Russian forces to Ukraine. Crimea is a majority Russian-speaking region of Ukraine where Russia has a major naval base at Sevastopol. Officials in Kiev charged that over the weekend, Russia sent up to 6,000 troops to Crimea to bolster local authorities against Kiev.
The tensions between Moscow and Kiev directly raise the risk of a clash between Russia and the NATO powers backing Kiev. While Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed yesterday in a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to keep open “bilateral and multilateral” communications, Russian exchanges with Washington were very tense.
US President Barack Obama made a 90-minute phone call to Putin to discuss Ukraine on Saturday. Obama demanded that Russian troops return to their bases in the Crimea, denounced Russian policy as a “violation of Ukrainian sovereignty” and a “breach of international law,” and threatened severe consequences for US-Russian relations.
Putin brushed aside Obama’s demands, calling the Ukraine situation “extraordinary.” He pointed out that far-right elements backed by Kiev and the Western powers threaten “the lives and health of Russian citizens and their many compatriots” in Ukraine.
Moscow may intervene not only in Crimea, but also in other majority-Russian-speaking areas of Ukraine hostile to the right-wing regime in Kiev. The Kremlin issued a statement that declared: “In the case of any further spread of violence to Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, Russia retains the right to protect its interests and the Russian-speaking population of those areas.”
Russian troops, Cossacks, pro-Russian local inhabitants, and Putin’s “Night Wolves” biker gang are reportedly working together to fortify the land bridge between Crimea and the rest of Ukraine and hold it against potential offensives by the Ukrainian military.
Russian officials bluntly dismissed US criticisms as hypocritical, noting that Washington has violated countries’ sovereignty by invading countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. Russian Foreign Ministry sources responded to US National Security Adviser Susan Rice’s comment that Russia was committing a “grave mistake” in sending troops to Ukraine by advising the United States itself not to use force.
They said, “We have seen the expert evaluations of Susan Rice, which are based on repeated US military interventions in multiple places around the world, especially where the US administration is of the opinion that the norms of Western democracy are in danger or ruling regimes begin too clearly ‘to get out of hand.’ We consider that the current presidential adviser will give this kind of advice about the error of using force to the US leadership, in the event of a decision about a new intervention.”
The reactionary Kremlin oligarchy cannot offer any progressive solution to the escalating tensions in Ukraine, which can only be halted by a political mobilization of the working class against imperialism and the post-Soviet capitalist oligarchies inside the ex-USSR. However, it is the imperialist powers that bear central responsibility for the military escalation in Ukraine and the country’s accelerating downward spiral towards war.
Russia’s intervention in Ukraine is the inevitable outcome of the reckless decision by Washington and the European Union (EU) to back a fascist putsch in Kiev. The Kiev regime came to power on a program of strategically orienting to the West and imposing deep austerity measures on the working class, including pension cuts and massive energy price increases, a strategy so unpopular that Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk compared himself to a “political kamikaze.”
Driven by social contradictions for which it has no solution, Kiev is stoking confrontations with Russia and ethnic Russians in order to mobilize its tiny social base—fascists like the Svoboda party or the Right Sector militia who praise the Holocaust and, identifying the USSR with Russia, combine hysterical anti-communism with anti-Russian hatred.
These developments point to the disastrous impact of the dissolution of the USSR. Under conditions where the working class has been shut out of political life due to the reactionary role of Stalinism, the vilest fascist forces have come to the fore, throwing the entire region open to imperialist intrigue and war.
The Kiev regime has prepared laws to strip Russian of its status as an official language and sent thugs to beat up officials in pro-Russian areas it fears may break away from Ukraine.
Leading Svoboda members are infamous for bloodthirsty denunciations of Russians. Iryna Farion called Russian speakers “degenerates” who should be imprisoned, and a top Svoboda official believed to be party leader Oleh Tyahnybok proposed on Svoboda forums to “physically liquidate all Russian-speaking intellectuals and all Ukrainophobes … registering Ukrainophobes can be done here by any member of Svoboda.”
US and European imperialism, having backed a putsch by far-right forces, are watching as the authority of its far-right proxy regime over large swathes of Ukraine begins to disintegrate.
Protests of tens of thousands of people took place this weekend across Ukraine’s eastern and southern industrial heartlands, which, like the Crimean Peninsula, include a greater number of Russian speakers. In Kharkov 20,000 protesters demonstrated, carrying Russian flags and storming local government offices, throwing out officials sent by Kiev.
In Donetsk—the capital of the Donbass region, where a referendum on independence from Kiev is now scheduled, as in the Crimea—10,000 protesters rallied and distributed leaflets calling on citizens to defy Kiev. Another 20,000 anti-Kiev protesters marched in Odessa, and smaller demonstrations took place in Mariupol, Melitopol, and Yevpatoria.
Only days after being appointed to head the Ukrainian navy, Admiral Dennis Berezovsky turned against the Kiev authorities and went over to pro-Russian authorities in Crimea, together with the flagship of the Ukrainian fleet, the frigate Hetman Sahaydachniy.
The main danger under these conditions is that the imperialist powers will escalate the crisis into a major war, either by stoking conflict inside Ukraine or by directly intervening themselves.
Writing in the Guardian, Dmitri Trenin of the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank pointed to the danger of a great-power war. Noting that “direct confrontation between Russian and Ukrainian forces will draw in the United States one way or another,” he compared a likely conflict today to the 2008 war in the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia in the South Caucasus—in which Moscow beat off an assault on Russian peacekeepers by US-backed Georgian forces.
He wrote, “So far, there has been no military confrontation between Russian and Ukrainian forces, but if they clash, this will not be a repeat of the five-day war in the South Caucasus, as in 2008. The conflict will be longer and bloodier, with security in Europe put at its highest risk in a quarter century.”
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The Bengals are changing their offensive philosophy under first-year NFL coordinator Jay Gruden, officially hired by the club on Thursday. Gruden will install a West Coast offense emphasizing short passing and a power running attack.
“We have to run the ball between the tackles,” said Gruden in his introductory press conference Thursday. “We have to be a physical team up front. We’re going to challenge our offensive line to be physical. We’re not going to spread out and go no-huddle every down and throw the ball 65 times a game.
“I intend on pounding the ball.”
Gruden’s offensive plan aligns with the preferred philosophy of Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. Lewis was unhappy with last year’s attempt at a pass-happy offense featuring both “stars” of the T.Ocho Show.
Gruden also expressed confidence in quarterback Carson Palmer, whose arm strength hasn’t been the same since he opted against Tommy John surgery following the 2008 season. This offseason, Palmer requested a trade.
“I think everybody’s positive (about Palmer) coming back,” said Gruden. “There are obviously issues right now with the quarterback, but I think everyone is hopeful we can get a deal done where he comes back and he plays like Carson can play.” |
Girls as young as 16 who were taken to Ibiza for the tourist sex trade then beaten with brooms and sticks if they didn't bring in €1,000 a day have been rescued by police.
The victims, who were lured to the Spanish mainland with fake promises of jobs, were forced to work 14 hours a day.
One of the women, police have revealed, was just 16 years of age.
All 21 are Nigerian and were working in the exclusive districts of Ibiza.
Girls as young as 16 who were taken to Ibiza for the tourist sex trade then beaten with brooms and sticks if they didn't bring in €1,000 a day have been rescued by police
The victims, who were kept on the Spanish mainland in the winter before being taken to the holiday island for the summer, were forced to work 14 hours a day
This is the moment police carried out raids in Ibiza and freed 21 women who were beaten with brooms and sticks unless they bought in €1,000 a day
A major operation carried out by the Spanish police in association with the Office of Criminal Investigation in Germany and Europol has led to the arrest of 24 suspects
A major operation carried out by the Spanish police in association with the Office of Criminal Investigation in Germany and Europol has led to the arrest of 24 suspects.
'The network captured very young victims among the lower classes of the major Nigerian cities, deceiving them with false job offers in Spain.
'Once in our country, they were forced into prostitution in marathon days, being beaten if they did not earn the money demanded by the gang,' said a police spokesman.
Investigators said Ibiza was chosen for the summer because of the high influx of tourists, with the gang totalling controlling the streets of the exclusive areas.
They were kept in one apartment and only allowed out occasionally to buy food or to keep an appointment with a client.
'If they didn't earn 1,000 euros a day, they would be forced to kneel for hours and beaten with sticks and brooms,' said the spokesman.
'If they didn't earn 1,000 euros a day, they would be forced to kneel for hours and beaten with sticks and brooms,' said a police spokesman
Police found that 17 women were forced to share one apartment of just 30 square metres, with three to four girls sleeping in one single bed
The victims were subjected to voodoo rituals and sworn to loyalty contracts under the threat of family members being killed
Police found that 17 women were forced to share one apartment of just 30 square metres, with three to four girls sleeping in one single bed.
The vulnerable women were given employment offers 'too good to refuse' in view of their poor circumstances but once captured, were unable to escape.
They were subjected to voodoo rituals and sworn to loyalty contracts under the threat of family members being killed.
The women were smuggled into Europe on boats and planes and were only told their job offer was false when they arrived in Spain.
They were then told they would have to pay up to 50,000 pounds to be freed and could do so through prostitution.
Those arrested included two women said to be the ringleaders who had 'years of experience' in recruiting vulnerable girls.
Police said they took elaborate steps to avoid detection, often moving the women from house to house.
One of the gang was arrested in Germany where he had tried to hide and five others were found to be members of the 1960s cult called 'Supreme Eiye Confraternity'.
The money earned from prostitution was sent to Nigeria via Madrid where a bar was used as the front. |
BEREA, Ohio - Former Baylor head coach Art Briles stood on the Browns practice field fully decked out in the team's gear on Wednesday. He was here as a guest of head coach Hue Jackson's.
It was, at the least, not a good look for Jackson or the Browns.
"What happened at Baylor's at Baylor," Jackson said following practice on Wednesday.
Frankly, what is alleged to have happened at Baylor, as outlined in a report by the law firm Pepper Hamilton on the school's handling of sexual assault cases, is disgusting. The final line of the summary of the report read: "Pepper's findings also reflect significant concerns about the tone and culture within Baylor's football program as it relates to accountability for all forms of athlete misconduct."
[Read the report summary here]
Briles eventually reached a contract settlement with Baylor after threatening to sue the school for wrongful termination.
The Browns as an organization should shudder at the sight of one of the men fired in the fallout from the allegations outlined in the report standing on their field wearing their gear.
Jackson, especially, should have second thoughts about bringing Briles in as a guest. He has, since the day he announced that the team was moving on from quarterback Johnny Manziel at the combine in February, taken a strong stance in regards to character.
"Our organization is going to take a stand, and we're going to move on from those kind of situations as we move forward," Jackson said on Feb. 24.
Wednesday, that talk came with a caveat.
"A strong stance with the people within our organization," Jackson clarified when asked about his previous comments. "This happened at a different time and not here, so I can't judge that."
That's a pretty big exception.
"I understand everybody has an opinion about it, but I get to judge here and what goes on here in our building and I don't think those things have affected our building that way. Nothing happened here," Jackson added.
Simply calling it a bad look doesn't do this justice. In a year stressing culture change - a year where they have moved on from the likes of Manziel, who was under investigation following an altercation with his ex-girlfriend at the time - in a year where there are so many young players, the Browns as an organization have opened up their doors to one of football's most controversial figures. They've trotted him onto their practice field. They've decked him out in brown and orange.
Art Briles and everything that comes with that name is now associated with the Cleveland Browns organization. And, make no mistake, it is the whole organization, an organization that boasts a co-owner in Dee Haslam who serves on the league's conduct committee.
"I've talked this through with our upper management because I asked, 'Is it OK for him to be here with me as my guest?'" Jackson said. "And I got the OK. It was a good conversation with our people here and I think they understood where I was coming from, so I don't want to make it seem like I'm trying to extend the olive branch."
No one is arguing that Briles isn't a great offensive mind. Maybe, some day, Briles will get a second chance. Whether he deserves one can be debated then.
"Whatever's happened at Baylor, I'm not condoning," Jackson said, "or him being here says that we condone anything."
His presence may not mean they condone what was alleged at Baylor. It certainly appears they are tone-deaf to it, though.
-----
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This article is about a kind of wig worn by Korean women. For the cake, see Guernsey Gâche
The gache (Hangul: 가체; Hanja: 加髢) is a big wig worn by Korean women. Women of high social backgrounds and kisaeng wore them. Like their western contemporaries Koreans considered bigger and heavier wigs to be more aesthetically pleasing.[1] However, there is a record of an incident where a heavy gache wig led to the death of a 13-year-old bride as the heavy wig compromised her neck as she was getting up to greet her father-in-law entering the room. Also due to its costliness, some lower-class families took up to 6–7 years preparing a new gache wig for their new daughter-in-law.[2]
The gache also flourished in Goryeo, the Three Kingdoms, Balhae, the Gaya confederacy, and Gojoseon. They were decorated with silk objects, gold, jewels, silver, coral, jade, etc. Certain decorations were reserved for royalty.
Such was the women's frenzy for the gache that in 1788, King Jeongjo of Joseon prohibited and banned by royal decree the use of gache as they were deemed contrary to Confucian values of reserve and restraint.[3] In the 19th century, yangban women began to wear jokduri, a small hat that substituted for the gache. However gache still enjoyed vast popularity in kisaeng circles and traditional weddings. Inclusive of its decorations, a gache usually weighs about 3 to 4 kg.
Gallery [ edit ]
See also [ edit ] |
, and: Your standard burn spells.'s scrying might be pretty useful for maximizing good draws.
Eidolon of the Great Revel: If you are outpacing your opponent in terms of damage, (which should usually be the case,seeing as this is a burn deck) Eidolon can be a tremendous nuisance, and it will probably deal around six damage before it is removed.
Monastery Swiftspear: Great early game damage output. Scales well into late game because of prowess.
Abbot of Keral Keep : Gives you card advantage, as well as fitting in the the prowess theme.
Soul-Scar Mage: Not as fast as swiftspear but has incredible utility. Can easily help permanently weaken creatures that pose a large threat, and is especially useful against indestructible creatures.
Goblin Guide: A fantastic early game 1 drop. Hopefully,the speed of the deck as a whole outweighs the drawback.
Bedlam Reveler: Strong, cheap, midgame annoyance. It can also restore your hand later in the game. I could see it being pretty powerful. |
President Obama’s universe must be a wonderful place.
It sure isn’t reality.
In an interview with CNN that aired on Thursday – the day after reportedly ISIS-inspired radical Muslim terrorists murdered 14 people in San Bernardino, California – Obama explained that Americans were safe from ISIS attack like the Paris attacks. “ISIL will not pose an existential threat to us,” Obama said, as though anyone argues differently. “They are a dangerous organization like al Qaeda was, but we have hardened our defenses. The American people should feel confident that, you know, we are going to be able to defend ourselves and make sure that, you know, we have a good holiday and go about our lives.”
The interview was taped simultaneously with the investigation into the San Bernardino shootings on Wednesday.
The level of disconnect here truly rises to the level of astonishing. We know that President Obama has lied about national security repeatedly in order to ensure his own political popularity – and we know he’s done so specifically with regard to ISIS. On Monday, his former intelligence head openly explained that Obama ignored intelligence about ISIS’ rise in 2011 and 2012 to boost his re-election chances. Now, Obama’s openly lying to us about our level of safety in order to protect his own prioritization of climate change.
Absolutely incredible.
Just to ensure that Americans feel perfectly safe against ISIS, Obama has pledged to move strongly on gun control. Today, the White House announced that Obama’s desire to strengthen anti-gun regulation would actually deter terrorism. Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked, “Does the President really think that common sense gun laws would deter terrorists now that he has admitted that these two may have been terrorists?” Josh Earnest answered, “Yes.”
Just like climate change summits intimidate ISIS. Just like ISIS was jayvee.
You’re not safe under President Obama’s watch. That’s because he’s not watching. He’s just covering his own ass, forever and always. |
President Obama will leave the White House to President-elect Trump on Friday, Jan. 20, and then according to his schedule he and wife Michelle will embark on their final flight aboard a presidential aircraft to an "undisclosed location."
That Friday morning, Obama's final weekly schedule says the president and first lady will "welcome President-elect Trump and Melania Trump to the White House for tea."
Afterwards, the Obamas will attend Trump's inauguration at the U.S. Capitol.
Then the couple will travel to Joint Base Andrews, via helicopter, where Obama will speak to group of staff gathered there "to bid farewell."
The schedule says the Obamas will depart Joint Base Andrews "on their last flight aboard the presidential aircraft."
As CBS News White House correspondent Chuck Knoller notes, the aircraft is bound for an " undisclosed location." Odds are the president is not traveling by air to his nearby new home in the Kalorama neighborhood in Washington, D.C. |
HOMS/PALMYRA: We knew the Saudi ISIS criminal organization killed over 400 Syrian citizens on May 24, 2015 when the savages invaded the archeologically rich town and plundered it. But, we didn’t know what was done with the bodies of our martyrs. Today, we found out.
At the far north-east edge of the city just north of the airbase at the Al-Jaahiziyya Apartments, a communal gravesite was found containing 42 bodies of mostly children, women and old men. Most had been either beheaded or tortured to death. As I write, Russian and Syrian forensic pathologists are heading to the scene for a complete investigation. Evidently, our Russian friends are insistent on publicizing the rapine and murder inflicted on the Syrian people by the criminal Saudi regime and its allies in ISIS.
The gravesite was found by SAA sappers with the help of PDC fighters as they were investigating locations for IEDs and mines. The Russians have already sent two planeloads of engineers to help in the cleanup after the Syrian government requested the help especially for the priceless antiquities.
_________________________________________________________
AL-SUWAYDAA`: With remarkably accurate intelligence from local sources, the SAA and PDC waited for a convoy of buzzards belonging to ISIS at Tal-Ish–hayyib in the northeast corner of the province and killed 13 of them while wounding a reported 6. The artillery and rockets used to bring down the convoy are representative of the new technology made available to the Syrian Army by the Russian Defense Ministry. According to our source in Damascus, the SAA used Kornet rockets and GRAD missiles to exquisite efficiency.
_________________________________________________________
BEIRUT: In another episode highlighting the crackpot character of the Saudi brain, Riyaadh ordered its offices and studios for Al-‘Arabiyya and Al-Hadath closed for good. All employees, reporters and technicians were discharged summarily for “security” reasons. The propaganda agency, notorious for its competition with Al-Jazeera for rampant lying and disinformation, has been losing huge amounts of money recently as viewership has gone down drastically. Relations with Lebanon have gone south recently as the Lebanese have given the Saudis the cold shoulder.
This robust degenerate plans a useless application for unemployment after being given the pink slip by the Saudi runts. Notice all security personnel are hired based on weight.
___________________________________________________
IDLIB: With the cease fire moving, or, shall we say, in place, there isn’t all that much to report. However, when it comes to attacking ISIS, Nusra or their progeny, the SAA and its allies are most active.
Al-Habeet: 3 rodents killed and 5 wounded belonging to Nusra/Alqaeda. Only one was identified positively:
‘Awni Muhammad Manfookh
Abu Dhuhoor Airbase: SAA and PDC set up an ambush for terrorists belonging to the mostly-Alqaeda-franchised Al-Hizb Al-Islaami Al-Turkistaani which is jointly run by MIT’s Hakan Fidan. 9 rodents were killed in the ambush. All appeared, after assessment, to be from eastern Turkistaan and were carrying documents indicating membership in Nusra
Kafr Sijna and South Rukaayaa: South of the city, the SAA killed many Nusra rodents. I have no other details.
___________________________________________
HAMA:
Between Kafr Zaytaa and Al-Sayyaad: In a highly qualitative operation that started 24 hours ago and effectuated by the SAA-SF, a trap was set by the army for a group of rodents belonging to Al-Ittihaad Al-Islaami Li-Ajnaad Al-Shaam (mostly foreigners loyal to either Nusra or ISIS). In the ensuing battle, the SAA reached a functioning command-control center and blew it up killing 6 rodents and wounding scores. 3 vehicles were destroyed. I have no other details.
NOTE: DON’T FORGET, THERE ARE 2 POSTS FOR TODAY.
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I had the privilege to meet a marketing executive from King Arthur Flour awhile back when I was at a conference for work. I had mentioned trying a recipe from their website and how much I loved it. I mentioned blogging about it and she urged me to do so. I actually haven’t make the no fuss focaccia bread in awhile, so I have had this post sitting until I made this easy focaccia bread again. I decided to make some pasta using some frozen shrimp I bought (I know, *gasp* frozen shrimp, but I lead a life of convenience whenever possible, which means I buy things frozen at our house).
I was looking around for an easy to make foccacia bread that didn’t take a long time to sit or to rise (dinner was in 3 hours, so I was limited on my rise time). I came across the King Arthur no fuss focaccia bread and decided to go ahead and try it out, it was an immediate hit and I even would make it and bring it to parties with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip it in. It also goes great with pasta dishes. As you get your ingredients ready, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Ingredients for easy focaccia bread:
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups King Arthur flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
Add all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix in your mixer or by hand. It doesn’t take that long to mix and you come out with a very sticky dough.
In a lightly greased pan drizzle some olive oil along the bottom and add your dough and spread it out to about 3/4 of an inch thickness. Cover the pan and let it rise at room temperature for about 60 minutes (I let my easy focaccia bread rise for about 90 minutes because it didn’t seem like it had risen a lot, but it came out perfect in the oven).
Poke your finger every two inches down to create the dimples in the bread. Cover with your favorite flavors (for this version I used a pinch of parsley, oregano, basil, garlic powder and shredded cheddar cheese).
Bake at 375 degrees and cook for about 25-35 minutes. The bottom should be a nice crispy golden, the top shouldn’t brown as much (I could tell it was done because the edges of the dough that were thinner were a nice golden color).
Enjoy! This focaccia bread typically doesn’t seem to keep well for more than a day or two, so I always prep it the day that I need it. It is amazing right out of the oven!. |
In 1990, Patricia Reggio, et al ., developed a molecular reactivity template for the design of cannabinoid analgesics with minimal psychoactivity. The analgesic activity of the template molecule (9-nor-9b-OH-HHC) is attributed to the presence and positions of two regions of negative potential on top of the molecule. The template places all cannabinoid analgesics on a common map, no matter how dissimilar their structures. (40)
CBD antagonizes THC and competes with THC to fill the cannabinoid receptor site. THC also exerts an inhibitory effect on acetylcholine activity through a GABA-ergic mechanism. It significantly increases the intersynaptic levels of serotonin by blocking its reuptake into the presynaptic neuron. THC also elevates the brain level of 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (5-HT) while antagonizing the peripheral actions of 5-HT. (36-39)
The brain produces Anandamide (Arachidonylethanolamide), which is the endogenous ligand of the cannabinoid receptor. It was first identified by William Devane and Raphael Mechoulam, et al ., in 1992. Anandamide has biological and behavioral effects similar to THC. Devane named the substance after the Sanskrit word Ananda (Bliss). The discovery of Anandamide and its receptor site has unlocked the door to the world of cannabinoid pharmacology. (32-35)
S. Munro, et al ., located a peripheral CX5 receptor for cannabinoids in the marginal zone of the spleen. The Anandamide/cannabinoid receptor site, a protein on the cell surface, activates G-proteins inside the cell and leads to a cascade of other biochemical reactions which generate euphoria. (26-31)
In 1984, Miles Herkenham and his colleagues at NIMH mapped the brain receptors for THC, using radioactive analogs of THC developed by Pfizer Central Research. They found the most receptors in the hippocampus, where memory consolidation occurs. There we translate the external world into a cognitive and spatial "map". Receptors also exist in the cortex, where higher cognition is performed. Very few receptors are found in the limbic brainstem, where the automatic life-support systems are controlled. This may explain why it is so difficult to die from an overdose of cannabis. The presence of THC receptors in the nasal ganglia --- an area of the brain involved in the coordination of movement --- may enable the cannabinoids to relieve spasticity. Some receptors are located in the spinal cord, and may be the site of the analgesic activity of cannabis. A few receptors are found in the testes. These may account for the effects of THC on spermatogenesis and as an aphrodisiac.
Laboratories which do not possess these technologies can use diode-array and programmable variable-wavelength ultraviolet absorption detectors in conjunction with thin-layer chromatography (TLC) or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), or a combination of both, and make comparisons with published data in conjunction with the specific absorption spectrum for the cannabinoids (200-300 nm). The combination of these techniques can overcome the problem of errors due to interference which often occur when single methods are used. (25)
The Duquenois-Negm hydrogen peroxide/sulfuric acid test is suitable for following the development of the resin and its potency. Macerate cannabis in chloroform or light petroleum ether for several hours. Evaporate 0.2 ml of the extract in a porcelain dish. Add 2 drops 30% hydrogen peroxide and 0.5 ml concentrated sulfuric acid. Rotate the dish gently, and observe the color of the liquid after 5 minutes. A pink color indicates CBD; blood-red color indicates a high concentration of THC. Violet or strong brown indicates THC. CBN produces a green color which quickly turns green-brown. (24)
Vanillin (0.4 gr, acetaldehyde (0.06 gr) and 20 ml 95% ethanol is stored in a bottle. Extract the plant material with petroleum ether, then filter it and evaporate the solvent. Add exactly 2 ml of reagent and 2 ml concentrated hydrochloric acid. Stir the mixture; it turns sea-green, then slate gray, followed by indigo within 10 minutes. It turns violet within 30 minutes and becomes more intense.
The colorimetric test of Duquenois and Moustapha is not so specific as the Beam test, but it is very sensitive. The test reacts to CBN and CBD, but not to THC:
A modification of the Beam test uses absolute ethanol saturated with gaseous hydrogen chloride. When added to an extract of suspect material, it gives a cherry red color which disappears if water is added. However, the test also gives more or less similar red color reactions with pinene, tobacco, julep, sage, rosemary, and lavender, etc..
The Beam test is relatively specific. It gives a purple color with 5% ethanolic KOH, based on the oxidation of CBD, CBG, etc., and their acids to hydroxyquinones. However, THC does not react to the Beam test. Only two plants (Rosemary and Salvia) out of 129 common species tested give a weakly positive reaction. Among some 50 pure vegetable substances such as mono- and sesqui-terpenes, aromatics, etc., only juglone, embelin, and alkyl dioxyquinone develop a color reaction close to that of Cannabis. The reaction is not always dependable; it can be absent if the ethanol is hot. (22, 23)
Cahn prepared ATHC thus: add 150 ml acetyl chloride (dropwise with stirring and cooling) to 185 gr crude resin in 500 ml dry pyridine. Crystals may separate during the addition, or on standing a few hours at room temperature. Pour the mixture into dilute hydrochloric acid/ice. Separate the oil, then dissolve it in ether. Wash this solution with dilute acid, then with aqueous sodium carbonate, and again with water. Dry the solution with calcium chloride. Strip the solvent and distill the residue (240-270 C°/20 mm). The mixture of acetylated cannabinoids is separated by dissolving 2 gr in 100 ml benzene and chromatography over silica (150-200 mesh). Elute with 800 ml benzene. Combine the washings and the original effluent solutions, then strip the benzene i.v. to recover about 60% yield of light yellow oil. The material remaining on the column contains CBD and other cannabinoid acetates which can be recovered with ethanol and worked up. (21)
THC gives an acetate (ATHC) which is as potent as THC. The mental effects are quite subtle and pleasant. Wohlner, et al., prepared ATHC by refluxing the crude distillate of cannabis oil with approximately 3 volumes of acetic anhydride. It is purified by distillation i.v. or with steam.
(c) 0.5 gr EHH-CBN, eluted with pentane 93:7 ether. It can be isomerized to THC by refluxing in benzene for 2 hours. Cool the reaction mixture, wash it with water; separate, dry, and strip the solvent layer i.v. to yield THC.
Another method is to reflux a mixture of 6 gr dry pyridine hydrochloride and 3 gr CBD at 125° C until the Beam test is negative. Wash the reaction mixture with water to remove the pyridine, then extract the mixture with ether. Wash the ether with water, evaporate the ether, and distill the residue i.v. to yield pure THC.
Reflux 2 gr CBD in 35 ml cyclohexane, and slowly add a few drops of sulfuric acid. Continue to reflux until the Beam test is negative. Separate the sulfuric acid from the reaction mixture. Wash the solution twice with aqueous sodium bicarbonate, the twice again with water. Purify by chromatography, or distill (bp 165° C/0.01 mm). Any unreacted CBD can be recycled.
Reflux 3 gr CBD in 100 ml dry benzene for 2 hours with 200 mg p-TSA monohydrate until the alkaline Beam test (5% KOH in ethanol) is negative (no color). The Beam test gives a deep violet color with CBD. Separate the upper layer, wash it with 5% sodium bicarbonate, wash again with water, and strip the solvent. The remaining viscous oil should give a negative reaction to the Beam test. The crude THC can be purified by distillation (bp 169-172° C/0.03 mm), or by chromatography in 25 ml pentane on 300 gr alumina. Elute with pentane 95:5 ether to yield fraction of CBD and THC. Combine the THC fractions and distill (bp 175-178° C/1 mm).
The CBD fraction of column chromatography can be distilled (bp 187-190° C/2 mm; pale yellow resin) to purify it. Isomerization can be accomplished with any of several solvents and acids. Alcohol and sulfuric acid isomerizes only 50-60% of CBD to THC; p-TolueneSulfonic Acid (p-TSA) in petroleum ether or other light, non-polar solvent will convert 90% of CBD to THC upon refluxing 1 hour at 130° F. (16, 17)
Although Cannabidiol (CBD) has no psychoactivity, it does antagonize THC and produces other valuable sedative, antibiotic, and anti-epileptic effects. CBD can be isomerized to THC. If the plant is Phenotype III (containing mainly CBD in its resin), isomerization can double the yield of THC.
The potency of marijuana can be increased by about 50% simply by simmering a water slurry of the material for 2 hours. Add water as necessary to maintain the level. Cool and filter the mixture, and refrigerate the aqueous solution. Dry the leaf material at low heat. Drink the tea before smoking the marijuana. The effects are much more intense and last longer than those from the untreated leaves. The boiling water treatment isomerizes the inactive CBD, and decarboxylates THCA to THC.
Because THC is heat-sensitive, it is preferable to isolate the cannabinoids by column chromatography. The simplest method of column chromatography is performed with ethanol and ether extracts of hemp on alumina, yielding two major fractions: (1) chlorophyll, CBD, and CBN, and (2) THC. A second, more difficult method is performed on Florisil (use 10 times the weight of the oil) with the solvent system hexane:2% methanol. This yields a doubly-concentrated, viscous oil which can be repeatedly chromatographed on alumina to separate the THC and CBD. (15)
The odoriferous terpenes can be removed by steam or vacuum distillation. Cautious distillation in vacuo yields a fraction of crude red oil (bp 100-220° C/3 mm). This can be purified by redistillation or column chromatography. Use ethanol to remove the residue from the flask while it is still hot. Filter the solution through charcoal, and strip the solvent. Distill the residue to yield pure red oil (bp 175-195° C /2 mm). Distillation must be stopped if smoke appears, indicating decomposition. (13, 14)
Extract the dried cannabis with a suitable solvent for several hours at room temperature or by refluxing. Filter through charcoal to clarify the solution, then chill overnight to precipitate waxes, then filter the solution again. Concentrate it to one-half volume, and extract it with 2% aqueous sodium sulfate (to prevent oxidation). Separate the aqueous layer, and strip the solvent. The residue is crude hemp oil.
Chloroform is the most efficient solvent for the extraction of THC from cannabis. A single extraction will remove 98-99% of the cannabinoids within 30 minutes. A second extraction removes only 88-99% of the cannabinoids within 30 minutes. A second extraction removes 100% of the THC. Light petroleum ether (60-80°) also works well, but a single extraction removes only 88-95% of the cannabinoids; a double extraction removes up to 99%. Ethanol also can be used, but it removes ballast pigments and sugars which complicate the purification of the resin (11, 12)
Cannabis must be dried be it is extracted, because it is not possible to remove more than 50% of the cannabinoids from fresh material THC-Acid is difficult to extract If you plant to convert the THCA to THC, the plant material should be thoroughly decarboxylated by heating it under nitrogen at 105° C for 1 hour before performing a solvent extraction.
The total synthesis of THC has been accomplished in many ways, most of which are difficult. However, the extraction of cannabinoids, their purification, isomerization and acetylation are easy experiments for dilettante souffleurs who would possess this elixir.
Many synthetic analogs of THC are more or less potent than the parent molecule. The dimethylheptyl derivative is over 50 times more active, with effects lasting several days. Some nitrogen and sulfur analogs also are psychoactive.
The acids comprise up to 40% of the cannabinoid content of young plants. THC dehydrogenates to form Cannabidiol (CBD). THC is a primary psychoactive cannabinoid. The minor constituent Cannabiverol (CBV) possesses only about 20% of THC’s activity. CBD and CBN are not psychoactive, but they have valuable medical properties. (6-10)
The cannabinoids are thought to be formed by condensation of monoterpene derivatives such as geraniol phosphate with a depside-type olivetolic acid. This leads initially to the formation of Cannabigerol (CBG) and Cannabichromene (CBC) and their carboxylic acids, then to Cannabidiolic Acid (CBDA), which undergoes ring closure to form TetraHydroCannabinol (THC) and its acid (THCA). The latter decarboxylates to form THC. Other biogenetic pathways featuring CBC have been proposed by De Faubert Maunder and by Turner and Hadley. (4, 5) (Fig. 6.1)
Cannabis' notorious resin is a complex mixture of cannabinoids, terpenes, and waxes, etc. There are about 100 known cannabinoids that occur only in hemp, with the exception of Cannabichromene, which is found in a few other plants. The entire hemp plant contains several hundred known chemicals. (1-3)
Patents for Production of TetraHydroCannabinol, Extraction of Cannabis, &c...
Conversion of CBD to Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC
USPA 2008221339
Abstract -- Methods of converting cannabidiol to .DELTA..sup.8-tetrahydrocannabinol or .DELTA..sup.9-tetrahydrocannabinol are described. The described methods produce higher yields and higher purity compared to prior art methods.
Inventors : Barrie Webster, Raphael Mechoulam, Leonard Sarna
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of chemical synthesis. More specifically, the present invention relates methods of converting CBD to .DELTA..sup.8-THC or .DELTA..sup.9-THC.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Recently, public interest in Cannabis as medicine has been growing, based in no small part on the fact that Cannabis has long been considered to have medicinal properties, ranging from treatment of cramps, migraines, convulsions, appetite stimulation and attenuation of nausea and vomiting. In fact, a report issued by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine indicated that the active components of Cannabis appear to be useful in treating pain, nausea, AIDS-related weight loss or "wasting", muscle spasms in multiple sclerosis as well as other problems. Advocates of medical marijuana argue that it is also useful for glaucoma, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, migraines, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.
[0004] Marijuana refers to varieties of Cannabis having a high content of .DELTA..sup.9-tetrahydrocannabinol (.DELTA..sup.9-THC), which is the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana whereas industrial hemp refers to varieties of the Cannabis plant that have a low content of .DELTA..sup.9-THC.
[0005] Furthermore, .DELTA..sup.9-THC is only one of a family of about 60 bi- and tri-cyclic compounds named cannabinoids. For example, .DELTA..sup.8-THC is a double bond isomer of .DELTA..sup.9-THC and is a minor constituent of most varieties of Cannabis (Hollister and Gillespie, 1972, Clin Pharmacol Ther 14: 353). The major chemical difference between the two compounds is that .DELTA..sup.9-THC is easily oxidized to cannabinol whereas .DELTA..sup.8-THC does not and is in fact very stable. .DELTA..sup.8-THC, for the most part, produces similar psychometric effects as does .DELTA..sup.9-THC, but is generally considered to be 50% less potent than .DELTA..sup.9-THC and has been shown in some cases to be 3-10 times less potent. .DELTA..sup.8-THC has also been shown to be more (200%) effective an anti-emetic than .DELTA..sup.9-THC and has been used as an anti-emetic in children, based on the belief that the side effects of .DELTA..sup.9-THC and .DELTA..sup.8-THC, such as anxiety and dysphoria, are more prevalent in adults than children (Abrahamov et al, 1995, Life Sciences 56: 2097-2102). On the other hand, CBD has no activity on its own when administered to humans. It is of note that CBD is typically about 2% (0.5-4%) dry weight of hemp chaff, .DELTA..sup.8-THC is approximately 0.2% (0.05-0.5%) dry weight and .DELTA..sup.9-THC is approximately 0.1% (0.05-0.3%).
[0006] Gaoni and Mechoulam (1966, Tetrahedron 22: 1481-1488) teach methods of converting CBD to, among other compounds, .DELTA..sup.8-THC and .DELTA..sup.9-THC comprising boiling a solution of CBD (3.0 g) in absolute ethanol (100 ml) containing 0.05% HCl for 18 hours. The solution was then poured into water and extracted with ether. The ether solution was washed with water, dried (Na.sub.2SO.sub.4) and evaporated. .DELTA..sup.8-THC and .DELTA..sup.9-THC were eluted from the resulting oil and separated by chromatography. In another experiment, CBD (3.14 g) was dissolved in benzene (100 ml) containing 2 mg/ml p-toluenesulphonic acid and boiled for two hours. The reaction mixture was poured into water and the upper layer was separated, washed with 5% NaHCO.sub.3, then with water, dried and evaporated. Elution with pentane-ether (95:5) gave an oily material which was subsequently distilled. Percentage yield of .DELTA..sup.8-THC (.DELTA..sup.1(6)-THC) was given as 64% of the crude material in this paper. The crude oil product, which showed only one spot by thin layer chromatography, was purified by vacuum distillation.
[0007] Gaoni and Mechoulam (1964, J Amer Chem Soc 86: 1646) also described a method for converting CBD to .DELTA..sup.9-THC comprising boiling a mixture of CBD in ethanol containing 0.05% hydrogen chloride for 2 hours. Percentage yield of .DELTA..sup.9-THC (.DELTA..sup.1-THC) was 2% (Mechoulam et al, 1972, J Amer Chem Soc 94: 6159-6165; Mechoulam and Gaoni, 1965, J Amer Chem Soc 87: 3273). Using boron trifluoride, the yield was 70% (Gaoni and Mechoulam, 1971, J Amer Chem Soc 93: 217-224) although purity was not given.
[0008] Clearly, as the cannabinoids are of potential medicinal value, improved methods of converting CBD to .DELTA..sup.9-THC or .DELTA..sup.8-THC are needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of converting CBD to a tetrahydrocannabinol comprising:
[0010] providing a reaction mixture comprising a catalyst in an organic solvent;
[0011] adding CBD to the reaction mixture;
[0012] mixing said reaction mixture;
[0013] allowing the mixture to separate into an aqueous phase and an organic phase;
[0014] removing the organic phase; and
[0015] eluting the tetrahydrocannabinol from the organic phase.
[0016] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of converting CBD to .DELTA..sup.8-THC comprising:
[0017] providing a reaction mixture comprising a Lewis acid in an organic solvent;
[0018] adding CBD to the reaction mixture;
[0019] refluxing said reaction mixture under a nitrogen atmosphere;
[0020] diluting the mixture with an organic solvent;
[0021] pouring the mixture into cold water;
[0022] mixing the mixture;
[0023] allowing the mixture to separate into an aqueous phase and an organic phase;
[0024] removing the organic phase; and
[0025] eluting .DELTA..sup.8-THC from the organic phase.
[0026] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of converting CBD to .DELTA..sup.9-THC comprising:
[0027] providing a reaction mixture comprising CBD in an organic solvent;
[0028] adding a catalyst to the reaction mixture under a nitrogen atmosphere;
[0029] stirring the reaction mixture;
[0030] adding NaHCO.sub.3 to the reaction mixture;
[0031] allowing the mixture to separate into an aqueous phase and an organic phase;
[0032] removing the organic phase; and
[0033] eluting .DELTA..sup.9-THC from the organic phase.
[0034] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of preparing a pharmaceutical composition comprising:
[0035] converting CBD to a tetrahydrocannabinol by: [0036]providing a reaction mixture comprising a catalyst in an organic solvent; [0037]adding CBD to the reaction mixture; [0038]mixing said reaction mixture; [0039]allowing the mixture to separate into an aqueous phase and an organic phase; [0040]removing the organic phase; and [0041]eluting the tetrahydrocannabinol from the organic phase; and
[0042] mixing the eluted tetrahydrocannabinol with a suitable excipient.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0043] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are now described. All publications mentioned hereunder are incorporated herein by reference.
DEFINITIONS
[0044] As used herein, CBD refers to cannabidiol.
[0045] As used herein, .DELTA..sup.9-THC refers to .DELTA..sup.9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
[0046] As used herein, .DELTA..sup.8-THC refers to .DELTA..sup.8-tetrahydrocannabinol.
[0047] As used herein, "Lewis acid" refers to a powerful electron pair acceptor. Examples include but are by no means limited to BF.sub.3Et.sub.2O, p-toluenesulfonic acid and boron trifluoride.
[0048] Described herein are methods and protocols for converting cannabidiol (CBD) to .DELTA..sup.8-tetrahydrocannabinol (.DELTA..sup.8-THC) or .DELTA..sup.9-tetrahydrocannabinol (.DELTA..sup.9-THC). As will be appreciated by one knowledgeable in the art and as discussed below, the reaction times may be varied somewhat, producing product at different yields and purities. Furthermore, functional equivalents may be substituted where appropriate.
[0049] Specifically, described herein is a method of converting CBD to a tetrahydrocannabinol comprising: providing a reaction mixture comprising a catalyst in an organic solvent, adding CBD to the reaction mixture, mixing said reaction mixture, allowing the mixture to separate into an aqueous phase and an organic phase; removing the organic phase, and eluting the tetrahydrocannabinol from the organic phase. The tetrahydrocannabinol may then be combined with suitable excipients known in the art, thereby forming a pharmaceutical composition.
[0050] In some embodiments, the tetrahydrocannabinol at therapeutically effective concentrations or dosages be combined with a pharmaceutically or pharmacologically acceptable carrier, excipient or diluent, either biodegradable or non-biodegradable. Exemplary examples of carriers include, but are by no means limited to, for example, poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate), copolymers of lactic acid and glycolic acid, poly(lactic acid), gelatin, collagen matrices, polysaccharides, poly(D,L lactide), poly(malic acid), poly(caprolactone), celluloses, albumin, starch, casein, dextran, polyesters, ethanol, mathacrylate, polyurethane, polyethylene, vinyl polymers, glycols, mixtures thereof and the like. Standard excipients include gelatin, casein, lecithin, gum acacia, cholesterol, tragacanth, stearic acid, benzalkonium chloride, calcium stearate, glyceryl monostearate, cetostearyl alcohol, cetomacrogol emulsifying wax, sorbitan esters, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene castor oil derivatives, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyethylene glycols, polyoxyethylene stearates, colloidol silicon dioxide, phosphates, sodium dodecylsulfate, carboxymethylcellulose calcium, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, methylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate, noncrystalline cellulose, magnesium aluminum silicate, triethanolamine, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sugars and starches. See, for example, Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, 1995, Gennaro ed.
[0051] In some embodiments, the catalyst is a Lewis acid, for example, p-toluenesulfonic acid, boron trifluoride or BF.sub.3Et.sub.2O. In some embodiments, the BF.sub.3Et.sub.2O is in dry methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, ethanol, hexane or other organic solvent. In yet other examples, the catalyst may be hydrochloric acid in ethanol or sulfuric acid in cyclohexane.
[0052] In some embodiments, a weak base is added to the reaction mixture prior to allowing the reaction mixture to separate into organic and aqueous phases. The base may be an alkali metal hydrogen carbonate or a carbonate of an alkali metal.
[0053] In some embodiments, the organic layer is dried prior to eluting. In these embodiments, a suitable drying or dehydration compound, for example, MgSO.sub.4 or Na.sub.2SO.sub.4 is used.
