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Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is chased by Mike Daniels (76) and Mike Neal (96) as he runs for a first down during the first quarter at Soldier Field. (Photo: Getty Images)
At the quarter post of the season, the Green Bay Packers rank last in the NFL in run defense.
Now, the NFL is a bottom-line business, and the Packers beat the Chicago Bears on Sunday. So that and their 2-2 record matter most.
But their run defense blew up against a Bears team that had struggled running the ball its first three games. And the Packers' problems stopping the run through four games are a big issue going forward. You can't challenge for championships with one of the worst run defenses in the game.
It's natural to question whether the Packers' run-stopping woes go back to the changes on the defensive line and scheme in the offseason. They didn't bring back Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly, and they lost B.J. Raji during training camp to a season-ending biceps injury. All three were in the range of 330 pounds or more. The Packers now have a smaller, quicker defensive line.
But good run defense doesn't require a huge defensive line, and a huge defensive line doesn't guarantee good run defense. Last year, the Packers were among the league's lowest-rated run defenses (No. 25 in yards allowed per game and No. 29 in yards allowed per carry) with Pickett, Raji and Jolly playing regularly.
And this season, the Seattle Seahawks are one the NFL's best run defenses (Nos. 5 and 1, respectively) even though they don't have any behemoths. Their defensive tackles range from 303 pounds to 313 pounds. Defensive linemen that size still can play good or even great run defense, but they have to play strong and be disciplined within the scheme.
You have to think the Packers' defensive coaches and players were appalled when they looked at the final stat sheet Sunday and saw they gave up 496 total yards to the Bears, including 235 rushing. Time and again, halfbacks Matt Forte (122 yards on 23 carries) and Ka'Deem Carey (72 yards on 14 carries) slashed through their defense for nice gains. And it's not like one or two big runs distorted the numbers. The Bears' long rush was only 19 yards.
To accommodate their smaller and quicker linemen, the Packers are operating in a new gap-attacking run defense, as opposed to the two-gap, read-and-react scheme coordinator Dom Capers had used from 2009 through last season. Watching the videotape from Sunday, one thing stood out: The Packers too often were undisciplined or out of control in the trenches against the run.
Defensive lineman Letroy Guion, for instance, got too far upfield on several occasions that helped turn short runs into medium gains. It happened a couple of times in the first quarter alone.
For instance, on the first drive, the Bears on second-and-11 from the Packers' 15 gave the ball to Forte up the middle. The Packers were in their nickel personnel, with Guion and Mike Daniels at the defensive tackles.
Guion got into his gap between center Brian de la Puente and right guard Kyle Long, but rather than sit in the gap, as he's supposed to, he blasted through and created a big lane for Forte. At the same time, Daniels tried to go underneath de la Puente's block. He's quick enough to get away with it sometimes, but not on this play. So Forte bolted through the big opening for 6 yards, creating a manageable third-and-5, on a play that should have gone for only 3.
Later, on a first down with 3:26 left in the first quarter, the Packers again were in their nickel. The Bears ran a similar play, and Guion did the same thing. If he'd sat in his gap and tried to squeeze it, Forte wouldn't have had much if any running lane. Instead, Forte shot through the huge hole and bowled over safety Morgan Burnett for a 7-yard gain that set up a highly favorable down-and-distance, second-and-3.
The same applied to outside linebacker Clay Matthews on a snap or two. Matthews is the Packers' best defensive player, and maybe this is simply the price the Packers have to pay for his playmaking as a pass rusher. But his aggressiveness going after the quarterback occasionally helps running backs pick up nice gains.
That happened on the game's second play Sunday. The tight end lined up across from him, Dante Rosario, released on an apparent pass route, so Matthews bolted on a rush. But the play was a handoff to Forte up the middle. When Matthews saw the handoff, he was a little too far upfield to crash inside and make the tackle. Forte picked up 8 yards and a first down.
So what's the answer to the Packers' run-stopping problems? Maybe they'll adjust better to the new one-gap scheme as the season goes on. Or maybe undrafted rookie Mike Pennel, who at 332 pounds is their heaviest player, will improve the more he plays.
Pennel looked good in the preseason at nose tackle, where he lines up only inches from the center and things happen fast. He didn't look so good in his NFL debut Sunday while playing 22 snaps, mainly in the nickel at defensive tackle. Things happen a half-beat slower there than at nose, and Pennel looked mechanical, like he was waiting for something to happen. Kind of like Josh Boyd for much of his rookie season last year.
Pennel did have a good bull rush on Matthews' interception in the third quarter. He's a big, powerful player, so maybe with more playing time, he'll start to make a difference.
SECONDARY MATTERS
The Packers' playmaking in the secondary early this season is reminiscent of 2010, when it also was the team's best defensive position group.
Against the Bears, cornerbacks Tramon Williams and Sam Shields made big plays, just as they did during the Packers' Super Bowl run in '10. Williams in the third quarter Sunday jumped the slant route and made the deflection that Matthews intercepted. Shields later in the third quarter reacted fast to the throw on a misread between quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Brandon Marshall for the interception that basically clinched the game.
Also, almost every week first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix looks more and more like a player. The safety made the biggest play of the game when he pulled tight end Martellus Bennett from the brink of a touchdown on the final play of the first half. Can you imagine M.D. Jennings or Jerron McMillian making that play last year?
Clinton-Dix is a complete safety and fills fast on run defense as well. On one illustrative play in the second quarter, Cutler from the shotgun formation handed off to Forte up the middle. Clinton-Dix read it early, burst from his deep safety position and met Forte at the line of scrimmage. Forte had room to jump cut to his left and avoid the hit, but that sent him straight at linebacker Jamari Lattimore, who tackled Forte for only a 2-yard gain.
Former football coach and player Eric Baranczyk offers his analysis of Green Bay Packers games each week.
— pdougher@pressgazettemedia.com and follow him on Twitter @PeteDougherty |
I guess if you bat for the ‘iPhone is failing’ teams then you will have thrown the latest Kantar Worldpanel ComTech data into your “does not fit the narrative” trash can.
Why shouldn’t you? You have every right to ignore facts that may undermine your opinion.
It keeps the prejudice industry alive.
Defining the future
If you look at the latest Kantar data you’ll see a slightly bigger picture.
For the three months ending October 2016, it is Apple that leads the high-end of this market, the part in which the future of the smartphone industry is defined...
You see, Apple’s iPhones are the top three smartphone brands sold in the US and the UK: iPhone 7 at number one, Apple’s iPhone 6s at two, with the iPhone SE in third place.
This is true even though on a global basis the many different forks, devices and operating systems that form the Android ecosystem dominate the mass of mobile market, but that dominance seems to be declining in the US.
iOS share highlights:
Japan: 51.7% iOS
UK: 44%
US: 40.5%
Shrink the mind-share
Android appears to be losing mind-share in the US, where iOS share climbed 7 percentage points year-over-year: from 33.5% of smartphone sales to 40.5% in the three months ending October 2016.
“This represents the strongest rate of growth for the OS in more than two years, as well as the highest share seen since the three months ending January 2015 (42.8%),” said Kantar.
It’s important not to over state the significance of this – Apple’s main competitor isn’t at any great risk and continues to dominate in the US, but the pattern of loss is a sustained one, it continues to lose users to iOS.
“While Android remains the dominant OS in the US, at 57.9% of smartphone sales, this latest data represents the fifth consecutive year-on-year period decline,” the analysts explained (italics mine).
Mind-share remains strong in Europe, where Android accounted for 75.2% of EU5 (Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) smartphone sales versus iOS at 21.2%.
Apple can exploit the popularity of its platforms in order to introduce new products and services, some of which (like Apple Music) it now sells to those on other platforms.
Who cares?
The dance between Apple’s original iOS and the Google-backed Android ecosystem is a sideshow to most of us as we attempt to navigate these interesting times.
We’re only really interested in how the smartphones we purchase can help us live our lives, and many will respond to Apple’s crystal clear commitment to protecting our privacy.
That focus on platform and privacy is critical to the future of the connected age, from the smart keys in your wallet to the retina scan to drive your car, from boarding passes to passports; We will all benefit from stable ecosystems that provide us with extra convenience at no cost to privacy or security from platforms that are widely supported.
The smarter platform for the rest of us
This is the lens you should use when looking at your next smartphone purchase: is it private? Will it be supported in three years? Can I install software updates? And what services will it provide me with in future?
With those questions in mind, it is interesting to consider the significance of Apple Pay president, Jennifer Bailey’s recent statement that the company is thinking about “everything in your wallet” as it plots the future of Apple Pay. This likely includes cash, credit cards, loyalty cards, passports, tickets, driving license, business cards, keys, photos and more.
Apple already provides a platform to handle most of these items, but Touch ID is rapidly emerging as a key ingredient for the platforms’ future evolution.
The capacity to deliver such evolution is precisely why it is such an advantage that the iPhone remains the top-selling smartphone.
This is helping Apple management execute the future platform and services proliferation it has been working towards since introducing the iPod.
This is also why the future of the smartphone industry will be defined by Apple, and not by Google. No matter what Google search autocomplete has to say.
Google+? If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not join AppleHolic's Kool Aid Corner community and join the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple?
Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I'd like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when fresh items are published here first on Computerworld. |
16 Pages Posted: 23 Apr 2014
Date Written: April 22, 2014
Abstract
This Essay proposes a new regulatory regime in response to the Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Windsor, overturning Section Three of DOMA. By analogy to the check-the-box regulations, allowing a regulatory election in the face of incongruities in state law, this proposal would allow taxpayers who live in states that do not recognize same-sex marriage to elect to be treated as married for federal tax purposes. While the IRS's issuance of Rev. Rul. 2013-17 allows taxpayers who travel to a so-called "recognizing state" to have a same-sex marriage ceremony performed to be treated as married for tax purposes, there is still a requirement that those taxpayers travel to a state that has same-sex marriage before they can claim the federal tax benefits. This will be especially burdensome to low-income taxpayers, for whom the costs may be prohibitive. These same low-income taxpayers would be especially helped by the tax benefits available in certain instances to taxpayers filing jointly. The Essay considers potential objections to the proposal, and ultimately finds that the proposed regulatory regime, while hopefully only necessary for the short time (as more states enact same-sex marriage laws) will cure an inequity in the tax law. |
Conservatives have warned for years about the growing anti-speech sentiment in Washington, a trend finding all too much comfort in Silicon Valley.