[0054] In yet other embodiments, the process may be carried out under a nitrogen atmosphere.
[0055] As discussed below, yield is determined by looking at the peak area for the isolated compound in the gas chromatography--mass spectra analysis of the crude reaction product mixture. It is important to note that in the prior art, yield is often calculated on the basis of the basis of first isolated crude product before final purification. In some embodiments of the process, as discussed below, yield is at least 50%. In other embodiments, the yield is at least 60%. In other embodiments, yield is at least 70%. In yet other embodiments, yield is 70-85%.
[0056] Purity is also determined by GC-MS and also by analytical HPLC. The total ion chromatogram from the GC-MS gives information similar to that provided by an FID-GC in that the peak area is proportional to the mass of the analytes detected. Total peak area and the peak areas of the individual analytes can be compared in the GC-MS case as long as the masses are in generally the same range. As discussed below, in some embodiments, purity of the tetrahydrocannabinols isolated by the process is greater than 90%. In yet other embodiments, purity is greater than 95%. In yet other embodiments, purity is greater than 97%. In yet other embodiments, purity is 98-99%.
[0057] The invention will now be described by means of examples, although the invention is not limited to these examples.
EXAMPLE I
Conversion of CBD TO .DELTA..sup.8-THC
[0058] CBD (300 mg) was added to dried p-toluenesulfonic acid (30 mg) in toluene (15 ml), under N.sub.2 atmosphere. In this example, the mixture was refluxed (under N.sub.2) for 1 hour, although other time periods may also be used, as discussed below. It was then diluted with ether (20 ml) and poured into cold water, The upper layer was separated, washed with aqueous 5% NaHCO.sub.3, then with water, dried over MgSO.sub.4 and evaporated. The viscous oil showed mainly one spot on TLC (using 20% ether in petroleum ether as eluent). HPLC, on the crude oil, showed the presence of 86% .DELTA..sup.8-THC. The oil was chromatographed on a silica gel column (6 g). Elution with 5 to 10% ether in petroleum ether gave a fraction (244 mg, 81%) of .DELTA..sup.8-THC 98.6% pure. When the reaction was carried out using various reflux times showed the presence of 79.33% .DELTA..sup.8-THC (15 minutes), 81.7% .DELTA..sup.8-THC (30 minutes) and 84.6% .DELTA..sup.8-THC (2 hours).
[0059] In the example described above, normal phase HPLC separation is used wherein the column is for example a silica gel and the mobile phase is organic, for example, hexane or ethyl ether-hexane. In other embodiments, reverse phase HPLC separation is used, wherein the column is for example C18 bonded silica gel and the mobile phase is water-methanol or water-acetonitrile. In each case, solvent programming is used.
[0060] The p-toluenesulfonic acid is used as a catalyst in the above example. It is of note that boron trifluoride could also be used as a catalyst, as could a number of other Lewis acids known in the art. It is of note that the exact proportion is not essential to the reaction proceeding. It is of further note that the nitrogen atmosphere does not appear as necessary as during the conversion of CBD to .DELTA..sup.9-THC. It is also of note that other solvents may also be used, for example, benzene, but toluene has produced the best results so far.
[0061] In other embodiments, anhydrous Na.sub.2SO.sub.4 or another suitable drying or dehydration agent known in the art is used in place of the MgSO.sub.4.
[0062] In other embodiments, an alkali metal hydrogen carbonate or carbonate of an alkali metal is used instead of NaHCO.sub.3.
[0063] The nitrogen atmosphere may prevent oxidation of the reaction intermediate, thereby enhancing the yield. Diluting into ether first and then adding the water again prevents undue exposure to oxidizing conditions. The water still quenches the reaction catalyst, but the reaction product is dissolved in the toluene and ether and is to some extent protected. That is, it is not in as intimate contact with the water and not as susceptible to oxidation as it would be if the water were to be added first.
EXAMPLE II
Conversion of CBD to .DELTA..sup.9-THC
[0064] BF.sub.3Et.sub.2O (50 .mu.l) was added, under nitrogen atmosphere, to ice cold solution of CBD (300 mg) in dry methylene chloride (15 ml). The solution was stirred at 0.degree. C. for 1 hour. Saturated aqueous solution of NaHCO.sub.3 (2 ml) was added until the red color faded. The organic layer was removed, washed with water, dried over MgSO.sub.4 and evaporated. The composition of the oil obtained (determined by HPLC): trans-.DELTA..sup.8-isoTHC 27%, .DELTA..sup.9-THC 66.7%. The oil was chromatographed on silica gel column (20 g) and eluted with petroleum ether followed by graded mixtures, up to 2:98 of ether in petroleum ether. The first fraction eluted was the .DELTA..sup.8-iso THC (30 mg, 9.5%) followed by a mixture of .DELTA..sup.8-iso THC and .DELTA..sup.9-THC (100 mg). The last compound to be eluted was the .DELTA..sup.9-THC (172 mg, 57%). The purity of .DELTA..sup.9-THC (as determined by HPLC) was 98.7%.
[0065] It is of note that when the reaction was carried in the presence of MgSO.sub.4 (120 mg), the composition of the oil obtained (determined by FIPLC) was: trans-.DELTA..sup.8-isoTHC 20.15%, .DELTA..sup.9-THC 56.7%.
[0066] In the example described above, normal phase HPLC separation is used wherein the column is for example a silica gel and the mobile phase is organic, for example, hexane or ethyl ether-hexane. In other embodiments, reverse phase HPLC separation is used, wherein the column is for example C18 bonded silica gel and the mobile phase is water-methanol or water-acetonitrile. In each case, solvent programming is used.
[0067] In other embodiments, anhydrous Na.sub.2SO.sub.4 or another suitable drying or dehydration agent known in the art is used in place of the MgSO.sub.4.
[0068] In other embodiments, another alkali metal hydrogen carbonate or carbonate of an alkali metal is used instead of NaHCO.sub.3.
[0069] In other embodiments, BF.sub.3Et.sub.2O is dissolved in ethyl acetate, ethanol, hexane or other suitable organic solvent.
[0070] In other embodiments, the catalyst is hydrochloric acid in ethanol or sulfuric acid in cyclohexane (reaction mixture refluxed rather than stirred).
[0071] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
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The universe is built on harmonies. The Pythagoreans had it right when they married mathematics, music, and the cosmos. Just as mathematical patterns underlie the musical scales and intervals most pleasing to the ear, they also describe the probability waves at the heart of quantum theory.
More than 2500 years ago, according to ancient sources, Pythagoras applied his discoveries in music theory to the behavior of the celestial objects. Pluck a string, and the pitch of the note it produces is related to the length of the string. When the lengths of two strings are a simple ratio—1/2, 2/3, and so on—the notes together sound harmonious. Pythagoras believed that the universe itself hummed with its own harmony—beautiful, divine, and inaudible to human ears. He characterized the intervals between successive orbits, such as those of Mercury and Venus, as either tones or half-tones (the smallest intervals in the musical scale), adding up to seven whole tones that form a perfectly harmonious natural order.
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When the French physicist Louis de Broglie proposed the wave nature of electrons and other matter particles, he may very well have had musical harmonics in mind. De Broglie showed how the different energy levels of Niels Bohr’s atomic model emerged naturally by describing electrons as standing waves of various frequencies, thereby generalizing the wave theory of light to material particles. Just as a guitar string can be plucked in certain ways to produce particular sounds, electrons in de Broglie’s scheme are forced to oscillate in particular patterns, corresponding to certain frequencies and energy levels.
Austrian physicist
Erwin Schrödinger developed de Broglie’s idea further with his famous wave equation, yielding three-dimensional pulsations known as spherical harmonics. Spherical harmonics differ from standing wave patterns because they describe a wider assortment of shapes—spheres, barbells, and so forth—that offer a richer description of electron behavior.
However, as shown by German physicist Max Born , it is not the electrons themselves that display wave patterns, as de Broglie and Schrödinger believed, but rather the probability distributions indicating, for example, their likeliest positions. While neither Schrödinger nor Einstein were comfortable with Born’s statistical interpretation, it has persisted as the standard view.
Superstring theory , a hypothetical attempt to unite the fundamental forces—the gravitational, electroweak and strong forces—applies the idea of harmonics on a far smaller scale than atomic physics, on the order of the Planck length, about 10 -35 meters (compared to about 10 -10 meters for atoms). It replaces point particles with vibrating strands of energy. Various modes of vibration determine the particles’ properties, explaining the diversity of the particle zoo through the complexity of the oscillations and the geometry of the higher-dimensional space in which they are embedded.
So if physicists are tuned in to the music of the universe, are musicians returning the favor? Tears for Fears singer, songwriter, and guitarist Roland Orzabal was inspired to take on the philosophical conundrums of quantum mechanics in the early 1990s, when he began to devour popular science books.
“I became fascinated with where science was headed and all the reality-challenging concepts it was throwing up,” recalled Orzabal. “Wonderful thought experiments such as Schrödinger’s Cat have an almost poetic, visual quality to them, which, as a songwriter, I found inspirational, so much so that I managed to play with the concept in a song of the same name .”
Orzabal was also inspired by Einstein’s famous dismissal of the randomness of quantum mechanics. “’God does not play dice’ is a gift to any songwriter,” said Orzabal, and it inspired a second science-themed song, “ God’s Mistake ”—though to Orzabal, that mistake is the unpredictable outcome of love, not of a physics experiment.
Max Born also embraced the uncertainty at the heart of quantum physics. “I cannot understand how you can combine an entirely mechanistic universe with the freedom of the ethical individual,” Born wrote to Einstein . “To me a deterministic world is quite abhorrent—this is a primary feeling.” Probabilistic quantum mechanics, Orzabal suggests in verse and Born in his letter, doesn’t seem unnatural in the face of a world in which passion and conflict are unforeseeable as well. On the contrary, Einstein’s clockwork ideal appears out of step with tumultuous reality.
Orzabal writes for concert halls, not classrooms; he’s wrestling with the fundamental nature of the universe in the way that comes most naturally to him—music. But other musicians use their art as a science teaching tool. Haverford physicist Walter Smith, who maintains a library of musical physics parodies on his excellent webpage PhysicsSongs.org , points out the educational value of songs related to physics. “Songs about physics can help students to remember critical concepts and formulas, but perhaps more importantly they communicate the lesson that physics can be fun,” says Smith. From satirist Tom Lehrer’s rapid-fire rundown of the periodic table to the celebrated physicist James Clerk Maxwell’s somewhat less celebrated forays into song , physics and music have a long and lively friendship.
Even CERN’s Large Hadron Collider has gotten into the game. In 2008, most non-scientists knew very little about the LHC, except perhaps the irrational misconception that it might create a miniature black hole that would gobble up the Earth. Enter CERN physicist Kate McAlpine , who wrote and performed the “Large Hadron Rap,” a musical rundown of potential LHC discoveries.
“Particle physics is quite esoteric to most people, so I wanted to write lyrics that might give a basic understanding of what this big, expensive machine was for and why it was so exciting,” said McAlpine. “Rhyme is a great memory aid, so if you can get the words and rhythm to stick, understanding can follow even it doesn’t come right away. Many teachers and parents have been in touch to request rap videos for use in classes or tell me how much their children love the ‘Large Hadron Rap.’ I think the biggest thing that the ‘Large Hadron Rap’ might have done among young people is put science on their radar as something other than dissecting animals, mixing things in beakers, and rolling balls down inclined planes.” To date, the video has been watched more than 7.7 million times.
When science and current events cross paths, they may become the subject of folk music. My favorite example is Christine Lavin’s history of Pluto’s planetary status set to verse, entitled “ Planet X .”
As Lavin recounted, “’Planet X’ was inspired by an article in USA Today about Pluto’s planetary status. Halfway through the article I knew there was a song inside the story bustin’ to get loose!”
Music resonates, it pulses, it leaps into our psyches. It offers a safe space for scientists and musicians alike to work through the paradoxes of modern physics, and it can be the spoonful of sugar that helps students learn—and enjoy—physics. Thousands of years after the age of Pythagoras, physicists are still discovering the harmonies of the universe.
Thanks so much to Roland Orzabal, Kate McAlpine, and Christine Lavin for their thoughtful comments. I have linked to more science-themed music videos on Twitter under the hashtag #ScienceSongSaturday.
Go Deeper
Editor’s picks for further reading
Pythagoras: His Life and Times
Discover Pythagoras in this in this 2010 reissue of Thomas Stanley’s 1687 classical survey.
Michigan Technological University: Physics of Music
Physicist B. H. Suits on the physics principles behind musical scales, instruments, and more.
NUVO: Quantum theory and classical music
Ontario-based conductor Edwin Outwater on the historical parallels between classical music and quantum theory. |
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There’s been a lot of attention paid to President Obama’s upcoming White House Easter egg roll, because he’s setting aside tickets for gay and lesbian families, said Amy Sullivan in Time online. But Obama is also making history by becoming the first sitting U.S. president to host, or even attend, a Passover seder. As for his Christian Holy Week plans, there’s “no word yet on where the First Family will celebrate Easter,” since they’re still “church shopping.”
You’d think Jews, and “key Jewish donors,” would be pleased by this, said Tom Gross in National Review Online, especially after Obama’s big week in predominantly Muslim Turkey and Iraq. But “many in Israel fear that Obama’s Passover meal may be a stunt designed to soften up Jewish Democrats” for upcoming clashes with Israel’s new government.
According to White House sources, this “impromptu seder,” with a dozen friends and staffers, has nothing to do with politics, said Hilary Leila Kreiger in The Jerusalem Post, and everything to do with tradition. A year ago, Obama and most of the invited staff members held a seder during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania.
So he’s keeping a campaign promise, of sorts, said Carol E. Lee and Amie Parnes in Politico. After “the traditional ‘Next year in Jerusalem’ refrain” at last year’s seder, Obama added, “Next year in the White House.” The seder will have “all the Passover fixings,” but not two of Obama’s most prominent Jewish aides—Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and chief strategist David Axelrod will spend Passover with their families. |
SSD is the future, but it’s an expensive purchase to make it today’s world. But prices are dropping, and external drives with deep storage are fast becoming something we all want on our desktops or in a travel bag.
Samsung’s T3 SSD lineup is perhaps the best known of the bunch. We put the 2TB USB-C offering through its paces, comparing it to cloud storage as well as spinning drives.
It’s small
The first thing that jumps out is how tight the package on this 2TB model is. Compared to the Porsche Design drive I recently tested, it’s downright dwarfish.
That size is possible because SSD has no moving parts; it doesn’t need to spin, and creates very little heat while operating. Every bit of this drive is storage.
While it’s nowhere near as pretty as the Porsche Design drive, the size more than makes up for that.
Faster than a Porsche (or moving clouds)
Speed kills, and the T3 simply murders anything comparable.
It’s roughly twice as fas as the spinning Porsche drive, and typically about five times as fast as cloud storage on a Wi-Fi connection hovering around 15Mbps for uploads.
Those gains are for simpler transfers — something most users will run into, like moving 10-20 files around at a time. When you start moving huge folders, the T3 shines.
I cached my entire Google Drive (about 50GB data) to shuffle it around from my computer’s hard drive to an external source. The T3 completed the transfer in about 45 seconds.
The Porsche drive took about five minutes (not bad), and cloud storage took roughly 10 minutes (I tested with iCloud and Google Drive).
Cables matter
I tested the 2TB T3 with a 2013 MacBook Pro and 2016 MacBook. The drive comes with a USB to USB-C cable, which is adequate for file transfer.
If you want to use it with a MacBook, Apple’s included cable won’t help you much. It’s not meant for high speed file transfers. I purchased an Aukey USB-C cable for about $12 on Amazon, and that fixed the speed issues I was having with Apple’s cable.
For the price, Aukey’s nylon-wrapped cable is a worthwhile upgrade from Apple’s standard white offering — especially if you want to use any sort of external drive like the T3.
You get what you pay for
For 2TB, you’ll pay about $730 for the T3. That’s a lot of cash.
The Porsche drive will run you $160, and it’s easy to find similar drives even cheaper.
Spinning drives are seeing the end of days for consumers. The upside is that if they fail, data recovery is typically much easier than it is with SSDs.
And the argument for cloud storage data safety trumps both arguments.
The trouble with the cloud is that it typically requires a subscription unless you want to keep data spread out all over the Web by using the 5 to 15GB free tiers available just about everywhere.
For consumers, 1TB is likely enough storage — and the best price you’ll find from a reputable provider like Google or Apple is $10 per month.
Apple tops out at 1TB. Google scales up to 10TB, and the pricing matches that scale at $100 per month.
Tucking information into the cloud is almost inarguably the easiest method, but if you plan on having a large backup for a few years or more, finding a good external drive is probably more cost effective.
I was using iCloud to store files I accessed across multiple desktops, and it was getting bulky — handy, but crowded. In offloading much of the larger files and stuff that I wasn’t going to access any time soon onto the T3, I was able to reduce how much I spent on cloud storage.
SSD is better (sometimes)
For desktop users, I’d say the T3 is a no-brainer. It’s fast, transfers a ton of files quickly (with the right cable) and is highly portable. It’s also worth the spend if your new MacBook came with a small amount of internal storage.
It doesn’t replace the cloud for every purpose, though. As a macOS and iOS user, Photos and Notes are two apps I rely on — and both need iCloud. I can’t get away from spending a few bucks monthly on iCloud for that reason, but I can put a glass ceiling on my spending by managing my data every few months.
I don’t need to keep large Xcode builds or wireframes for apps in the cloud, and storing legacy personal files I won’t access makes no sense for the cloud, either.
And with the 2016 MacBook Pro likely carrying USB-C, cables matter — and finding a good USB-C to micro USB-3 (the standard most modern external drives use) cable won’t be easy.
I like the T3’s portability, which was a big reason I began using it to better manage my cloud storage. I often take my MacBook and work remotely, but don’t want to carry around a large spinning drive in the off chance I’ll need a file. The SSD fits in a pocket.
It’s spendy, and that’s maybe it’s only downside. As time goes on, SSD pricing will drop, but I still prefer accessing files on the T3 to any other method so it’ll stay in my bag (and on my desk). |
SECOND UPDATE THIS WEEK!
MaXia is still torn as to if what’s shes doing is right or not, hence the pause before striking Woden, which would kill him in one blow.
Die-Blood carves up MaXia – As you can see, Die-Blood didn’t actually draw any blood, as the blades didn’t pierce the skin. I imagined the two strikes to be akin to being stroked with two white hot pieces of metal. Yeah, that’ll sting a little.
Someone commented on why Godiva didn’t use her powers to take control of MaX. It’s a good question. First off, it would totally unbalance power in the world in Vanguard, not just in this fight, so I couldn’t let that happen. When I started writing this comic, I wanted the Alpha-Ones to be virtually unbeatable, unless faced with Meta-Human opposition who could physically attack them, yet not being susceptible to mental/psionic domination.
I’ve posted this page on Reddit.If you so wish, please feel free to give it an upvote. Thank you!
Dan
MrHades
Edited by
Gary Cohen
Who also produces the Excellent Mallville Rules comic – Go read! It’s due to return to updating SOON! |
The opposition NDP is calling for a probe of G8 Legacy Fund spending after it obtained documents showing the $50 million fund was run out of cabinet minister Tony Clement’s riding office and bypassed government scrutiny.
“Information supplied to us by local municipalities is helping piece together a picture of an elaborate slush fund that managed to avoid all the normal checks and balances,” NDP MP Charlie Angus told reporters. “In fact, it appears that this slush fund was set up in such a way that it kept both the Canadian public and the auditor general in the dark.”
Angus said the issue should be probed by a Parliamentary committee and called on Clement, now Treasury Board president, to make public all documents concerning the G8 Legacy Fund.
Angus and fellow NDP MP Hoang Mai are also calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to explain why the legacy fund didn’t follow normal accountability rules and outline what steps he plans to take to make sure other ministers follow the rules.
Heather Hume, spokeswoman for Clement, said he was vacationing out of the country with his family and could not be reached for comment. Hume dismissed the NDP’s allegations, saying the matter has been fully investigated already by the auditor general’s office and Canadians know what they got for their money.
Liberal MP John McCallum fired off a letter to Interim Auditor General John Wiersema calling on his office to a full value for money audit in light of the revelations.
However, Ghislain Desjardins, media relations manager for the Auditor General’s office, said the AG’s office has no plan at this time to reopen its investigation.
“The Office of the Auditor General has the authority to request documentation for funding of federal public money. We asked for documentation, but we were not provided with any. Deputy ministers signed off on the accuracy of facts in the chapter. We have no plans to reopen the file.”
The NDP’s revelation comes two months after the auditor general’s office tabled a report that was sharply critical of the way the Harper government handled spending for last year’s G8 and G20 summit meetings.
The report was particularly critical when it came to the $50 million G8 Infrastructure Legacy Fund which paid for everything from gazebos and public washrooms to beautification projects around Clement’s Muskoka-area riding.
“It is very unusual and troubling,” Wiersema told reporters. “There is no paper trail behind the selection of the 32 projects.”
“In my career in auditing I have never encountered a situation like that where there is absolutely no paper trail.”
The report, prepared and signed by former Auditor General Sheila Fraser, concluded that Parliament was led to believe it was approving money for infrastructure projects to reduce congestion at the Canada-U.S border. Members of Parliament weren’t told that hidden within that $83 million envelope was $50 million for the G8 Legacy Infrastructure Fund.
Fraser’s office couldn’t find a paper trail in federal government offices, but the NDP was able to find one by using the Ontario freedom of information act to obtain documents from two municipalities that benefited from the G8 Legacy Fund – Gravenhurst and Bracebridge.
Angus said the documents reveal that Clement’s riding office was running its own parallel operation, making up its own form for funding applications and reviewing which projects should be funded.
“What the auditor general didn’t know is that Minister Clement had established a private, parallel process that left no bureaucratic paper trail.
“Months before the legacy funding had even been announced, Clement set up a secret committee, the local area leadership group, to identify how money would be spent.”
Angus said Clement personally chaired these meetings and the committee of mayors rubber stamped the projects. Clement largely bypassed the federal bureaucracy by running the program out of his riding office, Angus added. However, he said the documents also reveal that senior bureaucrats from the department of foreign affairs, FEDNOR, Industry Canada and Infrastructure Canada were involved in the process, sat in on meetings, and helped write the funding criteria based on input from the mayors.
“So why did senior officials deny involvement when pressed by the auditor general?” asked Clement.
If everything was above board, why didn’t Clement provide details of how the funding process worked and the form his office used, Angus questioned. “It is completely unacceptable to use a constituency office, to use a homemade form, to set up a private process…to spend taxpayers money.”
Hoang Mai described the revelations in the documents as “the tip of the iceberg” and challenged Conservative cabinet minister John Baird’s assertion in the past that the government had to move quickly to flow funding to projects in time for the G8 Summit.
“It appears obvious reading these documents that this is not the case of a process set up to spend money more rapidly. It was rather a case of circumventing the normal public sector accountability mechanisms.”
[email protected]
Here are the documents obtained by the NDP. Let us know if you see something we should follow up on.
Bracebridge
Gravenhurst |
Well, there seems to be a new sex revolution emerging – sex with robots with Artifical Intelligence. It may seem completely nuts, but something is going on. A friend of mine went to a baseball game and he sat next to two young girls 21 and 23. They were curious about the good-old days and told him they had never been on an official date. They explained that boys just called and said we are all going to meet at xyz, so come along. Have the younger generation just so completely changed that relationships are gradually fading away?
When you dig a little deeper, you find that the youth are not only living with their parents into their 30s, but they are not buying into the American Dream of owning your own home. Rents are cheaper. With some, I have spoken to and they say how their parents worked hard, put everything into the home, watched taxes soar and property values crash after 2007. They seem to be taking a different path in life altogether.
About half of American adults believe having sex with robots will become common in the next 50 years. About 49% of adult males are ready to give it a try now but only 9% of women. The first time this sort of thing was portrayed in a moved was back in 1990. The girlfriend was a hologram. Well, we are not quite at the hologram level of technology just yet, but the AI sex doll revolution seems to be taking hold.
Some of the benefits – no divorce settlements and I suppose you get a window seat when you travel. The Global Warming people will be happy since that means a lower birth rate. Then again, what will the government do? The Ponzi scheme of counting on the next generation to pay for the previous will completely collapse.
A new AI sex doll revolution would also have profound economic consequences for the government. |
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister – Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
Look who’s back for Game of Thrones season 7! It’s a surprising number of players, considering the series’ penchant for shocking deaths. HBO has released the first batch of official photos, and while they won’t tell you anything you didn’t know by the season 6 finale, it’s still great to see all these faces again as the series heads into the first half of its final thirteen episodes. Especially Tormund.
Daenerys has arrived in Westeros and everyone is sporting spiffy new duds, but beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. Especially after this throne-taking teaser…
Plenty more where that came from at The Daily Beast!
Game of Thrones season 7 premieres July 16 on HBO. |
By Monday afternoon, a number of Americans had been protesting President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration order for two days. Airports had been brought to their knees as protests blocked traffic and cab drivers joined the protest.
On Monday evening, acting Attorney General Sally Yates (a holdover from the Obama Administration) directed the Justice Department not to enforce the president’s order — and President Trump immediately relieved her of duty.
Arguments about Yates’s dismissal and the so-called “Muslim Ban” dominated social media and the daily talk shows — and ABC’s “The View” was no exception.
"The job of the Attorney General is…represent the people of the U.S.—not necessarily represent the president," @sunny says of Sally Yates. pic.twitter.com/G7AjrCsYyI — The View (@TheView) January 31, 2017
Sunny Hostin weighed in first, saying that the Attorney General’s job was to represent the people, not the president.
“She can’t send those federal prosecutors into court to defend something that she doesn’t believe is Constitutional.”
But former Fox News personality, Jedediah Bila, interrupted with a counterpoint:
“The president is there to make these rules, and if she objects, her obligation is to resign — but not to stay and support insubordination of those laws.”
Bila went on to compare the actions of acting AG Yates to the actions of Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who had refused to issue marriage licenses. Bila argued that if Davis was expected to follow the law or object by resigning, Yates should be expected to do the same.
And Bila was not alone. Her opinion was shared by former Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney and contributing editor at National Review, Andrew McCarthy:
Everyone in DOJ knows your choice is to follow president's direction or honorably resign. Yates is preening & she should be fired forthwith. — Andrew C. McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) January 31, 2017
As did nationally syndicated radio host Dana Loesch:
The job of the AG isn’t to refuse to do her job because she didn’t like it, and that’s more or less what she stated in her letter. https://t.co/Z5ZFDSwdGE — Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 31, 2017
And a few pointed out how former President Obama treated generals who disagreed with his views on ISIS:
So Obama fired all of his generals who questioned his judgements about ISIS. Sadly, Obama screwed up the world on this one. — Con kal (@conkal1) January 31, 2017
As Bila finished her comment, Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin quickly swept in to dismiss it — saying that it was within the Attorney General’s job description to determine whether or not the order was Constitutional prior to enforcing it. Goldberg noted:
“So when we need to know there’s no time taken to see what the legality is, where it’s wrong or right to correct it. The same issue I’m finding when I hear this kid who’s the mouthpiece — Sean Spicer. When he says, ‘Diplomats around the world, if you don’t like it, leave.’ Here the deal, these people are telling you — they’re your advisers. Is this the same that Trump was bitching about when he was talking about Benghazi? They told you what was happening. No one was listening.”
Bila was quick to respond:
“If you’re the Attorney General and you’re going to say, ‘I’m not going to support this law because it’s illegal and unconstitutional,’ aren’t you obligated to tell people why it doesn’t uphold the Constitution?”
But Goldberg interrupted again:
“No, no, no. If you’re talking to the people who work for you and they’re saying what do we do? Do we go through? She has to say I don’t know. I need to check because I don’t think this is legal.”
You can watch their full exchange below: |
THIRTEEN – DAWN RAY’D The Unlawful Assembly
This is not your standard black metal album, and while the band does play homage to the traditional style there are some nice variations. Dawn Ray’d move into the melodic and atmospheric side of black metal, and they are not one of these bands that tend to have an issue with completely embracing that sound. No matter if they are upping the tempo, unleashing fast-paced assaults with blastbeats, or they are venturing into more ambient moments, they really go for it. The start of “Future Perfect Conditional” displays this leaning, and it also follows through when the rougher and more bitter parts unfold.
Read the full review here.
The Unlawful Assembly by Dawn Ray’d
TWELVE – AU-DESSUS End of Chapter
In this case, we have Lithuanian post-black metal group Au-Dessus, releasing their debut album End of Chapter following their self-titled EP.
The post-black metal scene is difficult to pinpoint, considering that you have acts as diverge as Alcest and Altar of Plagues under the same big tent. Au-Dessus follows a cohesive and holistic narrative to their post-black metal doctrine, attempting a fusion of the ethereal post-metal sound, and the venomous black metal idiosyncrasies. The black metal approach remains the focal point, and it is obvious to see how adept Au-Dessus is when it comes to unleashing punishing assaults. In their most brutal, they traverse back to the traditional aspect of the genre, the long, repetitive riffing and the howling vocals, echoing through the darkened space.
The result of using this destructive methodology is deeply felt, but it would not make for a great approach if it was not enriched by further additions. Staying within the boundaries of black metal, the band enacts a strong atmospheric scenery, implemented in a non-extravagant manner in using synths or keys, but by applying elements of post-metal. The elusive, dreamlike manifestations appear in the form of huge riffs, with the pace dropping down, and opening up the music, creating epic sequences of sound moulding. The cycloid nature that it holds, aided by the wall of sound approach that the production takes in these parts, compliments the switches from the eerie leads, granting an asphyxiating effect following the dissonant renditions.
Read the full review here.
ELEVEN – BLACK CILICE Banished from Time
Bold and uncompromising testament to black metal’s pioneering spirit, to its willingness to subvert and pervert, to its insane disregard for its own safety. There is, of course, a bull-headed black metal orthodoxy which stands like a kidney stone in the urinary tract of time, but the fringe is where all the really cool shit is happening. Mr. Black Cilice has been skirting the fringe all along, and with his latest offering, Banished from Time, we are given no reason to believe that he will ever come back.
via ToiletovHell.com
TEN – FEVER NEST Black Carrion Fowl
Fever Nest hails from Ohio, and their LP, Black Carrion Fowl, might be the first release most fans hear from the band. Fever Nest has released a few demos to their past credit, but Black Carrion Fowl is the band’s first major milestone since then.
The band lets song structures evolve, slowing down unpredictably, blasting to start songs, letting notes ring to the double-kicks. The bass has ample volume in the mix to follow the rhythm guitar, and the vocals sound like higher-pitched screams more than screeches.
The drums are pretty loud when the music falls away, and I get a sense some punk/hardcore is intentionally thrown into the mix to keep things interesting. The band typically like to slow down in the middle of tracks, then let the double-kicks machine gun to the sound of tremolo picked riffs and rung notes on the higher registers.
Read the full review here.
Black Carrion Fowl by Fever Nest
NINE – VASSAFOR Malediction
I’m a confirmed atheist. Except when I listen to Vassafor. It’s hard to dismiss the feeling that a demonic presence is lurking when you’re listening to the New Zealand black metal duo. Chiefly because Vassafor cuts through black metal’s artifice to channel some of the most bone-chilling and inhuman music imaginable.
Vassafor are virtually unparalleled in the field of ultra-violent psychic and preternatural warfare. Born from the corruption and chaos that underlies humanity, the band’s always maintained they’ve been inspired by genuine occult forces. That’s an entirely believable proposition too. Especially when confronted with the dark and disturbing realities Vassafor conjure on their much-anticipated new full-length, Malediction.
via Nocleansinging.com
Malediction by Vassafor
EIGHT – AOSOTH V: The Inside Scriptures
After four years, Aosoth return hellbent on continuing their twisted conceptual mission and hammering home the fact that no-one does black metal quite like the French. Initial perusal of The Inside Scriptures track-list may induce brief pangs of disappointment, with only six songs written in the four-year gap between full-length releases. But like its predecessor, Aosoth embrace the longer song format, with three of the cuts breaking the eight-minute barrier across an otherwise efficient 46-minute runtime. So can the weight of expectation, amplified by the lengthy spell between albums, prove too much for these Satanic ghouls of innovation and brutality to deliver the goods again?
Much like its predecessor, The Inside Scriptures features a prominent death metal influence, but it doesn’t interfere with their trademark blackened overtones, off-kilter riffs, shrewd use of melody, and cavernous bursts of aggression and grim heft. Although their pacing is often deliberately measured, there’s little in the way of subtlety when assessing the barnstorming fury of Aosoth at full throttle. Few bands can muster the kind of tremolo and blast fueled intensity or bleed as much seething malevolence as the band does with apparent ease. Atmospherically, it’s a stirring statement, especially when they allow their melodies to breathe the fetid air and in sections when Aosoth shift gears into a foreboding mid-paced crush. Blistering and terrifyingly intense opener “A Heart to Judge” wastes little time raising the stakes, but despite its unrelenting savagery, overall it lacks variety and anything particularly memorable to latch onto across its nine-minute duration.
via Angrymetalguy.com
SEVEN – DSKNT PhSPHR Entropy
If I was going to define black metal – a lust for darkness and the chill of a cold atmosphere would be at the top of my list. With these two qualities in place, I hope the music that ensues will whisk me off into a hypnotic journey into the abyss. This is accomplished by this Swiss project in the first few minutes of the album the journey to the abyss is underway. The atmosphere is created by a cavernous mix allowing this to be second nature. The darkness is nurtured by the dissonance of the guitars. If you have read any of my other reviews, you might notice I return to a common when it comes to metal. I need metal to be as heavy sonically as it is heavy in its aggressive metallic drive. This is achieved midway into the first song. There is an alchemy to quality music, no matter the genre. It’s in how the vibrations of the instruments are manipulated to summon and crafting something that connects a spiritual level. Most music manufactured for commercial consumption doesn’t do this. It is done here, giving this album a quality that all the corpse paint in the world can not compensate for.
Read the full review here.
SIX – NIGHTBRINGER Terra Damnata
I know for a fact this is one of sickest Black Metal records unleashed this year, because of all of the layers of evil that are contained in this collection of songs. I am amazed by how FUCKING GOOD this record is! CVLT Nation feels so honored that we are sharing with you NIGHTBRINGER’s Terra Damnata in full below.
FIVE – AMERICAN Violate and Control
When I say this is one of of the most outstanding records of 2017 – I REALLY FUCKING MEAN IT! One reason is that this band has pushed themselves beyond any known boundaries to create a record that is beyond special, it’s in it’s own space and time!!! Imagine if Scar Sighted LEVIATHAN procreated with All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood The BODY; AMERICAN’s Violate and Control would be their mutant offspring. Coming from such amazing parents would not be enough for this band, because throughout this record they prove that they can shapeshift into many different kinds of sonic pain while still remaining beautiful and morbidly melodic. We were one of the first sites to ever cover this band 4 years ago, so it’s makes total sense that we premiere their devastating new track below. It’s going to be interesting to watch how the world is going to react to this bands new LP. I can say with a 100% confidence that this is truly the beginning of great things for the AMERICAN I LOVE!
FOUR – VOIDSPHERE To Call | To Speak
Exceedingly rapid and furious, Voidsphere has a characteristic, distinctive and peculiar style, effusively paradoxical. While it is easy to describe their sound as atmospheric black metal, the essence of their musicality is obviously more complex and indefinite. With incredibly aggressive guitar lines, the main anatomy of the music remains rooted in traditional BM, while the harmonies are evidently more expansive, but inhumanely delusional.
The best description for the sound of Voidsphere is the hallucinating and demagogic dispersion of a universe being devoured by a colossal black hole. You feel practically lost in a vicious and incurable infinite limbo of chaos, where despair and affliction are not only the main possibilities, but the certainty of an eternity of agony. And voidsphere’s music passes so intensely and truthfully these sensations, with such a realistic majesty, that you definitely feel yourself to be dragged by an invisible energy of doomed ferocity and destruction. As a matter of fact, like the name of the project suggests, you are unmercifully and inextricably attracted to a spectacular, monumental and detrimental sphere of void.
via Merchantsofair.com
To Call | To Speak by Voidsphere
THREE – GRINNING DEATH’S HEAD Blood War
RAW FILTH, PRIMITIVE WAR, PAIN and SUFFERING, FERAL FREEDOM are some of the words that swirl in my mind as I listen to the new LP by Youth Attack‘s GRINNING DEATH’S HEAD entitled Blood War. I am in shock at how good this record is. From the very first moment I started playing it, I knew I was in for something special. GRINNING DEATH’S HEAD create the kind of Black Metal Punk that make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in morbid joy. What trips me about this band is how fuzzed out their songs are, but they maintain a chaotic groove to them that makes them so addictive. To say we are honored to be streaming Blood War in full below would be a major understatement.
Art by Rainbath Visual
TWO – BLUT AUS NORD Deus Salutis Meae
Blut Aus Nord is an exemplar black metal band, always forward thinking, never being confined by the close-mindedness of the genre. Through the years, the entity led by Vindsval, has been changing its style from one record to the next. At one moment they appear as an excellent, straightforward atmospheric black metal band, and in the next turn they unleash a dark ambient masterpiece. Blastbeats or repetitive e-drums based progression, it makes no difference for Blut Aus Nord, who have always been able to release works of high quality, regardless the style of music they choose to explore.
Deus Salutis Meae, translating to God of My Salvation, comes at a strange time for the band. Blut Aus Nord released the third part of the Memoria Vetusta trilogy in 2014, with Saturnian Poetry, reaching a creative peak when it came to their black metal self. Before that, they released a trilogy of dark ambient/industrial albums in 777, which also found them on top of their game regarding their more experimental aspects, perfecting a vision that was introduced with The Work Which Transforms God.
Read the full review here.
Deus Salutis Meae by Blut Aus Nord
ONE – CHAOS MOON Eschaton Mémoire
Haunting melodies meet scathing riffs and blastbeats in the new release from Philadelphia’s Chaos Moon entitled Eschaton Mémoire. This is a violently beautiful album, sounds that encompass you with a gorgeous atmosphere, all the while pummelling you with cold rage. I can feel the fear of life’s end with a sharp insistence in this offering, but also the ultimate peace of the void it brings with it. |
Amnesty International Sweden, in collaboration with the advertising agency Garbergs, has launched a campaign allowing people to download a personal message from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in place of the “ordinary voice message” used for out-of-office replies.
Amnesty International believes the 33-year-old is a whistleblower and not a criminal. The non-governmental organization has called for President Barack Obama to pardon Snowden before leaving the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2017.
“When human rights abuses occur, the public must learn about them to be able to react and hold those responsible to account. Whistleblowers play a critical role in upholding constitutional and human rights guarantees and should be celebrated, not punished. Edward Snowden must be pardoned, whistleblowers across the world must be protected, and indiscriminatory mass surveillance of personal data must stop as a matter of urgency,” Johanna Westeson, discrimination officer at Amnesty International Sweden, said in a statement published Tuesday.
Snowden, who has been living in exile in Moscow since 2013, is wanted in the U.S. under the Espionage Act for leaking classified information. The 33-year-old revealed that the NSA had been spying on Americans using the mass surveillance programs the U.S. had set up after 9/11.
Activists, organizations and civilians have been lobbying Obama to issue a presidential pardon for Snowden allowing him to return to the U.S. You can download the messages available on snowdenoutofoffice.com, where you can also sign a petition calling for the immediate pardon of the 33-year-old.
Obama’s successor Republican Donald Trump in 2013 called Snowden a “terrible traitor” and hinted that he should be killed.
The incoming Trump administration is stepping up its efforts to arrest Snowden but the whistleblower defended his actions saying: “I don’t care. The reality here is that yes, Donald Trump has appointed a new director of the Central Intelligence Agency who uses me as a specific example to say that, look, dissidents should be put to death... It doesn’t actually matter that much to me, because I believe in the decisions that I’ve already made.”
Related Articles |
Carson Palmer says he'll never play for the Cincinnati Bengals again and his house in the Cincinnati suburbs recently sold. One of his favorite targets said Thursday he doesn't doubt the quarterback won't play for the team again.
Chad Ochocinco, interviewed by "SportsCenter" on Thursday, said Palmer is a man of his word.
Ochocinco said that if Palmer comes out of character, and says he wants out or is going to retire, then the Bengals should listen to what he says.
"I know him really well. He will sit out, he will retire," Ochocinco said from the Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he rode in a car with Sprint Cup driver Jeff Burton. Ochocinco added that Palmer is "frustrated" and wants a "fresh start."
Bengals owner Mike Brown repeatedly has said this offseason that he won't trade Palmer. The quarterback hasn't publicly addressed his situation, but the team has acknowledged that Palmer has stated that he will retire if he is not traded or released.
According to reports in Cincinnati, Palmer recently sold his five-bedroom property on five acres in Indian Hill, Ohio, for approximately $1.9 million. He reportedly had been asking $2.1 million.
Ochocinco's future in Cincinnati isn't clear either. The Bengals hold a $6 million team option on him and it's uncertain whether he will play for them if there is a 2011 season.
The talkative receiver said he wasn't sure if he'll be back, but even if it's the end for him in Cincinnati, it won't mean his NFL career is over.
"There's no such thing as the end for me," he told ESPN. "Whether I'm in Cincinnati or whether I'm on one of the other 31 teams, I'm going to make it happen. They say the grass is not greener on the other side, but let me tell you, when I'm watering the grass it's going to be green."
Of course, Ochocinco, like all other NFL players, is in limbo with the league currently in a lockout. Ochocinco said he isn't optimistic the lockout will end in time for the 2011 season to start when scheduled.
"I think it's coming back," he told The Associated Press in a separate interview. "I don't think it's starting on time ... no matter what you are reading. No way."
He hasn't talked to Terrell Owens since Owens' ACL injury, but he told ESPN that he doesn't doubt that his teammate of last season will be able to return from the ACL tear -- even at the age of 37. Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN earlier this week that Dr. James Andrews, who performed the receiver's surgery in April, believes he can return to the field sometime in August. |
Sony's efforts to contain the effects of the cyber attack on the Playstation Network will extend to offering free identity theft protection services for its customers. In a post on the official Playstation web site, Sony Playstation's head PR rep Patrick Seybold wrote that the company is offering free enrollment to a third party protection service for PlayStation Network and Qriocity customers here in the US. So far there's no word on when this offer will be extended to overseas customers with Seybold writing, "We are working to make similar programs available in other countries/territories where applicable."
The company that Sony is using is Debix, a division of AllClear ID. The company has already set up a web site for Playstation Network users. Seybold states that the free identity theft protection service will last for 12 months once a customer signs up for the service. Activation emails should be sent out in a few days and customers will have until June 18 to sign up to use Debix's service.
The free 12 month offer will give Playstation Network customers, among other features, insurance of up to $1 million for "certain fees, lost wages and fraud losses related to recovering your identity" The company will also monitor the internet to see if a customer's personal info is being used illegally and if a customer's identity is stolen Debix says it "will work to fully repair and restore it."
It's estimated that over 70 million user accounts with personal info was lifted from the cyber attacks on Sony's Playstation Network servers which forced Sony to shut down the network on April 20. So far Sony claims there is no evidence that credit card info has been taken from the Playstation Network cyber attacks although it has admitted that a small number of older credit card numbers have been exposed on its Sony Online Entertainment's MMO servers during a similar attack. |
The new U.S. administration is heating up rhetoric over the South China Sea with a promise to challenge China’s occupation of disputed islands. Beijing is responding cautiously , appealing for calm and direct negotiations involving claimants. Sean Spicer said “the U.S. is going to make sure that we protect our interests there.” (Susan Walsh/AP Photo)
By HRVOJE HRANJSKI, Associated Press
BANGKOK (AP) — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves:
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest developments in the South China Sea, home to several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region.
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WHITE HOUSE ON COLLISION COURSE WITH CHINA?