Twitter recently blocked Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., from promoting a campaign ad. Her "crime?" Being pro-life and attacking Planned Parenthood. The congresswoman claimed she had "fought Planned Parenthood" and "stopped the sale of baby body parts," statements Twitter deemed too "inflammatory." The company worried Blackburn's pro-life stance would "evoke a strong negative reaction."
Is that now the barometer for acceptable speech? If I may offend you, I deserve to be silenced?
Blackburn was certainly not the first pro-life victim of censorship. Live Action President Lila Rose was blocked from advertising on Twitter because she dared to criticize Planned Parenthood. Her ad, which accurately claimed that Planned Parenthood performs over 320,000 abortions a year, was also labeled "inflammatory."
And of course, the abortion lobby's promotion of its services and criticism of Republicans are anything but inflammatory. A glance at Planned Parenthood's Twitter feed leaves you with the misleading message: "Stop the Trump administration's attack on birth control access," as if stores were preparing to stop selling contraception any day now. Apparently, only conservative speech is considered "inflammatory."
And who can forget Facebook's clampdown on conservative news? Company officials allegedly "filtered out stories on conservative topics from conservative sources," a blatant attempt to silence speech they oppose. Congress is now targeting Russian-bought Facebook ads in another effort to restrict purportedly undesirable speech and Facebook appears all too eager to help out.
In many ways, Silicon Valley's anti-speech activism is a betrayal of the simple idea that drove the explosive growth of the Internet as an alternative to traditional, heavily moderated platforms: More speech is in the public interest and everyone has a right to be heard. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media companies have given billions of people an unprecedented platform to speak their minds and listen (or not listen) to various perspectives — liberal or conservative. Between Facebook and Twitter, more than two billion users now use Silicon Valley's products to exercise their First Amendment rights and to freely associate with friend networks, business groups, and political organizations.
Free speech and free association are the foundation of American democracy. Silicon Valley's growing censorship of any speech is an attack on all speech — and a vibrant democracy. Whether you're a pro-life activist or a Planned Parenthood representative, the First Amendment enshrines the same right to free speech. It is not up to Facebook and Twitter officials to dictate which speech is acceptable and which isn't.
Naturally, private enterprises may control speech on their physical and digital premises. But kowtowing to the mob — whether establishment insiders or easily offended snowflakes — is the wrong approach. Such groupthink invites the very government interference the Internet should be free of.
Nor is it the government's responsibility to assume the role of George Orwell's "thinkpol." While Silicon Valley stifles public speech, elected officials increasingly abuse their power to restrict the flow of information. In the 115th Congress, dozens of bills have been introduced to expand federal intrusion into political speech. Some would grant the Federal Election Commission more expansive powers to regulate — and prosecute — campaign contributions and super PAC spending. They would intrude upon all Americans' right to choose whom they associate and speak with.
Others target the elusive specter of "foreign money" as an excuse to burden all political advertising, as if a few more TV ads endanger our democracy.
Democrats primarily lead the anti-speech brigade, but undermining the First Amendment has become bipartisan sport. The Restoring Integrity to America's Elections Act — co-sponsored by seven Republicans — would centralize the FEC's power in a single unelected political appointee. Democrat or Republican, the FEC appointee could weaponize the agency against speech he or she opposed — not unlike Facebook or Twitter.
It boils down to a simple question: Do you want someone else deciding if you get to speak? If you believe you're immune because your speech is "acceptable," while other speech is "unacceptable," then you're missing the point. No individual should ever have the right to silence another's speech with the heavy hand of Big Brother or Big Data.
In the end, the attack on free speech rests upon an inaccurate, insulting assumption: We Americans need to be coddled and shielded from "dangerous" speech. We need our government and corporate overseers to hand down approved speech, as if there is "right" or "wrong" speech. There is only speech. Agreeing or disagreeing with it is still up to us as individuals.
Without it, and without an unfettered freedom to speak even "offensively," our American democracy devolves into Orwellian authoritarianism — only with two thinkpols instead of one.
Dan Backer is founding attorney of political.law, a campaign finance and political law firm in Alexandria, Va. He has served as counsel to more than 100 campaigns, candidates, PACs, and political organizations.
If you would like to write an op-ed for the Washington Examiner, please read our guidelines on submissions. |
The Homeland Security Department’s Office of Cybersecurity and Communications is expanding to five divisions from three and creating a performance-management office.
DHS is reorganizing CS&C in light of its increased responsibilities and improved stature in the federal and private sector cyber communities.
“Our new structure will result in an organization more capable of agile operations; of forming stronger partnerships; and of professionally, efficiently, and effectively enhancing the security, resiliency, and reliability of the nation’s cyber and communications infrastructure,” wrote Mike Locatis, the assistant secretary of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, in an internal memo obtained by Federal News Radio. “This realignment also centralizes common support functions of budget, finance, and acquisitions, information management and human capital.”
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano approved CS&C’s realignment plan earlier this week.
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Locatis came to CS&C in April after spending 18 months as the Energy Department’s chief information officer.
A request for comment from DHS’s National Protection and Programs Directorate, which CS&C falls under, was not immediately returned.
Congress created the Cybersecurity and Communications Office in 2006 with three divisions:
National Communications System
National Cybersecurity Division
Office of Emergency Communications
Federal Network Security
Under the realignment plan, Cybersecurity and Communications will elevate and rename two of the subdivisions. The Federal Network Security unit goes from being a branch of the National Cybersecurity Division to its own division, and DHS split its responsibilities into two new groups: the Federal Network Resilience (FNR) division and the Network Security Deployment (NSD) division.
John Streufert will lead FNR, which will oversee the continuous monitoring initiative and the operational aspects of the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). Federal Network Resilience also will develop and deploy cybersecurity capabilities and standards with civilian agency partners, identify cybersecurity best practices and use automation tools, and perform audits and testing on federal networks.
Network Security Deployment
The Network Security Deployment (NSD) division will be led by Brendan Goode and includes the National Cybersecurity Protection System and the Cyberscope tool. Agencies submit continuous monitoring data into Cyberscope.
NSD also gathers requirements for CS&C technical programs and operating capabilities, and coordinates managed services with the private sector for functions such as continuous monitoring-as-a-service or other situational awareness services.
National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center
The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCIC), led by Larry Zelvin, will bring together the assorted operational offices, including the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (U.S. CERT), the Control Systems Security Program, the National Coordinating Center and national level exercises — all under one division.
The NCIC will provide full-time monitoring, information sharing, analysis and incident response capabilities, including running the Einstein 3A program. It coordinates with federal cyber centers and runs the “red and blue teams” to provide analysis on network, data, threats and vulnerabilities.
The Stakeholder Engagement and Cyber Infrastructure Resilience division
DHS created a new office to work with the private sector. The Stakeholder Engagement and Cyber Infrastructure Resilience division will be led by Jenny Menna and includes the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, private-sector coordination efforts, education and cyber workforce initiatives and standards work.
The stakeholder-engagement office will ensure there is strategic alignment of all stakeholder and other outside group activities and provides customer relationship and logistical management.
Office of Emergency Communications
The fifth division, the Office of Emergency Communications, which is led by Ron Hewitt, keeps the same name, but expands its responsibilities by adding the functions of the National Communications System.
OEC will support public safety efforts including providing training and technical assistance to improve emergency communications readiness, coordinating public-private response activities and works on interoperability policy.
Additionally, the realignment plan creates the Enterprise Performance Management Office, led by a senior executive service member. It will be responsible for “strategic planning, performance planning and measurement that cuts across all CS&C programs,” Locatis wrote.
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Munir Ahmed, The Associated Press
MUZAFFARGARH, Pakistan - Pakistani police gunned down one of the country's most-feared Sunni militant leaders and 13 followers in a mysterious pre-dawn shootout Wednesday, killing a man believed to behind the slaughter of hundreds of the nation's minority Shiites.
Malik Ishaq, who directed the operations of the Taliban- and al Qaeda-linked Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group, was so feared in Pakistan that frightened judges hid their faces from him and even offered the unrepentant killer tea and cookies in court.
Yet Ishaq, believed to be either 55 or 56, operated freely for years in Pakistan as the country's intelligence services helped nurture Sunni militant groups in the 1980s and 1990s to counter a perceived threat from neighbouring Shiite power Iran.
Details of Ishaq's killing remain cloudy in Pakistan, where extrajudicial slayings by police remain common - especially in pre-staged ambushes. Ishaq already had been detained by police, arrested two days earlier on suspicion of being involved in the slaying of two Shiites, police officer Bakhtiar Ahmed said.
Early Wednesday, as officers tried to transfer Ishaq from a prison in the city of Multan, gunmen ambushed the police convoy transporting him in an attempt to free the militant, Ahmed said. The ensuing gunbattle killed Ishaq and at least 13 of his associates, including two of his sons and his deputy, Ghulam Rasool, Ahmed said.
In a later statement, police said "14 or 15 unidentified armed terrorists" attacked police vehicles to free Ishaq when officers were returning from an area in Muzaffargarh after seizing weapons, explosives and detonators on information provided by Ishaq and some of his associates.
It also said Ishaq and his associates were killed by those who ambushed the convoy, without elaborating.
Shuja Khanzada, the provincial home minister in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, where the alleged ambush took place, said the shooting wounded six police officers who "demonstrated extreme bravery."
No other witnesses to the shooting could be immediately located, nor could Ishaq's family members.
"Malik Ishaq was behind many acts of terrorism and he was freed by courts in the past due to lack of evidence," Khanzada told The Associated Press. "Finally, this symbol of terror met his final fate."
Fearing violence in Punjab, long the home of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, police mounted a heavy security presence around the province and the morgue in Muzaffargarh that took Ishaq's body and those of his associates.
Ishaq helped found Laskhar-e-Jangvi, which allies itself with al Qaeda and the Taliban. His group is blamed for scores of attacks on Shiites, regarded as infidels, and on Pakistani and U.S. interests. They've also been accused of carrying out attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan. The U.S. State Department designated Ishaq as a terrorist in February 2014, ordering any U.S. assets he held frozen.