The new U.S. administration is heating up rhetoric over the South China Sea with a promise to challenge China's occupation of disputed islands. Beijing is responding cautiously, appealing for calm and direct negotiations involving claimants.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said "the U.S. is going to make sure that we protect our interests there." His comments came just weeks after President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, caused some consternation when he told his Senate confirmation hearing that the U.S. should deny China access to its seven man-made islands.
"So it's a question of if those islands are in fact in international waters and not part of China proper, then yes, we're going to make sure that we defend international territories from being taken over by one country," Spicer said. Pressed on whether that means physically preventing China from accessing the islands, he refused to answer, saying "I think as we develop further, we'll have more information on that."
China immediately responded, with Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying saying the U.S. is not a party to the disputes and should stay away. She again insisted that China has "indisputable sovereignty" over the South China Sea and is committed to safeguarding it. She said China preserves freedom of navigation in those waters — a concern the U.S. has repeatedly challenged as it stepped up its military presence in the region.
The comments at the regular briefing in Beijing were followed up by the most senior Foreign Affairs spokesman on NBC News, who said "there might be a difference" of opinion over the sovereignty of these islands, "but it's not for the United States" to get involved in.
"That's not international territories, that's Chinese territories," said Lu Kang. "Countries have already come back to the original agreement that maybe for the time being we could set aside those sovereign disputes, and focus on some joint developments, and working together to maintain the peace and stability in this region."
ANALYSTS WORRY ABOUT ESCALATION
The references by U.S. officials to blocking China's access to artificial islands have caused concern among analysts about a potential for military escalation in the South China Sea.
"If the U.S. takes actions against China's moves to protect their own sea territories, it may result in a serious military confrontation," said Sun Hao, an international relations expert at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing.
Teng Jianqun, a scholar at the China Institute of International Studies, said he didn't believe the U.S. would follow through on the threat of a blockade, saying "it's like announcing war. That would be ridiculous."
"Both Tillerson and Spicer seem to be trying to show China that the Trump administration will adopt a tougher approach on the South China Sea, but it's evident that they haven't yet developed a policy," said Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She said the Trump administration needed to send "clear, consistent" signals to China.
U.S. TO CONSTRUCT FACILITIES IN PHILIPPINES
The Philippines, the only U.S. defense treaty ally among the six claimants in the South China Sea, said the U.S. military will soon commence construction of facilities to accommodate troops and equipment inside Philippine army bases.
The five locations for U.S. troops were chosen in a 2014 defense agreement and include air bases facing the South China Sea. China has criticized the U.S. military presence in the Philippines.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said President Rodrigo Duterte, who has had a testy relationship with Washington and has mended ties with Beijing, was aware of the impending construction.
Still, Lorenzana said his country should maintain neutrality as he expressed fear of getting caught between the U.S. and China should Washington press ahead with blocking China's access to Beijing-controlled islands.
"We might be caught in the middle if they do that. We are very wary," he said. "In the first place, they (Chinese) are already there. How can they (Americans) prevent them from going there since they (Chinese) are already there?"
He said the Philippines will deal with both the Chinese "for the benefit of our people" and also with the Americans "because we are still military allies."
Lorenzana said the Philippines was also discussing reviving military exercises with Singapore, one of Southeast Asian nations that has irked Beijing by calling for the respect of an international arbitration ruling that invalidated China's territorial claims.
MALAYSIA SPLITS NAVY FLEET, BEEFS UP SOUTH CHINA SEA ASSETS
Malaysia, which is grappling with piracy, militant raids from the southern Philippines and incursions by Chinese fishermen, has decided to split its navy fleet into two with the emphasis on protecting its resources in the South China Sea.
The Eastern Fleet will be based in Kota Kinabalu, on Borneo Island, and the Western Fleet in Lumut, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur.
"Security wise, the current maritime activities and development in the South China Sea and in the Sulu waters in Eastern Sabah require the government to give high level of focus and attention to ensure maritime security for the two states," said navy chief Adm. Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin.
Like other claimants, Malaysia is balancing its relations between China and the U.S. It recently welcomed a port call by two Chinese submarines in Kota Kinabalu.
However, a Chinese coast guard vessel anchored off Luconia Shoals within Malaysia's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone remains an irritant for Malaysia, though officials rarely publicly raise the issue to avoid antagonizing Beijing. In the past, Malaysia has filed diplomatic protests over Chinese coast guard vessels escorting Chinese fishermen near its shore.
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Follow Hrvoje Hranjski at www.twitter.com/hatbangkok |
A connection between lesbian lust and identifying as male came to me after reading the prologue to Audre Lorde’s Zami : A New Spelling of My Name (full text here.) Lorde describes wanting to be both male and female and she fantasized about having a penis. It’s increasingly common for lesbians to think they are men so I think this needs to be discussed. In this post I’m going to describe my interpretation of Lorde’s quote, which was written in 1982, and then discuss the phenomenon of lesbians feeling “male” within the current context of porn culture and transgenderism.
“I have always wanted to be both man and woman, to incorporate the strongest and richest parts of my mother and father within/into me—to share valleys and mountains upon my body the way the earth does in hills and peaks. I would like to enter a woman the way any man can, and to be entered—to leave and to be left—to be hot and hard and soft all at the same time in the cause of our loving. I would like to drive forward and at other times to rest or be driven. When I sit and play in the waters of my bath I love to feel the deep inside parts of me, sliding and folded and tender and deep. Other times I like to fantasize the core of it, my pearl, a protruding part of me, hard and sensitive and vulnerable in a different way. I have felt the age-old triangle of mother father and child, with the “I” at its eternal core, elongate and flatten out into the elegantly strong triad of grandmother mother daughter, with the “I” moving back and forth flowing in either or both directions as needed. Woman forever. My body, a living representation of other life older longer wiser. The mountains and valleys, trees, rocks. Sand and flowers and water and stone. Made in earth.”-Audre Lorde
This quote is rather poetic and I have allowed myself to see lots of things in it that I don’t know if Lorde actually intended. These are some things I see when I look at these words.
Lorde has described wanting the best qualities of her mother and father and wanting to be both hard and soft during sex. When I read this I thought about how people are expected to limit their self-expression and interests to what society believes is appropriate for their sex, and Lorde is refusing to limit herself that way. She wants the full human experience, not just a half of it. Gender roles and compulsory heterosexuality are strongly linked. Women and men are supposed to learn a set of mutually exclusive and complementary traits, so that they depend on each other for providing the qualities they cannot have for themselves. Women must be wives and mothers; men must be breadwinners. The only way one-sided people can feel complete is by getting married and having both complementary sides balancing each other within a relationship. I see Audre Lorde rejecting this one-sidedness and opting instead for full personhood and wholeness when she says “incorporate the strongest and richest parts of my mother and father.” This is what we should all be opting for. We should allow ourselves to experience the full human experience without limiting ourselves or becoming one half of a whole.
In a physical sense, Lorde imagines herself being able to play the role of both male and female during sex. She imagines having a penis and being able to penetrate her lover. Luckily she remained woman-identifed and still enjoyed her female body. I wonder how many lesbians have had this same fantasy? In particular, this sentence really struck me: “Other times I like to fantasize the core of it, my pearl, a protruding part of me, hard and sensitive and vulnerable in a different way.” I will admit that I have had this same thought. I have felt lust for women that makes my clitoris swell, and in my excitement I have imagined it could grow large enough that I could penetrate my lover. Could this fantasy become an obsession in some women, leading them to believe they are really men? I’m not saying that’s the only motivation for lesbians transitioning either—I’m sure there’s lots more to it than that. But this is one element of lesbian life that I think leads some women to decide they are men, and it requires some discussion.
You know the analogy of the fish that doesn’t notice the water that it’s swimming in? We humans are swimming in compulsory heterosexuality, compulsory gender roles, and a belief that sex = penetration. These ideas are so universal that we don’t see them at first; it takes us a while to begin to question them. Only in my late twenties did I understand the extent to which I’d internalized compulsory heterosexuality. We are taught all our lives that only men lust after women, that to lust for a woman is to want to penetrate her. This is compulsory behavior for men, as well as cultural narrative and self-fulfilling prophecy. Nothing in our culture ever mentions that women can feel a sexual desire for each other, or that sexual desire doesn’t have to take the form of a phallus, or that sexual desire can appease itself without penetration. According to our culture, a woman doesn’t even have to have sexual desire in order to want sex. Her wish is simply to be wanted, to be a beautiful object of men’s lust. She inspires sexual desire, but doesn’t necessarily have her own. Women’s sexual desire ranges from non-existent to sinful, depending on local tradition.
No cultural narratives guide lesbians in how to be or how to love. The young lesbian searches for her own truth and charts her own path, all on her own. Today’s young lesbians come of age in a misogynist porn culture that tells them lust is for men and lust means penetration, and if they feel masculine they should take testosterone and call themselves men. And as an example of this, I bring you a quote from a Youtube video that shows what happens when a young male-identified queer woman gets addicted to porn:
“When you dont have a dick but you feel like you have an erection (?) Like literal. I’m so serious. Is this almost what you mean. Cause I swear everytime I read porn I feel my no dick rise. I kid you not knowing that I will never get a blow job upsets me.”
This woman has internalized the idea that her lust must be male. Woman-identified lesbians know that lust is for women, too. We women feel desire for each other, no penis involved, and no “male brain” involved. Lust is not synonymous with the phallus. To interpret your sexual arousal as meaning that you have or should have a penis is a toxic effect of porn culture that we must unlearn. Your lust is feminine and womanly. It comes from your clitoris as well as your whole body and soul. Women are all sorts of people with all sorts of interests. We’re not all wives and mothers, and none of us are mere objects for penetration. We have our own natural sexuality that you will never see a trace of in porn, or in any popular culture.
In a previous blog post on a previous blog of mine, now deleted, I talked a bit about my “gender identity.” One paragraph of that post read as follows: I had a period of sex dysphoria that lasted about a month. It was around the same time I finally accepted that I was attracted to women and stopped beating myself up over it. I started to enjoy the delicious feelings that came to me when I looked at the women around me. I started to enjoy the lesbian sexual fantasies that were coming to me. And with that came a feeling that I was male. I had successfully internalized the idea that anyone attracted to women was necessarily male. I was looking at women with the male gaze. The male gaze that lived in my brain looked at women’s bodies and objectified them the way men do, and because of the male gaze living in my brain, I felt like a man in a woman’s body. There were at least two times when I looked in a mirror and was surprised by what I saw. The sight of my breasts surprised me. I didn’t know why I had them because I didn’t feel female. This lasted about a month, and then it went away. Maybe I could have taken seriously the male-identified part of me that wanted to get all the women I saw into bed. I could have adopted a male name and asked people to refer to me with male pronouns. But I didn’t go down that road. Feminist writing on sexual assault, consent and objectification reminded me that the women around me were people and not things. And I was one of them. I fought against the desire to objectify my fellow women. I still find women “hot” but I try not to comment on their appearance or clothing, because it shouldn’t matter.
Transgenderism is being spread largely by the Internet. Girls who feel the normal uncomfortable feelings related to female puberty go online and find videos on how to bind their breasts. So I want to leave this here for any young lesbians or bisexual women who are looking for such a thing:
Dear lesbians and bisexual women,
It is totally normal to love other women and to find other women arousing. It’s fine if you imagine you have a penis, but it doesn’t mean you are literally male. It’s a fantasy. You are a woman-loving woman and that is fantastic as is. You don’t have to pretend to be something else. You don’t need a man and you don’t need to become a man. You don’t need a penis—lust is for female bodies too, and lesbian sex is creative and fun and free. There doesn’t need to be any penetration for women to find satisfaction, but of course if that’s what you’re in the mood for, go for it. You can be a whole person—you don’t have to exemplify stereotypes about what women are, or about what men are either. You don’t have to be a wife and mother, but you can be if you want. Or you can take on the role of breadwinner if you want. You can fix cars and bake pies. Do whatever you want, be yourself. And please, love women. Love women both personally and politically.
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The online search and advertising giant said co-founder Larry Page, 37, will take charge of day-to-day operations as chief executive officer starting April 4.
Current CEO Eric Schmidt, 55, will assume the role of executive chairman, focusing on deals and government outreach, among other things.
Google said other co-founder Sergey Brin will focus on strategic products.
"In my clear opinion, Larry is ready to lead and I'm excited about working with both him and Sergey for a long time to come," Schmidt said.
Page praised Schmidt, too. "There is no other CEO in the world that could have kept such headstrong founders so deeply involved and still run the business so brilliantly," Page said. "Eric is a tremendous leader and I have learned innumerable lessons from him."
Watchers of the technology giant seemed to react mostly positively to news of the leadership shakeup.
"I think it's a good move. It (the triumvirate management structure) was always one of things that concerned us a little bit," said Jacob Internet Fund portfolio manager Ryan Jacob.
"It should streamline the decision-making process. They're in a fast-moving industry," Jacob added.
"Initially Larry and Sergey were pretty young when Google started, so maybe they weren't prepared at that point to run the day-to-day operations of Google," said Thinkequity analyst Aaron Kessler. "But at this point they've been involved for several years now, and are in a better position to really run the company as opposed to just being in the founder role."
"Day-to-day adult supervision no longer needed!" Schmidt tweeted after the announcement.
The abrupt shift comes days after Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced a leave of absence, leaving lieutenant Tim Cook in charge of day-to-day operations. Like Google, Apple also announced results this week that blew past Wall Street's estimates.
The change in command overshadowed Google's fourth-quarter earnings, which soared past analysts' estimates as the company cranked up its Internet marketing machine during the holiday shopping season. |
[WARNING: arachnophobes beware; this list contains an image of a spider.] Nature provides for almost all of our needs and it is as diverse as the stars in the sky. But there is a dark side too. Nature also contains some of the most awful things you can imagine – worse than anything conjured up by Stephen King! This list looks at ten of those things.
10 Honey Badger Most Vicious Animal
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg]
The honey badger is usually found in Africa and Western and Southern Asia. For a number of years the Guinness Book of Records has named it the “most fearless creature”. This animal (which looks deceptively cute) will attack virtually anything and it is smart enough to know its opponents weak spots. For example, when confronted by a human male, it will attack the testicles. This is also one of the few animals that uses tools – for example making use of logs as ladders. The honey badger loves honey and will dive right into a beehive with no regard to its own safety – which unfortunately often leads to its death. Honey Badgers can kill crocodiles, and are very efficient snake killers. It takes only 15 minutes for the animal to eat a 5 foot snake. The ferocity of these creatures is well known in nature and not even a leopard or lion will attempt to kill one.
9 Mosquito Worst Insect
There is no doubt that the mosquito has to be the worst insect in the world. Just as summer starts, the mosquitos come out in force ready to feast upon the pasty white legs of humans that have been locked inside for winter. At night as you lie in bed you can hear them buzzing but you can’t see them – and then next morning a huge welt appears on the tip of your nose because the mosquito chowed down on it. Oh – and it also happens to be the most deadly insect in the world because it spreads malaria – in fact, it is believed that half the human population that has died through history, died because of the female mosquito bite. God must have been pre-occupied the day he was creating the animals, because he didn’t notice Satan making the mosquito.
8 Fatal Familial Insomnia Worst Disease Symptoms
Fatal Familial Insomnia is a terrible disease found in only 28 families around the world. The disease prevents you from sleeping and no medication available can help you. When the disease begins, you generally have from 7 to 36 months of sleepless nights until you finally die. Wikipedia describes the stages of the disease thus:
1. The patient suffers increasing insomnia, resulting in panic attacks, paranoia, and phobias. This stage lasts for about four months.
2. Hallucinations and panic attacks become noticeable, continuing for about five months.
3. Complete inability to sleep is followed by rapid loss of weight. This lasts for about three months.
4. Dementia, where the patient becomes unresponsive or mute over the course of six months. This is the final progression of the disease, and the patient will subsequently die.
7 Bullet Ant Most Painful Bite
The bullet ant is ranked as having the most painful sting in the world – often likened to the pain of being shot, described thus: “waves of burning, throbbing, all-consuming pain that continues unabated for up to 24 hours”. The ant is found in Nicaragua south to Paraguay and, like other ants, they live in large colonies which are usually situated at the base of trees. The ants are used in an initiation rite for boys in the Satere-Mawe tribe of Brazil. The boys are made to wear a glove with hundreds of these ants attached – they must suffer the stings for 10 minutes and they must perform this ritual multiple times. The boys arm is usually paralyzed temporarily from the poison and their bodies can shake for days. You can watch the rite of passage on youtube – I don’t recommend it for the weak of heart.
6 Salvinia Molesta Most Intrusive Weed
Also known as kariba weed, the salvinia molesta plant is an aquatic fern from Brazil. It floats on top of water and doubles in size every few days. This usually results in lakes that become completely covered by a mat of the plant up to 24 inches high. The intrusive weed prevents sunlight from entering the water which, in turn, prevents animal and plant life from surviving. To make matters worse, you can’t kill the plant. If you break it into small pieces, each piece will spawn a new plant. In the US attempts have been made to remove it using cranes, but all it takes is one tiny piece to restart the whole growing process. It is now found around the world and causes havoc everywhere it goes. In the image above, what appears to be a nice lawn is actually an entire lake covered with salvinia molesta.
5 Corpse Flower Smelliest Plant
The corpse flower thrives in the grasslands bordering rain forests in Sumatra (though it is now found around the world in display gardens). It grows a single enormous flower which produces a smell that is remarkably similar to a rotting corpse (hence its name). The flower grows to over 10 feet wide and its coloring is designed to mimic the look of rotting meat – to help entice the carrion eating insects that pollinate it. The tip of the corpse flower is nearly the same temperature as the human body which probably helps to spread the stink and adds to the illusion that it is really rotten flesh. Here is an excellent youtube clip with David Attenborough presenting the corpse flower.
4 Brazilian Wandering Spider Worst Spider
It is huge. It has one of the most painful bites in the spider world. It is the most deadly spider; forget the funnel web spider – this thing is dangerous. It has the highest human kill rate in the world. To make things even worse, a bite from this spider causes an erection that lasts for hours. No – this is not a subtle ad for viagra; it really is a side-effect of a wandering spider bite. Emergency room staff are able to immediately recognize a person suffering from a bite. Needless to say, the venom is being studied for possible medical uses for people suffering erectile disfunction. [Youtube Clip]
3 Candiru Nastiest Fish
The Candiru is a small parasitic catfish which is found mostly in the Amazon river where it is the most feared fish – even more so than piranhas. The fish can grow to a maximum length of around six inches. Candiru feed on the blood of their host creatures by swimming into the gills and using razor sharp spines on its head to attach itself. It then chews its way through the host until it reaches a major artery and drinks blood until it is satiated. The fish finds its prey by sniffing the water and this is where it starts to get nasty: the smell of human urine appeals to candirus and they can find their way to a human penis or vagina under the water and enter it. When this happens, the fish attaches itself (causing great pain to the poor human) and it can generally only be removed through surgery. This is a very unpleasant situation to be in – so be warned: don’t pee in the Amazon river. You can watch a youtube clip about the candiru here. And if you are able to cope with disgusting images, check out the photo of a doctor removing a candiru from a man’s nether-regions.
2 Man Most Damaging To Its Environment
First of all we need to get one thing clear – I am not a “greenie” or an “environmentalist” – but even a hard-hearted non-recycler like me can see how much damage man causes to nature. We pollute our waterways and air, we tear down whole forests, we flatten mountains, and we bury nuclear waste beneath the earth. Nature has every reason to hate us and perhaps that is in part the reason for the many plagues and pandemics that have struck our kind since time immemorial.
1 Botulinum Toxin Deadliest Thing Ever
Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and it is, beyond a doubt, the deadliest known protein. If the clostridium botulinum spores find their way to food or wounds, they will begin to release the toxin which leads to poisoning if eaten. It is so deadly that a mere two pounds (roughly 1kg) of the stuff is enough to kill the entire human population. It is so deadly that it is potentially useful as a biological weapon. This is the kind of thing we obviously want to keep right away from right? Well, no. Millions of people have this deadly protein injected into their face every year; it is present in minute quantities in Botox which is used to “treat” wrinkles.
Contributor: JFrater
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Donald Trump's campaign says that the Tennessee Republican Party is attempting to "steal" their delegates. | AP Photo Tennessee GOP delegate fight erupts ahead of party meeting
Donald Trump’s campaign issued a late-night plea in Tennessee on Friday, telling supporters there that the state’s Republican Party was “trying to steal” his delegates and urging them to crash a party meeting on Saturday morning to stop them.
“We won the votes. They are trying to steal them. I can’t believe I am writing this. But the Tennessee Republican Party wants to steal your vote TOMORROW,” Darren Morris, Trump’s Tennessee state director wrote in a missive late Friday.
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Party leaders, alarmed by an intensifying backlash throughout the night, have hired extra security for the event -- which party chairman Ryan Haynes noted had been scheduled to take place in a small, unsecured conference room -- and they're considering canceling the event altogether.
"We've seen what's happened at other events around the country," Haynes said, referencing spurts of violence at some Trump campaign rallies. "The last thing we'd want to see is something get disorderly.”
Added Haynes, "We've been in contact with individuals in law enforcement here in Tennessee.”
The skirmish is the latest in the increasingly fierce battle for delegates to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
At issue are the state’s 14 at-large delegates that were not assigned in the March 1 primary but are set to be selected by the party’s executive committee. Trump won the Tennessee primary and many of the delegates were directly elected at that time. Morris wrote that Trump’s campaign had struck a deal with party leaders on Wednesday to fill the remaining at-large slots with Trump’s share of the vote.
Haynes said Morris exploded earlier in the week when the party informed the campaign they'd only get six of their seven delegate choices at Saturday's meeting. Tennessee's GOP rules give the party the ultimate authority to name delegates, though it usually accepts input from the campaigns.
"They informed us that they did not care about party procedures. They don't care about the Republican Party," Haynes said.
Haynes added that on Friday, the list of delegates changed again and only four of Trump's original seven requests were included, prompting Morris' scathing call to supporters.
“The State Party Chairman, Ryan Haynes, agreed to that ON WEDNESDAY,” Morris wrote. “Those pulling his puppet strings changed his mind and now apparently he wants to appoint delegates representing candidates who don’t support Donald Trump and WHO DID NOT RECEIVE ANY ALLOCATED DELEGATES on March 1.”
Brent Leatherwood, executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party, said there was never such a deal and accused the Trump campaign of speaking “dismissively” of one of their "female members.”
"Instead of stirring up strife and grossly mischaracterizing the conversation that took place between Mr. Morris and Chairman Haynes, let's set the record straight. There was never an agreement, especially after the Trump campaign spoke dismissively about the Party process and one of our female members,” Leatherwood said in a statement.
Morris urged supporters to crash the party's 10 a.m. Saturday executive committee meeting by arriving a half-hour in advance. “There is a small group of Tennessee establishment insiders pulling a fast one. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN,” he wrote.
Haynes said if he couldn't guarantee safety of Saturday’s meeting, "In no way would I foresee going forward with an event. We hope cooler minds prevail on these kind of things ... I've never quite experienced anything quite like this."
Morris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Other Tennessee party leaders were just learning of the escalating clash late Friday, with some referring to it as "rumors" or suggesting they were unaware of how pitched the sniping had become between the Trump campaign and party leaders. But others were incensed at the Trump camp as well.
One state executive committee member, Scott Smith, rebutted the Trump campaign's allegations in an email, saying that the root of the conflict is the fact that some of Trump's Tennessee supporters "depend on threats, manipulation, outlandish accusations and behavior."
Leatherwood said the party was pressing forward. "The TNGOP will fill out the remaining delegate spots consistent with our bylaws, state law, and the results of the March 1st Presidential Primary,” he said.
Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich are not only competing in primaries and caucuses across the country but to name the actual individuals who will serve as delegates because, should Trump fall short of the 1,237 delegates he needs to secure the GOP nomination on the first ballot, those individuals will ultimately select the nominee.
Every state has different rules about how long delegates must stay pledged to their state’s results and Leatherwood noted that in Tennessee, “Despite what they are saying, state law mandates all delegates be bound to their respective candidate for two rounds of balloting at the Republican National Convention. There are no exceptions to that requirement." |
A Clinical Nurse Manager caught on camera sitting on a severely autistic resident claimed it was "playful interaction" and "a bit of fun".
A Clinical Nurse Manager caught on camera sitting on a severely autistic resident claimed it was "playful interaction" and "a bit of fun".
Care nurse caught on camera 'sitting on resident' tells court it was 'a bit of fun'
Patrick McLoughlin, a Clinical Nurse Manager in Bungalow 3 and Bungalow 4 told the court the severely disabled resident had struck him twice on the back just prior to the incident. However, this was not caught on camera.
Mr McLoughlin, who has pleaded not guilty to one Section Two assault charge, said he then rushed towards the resident's seat in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
He said that on the spur of the moment he ended up sitting on the resident.
"I thought I'd get to the chair before she did, but she actually did. I sat down partially on her and partially on the chair.
"I was just having a bit of playful interaction," he added.
When released the resident followed Mr McLoughlin and attempted to strike him. At this stage another voice can be heard on the video footage requesting the resident to "say sorry" and "give Pat a hug".
Mr McLoughlin said the situation was then diffused and he left so as not to antagonise her.
The father-of-three said he had known the resident for 10 years or more adding that she had challenging behaviour and could be aggressive. He said this was all down to her medical condition.
"I like these ladies and we support them as much as we can," he said.
Earlier Martin Maguire, a clinical nurse specialist attached to Aras Attracta told the court Mr McLauglin's actions were "unacceptable".
He said he had worked on a functional assessment report for the resident which he believed was working well. However, he said he and Mr McLoughlin had had disagreements on how to implement his plans.
Mr McLoughlin, who is English, moved to Ireland in 1971. He accepted Mr Maguire's assertion that his actions were unacceptable.
"I find what I did wasn't acceptable. It was a spur of the moment thing. A bit of fun. We were having a bit of playfulness," he added.
The court was told the patient was severely autistic, with a severe intellectual disability, was non-verbal and exhibited challenging behaviour through no fault of her own.
Mr Maguire told the court that prior to the clip he had considered Mr McLaughlin a "competent" nurse.
Meanwhile, another member of staff at Aras Attracta who is charged with assault of a resident, worked for over two years as a care worker in the unit without the proper qualifications.
Christina Delaney, who is charged with one count of assault against Ms A, originally worked in the canteen from 2003 to 2006.
The court heard that Ms Delaney was appointed a health case assistant in 2006, however, she did not obtain the relevant qualifications until around 2009.
Footage was shown of Ms Delaney forcing a non-verbal resident back into her chair before sitting on her. Ms Delaney then put her legs up against the wall, effectively holding Ms A in the chair.
The incident occurred at November 15, 2014.
Ms Delaney told the court she asked Ms A's consent before sitting in the chair. She said she was attempting to keep the resident safe at the time.
She insisted she did not intend to assault Ms A and denied she was reckless on the day in question.
"I was trying to keep her in a safe zone and to keep her safe," she said.
When asked if she still felt it was the right thing to do she replied: "No".
The court heard that Ms A had caused injury to herself on a number of occasions and an Invasive Supervision plan had been put in place to stop her harming herself.
Martin Maguire, a clinical nurse specialist attached to Aras Attracta said this plan did not explain the actions of Ms Delaney which were not acceptable.
Judge Devins said she would consider the evidence and would give a date for decision tomorrow.
Another care worker caught on camera pulling a resident by the back of her hoodie told gardai she had done what she was shown to do by other staff members.
Anna Ywunong Botsimbo was shown footage of her alleged assault on Ms A.
She acknowledged to gardai that she pulled the resident by the hoodie: "I done as I was shown to do."
When asked if she found that acceptable she replied: "Of course it's not but that is how I was shown to do it."
She added that it was "staff in Bungalow 3" who had shown her this practice.
Evidence was also heard that Ms Botsimbo did not have proper training to care for the needs of residents in Bungalow 3.
Ms Botsimbo was employed through the TTM agency but did not have CPI and Mapa training.
While the training was not mandatory concerns that staff in Bungalow 3 did not have this training were previously raised by Mr Maguire in an email.
Harry Kenny, acting programme director at Aras Attracta said it was up to the agency and not the HSE to ensure staff training.
In a third clip Ms Botsimbo can be seen pulling Ms A by the hoodie back towards her chair.
Mr Maguire said he could see no reason why Ms A had been grabbed in such a manner.
When it was put to him that Ms Botsimbo was keeping Ms A out of harms way he replied: "In the clips I've viewed so far I didn't see any imminent danger to Ms A," he added.
The court heard that Ms A has since been moved to a residence where she lives alone and has two staff with her on a 24/7 basis.
Mr Maguire told the court that he believed Miss A had improved adding: "I have no record that Ms A has engaged in any self injurous behaviour in her new residence".
Online Editors |
They’re called “street checks” in Peel, but they’re every bit as ugly as carding in Toronto – and equally deserving of a ban. A Star investigation that analyzed data for Mississauga and Brampton has found that black people who have committed no apparent crime are far more likely to be stopped by Peel police than those with white skin. That’s a pattern consistent with racial profiling.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has said she will move to suspend the controversial street checks program. ( RICHARD LAUTENS / TORONTO STAR )
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has said she will move to suspend the controversial street checks program as soon as Friday’s meeting of the Peel Police Services Board. While an immediate suspension would at least put further abuse on hold, the only real solution is an outright ban on this toxic practice, whether it goes by the name of carding, street checks, “community engagement,” or any other euphemism. It involves having police stop people, apparently at random, in order to ask a series of intrusive questions. The approach is a means of having officers engage with the community by making them more familiar with the people they meet. Information collected in this way can be entered into a Peel police database for possible use in subsequent investigations. Although widely used, especially in Toronto before it was suspended pending reform, no Canadian police force (including Peel) has yet produced solid proof that the benefit from street checks outweighs the harm that’s done.
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As reported by the Star’s San Grewal, blacks accounted for 21 per cent of street checks done in Brampton and Mississauga between 2009 and 2014. Yet they represent just 9 per cent of the population in those cities, according to census data from 2011. In contrast, whites form more than 40 per cent of the population but account for only 28 per cent of street checks. These findings provide a foundation of hard numbers to support a tower of anecdotal evidence. People with black or brown skin have long felt they were subject to undue and unfair police scrutiny. Many describe being stopped by officers for no other reason than “driving while black.” Street checks appear to be just another version of that phenomenon. And they need to stop. Queen’s Park has been consulting with police, concerned community groups, civil libertarians, the Ontario Human Right Commission and the general public with the aim of introducing a reform of carding later this fall. But it’s too late for that. Carding has generated so much justifiable bitterness in visible minority neighbourhoods that there’s really no acceptable way to retain even a reformed version of this practice. Instead of attempting to fix the unfixable, the province should formally ban carding and issue a set of clear new instructions to police on how to deal with people who are guilty of no apparent crime.
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Paul Sakuma / AP A student looks at employment brochures on display at the career center at Stanford University.
It is often said that Stanford students are like ducks: calm and happy on the surface, but paddling like hell under the water to stay afloat. The so-called "Stanford duck syndrome" embodies the culture at this Palo Alto, California, campus. With beautiful weather and pristine landscaping saturated by palm trees, Stanford looks more like a country club than one of the world's premier research institutions.
And though the ducks have rigorous course loads, they live in paradise, which explains why Stanford students are consistently ranked among the happiest in the nation by the Princeton Review. In past years, seniors might have floated peacefully to the shore of employment the only 'A' they needed on their resume was the one that helped spell "Stanford." (See 10 ways your job has changed.)
But this year, with the recession hammering away at the job market, the shore seems farther away. Time is running out until graduation on June 14, and the ducks, now anxiously flapping, are struggling to figure out their lives and their livelihoods.
Well-qualified students who would normally have dozens of offers are now faced with as many rejections. One such senior majoring in economics applied to every relevant job through Stanford's Career Development Center. After over 200 applications and some 55 in-person interviews, she was rewarded for her efforts with only one offer.
Count her among the fortunate. Great jobs still exist, but they have become few and far between. According to Lance Choy from Stanford's Career Development Center, there were 30% fewer jobs posted this year, and fewer companies are coming to Stanford for presentations and job fairs. (See pictures of cubicle designs submitted to The Office.)
All of which means that students have to be more creative about job searches or delay the inevitable day. To that end, many are opting to stay in school. Ashwin Mudaliar, a senior spending a fifth year at Stanford to complete a Master of Science degree in Biology, noted, "Of the 25 seniors in my fraternity, only two are entering the work force directly. The others are planning on attending graduate or professional school." Nearly 40% of the graduating seniors, from engineers to lit majors, will remain at Stanford to attend graduate school. Overall, Stanford has seen a 5% increase in graduate applications for next year's enrollment.
Those with an eye for business, meanwhile, are choosing a more entrepreneurial tack. With fewer investment banking and consulting jobs at the larger, well-known firms, more of these students are instead opting to work at start-ups and smaller, boutique firms. Still others are hoping to carve out their own niche by starting their own companies.
Fortunately, Stanford's conjugal connection to Silicon Valley gives its students the resources to succeed in their technology ventures. The Stanford Computer Science department even offers a popular course called "iPhone Application Programming." Many students have already taken their class projects and rolled them out as commercially available applications. The fall class of 50 students produced eight successful iPhone apps; the spring class is 20% larger, though it's too early to say how they'll fare commercially.
Seniors Edward Marks, a double mathematics and economics major, and James Anthony, a Physics major, enrolled in the course last year, recognizing the opportunity. They formed a company in January called Inedible Software, and they have already generated profits from a popular shotgun simulation application. Marks had originally intended to pursue a career in finance at a hedge fund, but the recession limited his options: "When I realized I was applying to jobs I didn't want, I decided to stop and just become an entrepreneur." For the sake of student innovation, maybe this recession isn't such a bad thing.
Ari Officer recently received a Master's degree in financial mathematics from Stanford
See which businesses are bucking the recession.
See pictures of the college dorm's evolution. |
European diplomat says French president will try to impress on Obama that world cannot afford to wait for two-year war of attrition in wake of Paris attacks
François Hollande will plead with Barack Obama to show greater urgency in the fight against Islamic State when the presidents meet in Washington next week, warning of a state of emergency in Europe.
French officials have been careful not to openly criticise the US’s strategy in Syria and Iraq but believe Obama must be made aware of the extent of the refugee crisis it has caused, a European diplomat said on Wednesday.
“The message that we want to send to the Americans is simply that the crisis is destabilising Europe,” said the diplomat, who did not wish to be named. “The problem is that the attacks in Paris and the refugee crisis show that we don’t have time. There is an emergency.”
Noting the debate raging among governments over how to handle the biggest movement of people to Europe since the second world war, he added: “It’s the foreign fighters but it’s also the migrants crisis which is dividing the Europeans, destabilising the continent, so we have to act quickly, telling the US administration the core interests of the Europeans, your best allies, are at stake.”
As Paris reels from the terrorist attacks that killed 129 people last week, Hollande will try to impress on Obama that there is a need to act now and the world cannot afford to wait for a war of attrition that might take two years. Some insiders believe that America has been slow to appreciate the effects of millions of refugees pouring out of Syria, partly because the US is an ocean away and far less vulnerable.
The European diplomat said: “That’s the reason why the French president will be in Washington on Tuesday before flying to Moscow to meet President Putin.”
France wants world leaders to redefine the strategy for taking on Isis and give it a greater sense of urgency.
The diplomat indicated that Europe supported the broad effort to cut off funding and the supply line of foreign fighters to Isis, but he rejected any notion of sending in ground troops, commenting: “Isis is dreaming about having western forces against them.”
Elsewhere, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, who returned from Paris on Tuesday, attempted to manage international expectations. He told the Overseas Security Advisory Council in Washington: “Let me make this clear: we don’t have any illusions about how complicated this is. Most people don’t think that another invasion by Americans in yet another Muslim country in which the local citizens are not prepared to fight back and hold the land that you then gain makes a lot of sense, which is why our strategy – and there is a strategy and it is clear and it’s working, not as fast as anybody would like, but working.”
US military officials also sought to defend the slow pace of coalition efforts against Isis, as the Pentagon conceded Isis was in places providing “very stiff resistance” but detailed its painstaking efforts to avoid civilian casualties.
Amid growing calls from politicians in Washington for tougher military intervention, the US administration is anxious to demonstrate that its strategy of relying on local forces in Syria and Iraq to flush Isis fighters out into the open for airstrikes is still making progress.
“It’s important for everyone to understand our overarching objective, which is to partner with indigenous ground forces, enable [them] to conduct offensive operations and then provide coalition air power on top,” Defense Department spokesman Steve Warren told reporters.
“As indigenous forces manoeuvre against our enemy, it forces our enemy to move, they have to react, and as soon as the enemy reacts we kill them from the air.”
But the Pentagon described Iraqi army efforts to retake Ramadi, where it enjoys a 10-to-1 numerical advantage over Isis, as “slow and incremental”, despite increased allied air support.
“The northern axis has met with some very stiff resistance, frankly,” said Warren. “The enemy has put up a good fight there in the last couple of days. I think it was about a 200-metre movement yesterday. This is slow and sometimes incremental work.”
US officials say the discovery of nearly 30 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on the outskirts of the city had “blunted” Iraqi advances.
The Pentagon also boasted that coalition-trained rebels in Syria were now fighting Isis in the south of the country for the first time, but said the mortar raid had destroyed only “five buildings and a weapon cache”.
Asked why it had taken so long to hit Isis’s oil export infrastructure, US officials described how it had taken some time to draw up a plan that would not kill the drivers of fuel tankers used by Isis to export Syrian oil.
A series of videos were shown of the trucks being blown up on Sunday, but US planes used in the attack had conducted dummy strafing runs and dropped leaflets in advance in order to scare away the drivers, who took shelter in a tent that was left untargeted.
Warren also explained that the reason the French had been given new targets for their bombing raids in Raqqa was because Isis headquarters buildings previously targeted by the Americans had been moved to alternative locations after initial strikes.
French officials yet to identify two suspects killed in Paris assault Read more
The Pentagon official criticised Russian airstrikes on Raqqa as using “outdated” bombing tactics that risked causing unnecessary civilian deaths.
The Pentagon briefing for reporters came as Republican critics in the US stepped up their calls for more robust intervention and American ground troops.
“America has had enough of empty words, of declarations detached from reality of an administration with no strategy or no intention of victory,” said Republican presidential contender Jeb Bush in a foreign policy speech to a military college in Charleston, South Carolina.
“The United States should not delay in leading a global coalition to take out Isis with overwhelming force.”
Bush said that while air power was “essential, it alone cannot bring the results we seek”.
“The United States – in conjunction with our Nato allies and more Arab partners – will need to increase our presence on the ground,” he added. “When we do use force, it must be effective, and our objectives must be well defined, so that one deployment doesn’t lead to endless others – always with the heavy thumb of American power, resources and resolve on the scales of war.”
In a new radio ad, Bush’s rival Donald Trump explicitly mentioned the Paris attacks as proof that “America needs to get tough on radical Islamic terrorism”.
Trump, who has called himself the “most militaristic person there is”, pledged to “quickly and decisively bomb the hell out of Isis”. The businessman and reality TV star also accused Obama of “preparing to let hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria into the United States” and promised: “If I win we will not have to listen to politicians that are losing the war on terrorism.” |
reuters The US economy gained 222,000 jobs in June, many more than expected, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.
Economists had forecast that nonfarm payrolls increased by 178,000, according to Bloomberg.
The excess number of people employed in June over those who were laid off or fired was revised upward for both April and May. That left the June job gains roughly in line with the average increases this year and did not vastly change the overall picture of employment.
"The bottom line is that jobs are out there, and job hunters with marketable skills are in a good position to move on or move up," said Jim Baird, the chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors.
The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4% from a 16-year low of 4.3%. The increase was viewed as a positive indication that more people were entering the workforce, as the labor-force participation rate indeed increased to 62.8% from 62.7%.
Pantheon Macroeconomics
Wage growth was softer than expected and unchanged from May. Average hourly earnings rose by 0.2% month-over-month and 2.5% year-over-year.
Economists expect wages to be rising at an even faster pace because the unemployment rate is near a postcrisis low, and so there should be more competition for skilled workers. But some Federal Reserve officials have noted that the lower unemployment rate is not lifting workers' pay the way it used to partly because productivity is lower.
Retail hiring rose for the first time since January, pausing an exodus of jobs from large department stores that are losing ground to e-commerce. Retail trade gained 8,100 jobs overall, though hiring fell on net in car dealerships, electronics stores, and clothing stores.
The healthcare sector contributed the most jobs, at 37,000. The coal industry added no jobs. |
Three Democratic senators filed a brief in federal court on Tuesday supporting a lawsuit to end the National Security Agency's bulk collection of phone records.
Sens. Mark Udall Mark Emery UdallGardner gets latest Democratic challenge from former state senator Setting the record straight about No Labels Trump calls Kavanaugh accusations ‘totally political’ MORE (Colo.), Ron Wyden Ronald (Ron) Lee WydenSenate reignites blue slip war over Trump court picks Overnight Health Care — Presented by National Taxpayers Union — Top Dems call for end to Medicaid work rules | Chamber launching ad blitz against Trump drug plan | Google offers help to dispose of opioids Top Dems call for end to Medicaid work rules after 18,000 lose coverage in Arkansas MORE (Ore.) and Martin Heinrich Martin Trevor HeinrichOvernight Defense: Dems aim to block use of defense funds for wall | Watchdog issues new warning on Syria withdrawal | Trump wants to 'watch Iran' from Iraq Senate Dems introduce bill to block Trump from using military funds to build wall Puerto Rico statehood supporters pin hopes on House action MORE (N.M.), who all have access to classified information as members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, argued that the controversial program does little to combat terrorism.
"[The senators] have reviewed this surveillance extensively and have seen no evidence that the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records has provided any intelligence of value that could not have been gathered through less intrusive means," lawyers for the lawmakers wrote.
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They argued that more targeted surveillance programs could have been used to gather the same information that the NSA obtained through the phone data collection.
"Because the government’s call-records program needlessly intrudes upon the privacy rights of hundreds of millions of Americans, [the senators] believe the bulk collection of these phone records should be ended," they wrote.
The controversial program collects phone numbers, call times and call durations on virtually all U.S. phone calls, but not the contents of communications.
The lawmakers filed their brief to support a lawsuit from a coalition of civil liberties groups led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
The lawsuit claims that the bulk collection violates constitutional rights to privacy, free speech and free association. Public Knowledge, TechFreedom, a Unitarian church and a California gun rights group also signed on to the suit, which was filed in California.
The senators are also pushing legislation to end the bulk phone data collection.
Defenders of the program argue it is critical for "connecting the dots" and thwarting terrorist attacks. |
This article is about the American company. For other uses, see Leatherman (disambiguation)
Pocket Survival Tool Leatherman
A Leatherman Sidekick tool showing on board tools
Wave with all tools unfolded A Leathermanwith all tools unfolded
Leatherman Super Tool and belt holster
Leatherman Surge
Leatherman Micra, both open and closed
Pieces
Leatherman Tread
Leatherman is an American brand of multitools and knives made by Leatherman Tool Group of Portland, Oregon, US. The company was founded in July 1983 by Timothy S. Leatherman and Steve Berliner in order to market his idea of a capable, easily portable hand tool with multiple functions. That same year Leatherman sold the first multitool, which was called the PST (Pocket Survival Tool).
Company history [ edit ]
Timothy S. Leatherman, a 1970 mechanical engineering graduate of Oregon State University, and his business partner, Steve Berliner, formed Leatherman Tool Group in 1983.