Ishaq was arrested in 1997 and accused in more than 200 criminal cases, including the killings of 70 Shiites. But the state could never make the charges stick - in large part because witnesses, judges and prosecutors were too scared to convict.
Frightened judges treated him honourably in court and gave him tea and cookies, said Anis Haider Naqvi, a prosecution witness in two cases against Ishaq who spoke to The Associated Press in 2011. One judge attempted to hide his face with his hands, but Ishaq made clear he knew his identity in a chilling way: He read out the names of his children, and the judge abandoned the trial, Naqvi said at the time.
Despite the lack of convictions, Ishaq remained in prison for 14 years as prosecutors slowly moved from one case to the next. Ishaq proved his usefulness to the army in 2009, when he was flown from jail to negotiate with militants who had stormed part of the military headquarters in Rawalpindi and were holding hostages
A behind-the-scenes effort by the government to co-opt the leaders of militant outfits and bring them into mainstream political life, or at least draw them away from attacking the state, helped Ishaq secure his release in 2011. He had been in and out of police custody since.
Pakistan is a majority Sunni Muslim state, with around 15 per cent of the population Shiite. Most Sunnis and Shiites live together peacefully in Pakistan, though tensions have existed for decades and extremists on both sides target each other's leaders.
Pakistan has intensified its campaign against militant groups since December 2014, when a Taliban attack on a military school in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed 150 people, mostly children.
The school attack also prompted the Pakistani government to lift its moratorium on the death penalty. It has executed scores of militants and other men charged in murder cases since then. |
The debate over whether citizens should be permitted to record on-duty police officers intensified this summer. High profile incidents in Maryland, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, and elsewhere spurred coverage of the issue from national media outlets ranging from the Associated Press to Time to NPR. Outside the law enforcement community, a consensus seems to be emerging that it’s bad policy to arrest people who photograph or record police officers on the job. The Washington Post, USA Today, the Washington Examiner, The Washington Times, and Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds, writing in Popular Mechanics, all weighed in on the side that citizen photography and videography can be an important check to keep police officers accountable and transparent.
But so far, there’s been little activity in state legislatures to prevent these arrests. That’s likely because any policy that makes recording cops an explicitly legal endeavor is likely to encounter strong opposition from law enforcement organizations. So what’s the justification for bringing and supporting charges against people who record or photograph cops? I recently spoke to three law enforcement officials about it. Two are prosecutors currently pursuing felony charges against citizens who made audio recordings of on-duty cops. The third is the executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, America’s largest police union.
Joseph Cassilly is the Harford County, Maryland state’s attorney. He’s currently pursuing felony charges against Anthony Graber, who was arrested last April for recording a police officer during a traffic stop. Maryland is one of 12 states that require all parties to a conversation to give consent before the conversation can legally be recorded. But like nine of those 12 states, Maryland also requires that for the recording to be illegal, the offended party must have had an expectation that the conversation would be private. To bring charges against Graber, Cassilly would not only need to believe that on-duty police officers have privacy rights, but in the Graber case in particular, that a cop who had drawn his gun and was yelling at a motorist on the side of a busy highway would, also, have good reason to believe the entire encounter was private. This seems all the more absurd given that motorists in such a situation clearly don’t have any reasonable privacy expectation. Anything they say during such a traffic stop is admissible in court.
"The officer having his gun drawn or being on a public roadway has nothing to do with it," Cassilly says. "Neither does the fact that what Mr. Graber said during the stop could be used in court. That’s not the test. The test is whether police officers can expect some of the conversations they have while on the job to remain private and not be recorded and replayed for the world to hear."
Last February, University of Maryland student Jack McKenna was beaten by riot police after a basketball game. Cell phone videos of the beating contradicted police reports, and resulted in the charges against McKenna being dropped and in the suspension of several police officers. Would Cassilly have charged those cell phone videographers with felonies if their recordings picked up audio? After all, it's the audio portion of a video that triggers state wiretapping laws.
"In College Park you had lots of people around, you had people screaming and shouting. The officers in that case had no reason to think the situation was private," he says.
Cassilly’s interpretation of the law is awfully vague. How is your average Marylander supposed to know if taking video of what he thinks may be police abuse is protected speech or if it's a felony punishable by possible prison time?
"I don’t have any hard and fast rule I can give you," Cassilly says. "It depends on the circumstances, and if the officer in those circumstances had good reason to think he wouldn’t be recorded. Should a domestic violence victim have a camera shoved in her face and have her privacy violated because someone is following a police officer around with a camera? What if he’s collecting information from witnesses at a crime scene? I’m saying that not everything a police officer does on the job should be for public consumption."
Generally, Casilly says, police actions in front of large crowds of people can probably be recorded. But citizen recorders put themselves in legal jeopardy when there are fewer people around, and an officer is more likely to think his conversations are private. But this seems to negate the use of citizen recording when it would be most important as a tool to hold misbehaving police officers accountable. Misconduct in front of large groups of people is obviously more likely to produce lots of witnesses to challenge the police narrative of the event.
What if a police officer is harassing or intimidating someone in close range, such as during a traffic stop, or on an unpopulated street at night? Would it be a felony to record those interactions? What if the recording captures unquestionable lawbreaking on the part of the officer, such as a threat or a shakedown? "I’m not going to respond to any hypothetical scenarios," Cassilly says. "It just depends on the circumstances."
Last month, the office of Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler issued an advisory opinion that would seem to be at odds with Cassily’s interpretation of state law. Gansler's office found that "it’s unlikely that most interactions with police could be considered private, as some law enforcement agencies have interpreted the state's wiretapping act." But that opinion isn’t legally binding, and may not affect Anthony Graber’s case. In fact, when I spoke with Cassilly (we talked before Gansler’s opinion), I asked him about a 2000 Maryland AG’s opinion stating that motorists have no privacy expectations during a traffic stop. Cassilly replied, "Those opinions are just the attorney general paying some lawyers to tell him what he already thinks. I don’t have to agree with it."
Unlike Maryland, the law in Illnios is much clearer. It is illegal to record anyone in public without their consent. The state has no stipulation about privacy expectations. It once did, but the legislature removed that provision in 1994. That amendment was actually a direct response to a state supreme court decision throwing out the conviction of a man who recorded two cops from the back of a police cruiser. In Illinios, felony eavesdropping is in the same class of crimes as sexual assault. It’s punishable by 4 to 15 years in prison.
Crawford County State’s Attorney Tom Wiseman is currently bringing five felony charges against Michael Allison, a 41-year-old construction worker who recorded police officers and other public officials he thought were harassing him. (I'm writing a feature about Allison's case for a forthcoming issue of Reason). Allison was fighting a zoning ordinance forbidding the storage of unregistered or inoperable vehicles on private property. Allison thought he was being unjustly targeted by local authorities and was planning a civil rights lawsuit, so he began recording his conversations with local law enforcement. He faces up to 75 years in prison for the recordings.
I first asked Wiseman if he thinks Michael Allison should spend the rest of his life in prison for making audio recordings of on-duty public officials. "My job isn’t to write the laws. My job is just to enforce them," Wiseman says. Wiseman does have discretion over whom he charges. But he says Allison committed a felony, and that it wouldn’t be proper for a prosecutor to overlook a felony. But Allison thought the police were harassing him. Given the deference law enforcement officials get from courts and prosecutors, how can a citizen who feels he’s being harassed or treated unfairly by law enforcement protect himself?
"The only person doing any harassing here is Mr. Allison, who was harassing our public officials with his tape recorder," Wiseman says. "They may have problems with some bad police officers in some of your urban areas. But we don’t have those problems around here. All of our cops around here are good cops. This is a small town. Everyone knows everyone. If we had a bad police officer here, we’d know about it, I’d know about it, and he’d be out. There’s just no reason for anyone to feel they need to record police officers in Crawford County."
Finally, I spoke with Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police. Pasco, who supports these arrests, says he’s worried that video could be manipulated to make police officers look bad. “There’s no chain of custody with these videos,” Pasco says. “How do you know the video hasn’t been edited? How do we know what’s in the video hasn’t been taken out of context? With dashboard cameras or police security video, the evidence is in the hands of law enforcement the entire time, so it’s admissible under the rules of evidence. That’s not the case with these cell phone videos.”
But what about cases where video clearly contradicts police reports, such as the McKenna case in College Park?
"You have 960,000 police officers in this country, and millions of contacts between those officers and citizens. I’ll bet you can’t name 10 incidents where a citizen video has shown a police officer to have lied on a police report," Pasco says. "Letting people record police officers is an extreme and intrusive response to a problem that’s so rare it might as well not exist. It would be like saying we should do away with DNA evidence because there’s a one in a billion chance that it could be wrong. At some point, we have to put some faith and trust in our authority figures."
Whether citizen video should be admitted as evidence (and it would seem to be pretty easy to discern if a video has been altered) is a different question from whether citizens should be arrested and sent to prison for recording cops. I mention Michael Allison’s case to Pasco, and ask if he supports the Illinois law.
"I don’t know anything about that case, but generally it sounds like a sensible law and a sensible punishment," Pasco says. "Police officers don’t check their civil rights at the station house door."
Radley Balko is a senior editor at Reason magazine. |
MIAMI — Despite losing a milestone abortion case at the United States Supreme Court this past summer, Texas threw down another stumbling block this week. It will require facilities that provide abortions to pay for the cremation or burial of fetal remains, rather than dispose of them as biological medical waste.
It is the latest attempt by abortion opponents to make it more burdensome for women to get abortions — by creating new rules and laws that make it more difficult for providers to stay in business. In finalizing its rule on Monday, Texas joined at least three other states — Arkansas, Louisiana and Indiana — that have called for the burial or cremation of aborted fetal remains. With lawsuits pending, the regulations in Indiana and Louisiana have not yet gone into effect.
The regulations regarding the disposal of remains were rewritten in Texas to “protect the dignity of the unborn,” a move that has been championed by Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican and a staunch opponent of abortion.