Leatherman was inspired to design a "Boy Scout knife with pliers" while he and his wife traveled Europe and the Middle East in 1975, often attempting to use a simple pocketknife to repair their repeatedly malfunctioning car and leaky hotel plumbing.[2][3] He spent several years perfecting the "Mr. Crunch" prototype and received his first U.S. patent (4,238,862) in 1980.[4] After additional refinement, Leatherman’s first product was introduced in 1983 as the Pocket Survival Tool (PST) and initially sold through Early Winters' and Cabela’s mail-order catalogs.[3]
Leatherman sold nearly 30,000 tools in 1984, fueling additional product development, and rapid growth both in the company and manufacturing capacity.[5] By the end of 2001, the company had sales of $100 million annually and had sold more than 20 million tools.[6]
Almost 10% of the manufacturing facility area is concerned with the repairing and rebuilding of any tool that needs it, either domestically, or sent from distributors from around the world. Their system is to replace and return any tool sent in with an equivalent item, reducing the time the owner is without the tool, unless the owner requests return of the same physical tool for sentimental reasons.
Folding knives were introduced into the Leatherman product line in 2005. In 2007, the company opened its first retail store, located at its manufacturing facility, that has since relocated to a retail store at the Cascade Station shopping center near the facility and Cascades MAX Station in Northeast Portland.[3] The same year, Tim Leatherman was inducted into the Blade magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame in recognition of his design impact on the cutlery history.[7]
In 2011, the Leatherman Tool Group acquired German light manufacturer, LED Lenser. The brands and companies are run separately, under the Leatherman Tool Group, Inc. umbrella. Leatherman Tool Group also manufactures a line of multi-tools designed specifically for military and law enforcement personnel, as well as accessories for carrying and expanding the function of its tools. As of February 2011 , Leatherman produced 50 products sold in 82 countries, with U.S. market share estimated at 55 percent.[1]
Leatherman has a sponsorship deal with the Major League Soccer team Portland Timbers. Specifically, the company is the shirt sponsor for the team's mascot, "Timber Joey".[citation needed]
Products [ edit ]
Leatherman’s primary products are multi-tools and knives. Most Leatherman multi-tools are built around a pair of pliers, with up to 21 additional tools stored in the handles, including knives (straight and serrated blades), screwdrivers (flat, Phillips), saws, wire cutters and strippers, electrical crimper, bottle opener, and can opener. Most models have a built-in safety mechanism that locks the active tool in the open position when fully unfolded. Models range in weight from the 12.5 ounce (335 g) Surge to 0.81 ounce (23 g) Style.
Leatherman currently produces folding knives under the Crater name. Models range from two tools (knife blade and carabiner/bottle opener) to four (blade, carabiner/bottle opener, flat, and Phillips screwdrivers).
Name Type Debut Retired # Tools PST Full-sized 1983 2004 14 PST II Full-sized 1996 2004 15 Wave - Original Full-sized 1998 2004 16 Wave - New Full-sized 2004 — 17 Wave+ Full-sized 2018 — 17 Wave - Damascus Ltd Ed Unknown Unknown Unknown 3 Sideclip Full-sized 1998 2004 12 Crunch Heavy-Duty 1999 — 15 Flair Full-sized 1999 2004 16 Pulse Full-sized 2000 2004 15 Blast Full-sized 2004 2012 16 Surge - Original Heavy-Duty 2005 2013 21 Surge - New Heavy-Duty 2013 — 21 Core Full-sized 2005 2009 19 Kick Full-sized 2004 2012 10 Fuse Full-sized 2004 2012 13 Charge Ti Full-sized 2004 2008 17 Charge XTi Full-sized 2004 2008 16 Charge AL Full-sized 2007 — 17 Charge ALX Full-sized 2007 — 18 Charge TTi Full-sized 2007 — 19 Super Tool Heavy-Duty 1994 2001 18 Super Tool 200 Heavy-Duty 2001 2005 18 Super Tool 300 Heavy-Duty 2009 — 19 Super Tool 300 EOD Full-sized 2010 — 19 Skeletool Pocket 2007 — 7 Skeletool CX Pocket 2007 — 7 Skeletool SX Pocket 2013 — 7 Skeletool RX Pocket 2016 — 7 Wingman Full-sized 2011 — 14 Sidekick Full-sized 2011 — 14 MUT Heavy / Military Duty 2010 — 16 MUT EOD Heavy / Military Duty 2010 — 15 Mini Tool Pocket 1986 2004 10 Freestyle Pocket 2009 — 5 Freestyle CX Pocket 2009 2012 5 Juice KF4 Pocket 2001 2005 16 Juice C2 Pocket 2001 — 12 Juice S2 Pocket 2001 — 12 Juice CS4 Pocket 2001 — 15 Juice XE6 Pocket 2001 2006 18 Juice Pro Pocket 2002 2003 15 Juice SC2 Pocket 2003 2005 12 Juice SX - New Pocket 2014 — 11 Juice SX - Original Pocket 2013 2014 11 Micra Keychain 1996 — 10 Squirt P4 Keychain 2002 2010 10 Squirt S4 Keychain 2002 2010 10 Squirt E4 Keychain 2003 2010 10 Squirt ES4 Keychain 2010 — 9 Squirt PS4 Keychain 2010 — 9 Style Keychain 2010 — 5 Style CS Keychain 2010 — 6 Style PS Keychain 2012 — 8 Rebar Full-sized 2012 — 17 OHT Heavy / Military Duty 2012 — 16 Raptor EMS Duty 2013 — 6 Leap Pocket 2014 — 13 Rev Full-sized 2015 — 14 Tread Wearable 2015 — 29 Tread QM1 Wearable TBD — — Signal Heavy-Duty 2015 — 19 Z-Rex Full-sized Unknown Unknown 4 Genus Unknown Unknown Unknown 9 Vista Unknown 2006 2009 9 Hybrid Unknown 2006 2009 11
See also [ edit ] |
James Franco’s fourth go at hosting Saturday Night Live this past weekend marked one of the show’s better turns in an uneven season, but one sketch was an unmitigated disaster (and not one that would require an “artist” to pull off). In it, Franco plays an enthusiastic Bloomingdale’s gift wrapper who can’t stop bleeding all over the presents (and those getting them wrapped). As we wrote in our recap of the episode, Franco “can’t keep himself from laughing at the carnage and there’s no comic discipline at work in the deployment.” We also noted the “jarringly realistic” reactions Leslie Jones was having to it all. Turns out there was a reason for that—she was truly on the verge of blowing chunks everywhere.
At what seems like the prompting of Franco, Jones took to Instagram after the sketch to explain how Franco’s sloppy gags “fucking traumatized me.” After blood flew into her mouth, it was met with some rising bile that Jones was, thankfully, able to swallow so she wouldn’t “throw up on national f*cking live TV.” See it below.
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The sketch is a mess from start to finish, but you can tell that Franco and Kenan Thompson both can see the trauma unfolding on Jones’ face. Watch closely and you can even see the moment she swallows the mixture of fake blood and puke, because after a slight bend for momentum, she stands up with a triumphant, yet wounded, growl.
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Still, can you imagine how legendary this sketch would’ve become had she thrown up? |
About 1 billion times a year in the United States, nurses and doctors puncture a patient's skin with a needle in search of a vein. Right now this technique relies on feel; that means more than half of all those children and 40 percent of adults have to be stuck multiple times before a vein is found. In an effort to make this process less painful and time-consuming, Evena has created the Eyes-On glasses, which allow the wearer to peer through the skin and see the vascular structure beneath in great detail.
The Eyes-On unit uses a spectral approach: it pulses with four different kinds of light that are combined into a single composite image, making veins stand out against the skin. The glasses are designed to work wirelessly, although the unit we tested was plugged in with bulky physical cables. The image of the veins appeared very clearly on a connected tablet, which also showed vital signs. It was also projected in my field of vision, as if it were Google Glass, so that the nurse can see it overlaid on top of the actual body. I found this image a bit difficult to see clearly, but I'm no trained professional.
After the initial puncture, the Eyes-On glasses can also be used to check for leakage from an IV. This is critical with certain drugs, during chemotherapy for example, which can cause great damage to the surrounding tissue if they escape the vein. The Eyes-On glasses will go into mass production this April and are expected to retail for around $10,000. |
Posted on February 20, 2013
Rand Paul: Sequester A "Pittance" That Nibbles At The Edges
WOLF BLITZER, CNN: All right. You heard the president lay out the choice. Are you willing to compromise on the way he described them?
SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KENTUCKY): I'm not really willing to discuss in it the framework that he's made up for himself.
I mean, for goodness sakes, it was his proposal. He proposed the sequester. It was his idea. He signed it into law, and now he's going to tell us that, oh, it's all our fault?
I voted against the sequester because I didn't think it was enough. The sequester cuts the rate of growth of the spending, but the sequester doesn't even really begin to cut spending, which we have to do or we are going to get a credit downgrade, another credit downgrade.
BLITZER: So you don't think that the $85 billion this year, that would be the forced cuts this year, from your perspective, that's not enough?
PAUL: It's a pittance. I mean, it's a slowdown in the rate of growth. There are no real cuts happening over 10 years.
Over 10 years, the budget will still grow $7 trillion to $8 trillion. He added $6 trillion to the debt in his first term. He's on course to add another $4 trillion to $6 trillion in his second term. So, really, this is just really nibbling at the edges, and he's saying, oh, it's some dramatic thing where all of a sudden it's still the rich's fault.
Didn't he already raise taxes on the rich? I'm having trouble even understanding what he's talking about because he sets up this rhetoric and this sort of game of let's go get the rich again that really is divorced from any reality. It's his sequester we're talking about, his bill.
###
PAUL: I think the sequester happens, and it will be in some ways a yawn, because the histrionics that are coming from the president, saying, oh, we're going to shut down and get rid of meat inspectors, is anybody not going to stand up and call his bluff on that ridiculousness?
The budgets are not being decreased. We're talking about cutting the rate of growth of budgets. And he has the ability to spend the money in different places. If not, we should give latitude to do it. But the thing is, is that there is waste throughout government. And the cuts in the rate of growth should not have us laying off FAA air traffic controllers and meat inspectors.
This is the emotionalism that's always used to argue against any cuts. This is not enough cuts. So we shouldn't be -- if we get rid of this, it just shows that we're really not serious as a nation about doing anything about our debt crisis. I would say to the president, stand up and do the right thing. And don't ask us to squeeze more money out of the private sector, which we think is bad for jobs, in order for you to do the right thing. Why doesn't he stand up and be a leader and just do the right thing? |
Here is a crazy story no one is talking about that is evidence of the Israel lobby’s role in our politics. Last week, Mitt Romney announced a foreign policy team that includes Robert Kagan, a neocon who pushed for the Iraq war.
But Kagan is married to Victoria Nuland, who is a spokesperson for the State Department. Laurie Bennett notes the strangeness of this conjunction:
Victoria Nuland’s role as spokesperson for the State Department, deemed strange by some who remember her tenure as principal deputy national security adviser to then Vice President Dick Cheney, has become stranger yet. Her husband, Robert Kagan, has joined Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign as a foreign policy adviser. Kagan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, also advised the McCain campaign in 2008.
Ordinarily this would cause a lot of strain. Nuland would be under pressure. Chris Matthews would be asking what the heck she’s doing in a political job at State when her husband is preparing the opposition.
But in fact, Nuland’s Cheney resume and her marriage to Kagan are actually credentials in the Democratic Party: they demonstrate Obama’s sensitivity to the Israel lobby. And party bosses are happy to have these playing cards now that Obama is under siege from his own party about Israel.
Kagan pushed the Iraq war to George Bush as a battle to help Israel. He and his neocon friends wrote, “If we do not move against Saddam Hussein and his regime, the damage our Israeli friends and we have suffered until now may someday appear but a prelude to much greater horrors… Israel’s fight against terrorism is our fight. Israel’s victory is an important part of our victory.”
So Nuland’s presence is like Dennis Ross’s presence in the same building as Middle East adviser–a man the ADL calls an “advocate” for Israel, who was lately chairman of the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute in Jerusalem. Or Stuart Levey’s former role in Obama’s Treasury department in the same position he had under George Bush– and Levey is a man whose college dissertation, written under Martin Peretz, was about the importance of preserving the Zionist dream.
All these appointments allow Israel advocates to say to lobbyists and donors: Obama loves Israel, look who he has serving him in these big jobs.
At Salon, As’ad AbuKhalil gets at the same point in a piece on another Romney adviser, Walid Phares.
The appointment of Phares to a position in the Romney campaign is not surprising. In years past, such an appointment would have been considered extreme and cast doubt on the wisdom of the candidate– but no more. Middle East policymaking is now dominated by the Israel lobby and its affiliates. Advocacy of Israeli positions has replaced professional qualifications as the criteria for service.
Hat tip to Mark Wauck, who sent on Steve Sailer’s post on Romney’s team. |
Changelog - 9.8.1
Changelog - 9.8.2
Changelog - 9.8.3
Beta 9.8.2 download mirrors:
I have changed the current Beta 10 to Beta 9.8. Once released this will be Beta 9.9. The reason being, I would like to fix up everything before moving onto the extra features. Lately I don't have much time to work on the mod so may end up cutting some features from the final build and adding them later as patches or DLC.My main concern atm is changing anything that is left to correctly represent the ASOIAF universe and fixing any bugs or inconsistencies. I shall be uploading a build to this post later for people to try. But if you do download then please make sure you post as much feedback and as many bugs as possible to this thread. This is very important so they next release can be as bug free as possible.Beta 10 will therefore have everything changed to correctly fit the setting. Then when time allows I will start working on dlc for the mod, which will include the big features I had planned.PS. Don't forget to vote for the mod on moddbChangesRemoved some un-needed items and textures, updated others.'Unify' UI textures and backgrounds.Added higher quality Westerland banner textures.Added new scene props including commissioned Weirwood trees.Adjusted Veteran Unsullied armour so they don't fall into the heavy armour category.Buffed all upper tier soldiers. This fixes problems with some soldiers having less skills than lower ranked soldiers due to armour penalties.Created faction specific trumpeters and distributed them into lords armies.Removed religious troops from lords armies.Made some more optimisations to meshes and shaders. Added lods etc.Spellchecked more files.Added 5 new trainers to certain locations to recruit faction specific troops.Added a new companion - Dialogue created by Kokalo.Added 10x new helmets and 1x sword made by Kraggrim - donated by robertidaniel.Adjusted length of Longclaw.Adjusted length of Ice.Valyrian swords now do bonus to shields.Added some new companions for some lords.Adjusted some character creation stats.Adjusted the amount of Wildfire you can purchase.Buffed Wildfire slightly.Adjusted the after battle options to be dependant on religion.Re-written the after battle options if fighting in a lords army.Buffed the wildling tower shield very slightly and made it much larger.Thenns now have their own army composition and troop tree.Added some extra music.Replaced interior and prison scene for Antlers.Added VC code for Hornmen so they actually do something now. - animation still needed.Added new logo created by Kokalo.Added 6 more castles.Added 6 more villages.Adjusted the cost of troop upgrades. lower level cavalry may be slightly higher to upgrade but all higher levels are much much cheaper to upgrade.Adjusted angle of every map icon.Balanced all headwear.Thenn peasants are recruitable via certain villages.Changed the way party size works - properties owned by the player now increase max party size.Added new scene for Iron Mine.Added new scene for Gold Mine.Added Shaunremo's skybox mod.Added weather script to the rest of the mission templates. Weather will be applied to every scene now.Improved fps in Kings Landing.Re-wrote harbour code and added scenes to each.Added 99 new custom battle scenes. No more mountains on flat terrain.Changed the way bribing the village elder works. This cannot be done if you have low honour. It will also not revert you to the 'supplies' menu.Removed the quest Old Valyria until it can be bug fixed.Gave all major cities extra garrisoned troops. This will give the player a better challenge when trying to take key locations.FixesFixed Flint's Finger scene.Fixes to Ten Towers scene.Gave House Targaryen the correct banner.Fixed an issue with the quest 'Bastards and Broken Things' giving negative honour and relations with neutral faction.Fixed Dragonstone issue with the Prison and moved passages for the Arena.Fixed exploit in Winterfell Arena.Fixed issues with relations between the North and Iron Islands.Fixed some units missing gloves - all top tiered units are now guaranteed to wear gloves.Fixed more issues found with some meshes.Fixed issue with some parties travelling on the ocean not using a ship.Fixed various options not working.Fixed beards clipping through some armours/helmets.Fixed Crakehall scene - entering prison.Fixed issues with agents wearing incorrect clothes at weddings.Fixed instances of transgender dressing.Fixed incorrect multiplayer quick battle troops.Fixed incorrect shaders for some materials in the Red Keep.Fixed some entry points in Thenn scene.Gave Celina Belmore the correct father.Correctly gave Barrowton to Lady Barbrey Dustin.ChangesAdjusted some face codes.Removed some more redundant items.Removed some of the kingsguard feature until I have the time to fully integrate and fix it.Adjusted some high tier troops stats.FixesFixed red text in prelude.Fixed some special troops trainers having incorrect equipment.Fixed some guards showing messages twice.Fixed some missing items.Fixed Bastards and Broken Things quest text.Fixed We take what is ours quest text.Fixed Darry Great Hall.ChangesAdded new Stormlands armourMade changes/fixes to OldtownMade changes/fixes to WinterfellChanged Freefolk banner.Changed Nights Watch village names.You should no longer loose relations with the Nights Watch if you take another factions lord prisoner.Made some small changes to some scenes.Made some small changes to the map.Made some balance changes to all missile type weapons.Made some small balance changes to Westerland/Lannister missile troops.FixesFixed flag for Mary MertynsFixed flag for Manfred DondarrionFixed flag for Harwood FellsFixed flag for Richard HorpeFixed flag for Arwyn OakheartFixed flag for Alysanne BulwerFixed some instances where Targaryen was spelt incorrectly.Fixed clone kingsguard in kings landing.Fixed issue with resting at Braavos.Fixed an instance where you could sometimes CTD in battles. - to testChangesAdded 3x new reach armours created by Kraggrim and donated by RobertidanielAdded 4x new helmets created by Kraggrim and donated by RobertidanielFixesFixed Pentos and Lys siege scenes.Fixed/changed various other scenes. |
Barbie is one of the enduring figures of American pop culture, and earlier this month, design VP Kim Culmone defended the doll against a common criticism: that her impossible figure created a standard that girls tried and failed to measure up to. "Barbie's body was never designed to be realistic," said Culmone. Now, this stylized form will be showing up in one of our other great fixtures: the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. As The New York Times reports, the 50th anniversary issue will feature Barbie in a redesigned version of her original 1959 swimsuit. As a media tie-in effort, the crossover goes deep. The doll will get a four-page advertorial spread shot by longtime Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss, Jr., and a limited-edition "Sports Illustrated Barbie" will be sold separately.
#sorrynotsorry
The pairing is perfect almost to the point of parody: if you wanted to find the two long-standing cultural touchstones most likely to push buttons about body image and the presentation of women, you'd be hard-pressed to do better. Mattel, at least, certainly knows it. Barbie's latest ad campaign is summed up as "#unapologetic," a hashtag Mattel probably chose because "#sorrynotsorry" was already taken. It's usually paired with pictures of sparkly shoes and references to "legendary women," and Mattel frames the Sports Illustrated spread as an explicit rebuttal to criticism of both the doll and the magazine.
"As with Barbie, every year the Swimsuit edition sparks conversations about women and body image, and Sports Illustrated stands unapologetically behind this issue that women, in reality, love," a spokesperson tells Ad Age. "As a legend herself, and under criticism about her body and how she looks, posing in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit gives Barbie and her fellow legends an opportunity to own who they are, celebrate what they have done, and be unapologetic," reads a statement to Adweek. It's a judo attack on feminist critique: complaining that Barbie or Sports Illustrated promote unrealistic expectations of women becomes body-policing a 55-year-old plastic doll.
But as Nicole Rodgers of Role/Reboot, which covers culture and gender roles, points out, there's a particularly awkward subtext to this team-up. Unrealistically photoshopped magazine covers have been alternately criticized and mocked over the past few years, and Barbie ups the ante: she's an object specifically built from the ground up to be impossibly beautiful, and now she's sharing space with real-life women. "In this context, the choice of this doll/human pairing seems to be moving in entirely the wrong direction," she tells The Verge. "It is quite literally a new level of female objectification to pair real women with inanimate objects, as equivalents, at least in terms of how readers are expected to appreciate and value their beauty."
"My first thought is that this is pure outrage bait."
People have been debating whether Barbie is a good role model for years, and this spread won't change minds on either side of the issue. "My first thought is that this is pure outrage bait," says Lisa Wade, Occidental College professor and founder of the blog Sociological Images. And while Mattel is asking the question of whether pinups and fashion spreads are empowering, it's eliding the question of why they're such a ubiquitous way to celebrate female success. The problem isn't necessarily that Barbie (who has roots in fashion dolls sold to adults) is posing in the Swimsuit Issue, or even that the Swimsuit Issue exists. It's that things like the Swimsuit Issue are where "legendary women" tend to end up. During the rest of the year, women are noticeably absent from Sports Illustrated covers, and while male athletes are usually shot in ways that demonstrate athletic prowess, women who do appear tend to have more passive poses and are less likely to be athletes.
In an interview (yes, an in-character interview) with People magazine, Barbie praised other Swimsuit Issue models, women who "exemplify that you can be both capable and captivating." Being captivating in a photo shoot — which involves extensive bodily maintenance and a great deal of patience and charisma — is its own kind of capability. Plenty of men possess it as well. But the overwhelming majority of men aren't urged to do pinup shoots, and successful male tech CEOs aren't generally asked to strike come-hither poses in executive profiles. Barbie has had hundreds of careers. Not all of them require looking good in a swimsuit. |
WASHINGTON — President Trump issued a threat on Wednesday to cut off American aid to any country that votes for a resolution at the United Nations condemning his recent decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Mr. Trump’s statement, delivered at a cabinet meeting in which he exulted over the passage of a tax overhaul, followed a letter to General Assembly members from the American ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, in which she warned that the United States would take note of countries that voted in favor of the measure.
“All of these nations that take our money and then they vote against us at the Security Council or they vote against us, potentially, at the Assembly, they take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us,” Mr. Trump said.
“Well, we’re watching those votes,” he added. “Let them vote against us; we’ll save a lot. We don’t care.” |
INDIANAPOLIS – Three of the Panthers' top four wide receivers could become unrestricted free agents next month, and their leading receiver last season and in franchise history will celebrate his 35th birthday the Monday after the NFL Draft.
So it should come as little surprise that one of the most talked-about positions at the NFL Scouting Combine was talked about by Panthers head coach Ron Rivera on Friday.
"Wide receiver, offensive line, defensive secondary, defensive line - it is deep," Rivera said of the draft class that he's checking out in Indy. "You've got to look at all the options going forward.
"The biggest thing is to go through the Combine right now, evaluate the talent that's out there, see who they are. And then say, 'OK, this guy is going to be that kind of guy,' or 'There's not that kind of guy.' And we'll also look at the list of free agents."
Time will tell if the NFL free agents list that will go live March 11 will include some combination of Cam Newton, Ted Ginn and Domenik Hixon, who combined to 92 passes for 1,238 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Panthers last season. Cam Newton, who led Carolina wide receivers with 64 catches for 745 yards and added four touchdowns, won't be on the free agent list but realistically doesn't have too many seasons left in him.
"We're going through our process, and Steve is a part of what we're doing going forward," Rivera said. "How big of an impact he's going to have for us, that's going to be determined as we go through the draft process and through free agency. We'll see.
"It's all about the evaluations. We have to look through everything. There's a lot of scenarios that we're putting together as a football team. But Steve's part of who we are, and we'll go from there."
Regardless of which receivers return for next season, Rivera acknowledged that this offseason could provide a chance to upgrade the position group – if the right fits can be found.
"We're going to look for a guy that's very dynamic and that can come in and contribute right away," Rivera said. "A lot of these guys were in offenses where they played one position and one position only, and they run a combination of routes, and that's it. As you get out and watch the wide receivers, you try to find guys that can run different combinations of routes. |
King County Prosecutors Office charges Greenwood’s GMS Market in $1.25 million shoplifting ring
The King County Prosecutor’s Office today filed charges against four owners of the GMS Market, a convenience store at 10406 Greenwood Ave. N., alleging they organized a major retail theft ring.
According to documents from KCPO, prosecutors say the GMS Market owners paid thieves to shoplift goods from local retailers, then resold them at GMS Market and online. According to the prosecutor’s office, many of the shoplifters have been prosecuted, while others will be witnesses in the case.
Gulshan Rai, 56, and his wife, Shabnam Sukhija, 57, along with their son, Jatin Rai, 36, and daughter-in-law Mitu Rai, 35, are facing a variety of charges related to the alleged scheme. Gulshan, Shabnam and Jatin Rai are each charged with four counts of Attempted Trafficking in Stolen Property First Degree, and Mitu Rai is charged with one count of Attempted Trafficking in Stolen Property. All four are also charged with one count of Attempted Possession of Stolen Property First Degree and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Organized Retail Theft Second Degree. Items included razor blades, food items, medicines, and bath products stolen from Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer and Target. The loss to retailers is estimated at $1.25 million. If convicted as charged, Gulshan faces a sentence of just under 10 months to almost 13 months. Jatin and Shabnam Rai each face a sentence of 16 ½ to almost 22 months in prison. The sentence range for Mitu Rai is 9 to 10 ½ months.
The defendants will be arraigned on June 2. The judge set bail at $10,000 for each of the defendants, and ordered them to surrender their passports. All four are U.S. citizens, but prosecutors say they have extensive ties to India.
We are still wading through all the documents, so we’ll update this post with more information shortly.
More information from the Certification of Determination of Probable Cause:
The Seattle Police Department began its investigation into GMS Market last November. Over the course of four months, undercover officers and confidential informants (CI) conducted 17 sales of “stolen goods,” which were actually donated to the police department by area retailers for use in the investigation. Detectives marked the donated goods with an ultraviolet pen.
On several occasions, the defendants told the undercover officers or CI’s which items they were looking to buy, and gave CI’s tips on shoplifting. Some of those incidents were tape recorded.
Some of the stolen items that GMS Market sold still bore stickers from the original retailers.
Detectives served a search warrant on GMS Market and the defendants’ residence (where all four live), and found a large number of health and beauty products in the home.
Prosecutors allege Jatin Rai earned $130,000 selling stolen goods through the GMS Market website online.
Prosecutors allege that Gulshan Rai admitted to buying stolen goods, but said it was necessary to make up for the losses the store itself incurred from shoplifting. Jatin Rai also allegedly admitted that he knew the items were shoplifted, but that his father had ordered him to buy them. Shabnam Sukhija alsoallegedly admitted knowing the items were shoplifted, but said her family had to do it to make up for shoplifters and robberies at their store, and that the economy had affected their business. Mitu Rai also allegedly admitted knowing the items were stolen.
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By John Ware
BBC Panorama reporter
The dissidents' real targets appear to be the republican leaders Northern Ireland is said by some politicians to be staring into the "abyss" again, after a decade of peace, following the shooting dead of a police officer and two British soldiers. I think that is premature. The "abyss" in Northern Ireland has a tendency to be moved just as we all think we are about to fall into it. The killers are dissident republicans belonging to disparate offshoots from the old Provisional IRA. We will need to see if collectively the dissidents can sustain the momentum of the last few days. Success in their terms would see British troops back on the streets, and high profile anti-terrorist operations by overt and covert branches of the security forces. But whilst the blood of police officers and soldiers is being shed once again, the real target of the dissidents appears to be their former comrades in arms, Martin McGuinness - now joint first minister of Northern Ireland's devolved government - and Gerry Adams. Much will depend on how they react to this crisis, the support they give to the security forces and the language they use. Under scrutiny These shootings represent the first major test for Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness of the real world responsibilities that go with being in government: the security arm of the British state needs to be allowed to stop, if necessary kill, and certainly arrest the gunmen. If there are mistakes, as inevitably there often are, Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness will need to keep the republican rump on board whilst not using language that is so mealy-mouthed it gives scope to unionist opponents that when their mettle was tested, they were found wanting. A visit to the Masareene Barracks is likely to be seen as a step too far Reaction to the murder of the police officer has brought swift condemnation from Sinn Fein but, as with their statement following the murder of two young soldiers, these have been carefully calibrated - referring to "actions" being "counter-productive" and avoiding until pressed the word "murder". The difficulty for Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness is that, whereas the Police Service of Northern Ireland is a new and therefore "legitimate" creature of the peace process which they signed up to, the British Army is not, and never will be. It is regarded by all republicans - dissident and pro-peace alike - as an "army of occupation". This helps explain that while condemnation swiftly followed the shooting of the police officer, in the case of the soldiers it did not come for 14 hours. Altered images The symbolism of Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness volunteering the 'M' word unsolicited, or even making a hospital visit or trip to the scene of the soldiers' shooting, would in some ways be even more remarkable than some of the events thrown up by the peace process - themselves so remarkable they have poleaxed many of us who spent much of the 70s reporting the Troubles. Paisley and McGuinness became known as the Chuckle Brothers Perhaps the most abiding image of that transformation is that of Dr Ian Paisley, whose impassioned defence of Protestant unionism attracted epithets like "malign colossus" and "man of wrath", standing side by side with Mr McGuinness. These men had replaced a lifetime of visceral loathing with laughter and jokes to such an extent that they became known - not a little affectionately - as The Chuckle Brothers. Mr McGuinness has continued to extend the hand of friendship to Mr Paisley's successor as first minister, Peter Robinson. He has been seen standing at his side referring to him as "Peter" alongside the PSNI chief constable. Inevitably, however, unionists and republicans still squabble over symbolism - there is still a distressingly large tribal element to politics in Northern Ireland, and probably will be for another generation or two. Republicans have also tried to re-write history, with Mr Adams recently claiming the "use of armed actions were never about building the United Ireland, they were always about protesting or standing up to British policy". Brave step Well, that is not how some of us remember it. I think back to Mr Adams' formulation of "The Long War" in the mid-1970s when he and Mr McGuinness said that if they just kept going, they would win by sickening the British. That held for another decade before Mr Adams realised that a lot of people were going to their graves for no good reason. Having seen this ahead of almost everyone in the republican movement, it took some courage on the part of Mr Adams and Mr McGuiness to lead some 90% of republicans out of their cul-de-sac. The Omagh bombing cost the Real IRA a great deal of support Today, Provisional IRA leaders have committed themselves to pursuing a united Ireland by peaceful democratic means. But those few republicans who did not follow Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness have never forgiven them for their multiple acts of heresy, splitting in 1997 and taking some Provisional IRA munitions with them. What little traction the Real IRA had was soon lost in 1998 by planting a 500lb car bomb in Omagh that killed 29 people and two unborn children. Since emerging from their purdah, the dissidents have largely confined their attacks to members of the security forces. They had relied on the spectacle of Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness "selling out" to deliver them young recruits to ramp up their campaign. It has not worked out like that - even after Mr McGuinness visited the sickbed of a police officer who survived a dissident booby car bomb last May. Shaking the foundations But visiting injured young police officers, and especially a new Catholic recruit to the new Police Service of Northern Ireland, the most virile symbol of a new Northern Ireland order, could still be squared with the republican faithful. After all, former IRA members now on the Northern Ireland Policing Board get to appoint senior police officers to probably the most transparent and accountable force in the world. The strength of the peace process will be sorely tested if the attacks continue The British Army, though, is different. The symbolism of IRA leaders giving legitimacy to the organisation in such an intimate way through a visit to the crime scene or a hospital bed probably remains a bridge too far. Just before the weekend attack, we learned that Army special forces were again operating in Northern Ireland, at the behest of the PSNI chief constable to keep "eyes on" what he describes as "extremely dangerous people". Mr Adams warned Sir Hugh Orde that while he could "count on the popular support of the vast majority" of republicans, this would only apply "provided he does the right thing" - which is a peacetime version of the IRA's wartime "Troops Out" slogan. And yet, if anything, Sir Hugh is now more likely to call for reinforcements of those undercover troops. For once the Real IRA has its hated former comrades right where they want them: in the crosshairs of the Faustian pact Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness have made with their former enemy, the British, and unionists. Make no mistake, this attack against the police officer and the young sappers, the youngest of whom would still have been at primary school when the last British soldier was shot by the IRA, was aimed right at the heart of the republican leadership. The fact that, so far, their unionist opponents seem to have cut them some slack bodes well for the peace process. Quite how enduring is the strength of its foundations, however, will only become apparent if the dissidents maintain the bloody momentum of the last few days. My guess is that the foundations will hold.
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A little over a year after the very first Alpha release of ChasePlane, it has come out with probably it’s biggest update yet. FSFX Packages, developer of the very popular camera addon, has released Beta 0.4 of the tool. The update comes with some huge improvements. We’ll take some time to go through all of those down below.
Make sure to watch our recent video on ChasePlane, that goes into more detail on the upcoming update and especially the new replay system.
To update to Beta 0.4, you simply need to turn on experimental updates in the applications preferences. Control assignments and preferences might not synchronise correctly if you update, so make sure to take a screenshot of them first.
Performance Improvement
FSFX has done a lot on the performance aspect of this tool. You can expect much faster startup times and a general 2-4x improve of the performance while using it, resulting in much smoother camera movements.
Hot Corners
A new feature in this version of ChasePlane is Hot Corners. This allows you to set transitions and triggers if you move your mouse to a certain area of the screen. So you don’t need to open your menu or click a button every time to change the camera.
Replay System
By far the biggest addition to ChasePlane, the replay system. People that record videos and / or take screenshots are gonna love this. ChasePlane will allow you to back in time up to 1200 seconds and replay your flight. The interface will mark interactions you have done during your flight for more precise timing. This feature is simple at start, but the team of FSFX is very committed to improve it over time.
Binoculars
Temporarily zoom in your camera to search for airports or other aircraft, or simply admire your scenery.
Preset Reordering
Click and drag, it’s that simple now.
Offline Capabilities
Last, but definitely not least. Maybe one of the most requested features of ChasePlane, especially during the last few months. Gone are the days where you would need an online connection to connect with the FSFX servers to make ChasePlane work. You can now use ChasePlane completely offline. Your presets will now be stored locally and synced whenever your connection becomes available. |
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Top Secret has been successfully funded!
Get the latest news and updates about the game at playtopsecret.com.
Thank you!
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Motherboard | CNET | Boing Boing | The Escapist | IndieGames.com | Indie Game Magazine
Inspired by the incredible true story of the biggest leak in US history, Top Secret is a branching non-linear interactive fiction game, played in real time, by email.
Edward Snowden - inspiration for Top Secret, Praxis Films/Laura Poitras, Creative Commons License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
A fresh recruit to the National Security Agency (NSA), you have a new mission: find out who’s leaking TOP SECRET documents to the press. Stop them by whatever means necessary.
A single selector (phone number, email address, name) is all it takes for your team to surveil a target. It’s your job to decipher the intel, and follow the trail to its source.
But surveillance has a price...
In the paranoid world of the NSA, anyone can become a target, and soon your friends are in the firing line.
Everyone has something to hide, will you reveal it?
Want a taster? Try the demo to get a first look of what the finished game will be like.
NSA HQ, Fort Meade -where the story unfolds
Top Secret is a narrative-driven game played by email. Fundamentally, it’s an exploration of the complex issues raised by the Snowden leaks.
Blend of fact and fiction: You’ll investigate the journalists involved in the Snowden leaks and the methods they used to cover their tracks. Uncover real messages sent by Snowden at the time.
Non-linear, branching narrative: You choose who you surveil and in what order. The direction your investigation takes is entirely up to you.
Shorter, richer: Numerous unchosen possibilities add depth to the story. You will only see a fraction of the game content in a single playthrough.
Delayed consequences: Players are encouraged to roleplay rather than optimise strategy - choices will have significant consequences, but not necessarily immediate or expected ones.
Ask more of players: The game will demand your curiosity and focus. But hey, you’re leading an investigation for the NSA, it was never gonna be easy right?!
Real-time story
The narrative unfolds in real-time over many days. The player has time to reflect on their choices, and immerse themselves in the story.
Playing by email adds new dimensions to traditional interactive fiction. A delayed response can mean a character is busy, disinterested, or cautious. A quick reply can signify impatience, anger, or excitement. Top Secret injects meaning into both the contents and timing of a message.
Master the encryption methods used by Snowden
Play with the real encryption method used by Snowden
Receive and decrypt enciphered messages at critical moments in the game. Use your ingenuity and crypto skills to uncover all of the secrets!
For added authenticity, Top Secret can be played with PGP so you can encrypt/decrypt every message in the same way Snowden did to hide from the NSA.
All you need to play the game is an email address!
You will receive and reply to real emails from the characters in the game. You read and reply to them just like any other normal email you receive, directly from your inbox.
The content of each message suggests various reply options to the player. Including one of the options in your reply continues the story. E.g. for the message:
“Should we do X or Y?”
a valid response would be:
“Let’s do X”
But choose wisely! Your choices determine how the story progresses and can have unforeseen consequences.
For interactive fiction fans, Top Secret is more a choice-based (rather than parser) game. Email latency does not encourage much experimentation with replies, so the game tries to make valid options completely transparent. It’s about the choices you make, rather than working out the possible responses.
Platforms supported
Best played by email, Top Secret also supports offline play on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux
Top Secret is best played in real-time by email and can be played on any device which supports email. The game will also be available as a digital copy for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
The digital copy is DRM-free and is completely playable offline. The content is identical to the email version, but messages are sent and received immediately from a fake inbox.
All reward tiers with the game include both the email AND digital copy.
Until now Top Secret has been entirely self-funded, but I need your help to finish the game.
So where will the money go and why I am asking for £8000?
Your support will cover the cost of the remaining programming and content creation. After fees and physical reward costs, the money is broken down as follows:
- 70% will fund the writing and gameplay iteration
- 25% will be used to improve the game tech and content-creation tools (both of which will be open sourced)
- 5% will fund art assets for the reward tiers (poster, t-shirt) and promotion (logo, wallpapers)
Just as importantly, I really need your feedback and knowledge to make this game the best it can be. There are many people out there who have a passion for digital rights, and others who love new gaming experiences. Top Secret is going to be a collaborative experience, I want you all to get involved!
Failbetter Games Incubation
Top Secret will be incubated by Failbetter Games! They’ll be giving advice, support, and office space throughout the development of the game.
Experts in game writing, Failbetter have successfully taken a game from Kickstarter to launch and beyond so know the best practices when it comes to developing a crowdfunded game.
Read more about the incubation and what it means for Top Secret here.
Progress
I’ve already been working on Top Secret for 10 months now and have a prototype. Emails are sent to the player in real-time, replies are received, PGP encryption is supported, and all the core gameplay elements are in place.
But the game is not yet finished! There is a lot more writing to do - 70% of the remaining time will be spent on content. The tech needs to be made production-ready, and the content-creation tools improved to speed up the writing process.
James Long
Hi!
I’ve been a game developer in the UK for the last 4 years and have previously worked on Oort Online and The Marvellous Miss Take.
Before that, I was BAFTA nominated in the “Ones to Watch” category and a winner of the international student games competition, Dare to be Digital, with my friends in Team Tickle.
Last year I quit my job to work full-time on my own project. I realised I could combine my passion for games and digital rights to make a game about the Snowden leaks.
James
Note: Each tier includes ALL previous tiers.
UNCLASSIFIED: Support the project, and get your name in the credits!
CONFIDENTIAL: Play Top Secret as intended, in real time, by email. Plus, get a digital DRM-free copy of Top Secret for Windows, Mac, or Linux for offline play.
SECRET: Get early access to the beta - play Top Secret before the public and give feedback to shape the development of the game!
SECRET//SPYMASTER: Get creative and write an intel report for the game on a target of your choosing - a journalist, drug smuggler, human rights activist, or just a regular person, it’s up to you!
SECRET//POSTCARD: Receive a postcard with a secret encrypted message for you to decipher. Want to test your code-breaking skills? This one's for you. Plus, shape the development of the game with early access to the alpha!
TOP SECRET: Receive an invite to the the Top Secret launch party! "Bond films" fancy-dress theme, in the London area. (Travel and accommodation not included)
TOP SECRET//TSHIRT: Get an exclusive themed t-shirt, only available to Kickstarter backers!
Representative of final design, subject to change
TOP SECRET//POSTER: An exclusive, beautiful poster, and 4 more copies of the game to give to your friends!
Representative of final design, subject to change
CORE SECRET: Help design a subplot for the game! I’ll write an entirely new email thread for the game based around your idea.
CORE SECRET//PATRON: You will receive a special mention in the game’s foreword (if you wish) and have dinner with the dev at a fancy restaurant in London.
(Travel not included)
Any pledge, no matter how small will help Top Secret!
You can also:
Follow me on twitter - @jamestyro, and (re)tweet about the game .
Tell your friends on Facebook - post/upvote Top Secret on reddit and other forums .
If you have any questions or ideas for the project, get in touch - I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks for checking out Top Secret!
This project does not involve and is not affiliated with anyone involved in the leaks, but I want to thank Edward Snowden, Laura Poitras, Glenn Greenwald, Ewen MacAskill, Barton Gellman, Micah Lee, and Ben Wizner for inspiring me to work on Top Secret.
Free open source software
After the release of Top Secret, the full source code of the game, and content-creation tools will be released under the free open-source GPL v3 License (this does not include the game content).
Anyone will be able to modify and use the code to create new interactive email-based games!
So far Top Secret has been entirely self-funded but I need your help to finish the game.
So where will the money go and why I am asking for £8000?
Your support will cover the cost of the remaining programming and content creation. After fees and physical reward costs, the money is broken down as follows:
- 70% will fund the writing and gameplay iteration. - 25% will be used to improve the game tech and content-creation tools (both of which will be open sourced) - 5% will fund art assets for the reward tiers (poster, tshirt) and promotion (logo, wallpapers).
Just as importantly, I really need your feedback and knowledge to make this game the best it can be. There are many people out there who have a passion for digital rights, and others who love new gaming experiences. Top Secret is going to be a collaborative experience, I want you all to get involved. |
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be having another terrible season, but Lavonte David is having an outstanding one. Aside from the losing, of course. Defensive coordinator had a bit of a moment gushing about David’s performance today, and I just wanted to quote the thing in full.
“Oh gosh, having Lavonte as healthy as he has been this year has been a big plus. He’s got a knack for taking the ball off of the receiver or off of the ball carrier. A couple of them he has not only taken it off, but he has recovered it. There are certain guys that have done it. [Charles] Tillman was a guy, a few years ago, that was great at stripping the ball and it’s something that you have to make a conscious effort at and not only on the practice field – you’ve got to do it the meetings. You’ve got to talk about, ‘Hey, there is a nice shot. There is a nice attempt.’ Getting the ball off is so important. He has done a very good job. He’s probably had what I would call, compared to last season, it’s a much better season even though we are not having the results as a team and as a defensive group. He has had a really fine season thus far this year.”
David’s been all over the field as usual, but he’s been particularly impressive in the turnover department. He’s forced five fumbles and recovered five fumbles this season. Three times, he recovered the fumble he himself forced—a pretty rare occurrence on its own, let alone three times in a season.
David is only the fourth player to force and recover five fumbles in a single season since at least 1989 (per Pro Football Reference’s database), and he’s the first player who did so while not being a dedicated pass-rusher. David’s mostly punched balls out of the hands of ball carriers, while Jared Allen, Chris Doleman and Justin Tuck blindsided quarterbacks preparing to throw the ball.
David’s always forced a lot of fumbles, so this isn’t really a fluke. He’s forced 17 and recovered 11 fumbles in a six-year career—it’s a skill, in his case. And that means that the Bucs can at least rely on those turnovers as long as David remains a Buc. |
By Josh Ely
The developing violence in Ferguson, Missouri, where throngs have been rioting for several days over the shooting death by a police officer of an 18-year-old high school graduate, has put on display the country’s increasingly militarized local police force, according to the author of “Police State USA: How Orwell’s Nightmare is Becoming Our Reality.”
Cheryl Chumley has been watching developments in Missouri, where Michael Brown was shot over the weekend, and just overnight two more people were shot, including one by police.
“Armored vehicles on patrol, Kevlar-wearing, camouflage dressed officials carting high-powered rifles, tear gas wafting through the air – sounds like something right off the streets of Iraq. But it’s not. It’s actually the scene that’s playing out in Ferguson right now, with SWAT-type police taking to the residential streets for crowd control duties,” she said.
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She questioned whether the massive response was justified.
WND has reported the reaction to the fatal shooting Saturday has included riots, looting and stores burned down. Overnight, two more people were shot, one a woman who was hit in a drive-by shooting and a man hit by an officer after he allegedly aimed a weapon at the policeman.
KTVI-TV in St. Louis reported four men, masked and carrying shotguns, approached a crowd at about 1 a.m. The report said when police arrived they heard shots fired and people running, and when one officer chased a suspect, the “gunman” pointed a handgun at the officer and the officer fired.
Read the details now about how America is becoming a “Police State USA.”
The report said the suspect was hospitalized in critical condition.
A video posted on YouTube by a protester also had an officer explaining that a woman also was shot in what reportedly was a drive-by shooting.
Several suspects were being sought in that shooting.
KTVI also said it received an email that apparently was “an alert from the FBI.”
“It says a New Black Panther Party member is advocating violence against law enforcement in response to the shooting of Michael Brown.”
WND reported earlier on the Brown shooting. Rioting erupted within a short time, and Mayor James Knowles told WND that outsiders came into the town to join in the looting and violence. Within hours of the outbreak of violence, 32 arrests had been made and two officers injured.
Brown, a recent high school graduate, was in a struggle over a police officer’s gun when he was shot, according to officials. But his mother, Lesley McSpadden, rejects the official version and wants the officer who fired the lethal shots to receive the death penalty.
The trend toward massive machines, weaponized officers and more worries Chumley.
“While looting has no doubt become an issue in the area, and protesters have reportedly taken on more violent tones, it has to be asked: Do police really need to dress like battleground soldiers to get the crowds into control?
“What ever happened to the old ‘serve and protect’ model and mantra of civilian policing?” she asked.
Chumley said the task may have been better left out of police’s hands from the beginning.
“Far too often these days, police are taking on much more militarized duties. Ferguson is just the latest example of where we see that. But most Americans need only look to their own backyards to see how police are snapping up military gear through the Pentagon’s … program that lets local law enforcement buy cast-aways from soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq,” she said
“This trend is turning the local cop on a beat into a lock-and-load fighting machine with a shoot first ask questions later mentality. Many have already been injured – or even killed – by this dangerous police trend. The big question is: Can our Constitution survive?”
From traffic light cameras to phone tapping, from militarized police forces to targeting specific groups of people, the government is unfettered in its desire to control the American people, she contends in her book.
“Police State USA” chronicles how America got to the point of what Chumley believes is a de facto police state and how the nation’s freedoms, as envisioned by the Founding Fathers, might be recaptured.
Josh Ely is an intern for WND. |
Recently by Walter E. Williams: Gullible Americans
Last week’s column started off asking: “What human motivation gets the most wonderful things done?” The answer is that human greed is what gets wonderful things done. I wasn’t talking about fraud, theft, dishonesty, special privileges from government or other forms of despicable behavior. I was talking about people trying to get as much as they can for themselves.
Think about greed and racial discrimination. In 1947, when the Brooklyn Dodgers hired Jackie Robinson, why did racial discrimination by major league teams begin to drop like a hot potato? It wasn’t feelings of guilt by white owners, affirmative action or anti-discrimination laws. It turned out that there was a huge pool of black baseball talent in the Negro leagues. It became too costly for teams to allow the Dodgers to gain a monopoly on this talent. Black players won the National League’s Most Valuable Player award for seven consecutive seasons. Had other teams not stepped in to hire black players, allowing the Dodgers to hire them, it might have given the Dodgers a virtual monopoly on world championships.
During South Africa’s apartheid era, whites were in control, both economically and politically, and enacted some of the harshest racially discriminatory employment laws. There were job reservation laws that reserved certain jobs for whites only. Many white employers went to considerable lengths to contravene and violate those laws. White building trade unions complained to the South African government that laws reserving skilled jobs for whites had broken down.
What was happening? White contractors found out that often they could earn greater profits by hiring a black worker to do the job of a white worker for only a fraction of the wage. That raised the cost of discriminating against black workers. Racist white workers did what any good liberal or labor union supporter would do; they got behind support for minimum wage laws and what produces the same effect, equal-pay-for-equal-work laws. South Africa’s Wage Board said, “The method would be to fix a minimum rate for an occupation or craft so high that no Native would likely be employed.” “Equal pay for equal work” became the rallying slogan of the South African white labor movement. They knew that if employers were forced to pay black workers the same wages as white workers, there’d be reduced incentive to hire blacks.
Unionists in the U.S. also wanted to suppress employer quests for greater profits. After a bitter 1909 strike by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, an arbitration board decreed that blacks and whites were to be paid equal wages. Union members expressed their delight, saying, “If this course of action is followed by the company and the incentive for employing the Negro thus removed, the strike will not have been in vain.”
The Davis-Bacon Act sets minimum wages on federally financed or assisted construction projects. It was racially motivated in 1931, and it’s still on the books. During congressional debate leading to its passage, Rep. John Cochran of Missouri said he had “received numerous complaints in recent months about Southern contractors employing low-paid colored mechanics getting work and bringing the employees from the South.” Rep. Miles Allgood of Alabama complained: “Reference has been made to a contractor from Alabama who went to New York with bootleg labor. This is a fact. That contractor has cheap colored labor that he transports, and he puts them in cabins, and it is labor of that sort that is in competition with white labor throughout the country.” Rep. William Upshaw of Georgia complained of the “superabundance or large aggregation of Negro labor,” which, to him, was a real problem. American Federation of Labor President William Green made clear his union’s interests, saying, “Colored labor is being sought to demoralize wage rates.”
There are many examples from around the world of how people have used legal and extralegal means to thwart people trying to get more for themselves, or what I like to call greed. The suppression of these motives has always worked against the best interest of discriminated-against people.
Walter E. Williams is the John M. Olin distinguished professor of economics at George Mason University, and a nationally syndicated columnist. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page.
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KIEV, Ukraine — Pulling back a huge aid convoy whose entry into Ukraine stirred Western outrage, Russia on Saturday cheered the completion of what it called a successful humanitarian mission, while Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany visited the Ukrainian capital and pledged more than $690 million for the rebuilding of war-ravaged areas of eastern Ukraine and aid to refugees.
The German pledge, the latest in a series of European offers to assist Ukraine since the toppling of President Viktor F. Yanukovych in February, signaled a desire by Europe not to allow Russia to become the sole benefactor of the Russian-speaking eastern portion of Ukraine.
It was accompanied by warnings from Ms. Merkel that the government in Kiev could not subdue pro-Russia rebels through force alone.
While denying that German calls for a cease-fire by all sides in the conflict implied a criticism of Ukraine’s increasingly bloody military offensive against the rebels, Ms. Merkel insisted that “there will be no military solution to this problem.” |
Monday, 07 Jul, 2008 Science
According to the scientists at the University of Southampton's School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) , they are working on creating the smallest high-performance and low-power sensor in the world. The sensor is made in silicon and it will be used in the fields of biosensing (the development of devices able to identify, record or transmit physiological information, especially information regarding the presence of chemical compounds) and environmental monitoring. Together with his colleagues, Pr. Hiroshi Mizuta is working on a 3-year project, which will allow the production of world's smallest sensors. The project is funded by the European FP-7 and it is entitled NEMSIC, which stands for nano electro mechanical system integrated circuits.
The Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7) is the central tool of the European Union for funding research throughout the period between 2007 and 2013. FP7 supports RD activities that cover nearly all scientific fields.
Besides being the smallest in the world, the sensor will also feature high sensitivity and will consume very little power. Such advantages are going to be achieved through co-integration (on a universal silicon technology) of transistors with a single electron and nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS).
"Power consumption is a big issue at the moment as devices use current whether they are switched off and on. The single-electron transistor combined with the NEM device technology reduces power consumption at both ON and OFF states of the sensor. Stand-by power is reduced to zero by having a complete sleep with the NEM switch when it is off," said Pr. Mizuta.
The professor and his team will create a single-electron transistor, which will include a unique suspended silicon nanobridge. The work of the nanobridge will resemble the work of a very sensitive detector for organic and chemical molecules.
"This is the first time that anyone has combined these two nanotechnologies to develop a smart sensor. The traditional CMOS (Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) approach has many limitations so we needed to find a new approach," said Pr. Mizuta.
After the opening of the new ECS Mountbatten building, scientists will be able to get a new electron beam lithography machine. The latter will help in making sensing devices to the nanoscale. "This sensor will be the smallest and use less power than any other on the market. The fact that it will be at the nanoscale means that it will be able to detect either single-charge transfer and/or change in masses caused by a small amount of chemical and biological molecules electrically."
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TARRANT COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) – Tuesday afternoon Arlington police confirmed the officer shot while serving a felony warrant is 21-year veteran Officer Charles Lodatto.
Officer Lodatto and the shooting suspect were both shot in a residential neighborhood in Saginaw. The location of the shooting is just a few doors from the home of the 6-year-old girl found murdered earlier this month.
Saginaw Police Officer Damon Ing said, “We did initiate a search warrant here on Babbling Brook, in the furtherance of the investigation of the Alanna Gallagher murder. I am regretful to report that at this time we do have an officer down.”
Officers from the Saginaw Police Department, FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and the North Texas Major Case Investigative Team were all present during the execution of the felony warrant. Officer Lodatto, who was part of the FBI task force investigating the Gallagher murder, was transported to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth where he underwent surgery.
During a press conference Tuesday afternoon trauma surgeon Dr. William Witham said, “Officer Lodatto was shot this morning in the right groin. Thanks to the presence of mind of his officers and EMS they applied a tourniquet to his wound and frankly that probably saved his life.”
Dr. Witham said Officer Lodatto’s femoral artery, a large artery in the thigh, had been cut in half by a bullet. The bullet kept traveling and lodged in his hip socket. He said the officer remains in the Intensive Care Unit and is in guarded condition but is expected to, after several more surgeries, “be just fine.”
Police Chief Will Johnson said, “He [Lodatto] has a difficult road in front of him, but we’re very, very optimistic about his condition.”
MedStar EMS workers said the other person was shot in the head and taken to John Peter Smith Hospital. That person was 17-year-old Tyler Lane Holder. The teen is also said to be in critical condition.
A Tarrant County arrest warrant indicates Holder was linked to the Gallagher murder case by DNA.
North Texas resident Yolanda Sierra has paid close attention to the Alanna Gallagher case since the little girl’s body was found. Sierra even attended Alanna’s memorial and after seeing a picture of Holder said she saw him at the funeral, wearing t-shirt that said “wanted.” Sierra said she doesn’t know Holder but remembers him vividly. “I noticed him because he had that shirt on and you know to have a ‘wanted’ shirt on that’s a little inappropriate.”
One of Alanna’s co-parents, Karl Gallagher, was reached by phone Tuesday. He said it wasn’t “a good time to talk,” but that his family is praying for the injured officer.
CBS 11 News reporter Arezow Doost says investigators were at the Holder home several days after Alanna’s body was found. Officers reportedly confiscated several items believed related to the murder case. Arezow also spoke with Alanna’s grandmother, Linda McDaniel, Tuesday morning. The woman said the family had been suspicious of Holder. McDaniel said her family is praying that Holder lives, because of he did kill Alanna she wants to ask him why.
Neighbor Janis Hobbs was sitting outside her home on Babbling Brook Drive when she said she heard three shots fired. It was around 8:45 a.m. ” I heard pow, then there was a pause then I heard pow, pow — two more.”
Alanna Gallagher’s body was found bound and wrapped in a tarp on July 1. Police investigating the murder, along with the FBI, soon put up information on digital billboards across North Texas, highlighting a $10,000 reward for information in the case.
Just last week there were a number of events surrounding the murder investigation. First, a memorial setup to honor Alanna and a car in the family driveway were torched. The incident happened in the early morning hours of July 19. Later that same day police released home surveillance photos of two vehicles. The photos of the cars were taken around the time Alanna’s body was found.
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Amanda Marcotte responds to Tom Matlack
I wanted to love “Knocked Up”. I really did. It was hilarious and crude, and had lots of Paul Rudd in it. But within seconds of walking out of the theater, my boyfriend had started the process of convincing me that the movie’s view of male/female relations was so retrograde and toxic that it made the film irredeemable. Good comedy should always be rooted in truth, and there is no reality to the notion that men are naturally childlike rascals who have a few short years of enjoying life before vampiric women frog-march them into lives of stifled domesticity. The scene he particularly singled out for abuse was the baffling fight between Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann’s characters over his sneaking off to play fantasy baseball. Audiences were expected to swallow the portrayal of women as nagging harpies who can’t even allow their husbands a single, harmless interest outside of the home, and not only that, but that men simply have to submit to this treatment, because of, I don’t know, some all-seeing matriarchy. In the world of “Knocked Up”, men and women are mortal enemies who are somehow forced to live together, living a Sisyphean existence of mommy-wives endlessly nagging man-children until the will to live has been drummed out of both.
But it did have a lot of hilarious body humor of the sort the 12-year-old in me just loves, so it took me some time and a couple other discussions with my incredibly persuasive boyfriend before I came around to feeling the same annoyance with the movie that he did.
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I bring all this up, because according to the picture Tom Matlack painted of relations between men and women in 21st century America in his essay “Being a Dude is a Good Thing”—a picture that has a remarkable resemblance to the one Judd Apatow created in “Knocked Up”—this story couldn’t have happened. In the world that Tom conjures up, my boyfriend would have been cringingly afraid to express an opinion about this movie, and, because of the all-consuming powers of women, if he had ventured that opinion, he would have retreated immediately the second I disagreed. He certainly couldn’t have brought me around to his point of view on this. Of course, in the world Tom conjured in his essay, my boyfriend would have never disliked the view of male/female relations in “Knocked Up” at all, because he would think the nagging wives vs. man-children view was accurate instead of insulting. And yet, I am prepared to testify in court that this is exactly how it all went down (and running this past my dude, he laughed and said, “Yeah, I remember that rant in the car ride home). Perhaps it’s not that our memories of our own lives that are wrong, but Tom’s picture of the world.
♦◊♦
But hey, having read Tom’s essay, I was predisposed to worry that I’m just a screeching harpy who can brook no disagreement from mere men, and that I was unfairly using my singular experience to discount general trends. So I decided to control for this possibility, and sent the essay out to some male friends, and posted it to my Facebook page, venturing no opinion (for fearing that Tom was right, and doing so would make men so fearful of disagreement that they would, in his words, “look at the ground in deference”) and just simply asking for theirs. In accordance with my previous experiences, men had no problem telling me what they thought. Tom will be disappointed to discover that they did not like his essay very much. It’s always possible that these men simply guessed what I thought about it, and were trying to butter me up, of course. But since I’m close to at least a couple of them, I’m going to venture to say that they would find that accusation deeply insulting, so I feel that it’s okay to take them at their word.
Some responses I got from men who had zero problem expressing their opinion to me:
“When I read an essay like this, where the writer ascribes feelings to all men, which I do not feel, and suggests that rational, liberal men like me are self-hating or deluded, I become somewhat annoyed. When you add in bizarre statements about a man-hating American mass media, I become suspicious. Honestly, the whole thing makes me feel hostile.”
“The rest of the piece really has a similar smell to the groups of folks afraid of the war on Christmas — they never seem to get that Christmas is not under any threat in this country.”
“I don’t ever feel like I’m blamed for being a man. When I see ‘men behaving badly’ shows or ‘men as idiot’ shows, there’s always the undercurrent that it’s all okay.”
“This piece is the worst kind of navel gazing because it begins from a tortured premise the author has no interest in examining. He’s simply justifying.
“If anything he is coming dangerously close to longing for an earlier time where men didn’t feel the need to offer anything substantive to a woman.”
♦◊♦
The thing that struck me the most about Tom’s essay was that it was maddeningly vague about the nature of these conflicts between men and women, in which he claims men can’t catch a break. I suspect this lack of substance was purposeful, because giving form to the nature of the conflicts might be a tad too illuminating. We don’t know if the men he’s talked to are complaining because their wives never allow them a night out with the guys, or if the men he’s talking to are complaining because their supposedly nagging wives are exhausted of doing all the housework and begging for a little help. Since there’s a general lack of specifics about the nature of these conflicts, I thought the only fair approach is to quote Tom heavily and argue directly with him. It’s a style that’s common to blogging, but seems like the only fair thing to do in this situation. Tom on Twitter seemed to believe that his feminist critics were being unfair, and I want to be scrupulously fair. Heavy amounts of direct quoting is the only way to ensure that happens.
Why do men get blamed for everything?
This is such a preposterous statement that even Tom tries to walk it back immediately, demanding that we exclude such situations where the only available person to blame is the man who did something terribly wrong, such as rape and sex trafficking. This is intellectually dishonest, because by looking at situations where the man who committed a crime against a woman—situations where it’s only reasonable to put 100% of the blame on the person who assaulted an innocent person—we find that even in these situations, women tend to get blamed. Some times the female victim is the only person that society is interested in blaming, which is why defense attorneys in rape cases have so much success with the “she was drinking, and so she was asking for it” defense. We as a society can’t hold men fully accountable when they do something unquestionably evil to a woman, such as use her drunken state as an excuse to rape her. So why would we presume that men are somehow automatically the only people held accountable for lesser, more ambiguous events?
Here’s my theory, and it’s nothing but a theory. Men and women are different. Quite different in fact. But women would really like men to be more like them.
This is a prime example of how Tom is using vague language to avoid direct criticism. It’s not enough to say “men and women are different”. Really? How? The most obvious examples are that women have uteruses and breasts and vaginas, whereas men have penises and testicles. Is Tom suggesting that women want men to have vaginas? Obviously not. But then what? If you’re going to make a risible argument about how men are so different than women and women are so angry about it, you need to be specific. I don’t like being accused of being hateful towards men for having certain qualities, and then have those qualities concealed from me so that I can’t defend myself from the accusation. I don’t know who would.
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In the locker room, in the bathroom, on the walk out of the board room, in my conversations with men of all kinds, that’s what I hear more than anything. The resignation that to be a man is to be unacceptable at some level to the woman in your life.
The vagueness here is especially awful. Are the men being reasonable in this or not? We can’t know, because there are no qualities that women are supposedly hating on as a group that are named, so we can examine them. It’s possible that the men Tom is speaking have a strong expectation of submission from women, and are angry to get any indication that women see them as less than perfect human beings. Even as recently as the 50s, the “father knows best” mentality was simply a given, so maybe we’re witnessing men who are just angry that they might be treated as less than gods. We can’t know; we’re given no examples from which to judge these complaints.
One close friend jokes, “When speaking to my wife I always make sure to look at the ground in deference. And I make sure not to make any sudden movements.”
I’ll let one of my male correspondents respond to this one, to avoid being accused of being a domineering woman who uses her mighty powers to stomp out any disagreement: “I mean, the number of men who look at the floor in deference compared to the number of women who have to do so in this country?”
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But with her he’s decided the only way to survive is to submit. The female view is the right view. The male view just gets you into trouble.
On Twitter, Tom tried to retreat from criticism by pleading with me that we look at people as individuals, as if I were the person not doing so. I would like to quote this sentence to demonstrate that I am not the person in this conflict who is generalizing about men and women. I reject the notion that in a conflict between an individual man and his wife, his view stands in for the generic “male view” and hers for the generic “female view”, much less that because his view comes from some generic male place, he’s automatically considered wrong. And what is this “in trouble”? Does his wife have the power to ground him? To take away his video games? To take away his allowance?
Again, it would be nice to know the nature of the conflict here, to determine if it’s actually a man vs. woman thing, as well as to determine if she’s actually in the wrong and he’s in the right, but she gets her way because of the almighty nagging bitch powers women possess. That we aren’t permitted to know what the conflicts are suggests that it may not be as cut-and-dry as Tom would have you believe.
Men know women are different. They think differently, they express emotion differently, they are motivated by different things, they think about sex differently, and they use a very different vocabulary.
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Well, at least Tom is getting closer to specifics, but if you really think about this, it’s all still very vague. For instance, how do women think about sex “differently”? Is he invoking tedious and disproved stereotypes that women are functionally asexual beings who just use sex to get affection from men? Is he saying “women are horny, but not as horny as men?”, and if so, how does he wish to address women who are in relationships where they have the higher sex drive? Do women really have a different “vocabulary”? If so, then why was a blogger such as Digby perceived as a male writer for years, until she actually came out and confirmed that she is, in fact, female?
Why can’t women accept men for who they really are? Is a good man more like a woman or more truly masculine?
Define “accept”. What qualities are you claiming are unique to men and that women are not accepting. Explain what that acceptance would look like, and if women will be, as they traditionally have been, held to a higher standard of accepting men than vice versa. Define “masculine”. These aren’t facetious questions. My own long term romantic relationship is with a man with many qualities and interests that are traditionally “masculine”. He’s an enormous sports fan. He loves comic books and video games. Like myself, he’s outspoken, self-confident, and competitive—traditionally masculine qualities, though it’s questionable if they’re “masculine” if so many women like myself also share them. I fail to see what more I could do to accept him for who he is. I have no problem with his interests, and in fact support them by doing things like giving gifts related to them. I laugh appreciatively when he’s really on an entertaining rant. I like playing games with him that provoke his competitive side (and mine).
I bring this up not to brag in the slightest, but because my relationship to my man’s “masculinity” (in quotes, because every single so-called masculine quality is shared by plenty of women, if not always by me) is actually mundane and typical of women’s behavior. Sure, if a man’s sports-viewing habits have grown to the point where he hasn’t had a complete conversation with a family member in weeks, women might complain, but men also have reasonable expectations that women in their lives actually show up on occasion. So, there’s clearly another level of “accept” that’s going on, and we’ll need more detail to understand what Tom is talking about.
And god knows as guys we can, at times, live up to the stereotype of knuckle-draggers looking to eat, fuck, drink, and sleep.
This is something that really set me off on Twitter. Tom is circling around specifics, and in doing so, he only ends up presenting an indefensible and frankly bemusing complaint. Is there really reason to believe that women on the whole do not like to “eat, fuck, drink, and sleep”, and that we don’t accept men because they do? Most women I know also wish that we could spend all our time eating, fucking, drinking, and sleeping, but we don’t get to blame nagging wives when we have to take a break to draw income, clean the house, or cook the food for the eating. And frankly, I don’t really know these men that are frustrated “knuckle-draggers”. Mostly they know that it’s more than their wives who will be pissed if they don’t make rent; landlords, after all, have the power to evict you.
We’ve been slow to reveal our inner thoughts and feeling. But again my pet theory is that this comes back to vocabulary. Emotional language has been so dominated by women that to talk about feelings is, at some level, to become female rather than macho.
If you want men to express their feelings more, stop with the “men and women are so different” thing, and start telling a different story, about how men and women are basically the same, and gender norms that say otherwise are stifling our growth as human beings.
But my basic point is that many men, I think, feel blamed for being simply men. That their most basic instincts are twisted around to torture rather than celebrate who they are.
Maddeningly vague! What are these “most basic instincts”? And why should women specifically celebrate them? The only specifics we’ve been presented are this urge to do nothing but “eat, fuck, drink, and sleep”, which is equally shared by women. The non-congratulations you get for wanting to sit around eating all day isn’t the fault of nagging wives, but just a facet of being human and expected to contribute.
It seems that the blame game in the mainstream, whether through the minimization of male life in pop culture or on television or through the continued obsession with men behaving badly, has finally struck a chord with the average guy.
Tom paints a picture of pop culture and television where male voices are rare, and women dominate the conversation. Unfortunately for him, recent research shows that reality is completely inverted from his imaginings. Researchers at USC examined the top grossing films of 2009 and found women had only 32.8% of speaking roles. Women made up 3.6% of the directors of the top 100 grossing films. They are 13.5% of writers, and 21.6% of producers. The Writer’s Guild of America reports that women are only 28% of TV writers. “Community” is one of the few—possibly only—shows on TV with parity in the writer’s room, and it’s facing the ax from the network. When you look at the cold, hard numbers, there is only one conclusion: women’s stories and women’s voices are marginalized in pop culture.
I see no evidence that there’s a widespread “men behaving badly” obsession. Of Google’s top searches for 2011, two were men and three were women. One woman is an accused murderer, one a talentless hack, and one is a good singer. Of the men, one died in a drunk driving accident, and the other is Steve Jobs. Of Yahoo’s top ten searches, six were women, and one was a man. The man, Osama bin Laden, is pretty bad. Of the women, you have an accused murderer, a woman who is widely perceived to be an exploitative bimbo, and a drug addict, as well as an actress and two singers who are more beloved for their bodies than their talents. Even though men commit the majority of murders, assaults, and other violent or disruptive crimes in our society, the people looking stuff up online are much more interested in women behaving badly. For a man to compete with female drug addicts, talentless hacks, or accused murders, in terms of national interest, he has to be an international terrorist who has murdered thousands of people.
In his entire essay detailing men’s complaints about being oppressed by women or prevented from expressing themselves, Tom veered between making claims so light on details that they defied examination and making claims that were specific but demonstrably false. The end result is an unshakeable feeling that Tom and the men he claims to speak for are simply angry that their unquestioned male privileges are being eroded. It’s not that men are being edged out of the conversation at all, but that women are beginning to have a say that appears to be the problem. Watching privilege erode, even slightly, can be disconcerting for the privileged. But the bare minimum of being a “good man” is not conflating the erosion of your privilege with genuine oppression. The good men I know in my own life enjoy the challenge of shedding sexist stereotypes like “nagging wife” and “naughty man-child” to enjoy going forward with women, hand-in-hand, as equals and as friends.
—
photo by massimo_riserbo / Flickr |
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I don’t know what it is about Frozen that has made it such a huge hit — I mean, other than the obvious all-around excellence that makes it massively appealing to children and adults — but clearly Disney is not oblivious to it. The release of Frozen on DVD yesterday felt like it happened really fast (strike while the fire is hot, I guess), but man, I have never in my life heard from more parents who were happy to go pick up a movie on the week it was released.
Get comfy, moms and dads and aunts and uncles and grandparents the world over, because you’re going to be seeing this one a lot. |
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) at the preseason game against Seattle Seahawks in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. Heidi Fang Las Vegas Review-Journal @HeidiFang
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) runs the ball against Tennessee Titans free safety Kevin Byard (31) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) on the sideline in the first half of a NFL preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. Heidi Fang Las Vegas Review-Journal @HeidiFang
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) and tackle Donald Penn (72) warm up prior to the preseason game against Seattle Seahawks in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. Heidi Fang Las Vegas Review-Journal @HeidiFang
ALAMEDA, Calif. — When Marshawn Lynch isn’t carrying the football, Facebook will be carrying him.
Bleacher Report has partnered with the Raiders running back’s media company, Beast Mode Productions, to create a web series that will debut this fall on Facebook’s new “Watch” platform. The partnership, which Bleacher Report announced Tuesday, will amount to eight 10-minute episodes for a show entitled “No Script.”
“No Script” episodes will feature many non-football premises such as Lynch riding military tanks, drifting race cars and imitating the voice of Darth Vader while testing virtual reality at Lucasfilm, according to a press release.
“The B/R team and Marshawn have created something we believe fans will love, especially those seeking an alternative to the hot-take debate shows that dominate traditional sports media today,” said Rory Brown, president of Bleacher Report, in a statement. “This show is incredibly fun, entertaining, and Marshawn has been a blast to work with. It’s a great example of the B/R brand and an athlete’s brand partnering together to do great things.”
A video team for Beast Mode Productions was seen Sunday in the locker room following the Raiders’ 26-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. Beast Mode employees also frequented training camp in Napa, California.
Their presence might be for unrelated projects.
Around the NFL, Lynch is regarded for his ability to raise capital through endorsements and other off-the-field ventures.
His No. 24 Raiders jersey quickly became a top-seller upon joining the team in April. He sells clothing products and other merchandise via a Beast Mode store that, along with being accessible online, has a storefront in Oakland. Now, he is co-creating a project for which Facebook, according to Reuters, paid millions of dollars.
Lynch, 31, came out of retirement in April and signed a two-year, $9 million deal with an additional $7.5 million in potential incentives.
Back in the mix
Donald Penn admitted Tuesday he was a little surprised.
He didn’t expect to feel so good on Sunday.
This summer, the Raiders left tackle missed all of training camp and played only two offensive series in the preseason because of a contract holdout. Despite the missed time, he was able to play all 66 of the offense’s snaps. He vaguely cited the team had a plan to provide him a breather if necessary, but that proved unnecessary.
“I didn’t need the blow,” Penn said. “I felt good. It feels better when you get the win. We’ve got a lot of stuff we need to fix, lots of stuff I’ve got to fix personally. But to get out there and get a win and come out strong as a team, that’s good momentum.”
Penn’s contract situation has yet to be resolved.
A conclusion of some sort is expected this month.
Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter. |
Christ Carrying the Cross as portrayed by as portrayed by El Greco , 1580
According to three of the synoptic Gospels, a woven crown of thorns was placed on the head of Jesus during the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. It was one of the instruments of the Passion, employed by Jesus' captors both to cause him pain and to mock his claim of authority. It is mentioned in the gospels of Matthew ('And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee and mocked him, saying Hail, King of the Jews!' 27:29 KJV), Mark (15:17), and John (19:2, 5) and is often alluded to by the early Church Fathers, such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and others.
In later centuries, relics believed by many to be all or part of the Crown of Thorns have been venerated.
As a relic [ edit ]
Jerusalem [ edit ]
A few writers of the first six centuries AD speak of a relic known to be still in existence and venerated by the faithful. St. Paulinus of Nola, writing after 409, refers to "the thorns with which Our Saviour was crowned" as relics held in honour along with the Cross to which he was nailed and the pillar at which he was scourged (Epistle Macarius in Migne, Patrologia Latina, LXI, 407). Cassiodorus (c. 570), when commenting on Psalm lxxxvi, speaks of the crown of thorns among the other relics which are the glory of the earthly Jerusalem. "There", he says, "we may behold the thorny crown, which was only set upon the head of Our Redeemer in order that all the thorns of the world might be gathered together and broken" (Migne, LXX, 621). When Gregory of Tours in De gloria martyri[1] avers that the thorns in the crown still looked green, a freshness which was miraculously renewed each day, he does not much strengthen the historical authenticity of a relic he had not seen, but the Breviarius, and the itinerary of Antoninus of Piacenza (6th century) clearly state that the crown of thorns was currently shown in the church on Mount Zion.[2] From these fragments of evidence and others of later date (the "Pilgrimage" of the monk Bernard shows that the relic was still at Mount Zion in 870), it is likely that a purported crown of thorns was venerated at Jerusalem from the fifth century for several hundred years.
Byzantium [ edit ]
Francois de Mély supposed that the whole crown was not transferred to Byzantium until about 1063. In any case Justinian (died in 565) is stated to have given a thorn to St. Germain, Bishop of Paris, which was long preserved at Saint-Germain-des-Prés, while the Empress Irene, in 798 or 802, sent Charlemagne several thorns which were deposited by him at Aachen. Eight of these are said to have been there at the consecration of the basilica of Aachen by Pope Leo III. The presence of the Pope at the consecration is a later legend, but the relics apparently were there, for the subsequent history of several of them can be traced without difficulty. Four were given to Saint-Corneille of Compiègne in 877 by Charles the Bald. Hugh the Great, Duke of the Franks, sent one to the Anglo-Saxon King Athelstan in 927, on the occasion of certain marriage negotiations, and it eventually found its way to Malmesbury Abbey. Another was presented to a Spanish princess about 1160, and again another was taken to Andechs Abbey in Germany in the year 1200.
France [ edit ]
In 1238, Baldwin II, the Latin Emperor of Constantinople, anxious to obtain support for his tottering empire, offered the crown of thorns to Louis IX, King of France. It was then in the hands of the Venetians as security for a heavy loan (13,134 gold pieces), but it was redeemed and conveyed to Paris where Louis IX built the Sainte-Chapelle (completed 1248) to receive it. The relic stayed there until the French Revolution, when, after finding a home for a while in the Bibliothèque Nationale, the Concordat of 1801 restored it to the Church, and it was deposited in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame.[3]
The relic that the Church received is a twisted circlet of Juncus balticus rushes; the thorns preserved in various other reliquaries are of Ziziphus spina-christi and had apparently been removed from the crown and kept in separate reliquaries since soon after they arrived in France.[4] New reliquaries were provided for the relic, one commissioned by Napoleon, another, in jewelled rock crystal and more suitably Gothic, was made to the designs of Eugene Viollet-le-Duc. In 2001, when the surviving treasures from the Sainte-Chapelle were exhibited at the Louvre, the chaplet was solemnly presented every Friday at Notre Dame. Pope John Paul II translated it personally to the Sainte-Chapelle during World Youth Day. The relic can only be seen on the first Friday of every month, when it is brought out for a special veneration mass, as well as each Friday during Lent.[5] See also Feast of the Crown of Thorns.
The Catholic Encyclopedia said: "Authorities are agreed that a sort of helmet of thorns must have been plaited by the Roman soldiers, this band of rushes being employed to hold the thorns together. It seems likely according to M. De Mély, that already at the time when the circlet was brought to Paris the sixty or seventy thorns, which seem to have been afterwards distributed by St. Louis and his successors, had been separated from the band of rushes and were kept in a different reliquary. None of these now remain at Paris. Some small fragments of rush are also preserved ... at Arras and at Lyons. With regard to the origin and character of the thorns, both tradition and existing remains suggest that they must have come from the bush botanically known as Ziziphus spina-christi, more popularly, the jujube tree. This reaches the height of fifteen or twenty feet and is found growing in abundance by the wayside around Jerusalem. The crooked branches of this shrub are armed with thorns growing in pairs, a straight spine and a curved one commonly occurring together at each point. The relic preserved in the Capella della Spina at Pisa, as well as that at Trier, which though their early history is doubtful and obscure, are among the largest in size, afford a good illustration of this peculiarity."[6]
Third-class relics [ edit ]
Not all of the reputed holy thorns are first-class relics, that is, relics of the original crown. M. de Mély was able to enumerate more than 700. The statement in one medieval obituary that Peter de Averio gave to the cathedral of Angers, "unam de spinis quae fuit apposita coronae spinae nostri Redemptoris" ("one of the spines which were attached to the thorny crown of our Redeemer") (de Mély, p. 362) indicates that many of the thorns were relics of the third class—objects touched to a relic of the first class, in this case some part of the crown itself. (In Roman Catholic tradition, a relic of the first class is a part of the body of a saint or, in this case, any of the objects used in the Crucifixion that carried the blood of Christ; a relic of the second class is anything known to have been touched or used by a saint; a relic of the third class is a devotional object touched to a first-class relic and, usually, formally blessed as a sacramental.) Again, even in comparatively modern times, it is not always easy to trace the history of these objects of devotion, as first-class relics were often divided and any number of authentic third-class relics may exist.
Nuremberg 16th-century silver medal of Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns by Valentin Maler.
Purported remnants [ edit ]
Christ with the cross and crown of thorns by Andrea Solario
The Holy Thorn Reliquary in the British Museum, containing a single thorn, was made in the 1390s for the French prince Jean, duc de Berry, who is documented as receiving several thorns from Charles V and VI, his brother and nephews.[7]
The Catholic Encyclopedia (1908) reported two "holy thorns" were venerated, the one at St. Michael's church in Ghent, the other at Stonyhurst College, both professing to be the thorn given by Mary Queen of Scots to Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland (see "The Month", April, 1882, 540–556).
The "Gazetteer of Relics and Miraculous Images" lists the following, following Cruz 1984:
Iconography [ edit ]
The appearance of the crown of thorns in art, notably upon the head of Christ in representations of the Crucifixion or the subject Ecce Homo arises after the time of St. Louis and the building of the Sainte-Chapelle. The Catholic Encyclopedia reported that some archaeologists had professed to discover a figure of the crown of thorns in the circle which sometimes surrounds the chi-rho emblem on early Christian sarcophagi, but the compilers considered that it seemed to be quite as probable that this was only meant for a laurel wreath.
The image of the crown of thorns is often used symbolically to contrast with earthly monarchical crowns. In the symbolism of King Charles the Martyr, the executed English King Charles I is depicted putting aside his earthly crown to take up the crown of thorns, as in William Marshall's print Eikon Basilike. This contrast appears elsewhere in art, for example in Frank Dicksee's painting The Two Crowns.
Carnations symbolize the passion as they represent the crown of thorns.
Photo gallery [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Cherry, John, The Holy Thorn Reliquary , The British Museum Press, 2010, ISBN 9780714128207
, The British Museum Press, 2010, ISBN 9780714128207 Westerson, Jeri (2009), Serpent in the Thorns; A Medieval Noir. (Fiction referencing the crown of thorns.), New York: Minotaur Books, ISBN 978-0312649449 |
An upstate New York man was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday for allegedly seeking to aid the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS), as well as murder U.S. soldiers returning home.
Mufid Elfgeeh, 30, of Rochester, N.Y., was charged with three counts of attempting to provide material support and resources to the Iraq- and Syria-based terrorist group, one count of attempted murder of current and former members of the U.S. military, and three counts of weapons-related offenses, according to the Justice Department.
“We will remain aggressive in identifying and disrupting those who seek to provide support to [ISIS] and other terrorist groups that are bent on inflicting harm upon Americans,” said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, in a statement.
“We are focused on breaking up these activities on the front end, before supporters of [ISIS] can make good on plans to travel to the region or recruit sympathizers to this cause,” he said.
The U.S. government has been aggressively seeking to stop Americans from joining ISIS, which has seen considerable success in courting extremist foreigners, especially from the Middle East, but also from the U.S. and Europe.
President Barack Obama is expected to chair a U.N. Security Council meeting on Sept. 24, at which member states will adopt a resolution mandating that all nations criminalize the act of attempting to join or in any way aid a foreign terrorist organization, Reuters reports.
Federal investigators contend that Elfgeeh sought to help two people, who were cooperating with the FBI, to travel to Syria to fight with ISIS. Elfgeeh also sent $600 to someone in Yemen to help with travel arrangements to Syria, where that person planned to join ISIS, investigators allege.
In December 2013, Elfgeeh also allegedly told one of the FBI’s sources that he was thinking he would “just go[ing] around and start shooting” at returned members of the U.S. armed forces. Two months later, Elfgeeh allegedly gave the source $1,050 in cash and arranged to collect two handguns, plus ammunition and silencers, in the spring, investigators say. Government officials had made the guns inoperable before selling them to Elfgeeh, investigators said.
On May 31, 2014, just after Elfgeeh took the guns, the Rochester Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested him, the federal government said.
Write to Elizabeth Barber at elizabeth.barber@timeasia.com. |
Mousa Dembele: Has been a revelation at Tottenham this season
"He is irreplaceable," said former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp in the summer. He was talking about Spurs' star playmaker Luka Modric who was bound for Real Madrid. "But if they get massive money, they can go and get three or four players and improve the team in other areas." In fact, Spurs were able to effectively replace Modric with just one signing for a fraction of the fee - Belgium midfielder Mousa Dembele from Fulham. Just don't tell the 25-year-old he's the replacement.
"I never saw myself as the replacement for Luka," Dembele told the Daily Mail recently. "I feel like I'm a totally different player. For me I like to touch the ball as much as possible. I like to do defensive work and attack from midfield. I think I can do both." Indeed, he is a very different player. Even in the age of universality, Dembele feels like something new - a man capable of doing everything. Perhaps even, the complete midfielder...
Key Passes (Of players with 90%+ Pass Completion) - PL 2012/13 Player Name Team Key Passes Samir Nasri Man City 33 MOUSA DEMBELE TOTTENHAM 28 Joe Allen Liverpool 21 Mikel Arteta Arsenal 20 Ki Sung-Yeung Swansea 18 Tom Cleverley Man Utd 9 Paul Scholes Man Utd 8 Daniel Agger Liverpool 7 Martin Skrtel Liverpool 6 Leon Britton Swansea 5
Firstly, there is the passing. This was always going to be an important part of Dembele's role given Modric's brilliance in this area - the Croatian was regarded as the master of the assist. Dembele has kept things tidy in the Spurs midfield, as shown by the fact that he is one of only 15 players in the Premier League with a pass completion success rate of over 90 per cent. But he has also showcased that same ability to carve open the opposition.
"He's an exciting player," said Mark Hughes, when in charge of Dembele at Fulham. "He's one of those people that you expect to do something special when in possession." There are plenty of players out there capable of the unexpected. But few combine those conjuring skills with the reliability of the Belgian. Of players with a pass completion rate of over 90 per cent, only Manchester City's Samir Nasri has created more chances, while they each have three assists.
Dribbles - PL 2012/13 Player Name Team Number per game Hatem Ben Arfa Newcastle 4.9 Luis Suarez Liverpool 3.2 Adel Taarabt QPR 2.8 Santi Cazorla Arsenal 2.5 Samba Diakite QPR 2.4 Raheem Sterling Liverpool 2.1 Mohamed Diame West Ham 2.1 Davide Santon Newcastle 2.0 MOUSA DEMBELE TOTTENHAM 1.9 Glen Johnson Liverpool 1.8
And Dembele is also one of the top dribblers in the Premier League. That's an unusual combination. Of the eight players in the top flight who dribble the ball more regularly than him, several have a pass completion of below 80 per cent and the majority are doing so from wide positions. "Dembele is probably the best player on the ball I've ever seen," claimed Fulham boss Martin Jol, speaking after the player had left Craven Cottage.
It is this ability to provide thrust from the centre of the pitch that makes Dembele such a different animal and provides perhaps the most marked contrast with his predecessor Modric. As Michael Cox noted for ESPN: "The Croatian would receive the ball, spread the play quickly to the flanks and skip forward to link the play higher up the pitch. Dembele is different; he's a more forceful, direct player who dribbles towards goal himself."
Tackles (midfielders) - PL 2012/13 Player Name Team Number per game Mohamed Diame West Ham 4.1 Morgan Schneiderlin Southampton 4.1 Mark Noble West Ham 3.9 Claudio Yacob West Brom 3.7 Mikel Arteta Arsenal 3.6 Steve Sidwell Fulham 3.6 Sandro Tottenham 3.4 Mikele Leigertwood Reading 3.2 James McCarthy Wigan 3.0 MOUSA DEMBELE TOTTENHAM 2.9
Where Dembele really begins to surprise is in his defensive contribution to the Tottenham team, which is remarkable given his background as a converted forward. The former AZ Alkmaar man is also among the top tackling midfielders in the Premier League this season. Alongside the combative Sandro that gives Spurs among the most solid midfield bases in the division. "It's difficult to find a pairing that is doing as well," admitted coach Andre Villas-Boas to TalkSport earlier this season.
What is AVB's secret? His own predecessor Redknapp famously gave little tactical instruction to his charges at White Hart Lane but anyone expecting the Portuguese coach to have overcomplicated things for his players may be in for a shock. "It was very clear what the manager wanted me to do," claims Dembele. "He said to me: 'Play your game like you always play' and he tried to give me the confidence. That's the only thing a player needs."
But that doesn't mean the player cannot continue to develop. He is eyeing the final piece in the puzzle. He intends to add goals. "I just like to play, to pass the ball and dribble," Dembele told the Daily Mail. "When I was young I never shot. I always wanted to dribble the ball in the goal. I don't want to shoot because I don't like to, but it's different now. I know now it's important to shoot and have the combination, not only to dribble but to shoot a lot as well. I try to do this more and more."
Perhaps Premier League opponents should be worried. Because when that happens, Mousa Dembele really could become the complete midfielder. |
California Democrats who whipped up opposition to the weekend’s free speech rallies had little to say after radical leftist protesters, led by the antifa movement, attacked police and Trump supporters on Sunday in Berkeley, injuring six.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who last week denounced the Patriot Prayer gathering in San Francisco as a “white supremacist rally,” had no public comment on the leftist violence.
Joey Gibson, leader of Patriot Prayer, who was chased and struck by masked antifa protesters in Berkeley before police rescued him, called on Mrs. Pelosi and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to denounce the leftist violence.
At Sunday’s melee, about 100 black-masked protesters jumped police barricades and chased down and attacked a small number of Trump supporters, resulting in 13 arrests and injuries to six people, including a police officer.
Mr. Baker joined Democratic leaders in signing a resolution denouncing white supremacy after Charlottesville, saying that “white nationalism and neo-Nazism are continuing to grow as menaces to societal order.” |
Real Time host’s conversation with Nebraska senator Ben Sasse, who tweeted regret over not responding, will be edited to omit exchange in future airings
Bill Maher sorry for use of N-word as HBO calls it 'inexcusable and tasteless'
Bill Maher has apologised for using the word “nigger” on his HBO talkshow on Friday night, in an exchange with the Nebraska senator Ben Sasse that prompted calls for the comedian to be fired.
Tearful Kathy Griffin says 'bully' Donald Trump is trying to ruin her career Read more
“Friday nights are always my worst night of sleep because I’m up reflecting on the things I should or shouldn’t have said on my live show,” Maher said in a statement.
“Last night was a particularly long night as I regret the word I used in the banter of a live moment. The word was offensive, and I regret saying it and am very sorry.”
HBO earlier said it would be removed from any subsequent airing of the edition of Real Time with Bill Maher in which Sasse discussed his new book.
“Bill Maher’s comment last night was completely inexcusable and tasteless,” read a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. “We are removing his deeply offensive comment from any subsequent airings of the show.”
In conversation with Maher, Sasse said the host would be welcome in Nebraska as “we’d love to have you work in the fields with us”.
“Work in the fields?” Maher replied. “Senator, I’m a house nigger.”
The audience laughed and groaned, with some applause. Sasse kept quiet, before Maher said: “No, it’s a joke.”
DeRay McKesson, a Black Lives Matter activist and former Baltimore mayoral candidate, led instant criticism on social media. “Bill Maher has got to go,” he wrote. “There are no explanations that make this acceptable.”
McKesson added: “And why does the audience think it was OK to laugh? And Ben Sasse doesn’t even flinch. What is happening in the world?
“Trump has undeniably moved the posts re: what is acceptable in political discourse but we can’t sit idly by, as discourse breeds actions.”
Early on Saturday, Sasse gave his view in a series of linked tweets.
“Am walking off a redeye from [Los Angeles International Airport],” he wrote, before offering “three reflections on Bill Maher”.
“I’m a first amendment absolutist. Comedians get latitude to cross hard lines. But free speech comes with a responsibility to speak up when folks use that word. Me just cringing last night wasn’t good enough.
“Here’s what I wish I’d been quick enough to say in the moment: “Hold up, why would you think it’s OK to use that word? The history of the N-word is an attack on universal human dignity. It’s therefore an attack on the American Creed. Don’t use it.”
A history of the Bill Maher's 'not bigoted' remarks on Islam Read more
In New York City, civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton addressed the issue in his Saturday sermon.
“Bill Maher decided to get on television last night and sanitize and normalize the N-word,” Sharpton said. “Just because Bill Maher is liberal and our friend, you don’t give him a pass … you never get the right to use that term.”
Maher has caused controversy with his views on religion, particularly Islam, trans rights and freedom of speech. On Friday night the author Reza Aslan tweeted: “I can’t believe Bill Maher said something racist, said no Muslim ever.”
The pressure on Maher follows CNN’s firing of the comedian Kathy Griffin, who said at a press conference on Friday that Donald Trump was “trying to ruin my life for ever” after she was pictured holding a mock-up of the US president’s severed head.
Maher has been fired for controversial comments before. In 2002, he lost an ABC show, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, after he said of 9/11: “We have been the cowards, lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building? Say what you like about it, it’s not cowardly.” |
How close the Senate Republicans are to repealing the Affordable Care Act is anyone’s guess. The same holds what for a replacement bill will truly look like. Negotiations, to the horror of anyone with a half-functioning conscience, are occurring in secret, and no Republican will reveal what sort of punishment is in store for the most vulnerable Americans.
Democrats in the Senate, unlike the House, hold some leverage. Republicans can afford to only lose two votes and still pass a bill, and there are enough moderates from swing states to balk at any radical restructuring of American healthcare. The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, would like to hold a vote before the 4 July recess, doing Donald Trump’s dirty work before vacation time.
Democrats urged to 'play hardball' to hobble Republican healthcare bill Read more
To slow the bill’s progress, Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Senate Democrats, will listen to the demands of various progressive groups and slow down the business of the body as much as he can. On Monday night, Democrats held the Senate floor, taking turns bashing Republican repeal efforts.
They are preparing to block lengthy committee hearings, since any senator can stop a hearing from extending past the first two hours of the Senate’s day. They will object to all unanimous consent requests in the Senate, employing various parliamentary maneuvers to call attention to Republican secrecy.
Given the years of Republican obstruction under Barack Obama – unprecedented obstinacy pioneered by McConnell – this is all well-deserved. Democrats should do whatever they can to foil a disastrous, retrogressive austerity agenda. If they don’t, they should quit and find other lines of work. They will be without purpose.
What’s still missing, however, is the alternative vision. It’s the fatal flaw of today’s Democratic party and one that has gone unaddressed since Hillary Clinton’s catastrophic loss. There is no argument for a new healthcare system coming from either side.
Republicans, drunk on fulfilling an idiotic campaign pledge made in the heat of Obama’s presidency, are only promising to make healthcare worse for the people who need it most. Democrats are left with a mealy-mouthed defense of the status quo.
This is a problem, one that Democratic leaders in Congress and the Democratic National Committee aren’t trying to solve. It’s one thing to say you will do whatever it takes to protect a flawed but functional healthcare system that was never overwhelmingly popular to begin with, that still left plenty of people who weren’t desperately poor or sick with expensive healthcare plans. It’s quite another to start telling Americans how you plan to start fixing the system when you return to power.
Democrats are assuming history will take care of them, and in the short term, it probably will. Trump is hated enough to cost his party dearly in the midterms next year and his re-election bid will be a challenge. In just a few years, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Democrats will have full control of government again, as they did at the dawn of 2009.
But that majority proved fleeting. Building a party around bogeyman Trump and Russia hysteria will mean a party without a core, because these things won’t last.
Bernie Sanders was a folk hero to millennials during the 2016 campaign, yet no other powerful Democrat has seen fit to start aping his message wholesale. No one has said the Democrats will run on single-payer healthcare in 2018, promise to make college tuition free in 2018, or form a coherent anti-war platform in 2018.
To truly slay Trump’s majority and remain in power for years to come, Democrats must not only stand for something but justify their existence in concrete ways to people of all races and classes who will benefit from a rational federal government.
These are the people at the mercy of Trump's healthcare bill Read more
Strangely, Democrats aren’t doing this. Out of power, their argument is still simply: we aren’t Trump, we’re not crazy. The DNC still hasn’t performed an autopsy report on the 2016 election. Beyond Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, no Democrat seems especially concerned with articulating a rationale for the party, a reason millions of Americans should continually vote Democratic.
There’s a certain comfort to being a minority party, an impotent oppositional faction scoring points on Twitter for holding the floor of the Senate. It’s easy. It’s even fun. Trump is a clown, Trump is a maniac, Trump is a Putin stooge – Democrats always win the late night shows, the internet, the memes. MSNBC is a ratings king. Everyone is buying resistance merchandise.
The Democratic party is the younger party, the hipper party, the one that will tell you, again and again, in ever more creative ways, just how destructive Trump is. It just won’t tell you much else. |
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney reportedly used a loophole via the Mormon church’s tax exemption status and deferred paying taxes for 15 years, according to report by Bloomberg News.
According to some of Romney's tax returns, obtained by Bloomberg News through a Freedom of Information Act, Romney set up a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) in June 1996 just before Congress ended the loophole in 1997.
Bloomberg News reports:
The CRUT allows individuals to “defer capital gains taxes on any profit from the sale of the assets, and receive a small upfront charitable deduction and a stream of yearly cash payments. Like an individual retirement account, the trust allows money to grow tax deferred, while like an annuity it also pays Romney a steady income. After the funder’s death, the trust’s remaining assets go to a designated charity.”
In this instance, Romney used the tax-exempt status of a charity — the Mormon Church, according to a 2007 filing — to defer taxes for more than 15 years. At the same time he is benefitting, the trust will probably leave the church with less than what current law requires.
In 1997, Congress cracked down on a popular tax shelter that allowed rich people to take advantage of the exempt status of charities without actually giving away much money.
Individuals who had already set up these vehicles were allowed to keep them. That included Mitt Romney, then the chief executive officer of Bain Capital, who had just established such an arrangement in June 1996.
Romney’s trust benefits from the Mormon church’s exempt status because charities don’t pay capital gains taxes when they make a profit from sales. The Romney campaign declined to answer questions frm Bloomberg News about the trust.
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Ethiopia led Africa in the consumption of cement manufactured by the Dangote Group according to unaudited results of the company for the period spanning January to June 2017.
The East African giant took in a total of 1.1 million metric tons of Dangote Cement with the second African country being Senegal where 0.6 million metric tons of the product was sold.
Generally, the Nigeria-based cement producer announced a spike in its sales volume across the continent despite a drop in sales in native Nigeria. The company continues expansion across the continent with plants in different countries.
Our Pan-African operations are growing well and increasing market share. We saw our first sales from Sierra Leone in the first quarter and our new plant in the Republic of Congo will be in production at the end of July.
Dangote Cement’s Chief Executive Officer, Onne van der Weijde is quoted to have said, ‘‘Our Pan-African operations are growing well and increasing market share. We saw our first sales from Sierra Leone in the first quarter and our new plant in the Republic of Congo will be in production at the end of July, further increasing our footprint across Africa and strengthening our position as its leading manufacturer of cement.”
Other records of trade volumes across Africa were 0.6 million metric tons sold in Cameroon, and 0.5 million tons in Ghana. Also, 0.4 million metric tons of cement was sold in Tanzania and 0.3 million tons in Zambia.
The company explained the fall in sales volumes from Nigerian operations putting it down to onset of rains which stalled many construction projects. It fell from 8.8Mt same time last year to 6.9Mt.
“Our revenues have continued to grow despite the lower volumes seen in Nigeria, especially because of the recent heavy rains. Our margins have improved significantly, helped by improved efficiencies and a much better fuel mix in Nigeria.
“We are using much more gas and increasing our use of coal mined in Nigeria, thus reducing our need for foreign currency and supporting Nigerian jobs,” he stressed.
Dangote cement is Africa’s largest cement company with plants in Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania & South Africa. |
The loss of amphibian species across the world from chytridiomycosis—an infectious disease caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd)—has been described as “the most spectacular loss of vertebrate biodiversity due to disease in recorded history.” So it’s of grave concern that the pathogen has been discovered in Madagascar, an incredibly biodiverse region previously thought free of the fungus.
Madagascar has the 12th highest rate of amphibian species richness in the world, with more than 400 species, 99% of which are indigenous to the region. But this biodiversity hotspot is already under severe pressure—a quarter of its species are under threat, according to the latest Global Amphibian Assessment. It’s rightly feared that the arrival of Bd, as reported in the journal Scientific Reports, could bring about mass amphibian decline—and even extinctions—as has been seen elsewhere.
Testing of the samples of the Bd fungus found in Madagascar reveals the strain is closely related to BdGPL, the hyper-virulent lineage behind all the known outbreaks of the chytrid fungus pathogen that have decimated amphibian populations. However, what’s interesting is that the rate of infection is extremely low and there’s no clinical signs of chytridiomycosis—the frogs have the fungus, but they haven’t developed the disease.
What could this mean?
This discovery presents us with a number of scenarios, which need further investigation.
Perhaps the comprehensive monitoring plan put in place by A Conservation Strategy for the Amphibians of Madagascar (ACSAM) has worked as planned, in that the presence of the Bd pathogen has been detected—for the first time in 2010—before amphibian declines have occurred.
Perhaps the strain of Bd detected in Madagascar is not a virulent kind that poses a serious threat to amphibians. This was seen with the introduction of the BdCape fungus lineage into Mallorca, where it had little effect on the population of Alytes muletensis toads there.
It’s possible that the Bd detected in Madagascar has been present on the island for a long time, undetected. It may be an endemic, non-virulent lineage as seen in Brazil and Asia, where certain lineages endemic to the regions appear to have evolved alongside the native amphibians.
Or perhaps there is an endemic, previously undetected chytrid fungus on the island, related or not to Bd, which could be acting as a buffer for local amphibians against the invasion of BdGPL—acting, in effect, as a natural vaccine.
Alternatively, Malagasy amphibians may have developed some intrinsic resistance to Bd, for example through protective bacteria in their skin. This could explain the low infection rates and the ambiguous test results reported in the paper showing that some Bd-positive samples did not conform to any known lineage of the fungus. Although rare, resistance to BdGPL is not unprecedented—this has been seen and documented in Brazil.
A potential threat or a potential benefit
The first scenario would be a disaster—and should be a priority. If this turns out to be the case, the survival of Malagasy amphibians could depend ACSAM’s conservation and scientific groups managing to restrict the spread of the disease. Tackling invasive species such as the Asian Toad that might spread the disease—and ensuring tourists and researchers stick to strict hygiene protocols—would be necessary. Perhaps even more drastic conservation measures would be necessary, such as capturing animals from particularly vulnerable species, for raising in captivity.
On the other hand, the fourth scenario presents an intriguing possibility: if it’s the case that Malagasy amphibians are resisting a fungal invasion, discovering how this works could provide crucial information to help save amphibians elsewhere from the disease.
The research on the amphibian skin microbiome, for example, and its role in the creature’s immune system is producing some exciting results. It’s also apparent that the diversity of the Chytrid fungus species as a whole, and in particular of Bd, has not been appreciated. It’s possible there are many types of chytrid fungus associated with amphibians that we’re not yet aware of which provide some protection against BdGPL.
So without a doubt, this report will sound warning bells loud and clear for conservationists, and Bd’s appearance in Madagascar could still result in a huge loss of amphibians. However, the lack of chytridiomycosis symptoms also suggests there’s something special in Madagascar that could yield a breakthrough in how the disease spreads—something that may not only benefit Malagasy amphibians, but those throughout the world.
This article was co-authored with Pria Ghosh, researcher at the Fisher Lab.
This article is part of Quartz Ideas, our home for bold arguments and big thinkers. |
Ford and Domino’s are teaming up on a research trial that will see Ford cars equipped with self-driving tech delivering pizzas to regular consumers, as a way of figuring out how everyday people will react to, and interact with, autonomous service vehicles in the future.
Ford Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Cars will be used in the test, outfitted with pizza containers created by Domino’s partner Roush Enterprises designed to keep the pizzas warm en route, and to unlock when a customer types in their unique delivery code. The vehicles will be available to randomly selected Domino’s customers who order pizza in the Ann Arbor, Mich. area, with the ability on the customer end to opt in to receiving a delivery via AV when they’re selected.
Both Ford and Domino’s will be using the test to see how people react to receiving pizzas via self-driving vehicles. Ford considers the customer and user experience aspects of autonomous driving technology a core part of the overall platform it’s developing, Ford Autonomous and Electric Vehicles VP Sherif Marakby tells me, and it’s using this real-world trial to test its assumptions and help it develop that aspect of the product it hopes to commercialize in just a few years’ time.
“The unique thing is that we’re doing this ethnographic research in parallel to developing the AV tech itself,” Marakby said. “The reason we’re doing that is that we’re going to learn things we didn’t know, and we want to have the opportunity from a timing perspective to incorporate these changes into the car, or the interface to the car and the consumer interaction.”
This isn’t something that Ford is necessarily used to – it’s done a lot to improve its cars from a core technology perspective over the years, but it has decades of experience with its own categories of consumer to know what they want to some degree in each successive generation. With AVs, there’s a lot more up in the air.
“Usually, in the auto business, you know the customer and you’re planning certain things for the consumer,” Marakby explained. “In this case, we’re still trying to understand, and we’re working with partners who understand the consumer and figuring out what we need to do to the vehicle in parallel as we’re developing the tech.”
Domino’s and Ford have worked together on a number of projects in the past, including in building a way to order pizzas via Ford’s in-car SYNC software and apps platform. Their pre-existing relationship led to conversations around the potential for AVs in food delivery.
“The two companies decided to work together a few months ago,” Marakby told me. “Ford is developing the autonomous vehicle technology, and Domino’s is actually really focused on the technology aspect of how to improve the delivery business. I think there’s general understanding that autonomous vehicles can enable a lot of things for delivery that will make the whole delivery process easier, simpler and maybe even more user-friendly.”
That’s how the companies then decided to set up the “ethnographic research” project they’re beginning now, as Marakby describes it. Its aim is to figure out what would be needed in a go-to-market strategy in order to satisfy consumer needs and demands from an autonomous service like this one.
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Marakby reiterated that it’s key to their strategy that Ford isn’t waiting for the autonomous component to be road-ready to do this, and that’s by design: The automaker believes that a firm understanding of what the consumer wants in terms of user experience when interfacing with AVs is just as important and being able to navigate real roads.
Ford’s goal is still to build, at scale, autonomous fleets capable of servicing industries like this one in time for the 2021 time frame, Marakby says, and so figuring out what people want in a delivery or transportation AV, and doing it now while details like vehicle design are still being finalized is important.
The autonomous cars used in this trial will still have someone behind the wheel – safety drivers will be present to ensure everything goes well and to observe, and take over when necessary. But the real test here isn’t for the drivers, or even the self-driving aspects of the self-driving cars used – it’s all about the end user, and what they think of taking delivery of their piping hot pizza pies from something other than another person. |
When Johnny says his last lines in “The Outsiders” — “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.” — there’s more than a slight touch of mortality in the moment. There might even be outright pessimism about the directive. After all, the Robert Frost poem he’s referencing finishes: “Nothing gold can stay.”
Turns out Johnny and Frost know a little something about pitchers and strikeout rates. Thanks to the inestimable Jeff Zimmerman, we have strikeout aging curves for both starters and relievers. As dawn turns to day, it seems, pitchers also lose their gold.
Here is a more detailed explanation of how Zimmerman did his hitter aging curves.
He repeated a similar process for this graph, and the sample goes back to 2002.
What a stark graph. Zero is the peak, so your average pitcher’s strikeout rate pretty much peaks when he debuts, or shortly afterward. Starters might be able to maintain that peak until 25 years old, or so, but they never really improve the rate. Relievers? Let’s just say you better smoke ’em while you got ’em (and then let ’em walk).
That’s probably the biggest take-away from this graph: If a pitcher’s strikeout rate naturally declines from day one, you probably don’t want to build your team on free-agent pitchers. Despite the high attrition rates for pitching prospects, it seems to make sense that you’d develop your own pitching, rather than aquire — by definition — post-peak free-agents. This also might put a little tiny check mark in Yu Darvish’s corner, considering the fact that he’s 25 — but that’s a story for another time.
This graph is yet another reason to avoid signing free-agent relievers to multi-year deals. You’re not going to like the third year of that Brandon Lyon deal, Houston. And we told you so. It’s not like he was falling off a nice peak.
Remember this effect when evaluating similar young pitchers, too. Do you like Brandon Beachy and Vance Worley? They pitched a similar number of innings last year, are a year apart and had decent control. Neither was a top prospect, so both were pleasant finds for their teams and are under team control for a good chunk of time. But the Braves should be less willing to trade their young starter. Beachy is coming off a 28.6% strikeout rate, which might represent his peak. Worley, on the other hand, debuted with a 21.5% rate. Even if Worley has a marginally better ground-ball rate, his strikeout rate is statistically likely to get worse — and it’s coming off a lower peak.
But, of course, there’s true talent and then there are results. Someone like Mike Minor, in particular, could see a true-talent decline and still have better results in the future. No one is is suggesting that every pitcher in the league last year will show worse overall results going forward. The bouncing ball knows no master.
Still, when it comes to those fascist strikeouts, we know that you’ll probably never be as good as you just were. |
Volume Load
Total aggregate load volume over the 8 weeks was greater on an absolute basis for LONG compared to SHORT (51,385 ± 9420 vs 44,755 ± 12,166 kg, respectively): these results were not significantly different between the groups (p = 0.18), but the observed power for this analysis was only 0.26. There were no significant correlations between total load volume or changes in load volume and changes in the various measurements, but the observed power for these analyses was only 0.05–0.07.
Muscle Thickness
There was no significant time by treatment interaction for changes in elbow flexor thickness (p = 0.16; CI for difference in change between groups = −0.06, 0.31). There was a significant main effect of time (P = 0.001). LONG significantly increased elbow flexor MT from baseline to poststudy by 5.4% (p < 0.01). The increase for SHORT of 2.8% showed a trend (p = 0.08) for statistical significance.
A group-time interaction trend was noted for greater increases in triceps brachii thickness for LONG compared to SHORT (p = 0.06; CI = −0.01, 0.56). There was a significant main effect of time (P = 0.009). LONG significantly increased triceps brachii MT from baseline to poststudy by 7.0% (p < 0.01). The increase for SHORT of 0.5% was not statistically significant (p = 0.83).
There was a significant time by treatment interaction for changes in anterior quadriceps femoris thickness, with significantly greater increases in favor of LONG compared to SHORT (p = 0.04; CI = 0.00, 0.69). There was a significant main effect of time (P < 0.0001), with both LONG and SHORT increased MT from baseline to poststudy of 13.3% (p < 0.001) and 6.9% (p < 0.01), respectively.
There was no significant group by time interaction for changes in vastus lateralis thickness (p = 0.77; CI = −0.27, 0.36). There was a significant main effect of time (P = 0.002), with both LONG and SHORT increasing MT from baseline to poststudy of 11.5% (p < 0.01) and 10.0% (p < 0.01), respectively.
Maximal Strength
There was a significant time by treatment interaction for 1RM SQUAT , with significantly greater increases in favor of LONG compared to SHORT (p < 0.01; CI = 6.1, 32.9). There was a significant main effect of time (P < 0.0001), with both LONG and SHORT showing a significant increase in 1RM SQUAT from baseline to poststudy of 15.2% (p < 0.001) and 7.6% (p < 0.001), respectively.
There was a significant time by treatment interaction for 1RM BENCH , with significantly greater between-group increases in favor of LONG compared to SHORT (p = 0.02; CI = 2.2, 32.5). There was a significant main effect of time (P = 0.0001). LONG showed a significant increase in 1RM BENCH from baseline to poststudy of 12.7% (p < 0.001). The increase for SHORT of 4.1% (p < 0.09) showed a trend for statistical significance.
Muscle Endurance
The 50% BENCH task was performed with a load that corresponded to 50.4% and 50.1% of the pretesting 1RM strength for SHORT and LONG, respectively. There was no significant time by group for changes in 50% BENCH (p = 0.27; CI = −2.7, 8.0). There was a significant main effect of time (P = 0.001); both the LONG and SHORT showed a significant increase in 50% BENCH from baseline to poststudy by 23.2% (p < 0.01) and 13.0% (p = 0.03), respectively. For the group as a whole, a strong positive relationship (r = 0.75) was seen between % change in 1RM BENCH and % change in 50% BENCH repetitions (Figure 1).
Discussion
Our study produced several important findings. Consistent with our hypothesis, there was a clear benefit to longer rest intervals from a strength standpoint. Both 1RM SQUAT and 1RM BENCH were significantly greater for LONG compared to SHORT, and effect sizes were at least double that in favor of the longer rest condition for these measures. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was a strong suggestion that longer rest periods had a greater impact on hypertrophic outcomes. Muscle thickness was significantly greater for LONG compared to SHORT in the anterior thigh, and the effect size differences imply that these differences were meaningful. Regarding the triceps brachii, there was a trend for greater increases with LONG compared to SHORT (p = 0.06), and the 95% CI (−0.01, 0.56) suggests a high probability for an effect. Moreover, effect sizes markedly favored LONG compared to SHORT (0.37 versus 0.03, respectively). Although increases in biceps brachii thickness were not different between groups, the effect sizes again favored LONG compared to SHORT (0.39 versus 0.18, respectively). It should also be noted that significant increases in MT for the triceps brachii and biceps brachii were only seen in LONG. Interestingly, increases in thickness of the lateral thigh were similar between conditions. Finally, although both groups saw significant increases in local upper body muscle endurance, rest interval duration did not seem to influence this outcome.
Our finding that LONG produced greater strength increases compared with SHORT is in line with general RT guidelines, which recommend rest periods of 3 minutes or more between sets to maximize absolute strength (9,28). Longer rest periods can allow for the completion of a higher number of repetitions (29) and the maintenance of a higher training intensity and volume (30), and thus may allow for greater muscle activation per set. However, two previous studies showed that varying the rest intervals between sets had no impact on strength outcomes (3,6), whereas another study showed a benefit to shorter rest intervals (23). Of these studies however, two used volume-equated and/or repetition-equated methodological approaches (3,23), which may nullify the aforementioned benefits of longer rest intervals on training capacity. In addition, the remaining study assessed muscular strength using 5RM testing on a Smith Machine rather than a 1RM with free weights (6), which is often considered the “gold standard” for assessing strength in nonlaboratory settings (14).
Regarding increases in muscle mass, our findings were consistent with those of Buresh et al. (6), who reported significantly greater increases in arm CSA and a trend for greater increases in leg CSA with rest durations of 2.5 minutes versus 1 minute. The veracity of the results of Buresh et al. (6) can be questioned because CSA was estimated from anthropometric measurements. In this study, we provide direct site-specific measures showing that longer rest intervals produce significantly greater increases in thickness of the anterior thigh and strong indication of greater growth in the upper arm. These findings are at odds with those of Ahtiainen et al. (3) who found no differences in CSA of the quadriceps femoris with rest intervals of 2 versus 5 minutes and of Villanueva et al. (23) who found greater increases in lean body mass with rest intervals of 1 versus 4 minutes. These studies, in conjunction with this study, reveal an important consideration in interpreting the results from studies examining rest intervals; that is, rest intervals should be considered as an absolute (e.g., 1 minute vs 5 minutes), rather than an arbitrary, relative value (e.g., short vs long). For example, both Ahtiainen et al. (3) and this study sought to directly compare adaptations after training with short vs long rest intervals. However, we used a 1-minute vs 3-minute protocol, whereas Ahtiainen et al. (3) used 2-minute vs 5-minute protocol. Accordingly, it can be inferred that a rest interval of 1 minute is likely too short in duration to promote maximal hypertrophic gains, whereas a 2-minute rest period provides sufficient recuperation in this regard.
The divergent findings from Ahtiainen et al. (3) and Villanueva et al. (23) for strength development and muscular hypertrophy may be due to differences in research design. Both of these studies equated volume between groups, which is in contrast to this study and Buresh et al. (6). In the study of Ahtiainen et al. (3), this resulted in the shorter rest interval group performing on average 1 more set per exercise. Given the dose-response curve of training volume on strength development and muscle hypertrophy (20), the extra sets may have counteracted the negative effect of the shorter rest period on training adaptations, causing equal adaptations in both groups. Moreover, as previously noted, Ahtiainen et al. (3) afforded 2-minute rest between sets, which may have allowed for sufficient recovery and thus negated any detrimental effects associated with shorter rest periods.
Villanueva et al. (23) equated not only total training volume but also repetitions per set and the number of sets. This inherently resulted in the shorter rest interval group training closer to muscular repetition failure per set, which has been found to increase strength development and muscle hypertrophy (17). Training closer to repetition failure may facilitate training adaptations by increasing motor unit recruitment and intramuscular metabolic stress in the form of phosphate metabolites, lactate and H+ accumulation, hypoxia, and lowered pH. In addition, the population examined by Villanueva et al. had a mean age of 68 (±4.1) years. Increasing age is accompanied by well-known functional declines attributed to changes in both the morphology of skeletal muscle tissue and neurological networks that control them (21). Regardless of the differences in methodological approaches used between our study and those of Villanueva et al., the presumption that these differing populations are equally responsive to a training variable such as rest interval duration requires further support.
Henselmans and Schoenfeld (12) hypothesized that the effect of the interset rest interval is primarily mediated by its effect on total training volume and not different between strength development and muscular hypertrophy. This study could not significantly correlate the change in training load to the magnitude of training adaptations; however, our data were statistically underpowered for these analyses. We therefore cannot rule out the possibility that the greater training load achieved by the longer rest period group was responsible for the greater training adaptations. In the study of Buresh et al. (5), the significantly greater upper body muscle hypertrophy co-occurred with significantly greater training loads in the upper body, whereas the lower body muscle hypertrophy difference did not reach statistical significance and co-occurred with a nonsignificantly different training load in the lower body. Moreover, there is compelling evidence for a dose-response effect of RT volume on training adaptations (15,16,20,27). The higher workloads might have a particular impact on the development of type I fibers which, because of their endurance-oriented nature, would benefit from longer times under load. As such, the hypothesis from Henselmans and Schoenfeld (12) requires further research, ideally in the form of a study with a volume-equated group and a nonvolume-equated group.
To the authors' knowledge, no previous study has evaluated the effects of varying rest interval duration on muscular endurance. Somewhat surprisingly, we found no significant differences between resting 1 versus 3 minutes on 50% BENCH . We did, however, observe a strong positive correlation (r = 0.75) between % change in 1RM BENCH and % change in 50% BENCH for the group as a whole. Reducing the amount of rest between sets decreases the ability for clearance of metabolic substrates (1). Theoretically, consistently training in this manner over time should result in adaptations for enhanced buffering capacity that would translate into a greater ability to perform repetitions with submaximal loads. Alternatively, increases in maximal muscular strength may be associated with a reduced cost when performing tasks with the same absolute submaximal load. Although each group increased 1RM BENCH , only LONG reached statistical significance, thereby suggesting that longer rest periods may have greater impact on improving muscular endurance. This hypothesis runs counter to generally accepted RT guidelines (28) and thus warrants further investigation as correlation is not necessarily indicative of causality. It should be noted that results are specific to upper body muscular endurance and cannot necessarily be generalized to those of the lower extremities. Further research is needed to clarify whether differences in this outcome exist between body segments.
The study had several limitations. First, the duration of the training protocol was relatively short. Although the 8-week study period produced significant increases in muscle strength and hypertrophy in most of the outcomes assessed, it remains possible that between-group differences would have diverged over a longer time frame. Second, although subjects were advised to maintain their usual and customary diets, we cannot rule out the possibility that differences in either energy or macronutrient consumption influenced results. Third, volume load could not be adequately determined for the machine-based exercises, as renovation of the university gym forced the use of alternative machines. Although the movement patterns of these machines were identical, they differed in mode of action (cable pulley versus pivot) and thus had different load schemes (load corresponded to a number rather than a true load) that precluded accurate volume load assessment. Thus, it is possible that the volume load data obtained from the 3 barbell exercises did not adequately reflect the actual total volume load performed by each group. Finally, MT measurements were taken only at the midportion of each muscle. Although it is common to use these measures as a proxy of whole-muscle growth, there is evidence that hypertrophy often manifests in a regional-specific manner, with greater protein accretion occurring at the proximal and/or distal aspects of a given muscle (24,25). Thus, it remains possible that subjects may have experienced differential changes in proximal or distal muscle growth in one condition versus the other that would not have been observed with the testing methods employed.
Practical Applications
The present study provides evidence that longer rest periods promote greater increases in muscle strength and hypertrophy. Our findings are consistent with current recommendations for maximal strength gains but run counter to general hypertrophy training guidelines (9,28). When the results are taken together with those of Ahtiainen et al. (3) and Buresh et al. (6), it would seem that a minimum rest interval of ∼2 minutes should be recommended for maximizing gains in muscle size. Beneficial effects of longer rest intervals may be mediated by a higher volume loads, but our study was underpowered to make this determination.
Although our results suggest that longer rest periods be employed for enhancing muscular adaptations, we cannot infer that these findings will necessarily hold true when other training variables are manipulated. It is also noteworthy that there was considerable variability within groups and even between muscle groups in the same participants. This may imply that, when manipulating training variables, susceptibility for adaptations may be specific to the individual and/or muscle group. Moreover, integrating phases of short rest in combination with longer rest periods may evoke responses that could translate into greater muscular gains over time. This possibility warrants further study. Finally, time constraints must also be considered with respect to rest interval duration. Sessions for the LONG lasted more than twice long as those for the SHORT. The cost-benefit tradeoff must therefore be taken into account if training time is an important factor.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Dymatize Nutrition for supplying the whey protein used in this study. The authors also thank Ryan Thiele MA, ATC, LAT for lending his time to best ensure the safety of participants throughout study.
Keywords: rest period; rest interval; muscle hypertrophy; muscular adaptations; rest between sets
Copyright © 2016 by the National Strength & Conditioning Association.
Source Longer Interset Rest Periods Enhance Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research30(7):1805-1812, July 2016.
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NASL
El Miami FC arrancará en abril de 2016. AS estuvo en las pruebas de acceso del equipo de la NASL y habló con su técnico, un mito del fútbol italiano: Alessandro Nesta. El exinternacional azzuri dio la bienvenida a AS USA y compartió sus impresiones sobre el futuro del equipo de expansión de la liga norteamericana.
¿Está ilusionado con el proyecto del Miami FC?
Es un proyecto interesante. Hemos estado sondeando el mercado, buscando jugadores y también viendo lo que hay por aquí [los tryout] para ver si hay algo interesante.
Se dice que han fichado a 10 jugadores. ¿Es verdad?
No. Tenemos nueve jugadores pero aún falta que ellos hagan la visita médica entonces todavía no han firmado los contratos. La mayoría son europeos y sudamericanos.
Siendo usted un exjugador con gran importancia en Italia, ¿fichará algún italiano?
Los italianos son muy caros… cuestan muchísimo. Pero en Sudamérica hay muchos jugadores y los que están ya en Miami se sienten como en casa. Se integraran fácilmente y costarán mucho menos que los europeos.
¿Sorprenderá a la gente en tu primera temporada?
Esperamos hacer lo máximo pero aquí el nivel es bastante equilibrado.
¿Por qué entrenar al Miami?
Lleva ya tres años viviendo aquí en Miami. Me parece que para mi primera experiencia además de interesante, es un puesto más que justo.
¿Cómo jugará su equipo?
Vamos a necesitar un número 10 y jugaremos con dos puntas. ¿Pirlo? Ojalá pero Pirlo sólo hay uno. |
At the St. James Cathedral, we practiced a satiric song we’d sing at stops along the march route. Two WOCC members were dressed up as the Biblical Mary and Joseph in the tradition of the Latin American Posada, a procession commemorating their search for lodgings on what is now Christmas Eve. Our Posada would symbolize the search for justice by downtown workers.
Pastor Liz at our singing practice
Our practice singing was a little ragged and we wandered around the musical scale a bit, but we belted out the words with enthusiasm. An energetic and joyful Rev. Liz Muñoz assured us we were doing fine and to have fun with it. To boost our morale even more, WOCC thoughtfully passed out warm red stocking caps with the WOCC logo embossed on them. I eagerly removed my baseball hat and donned mine.
Our Posada for worker justice
WOCC members play the roles of the Biblical Mary and Joseph.
There were about 150 of us as we left the Cathedral on our Posada. Although our spirits were high and we planned to be light-hearted throughout the afternoon, we were 100% serious. Yana, a worker at Macy's on the Magnificent Mile, had explained one of our purposes at an earlier Fight for 15 action:
“I work in the Water Tower and have been doing so for 9 months.I'm here with the union fighting for $15 because we work hard for little pay. We deserve more for the work we're putting in for these companies, right? I'm passionate about this campaign because in my neighborhood I see a direct connection to the poverty in my community for the lack of jobs.You've got the violence and the gang rivalry. I personally have lost loved ones and friends and I've seen my family members and friends do the same. The violence and everything wouldn't happen if there were jobs out here for people to make a decent living. I’m in a fight for survival." ---Yana, a worker at Macy's
For workers like Yana, this is more than a struggle for better pay. It is literally a matter of life and death. Yana’s analysis is backed up by solid research in WOCC’s detailed report “A Case for $15: A Low Wage Work Crisis”. In that context, our Posada was also a a celebration of peace and hope in dark times.
We marched though the MagMile neighborhood, stopping briefly at McDonalds, Jimmy Johns and Starbucks to sing our satiric Posada song and deliver our message to passersby with leaflets. Our final destination was the Macy’s at Water Tower Place.
WOCC stops at McDonalds
Almost two dozen people had been assigned to block Pearson Street next to Water Tower Place in a sit-in to protest Macy’s low wage policies. The cops allowed us sufficient amount of time to make our point and then moved in for arrests. People were cited and quickly released, allowing them to could join us back at the rendezvous point at St James Cathedral. We made the local news who treated the story more decently than I expected.
Police make arrests next to Macy's
Fight for 15 wants a meeting with the Greater North Michigan Avenue Business Association, which represents companies on the MagMile. Among its Board of Directors is Richard Simon, CEO of United Service Companies, the parent of United Maintenance, the mob linked janitorial firm that just won a juicy contract from the City. It’s Chicago, so you are never too far from The Outfit.
A living wage for is an investment that will repay itself many times over.
“I'm a single mom raising 5 children by myself.And I am here to let you all know that we all go through struggles, not just me but all of us. We can't live off $8.25 so we're here today to fight for what we know is right. Now I am also part of Goodlow Magnet Local School Council. I've been there for 4 years. I've been there as a parent-teacher advocate for 3 years.I've been a volunteer parent for 7 years. I have put all my work into my children's education.”---Parthenia Barnes of Chicago’s West Englewood community.
Parthenia’s $9 an hour seasonal salary at Macy’s means she has to rely on public assistance to meet basic needs. Macy’s refuses to give her a regular work schedule which is very hard on her as a parent with children. She has asked that Macy’s not schedule her when she has a Local School Council meeting, but they ignore her. The Local School Councils are a vital part of maintaining quality education in the Chicago Public Schools.
A Case for $15
For people like Parthenia and the thousands more like her in Chicago, a living wage with regular schedules and generous benefits would result in more stable families and more stable neighborhoods. Reducing financial stress means better physical health and a reduction in domestic and street violence. People would have more time and resources for their children, their schools and their communities. They would have more money to spend in their neighborhood, helping small businesses stay alive and creating more jobs. There would be fewer evictions and foreclosures.
There would be less need for public assistance. People could more easily further their education, become involved in hobbies and recreation, which besides being personally fulfilling for those individuals, can also be a job and income creator. Because of Chicago’s long history of racial separation, the burden of low wages falls heaviest on communities of color.
Since parental income is the single best predictor of school success for children, raising wages to a decent level would do wonders for the Chicago Public Schools and could help end the destructive drive for privatization through charters and turnarounds.
How low wages are failing children in Chicago Schools
A living wage has a multiplier effect that goes far beyond the individuals who would receive it. A living wage is a smart investment to create a better city for all.
If a living wage is a good social investment, then why is Chicago’s political and financial elite so opposed it?
“Whose city? Our city!”
In 1968, Henri Lefebvre wrote the book Le Droit à la ville (The Right to the City) which asked who has the right to make and transform a city? His book launched a global Right to the City movement which seeks to democratize a process which is largely dominated by political and economic elites. At the US Social Forum in 2008, the Right to the City Movement was explained this way:
“The right cannot be limited to people who own property in the cities or to legally recognized citizens; instead it belongs to all urban residents: working class people, poor people, homeless people, youth, women, queer people, people of color, immigrants, all of us. The people of the city have the right to remain in their cities and to benefit from what the city has to offer. Perhaps even more importantly, they have the right to democratically determine the future development of the city.”
Across Chicago, the cry of “Whose city? Our city?” has been raised at countless rallies and marches, with Fight for 15 being the latest to add their voices. Why should the wealth created by Chicago’s working class be invested without their participation in the decisions? Why should it be invested in bloated CEO compensation like the $14.5 million awarded to Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren when Macy’s workers are struggling just to survive?
“Analysis of more than 50 publicly traded retail and restaurant companies that have operations in the downtown Chicago area found that the average CEO compensation package in 2011 was about $8.3 million.
If broken down as an hourly wage, this would amount to $4,011 per hour (assuming they work a forty hour week), about 409 times more than what these companies pay their typical worker.”--- A Case for $15: A low wage work crisis
Chicago is one of the wealthiest cities on the planet through its participation in global finance, yet very little this money makes its way to the city’s working class. Poverty has been increasing in Chicago every year since the 2008 Crash, with child poverty now afflicting over 1/3 of Chicago’s children. Investing in exotic casino capitalism schemes is somehow more important than Chicago’s children.
The trend in Chicago is toward divestment in working class neighborhoods, low wages for workers and deep cuts in public services. The city elite has engaged in deliberate unionbusting through privatization, resulting in unstable jobs with few worker protections. The City has closed mental health centers, reduced library services, closed neighborhood schools, slashed CTA transit routes and seems hell bent on turning more lucrative city services over to private companies with political ties to the Mayor.
Since the 2008 Crash the top 1% of the USA has reaped 93% of real income growth. The corrosive effect of gross income inequality on the social fabric of nations has been well documented. Besides being a crime against humanity, it is also dangerous to the very capitalist system so-beloved by our political and financial elites. One of the major factors in both the 1929 and 2008 financial crashes was income inequality.
Chicago’s economic and political elite thinks it is the sole owner of the city, even as they force it down a perilous economic path. The Workers Organizing Committee of Chicago does not agree.
“You leave us with no other choice. Working people still have a voice.”--from the WOCC Posada song
That line from WOCC’s Posada song reminds us that although we are up against some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in human history, we also have a power if we choose to use it. After the demonstration ended at Macy’s, most people headed back to the Cathedral. I decided to duck into Water Tower Place on Michigan Ave to get a quick cup of coffee and write some notes about the events of the day.
I was stopped from entering by two security guards who refused to give me their names. My crime? I was wearing a red WOCC stocking cap with the union logo. If I took it off, I could go inside. If a single union cap is seen as a threat to Corporate Chicago, imagine if there were 10,000 people on Michigan Avenue wearing caps from their unions? Or 100,000? Or 500,000?
A million, or even more? Now that would be a day of reckoning.
Video of the December 22, 2012 WOCC march and sit-in.
Sources consulted
A case for $15: A low wage worker crisis
Fight for the future: How low wages are failing children in Chicago’s schools
21 Protesters Arrested At Mag Mile Demonstration For Raising Minimum Wage |
NASA is supposed to build machines that launch into space, not structures that stay grounded on Earth and send spending into the stratosphere.
But that is exactly what is happening this year as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration completes the $350 million rocket-engine testing A-3 tower at its research facility in Mississippi. There is just one problem: The space exploration agency doesn’t want it.
Instead, NASA is forced to complete the project — which now won’t be put to use — because of legislation handed down from Congress in what critics say is a classic example of earmarking.
“Because the Constellation Program was cancelled in 2010 the A-3’s unique testing capabilities will not be needed and the stand will be mothballed upon completion,” NASA’s internal watchdog, the inspector general, said this month.
Bloomberg News, which first reported the issue this week, called the structure “an example of how U.S. lawmakers thwart efforts to cut costs and eliminate government waste, even as they criticize agencies for failing to do so.”
NASA does not expect to use the tower after construction but is compelled by legislation from Sen. Roger F. Wicker, Mississippi Republican, who wants to ensure the project is completed.
PHOTOS: Elite U.S. Navy SEALs in action
For failing to heed government officials and forcing wasteful spending on taxpayers, Mr. Wicker wins this week’s Golden Hammer, a distinction given by The Washington Times for examples of fiscal waste, fraud and abuse.
Ironically, Congress says it has been operating under a self-imposed ban on earmarks — pet projects that funnel money back to lawmakers’ home districts, often at taxpayer expense. But recent examples show members are still finding ways around the self-imposed prohibition.
Mr. Wicker said the testing tower would help maintain the research center’s place at the forefront of U.S. space exploration.
“Stennis Space Center is the nation’s premier rocket engine testing facility,” a statement from the senator said. “It is a magnet for public and private research investment because of infrastructure projects like the A-3 test stand. In 2010, I authored an amendment to require the completion of that particular project, ensuring the Stennis facility is prepared for ever-changing technologies and demands.”
The Washington Times has reported on similar examples of Congress forcing unwanted spending on agencies and taxpayers. Last year, for example, Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, earned the Golden Hammer for forcing the Army to buy a half-billion dollars worth of Abrams tanks even though military leaders say they were not needed.
The A-3 testing tower will stand 300 feet and be able to withstand 1 million pounds of thrust, NASA says. The massive steel structure is designed to test how rocket engines operate at altitudes of up to 100,000 feet by creating a vacuum within the testing chamber to simulate the upper reaches of the atmosphere, said Rebecca Strecker, a spokeswoman for the Stennis facility.
The testing is a key component in evaluating how the propulsion systems will perform in outer space.
When construction on the structure began in May 2007, NASA was preparing to work on the Ares series of rockets that would propel Constellation spacecraft to the moon and eventually to Mars. Since the program was canceled in 2010, NASA says, there is little reason to operate the tower.
The problem is not uncommon for the space agency, investigators said.
“Test stands for large rocket propulsion systems cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build or refurbish and may sit idle for many years after the programs for which they were built end,” the inspector general said.
When the final tally is calculated, the inspector general said, the cost of the facility will be $350 million, though it noted some estimates place it at more than $400 million. Ms. Strecker estimated that it will cost another $900,000 annually to maintain the structure while it is waiting for a purpose.
NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said the agency is maintaining a balance between making sure it has the skills needed for future projects while ensuring good management of its infrastructure in a time of tight budget constraints.
“This is an ongoing effort to make sure we have the right workforce and capabilities,” he said. “We have to be prepared for future exploration.”
The John C. Stennis Space Center, located in the southern part of Mississippi not far from New Orleans, has long been NASA’s largest engine testing facility. It helped create the Saturn V rocket propulsion for the Apollo space program that culminated with the first moon landing in 1969. Mr. Beutel said the center has nine test stands, seven of which are working on active projects.
Pete Sepp, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union, told Bloomberg News that the agency should have been allowed to stop construction on the tower.
“Current federal spending trends are not sustainable, and if NASA can make a relatively painless contribution to deficit reduction by shutting down an unwanted program, why not let it happen?” he said. “It’s not rocket science, at least fiscally.”
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. |
- A North Dakota man was arrested in Northwest D.C. after he allegedly planned to kidnap one of the Obama family’s dogs, according to court documents.
Secret Service agents took Scott Stockert, 49, into custody Wednesday at the Hampton Inn located at 901 6th Street. He arrived in the District alone, driving a pick-up truck from North Dakota.
In court Friday, Stockert admitted to sending a text message to his daughter saying that he planned to take Bo, one of the first family's dogs, because he heard “they weren’t taking care of him.” He also said he was kidding.
When agents searched Stockert’s truck, which was parked at 501 K Street, they found a shotgun and a rifle, both unloaded. Stockert did not have a registration for a firearm in any jurisdiction, according to court documents.
In addition to the firearms, authorities say they found 289 rounds of .22 caliber long rifle bullets, 71 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition and two rounds of .223 rifle ammunition.
A machete with a 12-inch blade and an 18-inch billy club were also recovered from the pick-up truck.
During Stockert’s interview with agents, he allegedly stated that his parents were John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. He also said that he came to D.C. to go to the Capitol to advocate for $99 per month healthcare and to announce that he was running for president.
As he was being transported, Stockert allegedly claimed to be Jesus Christ.
According to court documents, he also stated, "You picked the wrong person to mess with. I will (expletive) your world up."
Stockert was charged with illegally carrying a rifle or shotgun outside a home or business.
After a hearing Friday morning, a judge ordered that Stockert be released into a high-intensity supervision program pending a court date.
He must stay away from the White House, the Capitol and surrounding areas. |
The Secret World of Alex Mack is an American television series that ran on Nickelodeon from October 8, 1994 to January 15, 1998, replacing Clarissa Explains It All on the SNICK line-up.[1][2] It also aired on YTV in Canada, Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and NHK in Japan, and was a staple in the children's weekday line-up for much of the mid-to-late 1990s on the ABC. Repeats of the series aired in 2003 on The N, but it was soon replaced there. The series was produced by Thomas Lynch and John Lynch of Lynch Entertainment, produced by RHI Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nickelodeon Productions, and was co-created by Tom Lynch and Ken Lipman.
Plot [ edit ]
Alex Mack is an ordinary teenage girl, living with her parents, George and Barbara, and older sister, Annie, in the fictional corporate town of Paradise Valley. While walking home after her first day of junior high school, she is nearly hit by a truck from a chemical plant, and during the incident, she is drenched with a top-secret chemical called GC-161. She soon discovers that it has given her strange powers, such as telekinesis, shooting electricity from her fingers, and the ability to dissolve into a mobile puddle of water. However, her powers prove to be unpredictable (such as when her skin starts glowing brightly when she is nervous). She confides only in Annie and her best friend, Ray, choosing to keep her powers a secret from everyone else, including her parents, for fear of what the chemical plant CEO, Danielle Atron, will do to her if she finds out.
Characters [ edit ]
Main characters [ edit ]
Alex Mack (played by Larisa Oleynik) - Alex is an average teenager in Paradise Valley. While walking home from school, she is nearly hit by a truck carrying GC-161 and is doused with it, thus giving her extraordinary powers. [3] [4] [5] [6] Among them are telekinesis and the ability to liquefy.
(played by Larisa Oleynik) - Alex is an average teenager in Paradise Valley. While walking home from school, she is nearly hit by a truck carrying GC-161 and is doused with it, thus giving her extraordinary powers. Among them are telekinesis and the ability to liquefy. Ray Alvarado (played by Darris Love) – Alex's closest friend and next-door neighbor, and the only one besides Annie to know about Alex's powers.
(played by Darris Love) – Alex's closest friend and next-door neighbor, and the only one besides Annie to know about Alex's powers. Annie Mack (played by Meredith Bishop) – Alex's older sister, and a scientific genius in her own right. Next to Ray, she is the only one who originally knows about Alex's powers. [7] She administers various scientific tests to ensure Alex's safety. She also hopes to one day present her research, in an effort to stop Danielle Atron.
(played by Meredith Bishop) – Alex's older sister, and a scientific genius in her own right. Next to Ray, she is the only one who originally knows about Alex's powers. She administers various scientific tests to ensure Alex's safety. She also hopes to one day present her research, in an effort to stop Danielle Atron. George Mack (played by Michael Blakley) – Alex's father. He is a brilliant chemist who works for Danielle Atron at the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant.
(played by Michael Blakley) – Alex's father. He is a brilliant chemist who works for Danielle Atron at the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant. Barbara Mack (played by Dorian Lopinto) – Alex's mother. She is a more down-to-earth woman who works in a public relations firm.
Recurring cast [ edit ]
Louis Driscoll (played by Benjamin Kimball Smith) – Alex and Ray's abrasive friend.
(played by Benjamin Kimball Smith) – Alex and Ray's abrasive friend. Dave Watt (played by John Nielsen) – The dim-witted truck driver who was driving the truck that dumped the GC-161 chemical on Alex. As the only witness to the accident, Dave is often forced to serve as a partner to Vince Carter (see below) in trying to capture Alex. After seeing Alex using her powers while she was in high school, Dave keeps it a secret from Danielle to protect her as he knew what kind of horrible experiments Danielle had planned for her.
(played by John Nielsen) – The dim-witted truck driver who was driving the truck that dumped the GC-161 chemical on Alex. As the only witness to the accident, Dave is often forced to serve as a partner to Vince Carter (see below) in trying to capture Alex. After seeing Alex using her powers while she was in high school, Dave keeps it a secret from Danielle to protect her as he knew what kind of horrible experiments Danielle had planned for her. Scott Greene (played by Jason Strickland) – Alex's junior high crush.
(played by Jason Strickland) – Alex's junior high crush. Jessica (played by Jessica Alba) – Scott's first girlfriend and Alex's first school rival.
(played by Jessica Alba) – Scott's first girlfriend and Alex's first school rival. Kelly Phillips (played by Hilary Salvatore) – Scott's second girlfriend and Alex's second school rival. Kelly deviously discredits Alex at every given turn, much to Alex's dismay.
(played by Hilary Salvatore) – Scott's second girlfriend and Alex's second school rival. Kelly deviously discredits Alex at every given turn, much to Alex's dismay. Robyn Russo (played by Natanya Ross) – One of Alex's neighborhood friends. Though she possesses a sardonic sense of humor and is fun to be around, she suffers from low self-esteem.
(played by Natanya Ross) – One of Alex's neighborhood friends. Though she possesses a sardonic sense of humor and is fun to be around, she suffers from low self-esteem. Nicole Wilson (played by Alexis Fields) – Another of Alex's friends. An opposite personality to Robyn, has a take-charge attitude and strong-willed demeanor.
(played by Alexis Fields) – Another of Alex's friends. An opposite personality to Robyn, has a take-charge attitude and strong-willed demeanor. Danielle Atron (played by Louan Gideon) – The owner/CEO of the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant who is the main antagonist of the series. She wants to market GC-161 as a radical new weight-loss drug, and has made it her mission to find the GC-161 child (who she does not know is Alex) and capture her, as both a test subject and a threat to the secrecy of her plans.
(played by Louan Gideon) – The owner/CEO of the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant who is the main antagonist of the series. She wants to market GC-161 as a radical new weight-loss drug, and has made it her mission to find the GC-161 child (who she does not know is Alex) and capture her, as both a test subject and a threat to the secrecy of her plans. Vince Carter (played by John Marzilli) – The maniacal head of security at the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant, he makes it his obsession to find the GC-161 child (even after he gets fired from the Plant).
(played by John Marzilli) – The maniacal head of security at the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant, he makes it his obsession to find the GC-161 child (even after he gets fired from the Plant). Lars Frederickson (played by Kevin Quigley) – A skilled chemist hailing from the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant's foreign branch in Vienna. He becomes Danielle Atron's chief subordinate after Vince gets fired. He is named after one of the members of punk rock group Rancid.
(played by Kevin Quigley) – A skilled chemist hailing from the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant's foreign branch in Vienna. He becomes Danielle Atron's chief subordinate after Vince gets fired. He is named after one of the members of punk rock group Rancid. Hunter Reeves (played by Will Estes) – Hunter comes to Paradise Valley with an agenda concerning the disappearance of his father in relation to GC-161.
Episodes [ edit ]
Season Episodes Originally aired First aired Last aired 1 13 October 8, 1994 ( ) February 4, 1995 ( 1995-02-04 ) 2 20 October 14, 1995 ( ) September 28, 1996 ( 1996-09-28 ) 3 25 October 5, 1996 ( ) March 4, 1997 ( 1997-03-04 ) 4 20 September 23, 1997 ( ) January 15, 1998 ( 1998-01-15 )
Filming locations [ edit ]
The series was filmed in Valencia, California and the Santa Clarita Valley. The Mack home and Paradise Valley Chemical Plant interiors were filmed in a converted warehouse used as a soundstage. The junior high scenes were filmed at Charles Helmers and James Foster Elementary Schools. Castaic Middle School was used for senior high scenes.[8] The house, used for exterior shots, is located in the Westford Place neighborhood of Valencia.
Availability [ edit ]
The show's first season (consisting of 13 episodes on two discs) was released by Genius Entertainment on DVD format on October 2, 2007.[9] The set is noteworthy for giving Jessica Alba top billing on the package, most likely in an effort to sell more copies, even though she actually only appears in a supporting role, and only in a few episodes. This was then released in Region 2 on April 2, 2012 and in Region 4 on June 6, 2012.
The first and second seasons are available through Amazon.com's Instant Video section and through iTunes. Episodes of the series have been seen on a sporadic basis on TeenNick's 1990s-oriented block, The '90s Are All That.
Mill Creek Entertainment released the complete series on DVD for the very first time on August 1, 2017.[10]
Book series [ edit ]
A book series aimed at young readers was released along with the series. The first and last books of the series were novelizations of the first and last episodes, respectively. The rest of the series consisted of completely original stories, tied into the main series through the mentioning of various plot points from the TV episodes. |
He made clear today that he has approved plans to trim projected increases in Pentagon spending by as much as $167 billion from 1990 through 1994, a cut that would be somewhat smaller than the cuts identified last November by the armed services. Mr. Cheney asked the services then to draw up plans for cutting projected spending by $180 billion from 1992 to 1994.
A Political Strategy
Mr. Cheney's plans and other budget-cutting steps outlined by the Pentagon in recent weeks constitute both a program to reshape the military and a political strategy for dealing with Congress, which is eager to impose its own visions and spending plans. The Defense Secretary, in effect, has given Congress a detailed plan and challenged it to accept his approach or come up with its own formula for making the hard decisions about how to trim the military budget.
Liberal Democrats in Congress complained that Mr. Cheney had failed to cancel some expensive weapons programs and that the reductions proposed in the Pentagon budget cuts did not go far enough.
The military budget is ''very disappointing,'' said Representative Leon E. Panetta, Democrat of California.
But Republicans like Senator John W. Warner of Virginia, the ranking minority member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, cautioned against making sweeping changes in American military planning during a period of tumultuous political change in Europe.
Army Gets Biggest Cuts
In discussing his plans for reshaping the military, Mr. Cheney said he had resisted some possible cuts over the next year, including retiring some aircraft carriers. But he did not exclude that possibility in the future. He imposed the biggest budget cuts on the Army, whose mission of defending Western Europe has been brought into question by political changes in Eastern Europe and the withdrawal of some Soviet forces there.
Under Mr. Cheney's plan, the number of Army and Air Force personnel would be reduced in 1991 to its lowest level in 40 years, a cut that includes the elimination of two active Army divisions, the Second Armored Division at Fort Hood, Tex., and the Ninth Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Wash.
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Mr. Cheney said three additional divisions, one active and two reserve, would be eliminated in the future if the Soviet conventional threat continues to recede. The Pentagon projects reducing active Army strength in five years by 135,000 soldiers, about 18 percent from its current strength of 764,000.
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Other reductions that Mr. Cheney said could be made pending completion of arms control efforts includes cutting Air Force tactical fighter wings from 36 to 31, reconsidering plans to build Trident submarines and other ships, and further cuts in the National Guard and the Reserves.
Mr. Cheney also made public a list of 35 domestic and 13 overseas bases that the Defense Department is considering closing, a move that is expected to touch off a political uproar on Capitol Hill.
Mr. Cheney's stress on preserving a long-range nuclear program is also likely to be the focus of debate in Congress. Many lawmakers have challenged the Pentagon's plan to build Stealth bombers, which cost more than $500 million each, and to increase money for the ''Star Wars'' missile defense system by $900 million when Moscow and Washington are moving to conclude a treaty cutting long-range arms.
At the news conference, the Secretary said the threat posed by Soviet nuclear forces had not diminished substantially. Referring to Moscow's long-range nuclear forces, he said, ''What we don't see is any reduction with respect to their strategic capability.''
While the Pentagon's purchasing power has declined steadily since 1985, Mr. Cheney said the 1991 military budget was the first time in recent years the Pentagon has proposed a cut in spending after allowing for inflation.
The Pentagon's long-term spending plan would leave the military with 22 percent less purchasing power in 1995 than it had in 1985, the height of the Reagan Administration's military buildup. Under the plan, military spending would represent 4 percent of the nation's gross national product in 1995.
The Pentagon budget for the fiscal year 1991 would cut 38,000 people from the armed services. The reduction would leave the military with 2,038,800 personnel, a force roughly equal to the size of the military in 1980. The Army and the Air Force would bear the brunt of the cuts; by the end of 1991, those two services would be at their lowest active force levels since 1950.
Under the 1991 budget, the Navy would eliminate two of its four battleships, including the Iowa, which lost 47 sailors last April when a gun turret exploded in a naval exercise. But the total number of ships would remain roughly constant at 546.
The Marine Corps, which emerged relatively unscathed, would begin planning to deactivate 14 artillery batteries. The Air Force would deactivate 14 of its 157 conventionally armed B-52 bombers and end production of its F-15E fighter plane. |
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "Until this moment Mariupol had been outside of the fighting, now bodies lie in the streets, says the BBC's David Stern
At least 20 people have been killed and dozens injured in rocket attacks by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine's government-held port of Mariupol, police there say.
Grad rockets hit a market in a residential eastern area, the police chief said.
The main eastern Ukraine rebel leader said an offensive against Mariupol had begun, RIA news agency reported.
Since April, more than 5,000 people have died in fighting in the east.
The rebels have seized a large swathe of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. More than a million people have been displaced.
The rebel leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, said on Friday that he did not want truce talks with the government.
A ceasefire agreed in Minsk in September but never fully took hold. Many hoped that the lower level of hostilities it introduced would last, but the BBC's David Stern says that the fighting is beginning to approach what was seen last summer.
'Very scared'
Mariupol has a population of 500,000 and is in a highly strategic position, sitting between rebel-held eastern areas and Crimea, which was annexed by Russia last March. The city saw heavy fighting in August.
Our correspondent says that if the hostilities move to Mariupol it will signal a major escalation in the fighting.
Unverified video footage on Saturday indicated that a number cars, houses and apartment buildings had been struck and were in flames.
Our correspondent says the attack appeared to come from a multiple-rocket launcher, which fires a large number of missiles over a spread-out area.
Interfax news agency quoted the defence ministry of the rebel Donetsk People's Republic as denying involvement.
"This is blatant misinformation and a lie. Rebel forces did not open any fire in the direction of Mariupol, especially not on residential areas," it was quoted as saying.
One resident told Agence France-Presse by telephone: "Obviously, everyone in the city is very scared. The rebels have already seized the airport. And now they are starting to destroy Mariupol itself."
The US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, tweeted: "Today's indiscriminate shelling of Mariupol part of an apparently Russian-backed general offensive in complete violation of Minsk agreements."
On Friday, rebel military spokesman Eduard Basurin said 24 rebel troops had been killed and 30 wounded in recent fighting. He called it "the heaviest losses in our ranks" in a 24-hour period.
In another development, the rebel mayor of Pervomaysk, west of Luhansk, has been killed, reports say.
The body of Yevhen Ischchenko was found in a car. Three other men were apparently killed along with him. The local rebel leadership blamed Ukrainian agents, but other sources said it was the result of infighting.
Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany have all issued calls for an end to the fighting.
Ukraine and its Western allies say Russian regular troops are fighting alongside the separatists, using Russian heavy artillery and tanks. Moscow insists that only Russian "volunteers" have joined the rebels.
Ukraine: the human cost
Image copyright AP
Some 5.2 million people live in conflict-affected areas and 1.4 million are considered "highly vulnerable and in need of assistance"
More than a million people have fled their homes with 633,523 living as displaced persons within Ukraine and 593,622 living outside Ukraine, mostly in Russia
More than 5,000 people have been killed in the fighting and more than 10,300 injured
Source: UN report of 9 January for refugee figures; news reports for casualty estimates
Donetsk airport: Ukraine's coveted prize
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On May 8th, Israelis marked the 46th anniversary of Jerusalem Day. For those of you unfamiliar with the holiday, this annual love fest features angry mobs of Israelis of all ages, marching through the streets of the Old City in celebration of the reunification of Jerusalem. I have often wondered if part of the reason they are so angry is because, deep down inside, they know Jerusalem is nowhere near united.Some of the fun-filled activities to partake in on Jerusalem Day include: blocking the entrances to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher; bullying Palestinian shops in The Old City into closing; canceling the Muslim call to prayer; and running hog wild through the holiest of cities shrieking lovely epithets like, “Die Arab Die!” and random facts like "Mohammed is dead." How's that for unity?
Need more hate in your parades? Join the storming of the Damascus Gate and be sure to wear your most offensive t-shirt. May I recommend the one featuring a picture of the dome from The Dome of the Rock being demolished by a Caterpillar bulldozer? It's a fashion risk, but also an incitement must.
Jerusalem Day 2013 was a feel-good romp that ended with several Palestinians arrested, a gaggle of protestors beaten down, and one Mufti randomly detained for six hours. Is this a snapshot of what the future holds for Palestinians living in an “undivided” Jerusalem? A life of inequality where their shops are arbitrarily closed so bigots can frolic, where prayer calls and church bells are silenced on a whim, and where the omnipresent Israeli Army provides cover for the thugs who harass them? It sounds like paradise. Why wouldn’t the world want that instead of a mixed city where all can worship and buy useless tchotchkes freely?
As I was scrolling through the Jerusalem Day hashtag on Twitter, the words "Stephen Hawking” caught my eye. I first assumed he was dead, so I immediately clicked to see why the George Clooney of disability’s name was trending worldwide. It turns out that Stephen Hawking was alive and well, though many wished that he wasn’t. Hawking, who'd visit Israel in the past, had just confirmed that he was coming out loud and proud for BDS and would be skipping the Israeli Presidential Conference in Jerusalem. An abliest firestorm erupted on Twitter, the likes of which I haven’t witnessed since Oscar Pistorius' deadly fall from grace. Posts on social media suggested that Hawking's decision to respect Palestinian academics’ call for the boycott of Israel should be punishable by death. According to the haters, he was pretty much already dead anyway, being old and disabled and all, and it was definitely time to put him out of his misery. The twits on Twitter were quick to suggest unplugging Hawking. I’m not sure what they want to unplug him from or what they imagine the result would be. He is not a refrigerator. He has Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), and unplugging him will not kill him. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Hawking was instantly branded a “hypocrite" by the peanut gallery. As punishment for his transgression, they wanted to not only deny his right to free speech, but also his ability to physically speak at all. You see, Stephen Hawking uses a thingamabob to vocalize that has Intel’s technology inside, and Intel has a company branch in Israel. According to his critics, if Hawking wanted to boycott Israel, he'd have to boycott all or nothing. That included Intel and McDonalds. If he was going to bite the hand that freed his voice, they believed Hawking should have that voice taken away. His detractors demanded he pop out the Intel chip in his communication tablet and be silenced forever. The Give Up Your Chip Crew believed that, without Israel's technological miracles, Stephen Hawking would just be a sack of protoplasm slumped in a chair; he should just shut up and say thank you. There's no evidence the technology Hawking currently uses is made in Israel. If for some insane reason, though, Intel did choose to punish him for standing with BDS by denying him access to their technology, I'm pretty sure that Apple would be happy to pick up the slack. Siri, meet Stevie.
Originally, Hawking had planned to attend the conference as well as visit with professors at several Palestinian universities. I am always begging friends, acquaintances, and audiences to visit Palestine, and I cannot tell a lie—I would have loved for Hawking to go to the West Bank followed by a film crew. They could have live-streamed him getting tangled in the turnstiles while attempting to maneuver the checkpoints between Bethlehem University and Birzeit, proving that even Israel’s miraculous technology is no match for their disabled un-friendly checkpoints.
Hawking’s withdrawal from the Israeli Presidential Conference received such a vitriolic response that I imagine he is certain that he made the correct calculations in choosing to stay home and catch up on Downton Abbey. Those that did not want him unplugged or silenced resorted to calling Hawking every disabled slur in the book—from “gimp” to “cripple” to, my personal favorite, “spaghetti brains.” Instead of challenging his politics or his ideology, they kept it classy and went straight to the "retard" jokes. The physically disabled have a long, brutal history of being treated as mentally inferior. It'd be a challenge to find a kid with a disability who hasn't had that slur thrown his or her way. Watching "the man who invented time" be called a retard was a painful trigger to so many of us.
One of the world’s greatest minds was robotized, dehumanized, and reduced to a simpleton. Hawking had committed the ultimate sin in boycotting Israel, which meant that all bets were off. Like Stevie Wonder before him, his disability was now fair game. Ableists made sure we all knew from the memes they whipped up that the renowned physicist needed help "wiping his ass," so he couldn't possibly have penned the statement explaining his decision to boycott all by himself. Hawking was painted as a poor invalid in his golden years, controlled and exploited by nefarious Palestinian puppeteers. The attacks on Hawking's physicality, which he has no control over, were shameless attempts to undermine his dignity and prove that his endorsement of BDS was meaningless and therefore in no way a coup for the movement.
From chants of “The Dome! The Dome! The Dome is on fire!” at Damascus Gate to Tweeters suggesting #StephenHawking be rolled down Masada with no brakes on his chair, hate was the star of Jerusalem Day. I suggest that next year the Powers that Be turn it into a day of service. Because, in its present state, Jerusalem Day highlights not the mythical reunification of Jerusalem—but the loss of her soul. |
Back in June, we informed you about the lack of any patch/update for the PC version of NieR: Automata. Normally we wouldn’t be posting another story about it, however Square Enix attempted a damage control in June, claiming that it’s been working with both NVIDIA and AMD in order to release a patch for NieR: Automata. Well, it’s been almost two months since that statement so what’s the status of NieR: Automata PC?
And to be honest, nothing really changed since June. The only update that NieR: Automata received – via a driver update and not a proper PC patch – was from NVIDIA back in July 28th, and from AMD a few days ago. NVIDIA released in July a new driver that addressed an issue where the screen could turn white during NieR:Automata gameplay. Similarly, AMD’s Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 17.5.2 fixes a bug that could cause the screen to go blank or white, along with some other issues such as random hangs or game crashes after short periods of gameplay.
So yeah, no performance improvements, no PC enhancements, no official fixes for the game’s ridiculous resolution issues, no improvements to the game’s keyboard+mouse control scheme, and no fixes for any of the game’s bugs that have been reported by its community.
Ironically, NieR: Automata would be a really mediocre experience on the PC if it wasn’t for the FAR mod from Kaldaien. After all, there isn’t any way to fix the game’s resolution scaling issues and the cutscene stuttering bug other than using the FAR mod.
Now we are not really surprised by this. Back in June, we claimed that Square Enix’s statement sounded more like an attempt at damage control and nothing more. And… well… we were right.
In conclusion, we can safely say that Square Enix – and PlatinumGames – have left NieR: Automata PC to its fate. Oh, and the game still uses Denuvo, even though it has been cracked. |
The Battlefield franchise is in a weird place. The rushed release date-focused Battlefield 4 sort of backfired for developer DICE and publisher Electronic Arts to the point where it received less-than-stellar reviews and helped ignite several lawsuits from shareholders against the publisher for the quality of the game.
For the gamers, the consumers, Battlefield 4 proved problematic for many and required over a year of extensive updates to become the game it should have been at launch. So, after launching in a broken (“unacceptable” according to EA’s CEO) state, and providing less content than its predecessor (Battlefield 3 at least tried to include a co-op mode), EA still went ahead in double-dipping against the player base, asking for players to essentially pay twice the price of the game to get the “Premium” experience and all the DLC that comes with it. They also have those pesky, dirty microtransactions to buy in-game items that are held back from players unless they grind.
For the most hardcore players who stuck with it all along, BF4 is in a much better place now. We really wish Battlefield 4 came out now – with all of its content – instead of when it did with so much less. It would have been one of the better games of 2014. The final DLC as part of the season’s pass, Battlefield 4: Final Stand, released a few weeks ago for Premium subscribers and this week finally released for regular sale. And just as it did, EA is about to share news that they aren’t done. There’s more DLC on the way.
But first, they of course had issues with Battlefield 4: Final Stand this week where it didn’t work for players who purchased it separately. That issue, EA has confirmed, has since been rectified. We couldn’t be more relieved that they made sure to delay Battlefield Hardline until March 2015. Imagine if that came out a month or two ago? At this point, the way games have been releasing in the last few months and given EA and Battlefield’s recent history, it was practically guaranteed to be a mess.
As for what’s next, we’re guessing EA is going to sell more DLC for the Battlefield community to have something new to fill the gap between now and Hardline’s release. We don’t know any official details outside of Producer at DICE LA David Sirland teasing that an announcement on the sixth DLC pack could be announced next Tuesday, December 9th.
For the next DLC, DICE and EA have a chance to do something special for fans (to get back that player trust they admitted to losing) if they play their cards right. Charging for this separately after all the nickel and diming they’ve done so far would just be aggravating so perhaps a free DLC pack to bring players back or to entice newcomers to purchase the entire (now discounted) package, would be smart. It would also be a good way for DICE to do something a little more fun-focused, something they just started to do in Final Stand where they teased the origins of Battlefield 2142 and included a usable hovertank.
If you’ve been following our Battlefield coverage these last few years, you know what I’m thinking. Unleash the dinosaurs, DICE. Jurassic World is on the way. The timing is right! Call of Duty has aliens and zombies…
Note: There’s little to no chance of that happening. Perhaps they could use new DLC to tease or setup Hardline or the recently confirmed Battlefield 5 which i coming fall 2016.
In other news, Visceral promised their Frostbite-powered EA shooter will “work” at launch.
[Update: The “Uprise” dogtag discovered in the community test environment a few weeks ago that had some players believing it was the name of upcoming DLC is actually the name of the company who makes Battlelog.]
Battlefield 4: Final Stand is now available on all platforms. Battlefield Hardline releases March 17 2015 for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
Follow Rob on Twitter @rob_keyes.
Sources: EA, Game Informer |
MONTREAL/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United Nations’ civil aviation body has reached outline agreement on a global scheme to curb airline carbon emissions, casting a shadow over a rival EU plan to lower pollution from planes.
A boy looks out a window overlooking the haze-covered Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur June 24, 2013. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad
The executive committee of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) agreed late on Thursday on a roadmap to create the world’s first global, market-based scheme by 2020.
The full assembly of ICAO delegates still has to vote later on Friday on the plan, which would also need agreement on further detail at the next ICAO general assembly in three years.
The European Union had sought a much more robust agreement as well as a framework to shore up its own Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) which is central to its climate policy and requires all airlines using EU airports to pay for emissions.
Analysts say the European Parliament, which is opposed to a weak deal, could reject the Montreal package, risking an upsurge in trade war threats that pitched the European Union against the rest of the world last year.
The United States, together with emerging powers such as India and China, have been the most critical of the extension of ETS to airlines, saying it is a breach of sovereignty and a global alternative is needed.
U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern welcomed the Montreal deal.
“After some very challenging discussions, including compromises by all parties, ICAO has made a strong commitment in favor of taking multilateral action to tackle climate change,” he said.
European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said the deal showed “the EU’s hard work is paying off”.
“We will now look at how to proceed up to 2020 with our EU ETS,” she said in a statement.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one EU official admitted its negotiating delegation in Montreal was bruised.
Analysts said the deal limited the ETS to intra-EU flights, reducing its coverage by about 60 percent, and risked more legal challenges to the scheme on competition grounds.
Low-cost airlines, operating almost exclusively EU flights, have already begun legal proceedings.
“It would appear that none of the EU red lines, spelt out unequivocally at the time of granting the ‘stop the clock’ derogation (suspension), will be met by the outcome,” John Hanlon, secretary general of the European Low Fares Airline Association, told Reuters.
“The EU compromise offer of inclusion of emissions from international flights in EU airspace looks to be rejected in its entirety. This leaves intra-EU ETS totally ineffective environmentally, capturing only a fraction of EU aviation emissions of CO2.”
TRADE WAR THREATS
When the European Union suspended its aviation law for a year, it said the requirement for all aviation, not just internal EU flights, to pay for emissions would be reimposed automatically unless the ICAO agrees a robust market-based measure.
The ETS, which covers big polluters such as power generators and heavy industry, as well as aviation, has sunk this year to record low levels under a burden of surplus allowances.
It was trading down 0.4 percent at 5.18 euros a tonne by 9:22 a.m. ET.
Traders said the market impact was modest because the aviation sector’s inclusion in the ETS was already reduced, but it sent a very weak signal on any potential to extend the ETS.
The European Parliament will have to act quickly if it is to endorse any extension of the European Commission’s decision to “stop the clock” on its law in time for an April 2014 deadline when the European Commission would resume demanding carbon allowances.
German Christian Democrat politician Peter Liese, who steered the original law through the European Parliament and led the debate on the “stop the clock” law, said he could not comment immediately on Friday. |
Intersectionality in Racial Justice and Immigration Reform
Her stances on racial issues have been mixed. Welfare reform which her husband signed into law on its third iteration did predominantly affect people of color and prison reform / tough on crime measures of the 1990s have been agreed to have been a mistake on both sides of the aisle. Comments on the 1999 Elian Gonzalez matter were troubling from an immigration standpoint but in keeping with her work in children’s rights. Sometimes her own narrative overstates the significance of anecdotes on racial activism from her childhood or co-sponsorships of token legislation. However, I think Sanders does the same in the interest of crafting a narrative.
Sanders marched on the South, Clinton worked within the legal system to fight for migrant workers, but as with gay lib, neither of them are/were major in the civil rights movements. Both of them were, and still to some degree are, activists.
But like I think she clearly shows that she’s trying now, working LGBT rights into her stump speech, meeting with Black Lives Matters activists, And more importantly, than listening, I feel that Hillary Clinton is adapting her message — much more than Bernie Sanders who still has a tendency to refer to black people as “the blacks” and offer an “all wallets matter” view on income inequality.
Hillary is not perfect on race, but she’s trying, and you can see the progress. In 2008, she had a 75% voting record with the ACLU (up from 60% in 2006) which supports a mixed record, but a forward progress. It’s a 96% from the NAACP suggesting pro-affirmative action stances. On Latinx issues, she has an 8% voting record from US Border Control which suggests fairly strongly supporting open borders and a 95% rating from the Council of La Raza.
Historically, her biggest successes on racial issues are, perhaps as expected, in child & family issues and in health care. In the Senate, Clinton has advocated for expansion of SCHIP to illegal immigrants and much of her work with the Clinton foundation has been based in equalizing educational opportunity to poor black students, or children from poor or households where English was not a primary language.
To me, the largest difference between Clinton and Sanders’ policies on racial justice comes down to the following quote
Racial inequality is not merely a symptom of economic inequality. We need to address both. — Hillary Clinton
The Clinton campaign does not send a message that “her platform is best for everyone, if you just understood it better” and she doesn’t claim that it’s a one-sized-fits all solution, adapting her economic, environmental, and LGBT policies to accommodate the different challenges faced by people of color. Sanders’ racial justice page reads very similar to his economic policy page, suggesting that he feels fixing the economy will fix racial disparities on its own. It’s far less intersectional and lacks nuance.
Media Portrayal and What Not to Wear
I have big trouble with the “liar” narrative built up around her because of the historical campaign to discredit, villify, and trivialize her accomplishments. And don’t think she’s intrinsically more or less dishonest than any other politician, more cautious, yes, but she’s shown to be equally if not more honest than Sanders and any Republican running.
But I do think she’s unfairly portrayed.
As a young lawyer up until today, Hillary has been excoriated by the right as supporting a radical antifamily and feminist agenda. Her 1973 work insisting children be treated as citizens rather with rights outside of their parents was interpreted by conservatives as attempting to undermine the nuclear family, as was her 1996 book on her vision for children, It Takes a Village. Clinton has been frequently called secretly gay if not a man (because no real woman could be ambitious and intelligent) and compared to Lady MacBeth in dozens of articles before Bill had even been sworn in — when all that was known about her was her work with child and family services and the ABA. They saw an intelligent woman as a threat and have never revisited that narrative. Even now she’s framed by the right as a dangerous extremist for her insistence on women’s rights to birth control, family planning, and abortion.
But to the left, she’s not and will never be good enough.
And maybe her feminism’s not perfect. It’s tinged with the second wave she’s come up in and sometimes she struggles to meet third or fourth wave demands for intersectionality. She’s never going to be a revolutionary in the vein of Audre Lorde, but failure to be a radical feminist does not equate to failure as a feminist and the public and populist nature of a presidential candidate necessitates some degree of centrism in politics.
Dr. King had been leading a movement. But Dr. King understood that there has to be a coming to terms of our country politically in order to make the changes that would last for generations beyond the iconic, extraordinary speeches that he gave. That’s why he campaigned for Lyndon Johnson in 1964. That’s why he was there when the Civil Rights Act was passed. Does he deserve the lion’s share of the credit for moving our country and moving our political process? Yes, he does. But he also had partners who were in the political system. — Meet the Press, Jan 2008
Hillary believes in working within the systems, and is campaigning to bring feminism to a nation that really struggles with feminism even when Beyonce does it. She’s not just pitching to radical feminists (and I don’t think she is a radical feminist strictly speaking), but it’s disingenuous to call her a bad feminist.
She’s a transnational feminist, through her work as Secretary of State campaigning for women’s issues in global politics; she’s a socialist feminist, though not in the same sense as Bernie Sanders is a socialist, but in her pushes to legally empower, grant access to healthcare, and provide for impoverished women. I think she’s even trying for intersectional feminism based on her recent overtures to the African American and Latino communities. But she’s working for change within the system.
And even as a woman in politics, she has a hell of a lot of privilege that allows her to do this. But it’s worked for her — really well. I think if anyone can make a case for “dismantling the Master’s house with the Master’s tools,” it’s Hillary Clinton.
But if she’s moderate, male privilege has a lot to do with Sanders having the ability to speak and live as radically as he does when Clinton has been crucified for 25 years for far less, and I think because of that backlash, she’s done a lot of course correcting to her public persona. But I think looking at her record, she’s not done so in her personal beliefs. As as Michelle Goldberg said in the Slate piece:
She’s now struggling to convince voters that she is the person she was once widely assumed to be.
And while that doesn’t dismiss concerns of her feminism being too moderate, it does explain some of how it came about, why she’s built this wall around herself, and why she can’t be and isn’t as vocally radical as a lot online feminists who don’t answer to voters are, but in her case, I think she has an internationally proven record of speaking and acting up for women across the globe and across class lines. I feel she’s making a solid effort on race and LGBTQ issues. And I’m with her.
Corporate Shill?
I will be upfront that economic analysis of Clinton’s versus Sanders’ plans is ot my strength, however, while criticism of Clinton frequently takes the form of criticizing her involvement with business, I figured I would link to relevant legislation Clinton introduced during her 8 years on the Senate that are anti-business, pro-accountability and transparency, and pro-worker or -student.
This is not comprehensive by any means, but I found evidence of Clinton introducing bills suggesting that her view is more nuanced. These bills supported:
So Why Clinton?
I’ve heard the argument “We don’t need another Clinton.” I feel that would have been a fairer assessment in 2008 when she ran off her experience as a lawyer and junior Senator, but also heavily on her experience as FLOTUS. At this point, Hillary Clinton is an accomplished stateswoman with her own voice, and accomplishments that rival, if not surpass, her husband’s. Bill is almost an afterthought to the Clinton campaign at this point and if anything at this point, Hillary Clinton’s another Obama (but it’s also possible she’s her own political mind.)
I think it’s important to analyze a candidate’s history, but think it’s dangerous for them to rest entirely on that. Analysis of the viability, inclusivity, and adaptability of current policies is also critical to selecting a candidate for President and I feel in that regard, Clinton greatly exceeds Sanders.
Her women’s rights page is similar to Sanders’. However hers includes violence against women which feels a very important omission from Sanders’. Clinton goes a step further to have a page on campus sexual assault. On womens’ issues, Clinton is stronger both in record and on policy.
from Sanders’. Clinton goes a step further to have a page on campus sexual assault. Her LGBT Issues page is thoughtful and specific , mentioning PrEP, sexuality and gender identity in non-discrimination and hate crime ordinances, streamlining changes to identification papers for trans individuals, and protections for minors against homelessness and conversion therapy, and discrimination at school compared to Sanders’ which is very vague. It reads that he would “support (good) policies”, and “oppose (bad) ones.” On LGBT issues, Clinton has a similar record, greater accomplishments, and stronger policy.
, mentioning PrEP, sexuality and gender identity in non-discrimination and hate crime ordinances, streamlining changes to identification papers for trans individuals, and protections for minors against homelessness and conversion therapy, and discrimination at school compared to Sanders’ which is very vague. It reads that he would “support (good) policies”, and “oppose (bad) ones.” On racial justice, Clinton has one page. Until recently, Sanders had one page as well. In recent weeks he has added policy pages for native Hawaiians, Puerto Ricans, and Native Americans. Though stances for Hawaiians and Puerto Ricans largely rehash his environmental and economic policies, his Native American page is pretty impressive and he advocates for Puerto Rican statehood.
My consistent criticism of Sanders’ racial platform has been that he takes his economic or environmental policy and copies it over without factoring in the differences race might have on the experience of economic disparity, policing, and other realms. These new pages, don’t entirely fix that, but suggest he’s finally showing some growth on racial issues, which by and large, is a positive. Given that. Sanders has a slightly stronger record owing to votes against welfare reform, though complicated by votes for Clinton era Tough on Crime initiatives and anti-immigration votes and more extensive policies. However, Clinton’s policies are more intersectional and may serve non-white women and children more extensively than Sanders’. Though I would hesitate to call either candidate powerhouses of racial justice.
There are certainly reasons to criticize her. She’s less isolationist than Sanders both financially and militarily. She recognizes the role that Wall Street and investment plays in the economy, retirement, and savings of many Americans which can be dissatisfying to an OWS narrative and she doesn’t go as far as Bernie Sanders on issues like taxation or free college, but Hillary is consistently rated highly in middle class protections by the drum major institute.
There are also valid reasons to criticize her record, any career politician has problems, but what I have tried to show with this report is I don’t think there is a basis to call her anything but comparable or exceeding Sanders. More Attacks tend to be much more personal than political with regards to Hillary.
I think discourse on what we like about our candidates goes much farther than suggesting people supporting the other candidate are stupid, not true scotsmen, or traitors to political ideologies, whether from Clinton Supporters like Gloria Steinem who claim feminists must support Hillary, or Sanders supporters who claim that African Americans would totally support Sanders if they were smarter or not brainwashed.
And ultimately, we’re going to have to support the Democratic nominee, it does us more good to focus on what we like about our candidate and than why we dislike the other. If someone would like to write the counterpoint to this essay, a positive, candidate-focused analysis of Bernie Sanders’ history, successes, and policies for women, LGBTQ Americans, and people of color, I’d happily share that reciprocally. |
CLOSE Congressman John Dingell, a Democrat from Michigan, is retiring, but not before sharing some frank assessments of every President he has served under while in Congress. Susan Page, Shannon Rae Green
Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. on April 28 in Washington. (Photo: H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY)
WASHINGTON — At age 15, John Dingell Jr. was watching in the chamber of the House of Representatives when President Franklin Roosevelt rose to decry the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor — "a date which will live in infamy" — and lead the United States into World War II.
Dingell, then a House page and the son of a Michigan congressman, has been around for most of the big speeches and crucial congressional debates in the seven decades since. As a congressman and a powerful committee chairman himself, he's played a key role in shaping and passing iconic legislation from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the Affordable Care Act of 2009.
Now, at 87, the longest-serving congressman in American history is retiring.
He's not going quietly.
"Unfortunately, there is a lot of reason why people disapprove of the Congress and I think the reasoning is oft-times sound," Dingell said in an interview with USA TODAY's Capital Download. "We've accomplished very little. We've been engaged in all manner of small, spiteful fights." In short, he says, "we have failed to carry out our responsibilities in addressing the big issues of the day."
This photo provided by Rep. John Dingell's office shows the congressman being sworn in by mentor and Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn of Texas in 1955. (Photo: AP)
He faults Supreme Court decisions that have cleared the way for "huge money interests" to influence officeholders and Tea Party followers who see compromise as a dirty word. The personal relationships and political give-and-take that made landmark legislation possible increasingly are things of the past.
"A lot of these new ones here have no awareness ... of the need to work together, no awareness of the need for members to be friends off the congressional campus, no need they see in their lives to be responsible in terms of building trust and relationships to let us work together."
Has that made the job less satisfying? "It's not satisfying at all," he replies. "It's outrageous. And the result is people are not getting full value."
In his heyday, as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Dingell held sway over major pieces of health care and environmental legislation and was known for wielding the investigative powers of his post.
"For decades, he was an imposing and intimidating presence in Congress, with colleagues and with private citizens and civil servants who were called before his oversight committee and sometimes left terrified and abused," says Thomas Mann, a congressional scholar at the Brookings Institution. "He was a key figure in Democratic Party policymaking," especially on health care, although in 2008 he lost the committee chairmanship to a challenge from California Rep. Henry Waxman.
"Dingell really was a committee chairman at the time that committee chairmen ran the show," says Michael Heaney, a political scientist at the University of Michigan who worked on Dingell's committee for a year as a congressional fellow. Over time, committee chairmen began to lose power to the party leadership. "He embodies the committee system, both in its rise and its fall."
RATING THE PRESIDENTS
The people who can claim to have worked with a dozen presidents form what is surely a very exclusive club. In the interview with the weekly video newsmaker series, Dingell obliges when asked to make a quick assessment of each of the presidents he has known.
• FDR: "The giant, one of probably the three greatest" presidents in U.S. history.
• Harry Truman: "Right behind him. He saved the country." Not to mention Dingell's own life, he says. "I was scheduled to be in the first wave into Japan" as a second lieutenant in the Army during World War II, "and if it hadn't been for Harry Truman dropping the (atomic) bomb on the Japanese, I wouldn't be here talking to you today."
• Dwight Eisenhower: "A fine chairman of the board, a pretty good golfer, but didn't do much."
• John Kennedy: "Ran a very, very, very, very exciting, pleasant White House. But he was killed before he could actually show what he could do."
• Lyndon Johnson: "Johnson could say that he had largely completed the New Deal: Federal aid to education, War on Poverty, Medicare, Medicaid, whole bunch of other things that he did."
• Richard Nixon: "Nixon in the cold light of history looks like a better president than he did when he was there. Had some considerable foresight on things like health and the environment." But Dingell cites an academic study that concluded Nixon was a paranoid schizophrenic. "If you looked at his behavior, you would have to come to the conclusion — and I speak as a layman, not as a doctor — that that was a right conclusion."
• Gerald Ford: "Gerald Ford was a good president, not to say a great president. But unfortunately he carried the pardon that he gave to Nixon, which I thought was a terrible thing but which I now think was a necessary thing. And Ford brought the country down, calmed it, settled it down."
• Jimmy Carter: "Very decent, good-hearted human being. Regrettably he could see every tree in the woods but he couldn't see the woods, and that handicapped in terms of dealing with complex legislation."
• Ronald Reagan: "I thought he was a very mediocre president. I thought he had the misfortune of being a president who showed signs of senility much earlier than it came out that he was."
• George H.W. Bush: "Accomplished decent things. He knew how to work across the aisle."
• Bill Clinton: "Delightful fellow. If Bill Clinton had not had one fault, he would have gone down as a great president." What fault? "I don't need to tell you. Ask any man or ask any woman and they'll tell you."
• George W. Bush: "I was very fond of both Bushes. ... Unfortunately George W. Bush allowed people to lie to him about Iraq and about going into battle in the Middle East. He didn't read history and he had the misfortune of being probably the least concerned and historically interested presidents in the history of the country."
• Barack Obama: "He has the misfortune of not having had the experience and not having had the scar tissue. This means that he wasn't hurt. You have to get cut up and sliced as you go through public life, and if you're not hurt, you don't get to understand what these things mean to the country and to the average guy. I don't think he really had that."
Still, Dingell predicts history will judge Obama more kindly than pundits do now, calling the Affordable Care Act "a triumph." He adds, "I think he is a very decent, good-hearted, honorable man who is trying hard but his staff is, I think, not as strong as they should be."
RUSSIAN BOARS AND WHITE MARLINS
Dingell, who once stood 6'4" tall, is known around Capitol Hill as "Big John." Now he is stooped by age, arriving for the interview leaning on a carved cane from Harrods in London. An avid hunter and fisherman, he has lined the walls of his congressional office with elk and caribou antlers, a Russian boar head and a 4-foot white marlin. Next to his desk is a photograph FDR inscribed for his father — "to John D. Dingell from his friend," Roosevelt wrote — and on a nearby shelf is the gavel Dingell Jr. used when presiding over the House as Medicare was enacted in 1965.
Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., in his congressional office, where the walls are lined with antlers. (Photo: H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY)
Southeastern Michigan has long been represented by his family. His father served in the House for 22 years. When he died, Dingell succeeded him. Now his wife, Deborah, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat, is favored to win it in November. Dingell says he looks forward to hunting, fishing, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.
During a lifetime of representing the Detroit area, he has been a champion of the auto industry, sometimes putting him at odds with other Democratic leaders on issues such as tougher mileage requirements. That's made the current controversy over GM's missteps in the recall of faulty ignition switches especially painful.
"I'm troubled by it, just like everybody else is, and for all the same reasons," he says. "Plus the fact that I'm a friend of the industry and I hate to see them do a poor job producing safe, desirable automobiles."'
As he exits Congress, what would he like his epitaph to read?
Dingell pauses. "He did his damndest," he finally says.
How things have changed since John Dingell was first sworn into the House in 1955. (Photo: Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY)
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1kxBf8m |
For anyone who has worked in the TV business, this should come as no surprise.
According to Oxford University research psychologist Kevin Dutton, TV/media ranks among the top three professions with the most psychopathic personalities employed.
When you hear the word “psychopath,” you likely think of Norman Bates, Patrick Bateman or horror films, but it has a real definition: “Psychopathy is a personality disorder that has been variously described as characterized by shallow emotions (in particular reduced fear), stress tolerance, lacking empathy, coldheartedness, lacking guilt, egocentricity, superficial character, manipulativeness, irresponsibility, impulsivity, and antisocial behaviors such as parasitic lifestyle and criminality.”
With that in mind, TV/media apparently ranks #3 among Dutton’s top 10 professions containing the most psychopathic personalities:
CEOs, lawyers, and TV/media are professions that generally require a great deal of manipulative “ladder-climbing,” and so this data is unsurprising. That’s especially because most of the top 10 professions tend to move on to a career as a grandstanding politician. Just another reminder that, as Friedrich Hayek once wrote, oftentimes the “worst get on top.”
[h/t Barking Up the Wrong Tree via FTVLive]
— —
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Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com |
INDIANAPOLIS -- Officials say a dog is healing after he was found in Hancock County with a coyote trap clamped to him, but they’re still looking for whoever is responsible.
The dog – an 8-month-old black lab animal control officers nicknamed “Hancock” – is now safe at the Humane Society of Indianapolis after being discovered with the trap clamped tightly around his genitals.
Heather Hamilton, an animal control officer with more than 10 years of experience, says she doesn’t believe Hancock’s predicament was an accident.
“The placement of the trap… the dog couldn’t have just sat on the trap and ended where it was,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton was the first to arrive, and right away she knew the dog needed help.
“I said, ‘We’ve got to get to the vet immediately,’” Hamilton said.
With no hesitation, the Humane Society of Indianapolis agreed to step in and help.
“We were able to remove the trap and we went ahead and neutered him since it was on his scrotum,” said Kristen McGuire, with the Humane Society of Indianapolis. “He is recovering great right now. He is a much happier guy without that on.”
Officials were also able to find the dog’s owners, who were shocked to hear what had happened to him.
“They live not too far from that area,” Hamilton said. “They were shocked. They couldn’t believe it happened.”
Coyote traps are legal and common in rural areas – something Hamilton now hopes to educate dog owners about.
“Be very careful in these rural areas letting your dogs run loose,” she said. “These traps can be camouflaged. Dogs could get into them and cause serious injury.”
The good news for Hancock is that, after he’s had a few days to heal, he’ll be reunited with his owners in no time.
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The 2013 baseball season’s over, and the Red Sox have walked away with the hardware. We’re not quite done yet. Let’s look back on what we learned from the 2013 season — the players and teams, wins and losses that will (hopefully) help us better understand what we’re watching in 2014 and beyond.
1. Winning the Hot Stove championship guarantees nothing.
Every winter, teams scramble to make trades and splashy free-agent signings. When it’s all over, we media know-it-alls tally everything up, then declare with breathtaking confidence who won and who lost. The problem is, we’re doing it wrong. Signing the highest-priced free agent is great, but it might not get you far if you neglect other roster weaknesses to get there.
The 2013 Angels were a perfect example of this phenomenon. When the Halos spent $125 million on Josh Hamilton, it was hard to look at that team and see anything other than Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Hamilton laying waste to American League pitching. Problem was, their own pitching stunk. The top of the rotation was functional, if nothing special, with C.J. Wilson, 24 starts from Jered Weaver, and 24 more from Jason Vargas. But the 58 starts made by Jerome Williams, Tommy Hanson, and especially Joe Blanton were a nuclear disaster, and the bullpen was the sixth-worst in baseball by fielding-independent measures. This isn’t a one-year trend, either. One year earlier, the Angels (along with the Marlins) landed some of the biggest names on the market (Pujols, Wilson, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle) only to disappoint the following season.
2. Bargain hunting can and does often pay off.
Francisco Liriano. Russell Martin. Bartolo Colon. James Loney. Koji Uehara. Marlon Byrd. The list of low-priced free agents who delivered big returns for their teams in 2013 is a long one. Each of these players was acquired cheaply because he had a perceived defect. The Pirates got Martin cheap because he hit just .211 in 2012 — even though he bopped 21 homers, played his usual strong defense, and was just 29 years old. Loney hit a catastrophic .249/.293/.336 in 2012, but he was just 28 years old, played excellent defense, and had put up some decent offensive seasons, albeit without the power you’d hope for from a slugging-heavy position like first base. Liriano and Uehara had injury histories, though both had shown flashes of dominance when healthy enough to stay on the field. Byrd and Colon came with PED suspensions on their records (in Colon’s case, one that hadn’t yet ended), but Byrd was only a couple years removed from being a four-win player, and Colon actually pitched decently in 2012.
Colon and Uehara were freaks, pitching abnormally well given their age (Colon 40, Uehara 38). But Martin, Liriano, and Loney in particular fit the profile well: players who’d performed well earlier in their careers who were still in their twenties and thus still had decent potential for bounce-back seasons. Plenty of old biases remain alive and well. Prince Fielder can fetch $214 million because there will always be someone willing to (over)pay for home runs and RBIs. Meanwhile, defense remains underrated, batting average overrated — to name just two misguided stances. We haven’t had time to go through this year’s free-agent crop yet. But if you want to find the bargains of 2014, look for under-30 players who play good defense, are coming off ugly seasons by traditional metrics, and have some history of strong performance two or three years ago.
3. Having no weaknesses can be just as effective as being loaded with multiple stars.
The A’s have turned this idea into an art form. Josh Donaldson enjoyed a big breakout season in 2013. Otherwise, this was a team that relied on contributions from a wide array of players, all the way down to the bottom of their lineup, the back of their rotation, relief middlemen, and key guys off the bench. The Rays have two superstars in Evan Longoria and David Price, and also a couple of legitimate holes between the back of their rotation and their usual struggles when Jose Molina was at the plate. They also platoon, aggressively deploy defensive replacements earlier than most other teams, and routinely bring in relief pitchers to face opposite-handed hitters if their repertoires demand it, usually with strong results.
After two decades of losing seasons, the Pirates finally broke through, rolling all the way to the playoffs. Though Andrew McCutchen will likely take home NL MVP honors soon, the Buccos succeeded largely on the strength of diversified talent. They got solid contributions from their nos. 3 through 5 starters (Gerrit Cole, Jeff Locke, and Charlie Morton), from the bottom of their lineup (Jordy Mercer, once he grabbed the starting shortstop job), and from several relievers beyond the closer and primary setup man (Justin Wilson and Tony Watson chief among them). With the trade deadline approaching, there were some wildly ambitious calls for a blockbuster move. Instead, Pittsburgh filled out its roster with useful complementary parts: Byrd to plug a hole in the outfield (he was great), and a past-prime but still functional Justin Morneau to help at first base (he hit for zero power but did at least post a .370 on-base percentage in 25 games).
Lest you think this is only a worthwhile strategy for low-payroll teams, remember the mockery the Red Sox went through when they devoted their offseason energy to acquiring players like Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew, Jonny Gomes, Mike Carp, and Uehara, and the results they got from these complementary players.
4. Keep an eye on the minors.
As productive as in-season trades can be for some aggressive teams, the ideal scenario is to promote from within and have rookies shine. The Cardinals rode great hitting with runners in scoring position and big contributions from veteran stars like Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday, Carlos Beltran, and Adam Wainwright in their pennant-winning campaign. But they probably don’t make the World Series (or maybe even come close) without huge contributions from their rookies: Trevor Rosenthal and Carlos Martinez, Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha, Matt Adams, Seth Maness, and Kevin Siegrist.
If you’re looking for teams that might outperform expectations next year, scan the high minors of their farm systems for major league–ready talent. Actually, with Xander Bogaerts likely to claim an everyday job from Opening Day, and other dynamic prospects like Jackie Bradley Jr., Matt Barnes, Allen Webster, and others knocking on the door, the Red Sox could be one of those teams.
5. Don’t overreact to a bad season.
Last Sox reference: If a talented team can play poorly enough to lose 93 games, then come back the next season and win it all, that bodes well for some of 2013’s biggest disappointments. Everyone in the world loved the Nationals heading into this season. But Washington disappointed thanks to subpar seasons by multiple players. Adam LaRoche’s power dipped dramatically, Wilson Ramos missed half the year (and Kurt Suzuki stunk in his stead), Bryce Harper missed 44 games, Danny Espinosa was awful, and the bullpen ran into trouble frequently. Think of the Nats’ 2013 season as a bad result among a range of outcomes for a young and very talented team. And expect them to be right back in the playoff hunt in 2014, with a great trio of starting pitchers, a balanced lineup, and better luck than they had this year.
The Jays can’t claim the recent success the Nats had in 2012. In fact, with the Pirates making the playoffs this year, Toronto now owns the second-longest playoff drought in baseball, behind only the 28-years-and-counting Royals. But there were some good reasons for the baseball world to get excited about the Jays this year, even if 2013 ended with a last-place finish in the AL East. Granted, the starting pitching sucked, the defense sucked, and Jose Reyes missed a big chunk of the season as everyone figured. But Toronto had a bunch of terrible players suck up tons of playing time this year, which in a twisted way bodes well for 2014. Replace the replacement-level performances of Melky Cabrera, J.P. Arencibia, Emilio Bonifacio, and Maicer Izturis with even average production and that alone could spur a charge back to contention. As we wrote back in August: “It’s entirely possible that the Jays are a pretty good team hiding inside a terrible season.”
We’ll have to wait a while to see how it all plays out. In the meantime, get ready for another hectic Hot Stove season, then for new contenders and new stars to emerge next year. Just 104 days until pitchers and catchers report. Can’t wait. |
Rumors have been swirling following a now-deleted Twitter and Facebook post on the part of actor Morris Chestnut that suggested the Kick-Ass 2 star might be up for the lead in a Black Panther feature film from Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures.
“It’s time to get familiar with the Black Panther character!,” read the deleted post.
Today, Chestnut is back on Twitter and just posted the following update:
“Not final,” he writes. “#BlackPanther may be in #avengers2 first. RT @jamaal91604133: @Morris_Chestnut Can’t wait to see this movie. #BlackPanther
Admittedly, Chestnut’s comments are open to alternate interpretations, but it certainly sounds like the actor is up for the part and has been told that T’Challa’s big screen debut could arrive with Joss Whedon’s Marvel’s The Avengers 2 on May 1, 2015.
Check back for further updates on The Black Panther and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as soon as they become available.
(Photo Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN.com) |
Summer season is dedicated to creating meaningful progression and fun for all players — no matter whether you consider yourself a super-casual player, a hyper-competitive player or anywhere in between. However you like to play, Summer is going to pump out rewards that get better and better as you make progress. And oh yeah, there’s “Sunlight.” Get ready for things to heat up …
Get Big Rewards All Summer Long
In Update 1.19, you’ll find a new tab within your player profile called SEASON. Inside, you’ll find new Summer Chest you can open every day filled with awesomeness. Plus, this chest will rank up with you for better and better loot.
Daily Summer Chests pay out big rewards every day!
Your loot may contain Glory, ICE, boosts and Essence.
Daily chests may pay out Summer skin cards for limited-edition Beach Party Krul and two exclusive seasonal mystery skins.
Collect Sunlight To Boost Your Rewards
It’s going to be a sunny all season long. In Summer, you’re going to bathe in Sunlight and soak in the rewards.
Play Casual, Ranked or Battle Royale to earn Sunlight. Win that game to earn more.
Collecting Sunlight improves your Seasonal rank.
Each rank upgrades your Daily Summer Chest for better loot payouts.
Summer rank milestones will pay out extra loot, just for fun!
Earn Even More Bonus Sunlight with Skins
Summer is the height of fashion in the world of Vainglory, so show off different hero looks for bonus Sunlight! Strut your stuff in the Fold and collect more …
Wearing a skin in any match grants a bonus multiplier on Sunlight earned.
The higher skin tier, the more bonus Sunlight you’ll earn.
Casual/Ranked bonuses: Tier I skin = 33% bonus // Tier II = 66% // Tier III = 100% // Limited-edition = ???%.
Join the Summer Fun
All you have to do is play to earn Sunlight, Glory, ICE, Essence, boosts and exclusive cards! And special Summer Party events will accelerate your progress toward seasonal limited-edition skins.
Watch out for Summer Card Events all season long!
Remember to open your Summer Chest every day in the new Season tab of your player profile.
Tap the number in the lower left of the main menu to visit your profile and see your Summer progress.
Exclusive ‘Summer Party’ Skins & Events
If you missed the reveal of Summer Party Krul and the Card Parties schedule, check this out!
NEXT: HUGE SUMMER GAMEPLAY CHANGES (JUNE 16)
On June 16, we’ll dig into the meta-altering mechanics and new items that will change the game in Update 1.19. Plus, get insight on the new roamer Lyra and how her exceptional abilities will impact matches in Summer and beyond. More build freedom and diversity is only days away! Details coming soon … |
Not to be confused with Marathon swimming
Triathletes competing in open water swimming
Open water swimming is a swimming discipline which takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open oceans, lakes, and rivers.
The beginning of the modern age of open water swimming is sometimes taken to be May 3, 1810, when Lord Byron swam several miles to cross the Hellespont (now known as the Dardanelles) from Europe to Asia.[1]
In the first edition of the modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, the swimming competition was held in open water. In 2000, the Olympic Games first included a triathlon with a 1500 m swim leg, and in 2008, a 10 km open water swim. The FINA World Aquatics Championships features open water swimming events since 1992. The FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships was held from 2000 to 2010. Since 2007, the FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup is held in several events around the world.
The activity has grown in popularity in recent years with the publication of bestselling books on "wild swimming" by authors such as Kate Rew and Daniel Start, and Waterlog by Roger Deakin.[2]
Events such as the Midmar Mile in South Africa (attributed to Wayne Ridden), Great Swim in the UK (attributed to Great Swim with idea by Colin Hill), have helped create and grow interest in participation of the sport.
Racing techniques [ edit ]
Acclimatisation to the 14.5C water at Salford Quays in September 2010
Followed by warm-up exercises
And walk into the water:the start of the one mile course.
Stroke [ edit ]
Though most open water races do not require a specific stroke, most competitors employ the front crawl also known as freestyle. The efficiency of this stroke was demonstrated by Gertrude Ederle, who, as the first woman to swim the English Channel, employed it to beat the existing world record by more than 2 hours.
Sighting [ edit ]
When covering large distances, swimmers may head off course due to current, waves, wind, and poor visibility. Typically, buoys are stationed periodically across a large expanse to provide guidance. However, buoys are often invisible due to interference from choppy water and reduced visibility through goggles. Swimmers are encouraged to 'triangulate' by looking for two aligned, easily visible objects on land that are directly behind the destination (such as the end of a pier as it lines up with a hilltop), and to make sure they continue to appear aligned during the race.
Drafting [ edit ]
Drafting, which is prohibited by some race regulations, is the technique of following another swimmer so closely that water resistance is reduced. When swimming closely alongside or behind a swimmer in the lead swimmer's wake, resistance is reduced and the amount of effort to swim at the same speed is correspondingly reduced. In calmer conditions, or when facing surface chop, swimmers can also significantly benefit from swimming immediately behind or closely alongside a swimmer of comparable or faster speed. Not all race organizers permit drafting, and swimmers can run the risk of disqualification if they are caught.
Beach starting/exiting [ edit ]
When entering the water, swimmers can use techniques to take advantage of the shallow water. One such technique is walking along the bottom. Another technique is "dolphining", which involves diving down to the bottom and launching oneself upwards and forwards. This technique can also help to avoid incoming waves. When exiting the water, swimmers can body surf to take advantage of waves.
Equipment used in competitions [ edit ]
Start at Vansbro
In some competitions, a floating bag is used for extra visibility
The equipment allowed in a race depends on the sanctioning body and/or the race organizers. For example, races may have divisions for wetsuits and/or relays; may require escort boats / kayakers / paddleboards; and may require specifically colored swim caps. Some swimmers tend to keep it simple, using a basic swimsuit, goggles, and swim cap. Many records are based on that attire, which is known as 'channel attire' because it is stipulated in the rules for English Channel crossings and the rules for other long swims.
Wetsuit usage [ edit ]
For triathlons, competitive rule 4.4 of USA Triathlon, states that "each age group participant shall be permitted to wear a wetsuit without penalty in any event sanctioned by USA Triathlon up to and including a water temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 °C)." The ITU rule is that wetsuits are allowed for elite triathlons at below 23 °C (73 °F) if 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) or more, and below 21 °C (70 °F) if shorter. Wetsuits are mandatory in triathlons below 16 °C (61 °F) if 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) or more.[3]
Various types of wetsuits of varying thicknesses are used in open water swimming. Some employ high-tech materials and workmanship, others are of basic materials found in surfing and diving wetsuits. Some designs cover the torso, arms and legs, while other designs leave the arms and shoulders exposed.
When a person floats motionless in the water, their legs tend to sink. When a person swims freestyle, the legs rise toward surface because water passing underneath the body pushes the legs up, similar to how the wind can lift a kite into the air. In addition, a proper kicking technique will bring the legs all the way to the surface, creating a more streamlined profile for the arms to pull through the water. Both of these mechanisms of becoming horizontal require a small amount of energy from the swimmer. When a person wearing a thick wetsuit floats motionless in the water, their legs tend to float on the surface. Theoretically, this obviates the small energy expenditure mentioned above, although an additional small amount of energy is required to continually flex the wetsuit during swimming motions.
High-end triathlon wetsuits have extra flexibility that provides easier range of motion than a surfing or diving wetsuit. Some triathlon wetsuits have varied thickness by way of panels that provide custom flotation that aids the wearer in keeping an efficient position in the water.
Subcategories [ edit ]
Competitions [ edit ]
Open water swimming is an Olympic-sanctioned discipline. It has been included in the Olympic Games since 2008 and the FINA World Aquatics Championships since 1991.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ] |
When you change a roll of toilet paper, is the paper going over the roll or under the roll?
Tyson Kidd: Well, here's the thing: I have the luxury of a bidet. So that tops that question.
Cesaro: Over. It always needs to come down.
Tyson Kidd: But yes, over. 100 percent.
Cesaro: Always over, right? Like we are.
Ryback: Definitely over. Under always seems to be a messy situation.
Alicia Fox: I don't even care. It's a necessary evil.
Jimmy Uso: The paper's just ...
Jey Uso: Down.
Jimmy Uso: It's goin' down, dog.
Jey Uso: [laughs]
Jimmy Uso: Right? [laughs]
Curtis Axel: It's gotta be over. Over.
Emma: Also over. Yeah.
Sami Zayn: I actually ... I learned this from an episode of "The Simpsons," where Homer and Marge are accused of being negligent parents and one of the things on the list was, "Toilet paper hung in improper, overhand fashion." So ever since then, I've been very conscious of how I put the toilet paper on. I'm still not sure if I'm doing it right. But the toilet paper tends to come [over the top]. Is that right?
Bo Dallas: Over. Over, definitely. Classic.
Heath Slater: Over. Always over. ALWAYS over. Yeah, it does [bother me if it's hung the wrong way]! It has to be over, because under's just difficult. Maybe it's a righty/lefty thing. Under, over. I don't know.
Santino Marella: Over. Consciously. [If it's under], it means you're lazy.
Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady: OVER!
Colin Cassady: If you go under and you try to pull it, it breaks off before you want it.
Enzo Amore: The under ... who would I be?
Colin Cassady: Whoever goes under, man, it's just gonna --
Enzo Amore: Who would I be to go under and not go over?
Finn Bálor: Over the roll, all the time. I remember I was in Japan one time, in the dojo and I did an under-the-roll replacement. I got a beating for that one. So it's been over the roll ever since.
CJ Parker: I don't think about that.
Devin Taylor: I don't, either.
Bad News Barrett: Always over.
Sin Cara: [laughs]
Kalisto: I don't know how to answer that! I never thought about it before.
Sin Cara: Over?
Kalisto: I guess over.
Tyler Breeze: I don't even know! I've never paid attention to it! Is that a thing? I'll have to watch next time. I don't know.
Solomon Crowe: It's going under the bottom. If it goes over the top, it gets ripped, it gets ... it's very messy.
Alexa Bliss: NO. WAY. Over the top. Because then, when it's under, your puppy or cat can grab it and start unrolling it.
Solomon Crowe: [So] THAT'S why my cats always rip up my toilet paper.
Alexa Bliss: Yeah.
Is a hot dog a sandwich?
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan: [thinking] Nnnnno, a hot dog's a hot dog. A club sandwich is a sandwich, brother!
Luke Harper: Yes. I'm from Rochester, New York. Obviously a hot dog is a sandwich.
Scott Hall: I bet I've eaten five hot dogs my whole life. I don't know much about dogs, brother. I would say it's a sandwich, yeah.
Tyson Kidd: Is a hot dog a sandwich?
Cesaro: No, it's a hot dog.
Tyson Kidd: Yeah. It's absolutely not a sandwich. Although it brings up a hell of a question. I've actually never heard that. That's good.
Ryback: Absolutely not.
Alicia Fox: Oh, that's a good one. Hell no. It's not food.
Jey Uso: I think so! It's between two pieces of bread.
Jimmy Uso: Yeah, it's a sandwich. These are some good damn questions, man.
Curtis Axel: No, it's a hot dog. I don't believe it's a sandwich at all.
Emma: A hot dog is it's own thing. That's why it's called a ...
Curtis Axel: It is actually meat between bread.
Emma: If you think about it, it's meat and bread.
Curtis Axel: The sandwich does have bread, and the meat ...
Emma: You shouldn't think about it too much. It's a hot dog.
Curtis Axel: Yeah. I am thinking about that way too much.
Rosa Mendes: No.
Layla: No, not for me. I think it's gross.
Rosa Mendes: Because [Layla and I are] European, so we know that hot dogs are just ... no.
Eva Marie: No. [It's] a hot dog.
Sami Zayn: I guess in theory, yes.
Charlotte: [long pause] ... Yes.
Bo Dallas: No. No, not at all.
Heath Slater: Hell no. Is a hot dog a sandwich? I don't look at it as ... a hot dog is it's own little ... it's a hot dog. That's how I see it.
Santino Marella: [offended] No.
Colin Cassady: No.
Enzo Amore: Absolutely not. [incredulous] Do people think that?
Colin Cassady: No, it's not. The bun is connected. A sandwich, the bread doesn't have any connector.
Enzo Amore: TWO SEPARATE ENTITIES OF BREAD FORMULATE A SANDWICH. Not one!
Colin Cassady: [to interviewer] Do you think a hot dog's a sandwich? You're sittin' here telling me that? A taco and a hot dog are ... no. You're crazy, bro.
Finn Bálor: A hot dog is not food, to me.
CJ Parker: No.
Devin Taylor: No.
CJ Parker: That's easy. That was an easy one.
Devin Taylor: I mean, has anyone ever said yes?
Bad News Barrett: A hot dog is disgusting. I eat sandwiches, but I don't eat hot dogs, so no, it doesn't qualify.
Sin Cara: Oh, no.
Kalisto: No. No.
Tyler Breeze: [scoffs] No. It's a hot dog!
Solomon Crowe: [long pause] I'm very perplexed by this question. I feel like I need to go back in my room sometime and really contemplate life after that question. I really cannot answer, is a hot dog a sandwich.
Alexa Bliss: Is a hot dog a sandwich? Hot dog ... hot dogs are awesome, so I don't even know if they're ... they're better than sandwiches.
Solomon Crowe: I think I've come to a conclusion on my answer: a hot dog ... is a hot dog. |
TL;DR: Skills and exploration; story revisions; the benefits of a lengthy preproduction; Adam Heine promoted to Design Lead
Hi,
Just a quick update to talk about where we’re currently at as we enter the holiday season.
As you may have heard, the Wasteland 2 Early Beta went out to eligible backers last week and is now available on Steam as an early access title. The Wasteland 2 Beta was not part of any of our Torment tiers, but if you selected access to the Wasteland 2 Beta as an add-on, hopefully you saw one of our early announcements about this, received your beta key through the Torment pledge management system (pretty much all digital rewards for Torment pledges will be distributed through that system), and are playing it already. (If not, please write our support team and we’ll get it taken care of.)
Congratulations to the entire Wasteland 2 team for reaching this point!
A Few Words on Preproduction
I wanted to speak a bit about how Torment is progressing. The last round of major story revisions has been completed (more on that below) and we’ve resumed fleshing out and designing specific areas. Artist Aaron Meyers (who was also an artist on Planescape: Torment) has been making great progress on an environment prototype, proving out our art pipelines and helping us assess how the density of our design content will feel in the game. We don’t have any new art to share yet, but expect us to have something for you to see before winter’s end.
For a while now, some of you have been asking when we’d be transitioning from preproduction to production. With Wasteland 2’s recent early beta release, you may be aware that the inXile team will be spending more time on that game to get it done right—one of the fundamental benefits of Kickstarter is that we have the direction from our backers to emphasize quality over punctuality. This decision impacts Torment because most of the production team (e.g., programmers, artists, animators, etc.) will be moving onto Torment later than originally expected, which means we’ll be in preproduction for a longer period of time.
Believe it or not, this is the best situation from the perspective of Torment. When you’re in production with a large team, trying to incorporate any new idea can result in a lot of wasted work and confusion. (An “idea” in this sense could be many different things: an improvement to how conversation data is authored that enables a new type of dialogue reactivity, a new technique for handling shadow-casting lights in environments, a major change to an existing companion that improves the overall party dynamics, etc.) So when considering the new idea, you either accept this negative impact or discard the idea.
With a small preproduction team, the negative impacts have a smaller effect and the values of the ideas are more about the benefits they provide. Fewer people also means fewer miscommunications and greater flexibility both to experiment and to iterate. The closer you can get to your final design and technology before you are creating content at a rapid pace, the better the final result will be. So extra preproduction time is very beneficial, as long as you that time includes prototyping in-engine and iterating on the design instead of expanding the game’s scope.
We approached our preproduction aware that we might begin production later. On a traditionally funded project, you can ultimately be forced to make some decisions that you know are bad for the overall project to meet a specific schedule, but because we are free from external milestones, we can flexibly adapt, keeping our focus on the overall quality of the final game. It can be challenging to think that far ahead, but it’s even more challenging if you have rigid short-term goals binding you.
It’s true that if you just extend preproduction without any making any other changes to your plans, you’ll go over budget and over schedule. But the productivity improvements you gain through a longer preproduction period make up for the added cost of having a small team in preproduction for longer. (This is one reason, for example, that expansion packs are much cheaper to make than full titles – the development cycle for the original title is effectively part of the expansion’s preproduction.)
We’ll let you know if we ever determine that Torment’s release will be delayed beyond the first half of 2015. Thus far, our extended preproduction has been a very good thing and at this time I don’t anticipate it will push us out of that release date window.
Kevin out.
Skills and Exploration
Adam here. It's been a while since I've gotten to tell you about system design, so today I wanted to talk a bit about skills in Torment and how they feed into our exploration gameplay.
Skills and Difficult Tasks
As you may recall from our talk about dialogue, skills work differently in Numenera than in most RPGs. In Numenera, skills don't define what you can do, but they do make success more consistent in related tasks.
Instead of designing with skills in mind, we design the tasks first. Anything you want to try to do – lie to an Oorgolian soldier, activate a long-dormant intelligence, manipulate an unfamiliar beam weapon, or dodge the lethal bite of a steel spider – is considered a Difficult Task. Every Task is assigned a difficulty level, a stat the Task is based on (Might, Speed, or Intellect), and an optional skill (or skills) that can apply. (In the tabletop game, difficulties range from 1 to 10; unmodified difficulties from 4-6 are tough (> 50% chance of failure), and difficulties of 7 and up are impossible without the modifiers discussed below).
Skills have four levels (Inability, Untrained, Trained, and Specialization). Training in any applicable skills lowers the difficulty by a step and specialization lowers it another step. (And as you might imagine, inability increases the difficulty, though inability is something you have to specifically choose through perhaps your descriptor or focus, and some skills don’t go lower than untrained). You'll notice that tasks at the highest difficulty are impossible even with specialization. Either multiple skills would have to apply to such tasks, or there must be another way to lower the difficulty.
And there is. In Numenera, another way – at higher levels, the primary way – to reduce the difficulty of a task is Effort. You can apply Effort by using points from your related Stat Pool (Might, Speed, or Intellect), up to a maximum Effort level determined by your character’s Tier (or level). Each level of Effort you spend lowers the difficulty by one more step. (There’s another stat called Edge that reduces the cost of using Effort, making lower-level tasks easier or even free as your character advances, but that’s a topic for another time.)
What this means is that anyone can have a chance of success at most tasks, if they're willing to spend their resources on Effort. Characters with applicable skills do not have a monopoly on related tasks, but they do have two advantages: they conserve their Stat Pools (saving Effort for the tasks that really matter) and they have a greater chance of success at previously impossible tasks.
Disabling Traps
The concepts of Difficult Tasks and Effort feed into every aspect of gameplay. Take the common exploration-style task of disabling traps. Like any other task, disabling a given trap will have a Difficulty associated with it (and you will be notified of this Difficulty, at least in an abstract way such as "Hard," "Very Hard," "Impossible," etc.). By spending Effort from the associated Stat Pool, you can lower that difficulty (probably Speed, though it could depend on the kind of trap).
And it will have skills that apply. Torment won't have a Disable Traps skill, but the Quick Fingers skill applies to this kind of task (as well as others). Training or specialization in Quick Fingers will lower the difficulty even further. But more than that, certain traps may have other skills that apply. For example, the difficulty to disable a mechanical trap might be lowered if you are trained or specialized in Lore: Machinery, but a transdimensional trap might allow Lore: Mystical to apply, or Lore: Civilizations if the trap has shifting runes for you to decipher, etc.
You might find that, for certain special traps, the nano in your party is just as equipped to disable it as the jack (one being trained in Lore, the other in Quick Fingers), so if one fails, the other can take a shot at it (because each character's first attempt is free, but further attempts will cost you something—assuming your disabling attempt doesn't set off the trap, of course). For some traps, maybe the nano is even better equipped, or at least doesn't have to spend as much Effort to achieve the same chance of success.
Other Exploration Tasks
If you can't (or don't want to) disable a trap, maybe you can jump over it? Not jumping like a platform game; it would be a specific action you take—like bashing a door or picking a lock—where you end up on the other side of the trap when you're done. We're talking about this and other alternatives (levitation, anyone?). Jumping would be like any task: Might-based Effort for which the Jumping skill can apply. Some traps might be extra tricky to disable but easy for your whole party to jump over. Other traps might be harder to jump over, but the means to disable it lies within easy reach on the other side, such that one party member can spend some Effort to get over the trap and turn it off.
The flexibility of Numenera's skill system gives us extra options for environmental puzzles. For us, a "puzzle" isn't an attempt to divine the will of the designer, but rather an obstacle with multiple solutions involving various Difficult Tasks and their applicable Effort and skills. To get at the beating heart of some ancient machine, you might smash through its cardiac gate, bypass the whisperlock, persuade the machine's custodian to give you a key, use a cypher to walk through the gate, etc. All of these are different tasks with different applicable skills, any of which you might try based on your party's skills and available Effort.
And if we're being true to our philosophies, different solutions can each have reactivity of their own (smashing down the gate might trigger extra defenses, persuading the custodian could mean you've gained a friend or used up a favor for another quest, using the cypher means you won't have it for a later task, etc.), ultimately resulting in more interesting replayability across the board.
Adam out.
Story Time!
Colin here. You may have seen this picture of Adam, Kevin, Steve, and I standing in the inXile office together at the culmination of our intensive meetings there last month. But we weren’t just standing around smiling the whole time (we almost forgot to take the picture in fact). In actuality, much of what we were doing was hammering down the last stray nails of the upgraded story—
::record scratch:: “What do you mean, upgraded story? Like, you re-wrote it?”
No. We *revised* it. It's different.
Like game development, writing is an iterative process that requires occasional sledgehammers... and we wanted to make sure our foundation was as strong as possible. On this project in particular—a thematic successor to one of the most beloved CRPGs of all time—we want to make sure we get it right. It’s a rare writer who can spit out perfection the first time (and if you know one, please send him or her my way).
As the Creative Lead on this project, it’s my job to make sure we don’t settle for “good enough” on the story. To that end, we took the original story, examined its component pieces, and reassembled it in a different (and better) configuration. We kept all the elements we described in the Kickstarter—all the characters, all the items, all the *everything* except the fine details of the narrative. This was a reorganization of our elements in a way that is more focused, clearer, and more entertaining.
Which is to say, our original story was good, but now (if I may be immodest for a moment) I think it’s pretty great. With the combined talents of Adam, Kevin, Chris Avellone, Tony Evans, Nathan Long, and George Ziets, it had better be.
Anyway, as I was saying, much of what we were doing was hammering down the last stray nails of the upgraded story and making sure that we are ready to bring our outside writing talent to bear on a number of different areas at once. We now have a unified set of documents that will bear the combined scrutiny of some excellent writers, effectively share our vision for the story, and help us gauge the player’s experience throughout. These are our Story Spines.
That sounds a little creepy and maybe a bit murder-y, so let me explain what I mean: a spine is a firm through-line of the story, the pieces on which the rest of the experience hangs. The first and most important is the PC’s Spine. This is the narrative of the game as experienced by the PC (and thus you, the player), from the very beginning of the game to the end, laid out from point to point. We took our design doc and stripped out all the extraneous details and the information that the player might never know—even if this was information that would inform the motivations of the other major characters in the game, if the player didn’t know it at the time, we moved it to where the player would learn it or removed it from the PC Spine altogether.
Doing this exposed some potential problems in the plot of the game, and it was invaluable to us in making sure we have written a whole and cohesive through-line for you to experience. We did the same thing for other major characters in the game: what’s their history? What do they know, and when do they know it? What are they trying to achieve at any given moment in the story?
We had these spines written and ready for the meetings we had in November, with significant input from George and Tony. Then we borrowed the talents of Chris Avellone and Nathan Long to tear them apart, and we rebuilt them again—faster, stronger, better. After making sure we had all these details fully ironed out, we had several more meetings, in which I gave a summary of the improved game to a variety of teams, starting with Brian Fargo and Matt Findley. After that first meeting, Brian said (and I paraphrase): “This is awesome. This is the story for this game. Go.”
We then presented the story a few more times to several other groups—the art team, the programming team, the designers—and I upgraded my Fast Talk skill to Specialized [Adam: not a real Torment skill], tearing through a high-level summary of the game in about 10 minutes (Kevin and Adam took over the meetings after those speeches while I recovered with a tank of oxygen).
Barring a few minor changes and detail fixes, these spines form the core of the Torment story. We’ve provided four writers with some design constraints for their areas and these spines, and I’m anticipating some very cool ideas back at the start of the new year.
Oh, and maybe I should mention down here that we’re working on quests and storylines for multiple particular areas, and as soon as I’m done with this post, I’m back to crafting the first player experience in the game. It’s looking... pretty good.
Colin out!
A Promotion
Kevin again. It’s my pleasure to announce that Adam Heine has accepted a promotion to the role of Design Lead for Torment. From the beginning he has played a key role in the design of the game, and he has repeatedly demonstrated to everyone involved in the project that he has a strong command of the sensibilities that will make this game great. Adam’s ownership of various aspects of system and area design has grown over the past months, and when he visited inXile’s office last month, I formally recognized his contributions by promoting him to Design Lead. In this role, he’ll be leading the design vision of the game much as Colin is leading the creative vision. Though honestly, Adam's work hasn't changed very much – the promotion is largely an official acknowledgement of what he’d already been doing.
Colin brought Adam onto the fledgling project last year and wanted to provide some backstory and share his own thoughts:
“Adam came on board Planescape: Torment early during the development process, when all we had was a Mortuary. We desperately needed scripters to create the rest of the Planes. He quickly distinguished himself as an agile thinker, extremely creative, and able to solve problems by approaching them from multiple different angles. He showed his excellence in catching bugs, in creating scripts, and in delivering new ideas for quests and characters.
After PST shipped, he became a designer on Black Isle's TORN. But eventually he had to succumb to reality, realizing that as a newlywed, he shouldn’t be commuting an hour and a half (each way!) to Irvine from San Diego every day, and that 60-80 hours a week of work wasn’t a recipe for a happy marriage. So he left Interplay and took a standard programming job closer to home... and eventually he packed up and moved to Thailand to foster orphans.
Years passed. In that time, he has continued to flex his creative muscle by writing novels and short stories, all while raising as many as 10 kids at once. He’s also continued to design board and computer games in his spare time, but without a production team, they’re mostly thought exercises. Fortunately, you don't need a production team to write fiction.
Last year, Eurogamer had a small PST retrospective with Chris Avellone, Halo 4’s lead designer Scott Warner, Adam, and me. At the end of it, Adam said that he’d love to get back into games. I said I’d love to work with him again sometime—I had nothing but positive experiences with him on PST.
It was shortly after that that Brian Fargo asked me if I’d like to work on a new Torment. And it was mere moments after that I strongly suggested that Adam be involved. Adam has proven the wisdom of that decision over and over again on this project. He has helped me shape the story from the outset. He has delivered reams of excellent design work: from loot to inventory to crafting to area design to... well, he’s been touching almost every system in the game.
And while we were out in California a couple of weeks ago, his hard work and insight paid off. Kevin offered him the position of Design Lead, and Adam accepted. Adam is an extraordinary designer, and I’m proud to be working alongside him.”
Congratulations, Adam! (And thanks!)
Hope you all have a great holiday season!
Kevin Saunders
Project Lead |
A director well-known for his iconic music videos and commercials, Dougal Wilson studied Astrophysics before beginning his career as a copywriter at The Leith Agency in Edinburgh.
Dougal has helmed commercials for brands such as Apple, Channel 4, John Lewis, Lurpak, IKEA, and Three Mobile for respected agencies including adam&eveDDB, Wieden + Kennedy and Mother.
His music videos have been widely celebrated. He has worked with artists including Coldplay, Goldfrapp, The Streets, Bat For Lashes, Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal, and Jarvis Cocker.
Dougal garnered the Grand Prix for Film at the 2017 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for his Channel 4 film “We’re The Superhumans.” His many awards include additional Cannes Lions, Pencils from the One Show, the Art Directors Club Black Cube, the Chairman’s Award at the British Arrows, and Yellow and Black Pencils from D&AD. He won Best Music Video Director at the British Music Video Awards twice and was rated the top UK commercials director in Campaign Magazine. |
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