First published in the summer, the new regulations have been in the works for the past year, and have received scores of comments, both positive and negative. The regulations, which take effect Dec. 19, immediately raised questions about the effect they would have on abortion health care providers, women who seek abortions or even funeral directors in Texas who worry this could increase their costs, as well. |
Purchase for PC/Mac on itch.io Purchase for PC/Mac on Steam $20.00 Available Feb 29, 2016 Feb 29, 2016 Platforms Desktop (Windows 7+, Mac OS X 10.9+) Desktop (Windows 7+, Mac OS X 10.9+) Audience Teen and Older Teen and Older
You finally got a job in the big city. But your coworkers at this cat cafe disappear at weird times, and there’s something peculiar about your new boss, too... A Cat Cafe With a Little Secret You are Avery Grey, the newest employee at a popular cat cafe called A Cat’s Paw. The coffee’s good and the staff is friendly (and kinda cute!) but mysterious. One day, you find a strange book in the basement, with letters you can’t quite read... Meet Your New Best Friends You’ll work hard at A Cat’s Paw, but there’s still time to get to know your new coworkers! Who’s your favorite? The brusque, but devoted cook Mason? Or maybe Reese, the fashion-obsessed waiter who knows more than he says? And there’s always your strange-eyed boss, the enigmatic Graves. |
The Institute for Data Center Professionals at Marist College is pleased to offer an on line COBOL Application Programming Certificate beginning in the Fall of 2014. The demand for COBOL knowledge and skills will likely continue long into the future as an estimated 200 Billion lines of COBOL code continues to run major businesses around the world.
The three class COBOL Application Programming Certificate will train students to become z/OS COBOL application programmers. The three classes in the Certificate are:
Introduction to z/OS and Major Subsystems
Basic COBOL programming and
Advanced COBOL programming.
Descriptions of each class can be found below. To take advantage of this unique, affordable collaboration between the Marist College faculty and industry leaders in mainframe technology, please visit: http ://i dcp. mari st.e d u /le arnz o s . There you will find more detailed information about the COBOL Application Programming Certificate, course dates, tuition costs, as well as information about other on line instructor led z/OS Certificates. You may send any inquiries directly to the IDCP staff at: learnzos@marist.edu
Course Descriptions
Introduction to z/OS and Major Subsystems
This first class in the sequence introduces the student to z/OS terminology and concepts as a foundation for the following COBOL programming classes. It also builds basic z/OS skills which will be needed in the COBOL classes. For example, the student will gain hands on experience with TSO, ISPF, JCL, job submission, use of SDSF to review job output, use of the ISPF editor and other skills that will be needed in the COBOL programming classes. No z/OS experience is required or assumed in the Introduction to z/OS class but familiarity with computer concepts and terminology is helpful.
Basic COBOL Programming: Introduction to the COBOL programming language
This course begins with an introduction to problem solving using pseudo code and flowcharts and then will introduce the COBOL programming language. Hands on programming experience will be acquired by students coding and executing COBOL programs using the Marist main frame accessible via the Internet. Beginning with the basic structure of a COBOL program, the four divisions of a COBOL program will be defined and coded by the student. The course will teach the syntax of the COBOL programming language, assignment statements, math commands, conditional operations using both the IF and Evaluate statements, and performing Input/Output operations. All coding projects will follow Structured Programming techniques including modularization of programs using the COBOL Perform statement and avoiding the use of GOTOs. All topics covered will require the successful completion of programming projects executed on the Marist main frame computer. This course will begin with the basics of COBOL and finish with array processing techniques.
Advanced COBOL Programming: Data Structures and File Processing Techniques
This course will review array processing and continue with multi-dimensional array processing techniques. Students will complete a COBOL reservation system that will involve processing student requests by reserving seats and deleting seat assignments in several classrooms. COBOL programming techniques for using external subroutines will be covered and used in programming projects. This class will cover Sorts and Merges of sequential files and VSAM file processing techniques using COBOL and IDCAMS to update VSAM files. It will also review sequential file processing techniques for processing batched transaction records used to update a Master file. All topics covered will require the completion of programming projects that utilize these techniques with the projects being executed on the Marist System z (main frame) computer. |
Memphis couple Thomas Kostura, left, and husband Ijpe Dekoe were part of the lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court's landmark decision on same-sex marriage. Tennesseans celebrated and decried the court's ruling. (Photo: File / AP)
With a narrow one-vote margin, the nine member U.S. Supreme Court officially recognized the legal authority for same-sex couples to be married.
It's a decision that's been a long time coming and offers equal rights and protections, in the view of one Tennessee leader. But the ruling doesn't mean Tennesseans will be happy about recognizing same-sex marriages, argues at least one state official.
The landmark decision prompted a flurry of comments from politicians, supporters and opponents. Here's what they've said so far:
Gov. Bill Haslam, R-Knoxville:
"The people of Tennessee have recently voted clearly on this issue. The Supreme Court has overturned that vote. We will comply with the decision and will ensure that our departments are able to do so as quickly as possible."
Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III:
"Today's United States Supreme Court decision not only changes the definition of marriage, but takes from the states and their citizens the longstanding authority to vote and decide what marriage means. To the Tennessee citizen who asks 'Don't we get a chance to vote on this in some way?' the answer from the Supreme Court is a resounding, 'No, you do not.' For the Court to tell all Tennesseans that they have no voice, no right to vote, on these issues is disappointing. The Court, nevertheless, has spoken and we respect its decision. Our office is prepared to work with the Governor and the General Assembly, as needed, to take the necessary steps to implement the decision."
Spokesman for U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.:
"Senator Alexander believes that states should decide how to define marriage, but he recognizes that this U.S. Supreme Court decision is now the law of the land."
U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn.:
"Love and equality win. I'm glad the Supreme Court ruled on the right side of history."
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.:
"I hope today's Supreme Court ruling can put this issue to rest and that the Tennessee General Assembly does not attempt to thwart or undermine the ruling by passing legislation making it more difficult for Memphians like Ijpe DeKoe and Thom Kostura to exercise their constitutional rights. As the Supreme Court has now said, denial of marriage rights is clearly a denial of equal protection, regardless of its effectiveness as a means to score political points at the expense of yet another minority group. As we have seen today, courage and justice always overcome cowardice and prejudice."
U.S. Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn.:
"With the drop of a gavel, five Supreme Court justices have silenced the voices of thousands of Tennesseans. I have always believed that marriage is a sacred promise between man, woman, and God. I respect that others may disagree and I believe that we should encourage a thoughtful, open dialogue about this issue in the individual states – not attempt to cut off debate by imposing a sweeping, fixed interpretation of marriage nationwide. Sadly, that is exactly what the court has done."
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.:
"Todays Supreme Court decision is a disappointment. I have always supported traditional marriage. Despite this decision, no one can overrule the truth about what marriage actually is — a sacred institution between a man and a woman. I have always believed marriage is between one man and one woman and I will continue to work to ensure our religious beliefs are protected and people of faith are not punished for their beliefs."
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean:
"I am pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is now legal in Tennessee. I joined Mayors for the Freedom to Marry last year because I believe all people should be treated fairly and equally and that everyone's individual dignity should be respected. Welcoming and supporting people of all backgrounds and beliefs make our city stronger."
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville:
The Supreme Court today issued an unfortunate and fundamentally wrong opinion. In 2006, not even a decade ago, over 80% of Tennessee voters issued a strong mandate in favor of traditional marriage. Today, the Supreme Court declared that mandate null and void.
While the Supreme Court did not stand up for traditional marriage, this decision does not end the institution. The federal government may have the ability to force Tennessee to recognize same-sex unions but it cannot and will not change the hearts and minds of conservatives and traditionalists in Tennessee and elsewhere.
Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris, D-Memphis:
"I want to congratulate all the people who can now look forward to a wedding day right here in their home state, and I want to congratulate the plaintiffs from Tennessee who worked so hard for this historic day.
"Many of us have been fighting this battle against discrimination for a long time and put in so much effort. I still have the battle scars from our fight with the City of Memphis to expand anti-discrimination protections to the LGBT community. It has been a long, difficult road to get here. And now we can celebrate."
Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville:
"Today's historic ruling is another step in our country's long march toward equality for all Americans," state Sen. Jeff Yarbro said. "I congratulate not only those who have fought so hard for justice, but also all couples whose loving relationships will now be afforded the legal respect they deserve."
Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden:
"God is the real supreme court!"
House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley:
"While I recognize this is an emotionally charged issue and there are many Tennesseans who are disappointed in the decision, I firmly believe that civil marriage is a fundamental right for all people, regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation and that there should be no governmental interference with the bond that two loving people have for each other.
"Today's Supreme Court decision affirms this founding principle."
Davidson County Clerk Brenda Wynn:
"(The Tennessee Attorney General's Office) have assured the County Clerks that they will provide timely guidance regarding changes to the documents and processes required under state law. This office is honored to have an important role in upholding the rights of couples to marry and is fully committed to implementing the necessary changes as quickly and efficiently as possible. Our office will provide timely updates to our citizens as we know more."
Doug Hallward-Driemeier
Attorney who represented Tennessee same-sex couple in case before Supreme Court:
"Today's landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges marks a turning point in American history. It affirms that LGBT people have the same constitutional rights of liberty and equality as others do. The Court's ruling means that same-sex couples can experience the rights and privileges of marriage in any state in our union. No longer will married same-sex couples face the prospect of their family relationships being dissolved upon crossing state borders."
"We are one very significant step closer today to fulfilling the Constitution's promise of equal protection for all our people. Today, a same-sex couple in Knoxville, Tennessee enjoys the same right to marry, and to remain married, as a couple in New York City."
Mary Mancini
Chairwoman, Tennessee Democratic Party:
"With today's decision we see that love and respect has triumphed and we rejoice knowing that every person has the right to marry the person they love. Today is a day that Democrats celebrate with those couples as they build strong families while securing a future for themselves, in Tennessee and across our nation."
Ryan Haynes
Chairman, Tennessee Republican Party:
"Tennesseans overwhelmingly voted to define marriage as between one man and one woman. If a change was to be made, it should have been allowed to play out through the democratic process but, unfortunately, today's judicial activism short-circuits that ability. While this has long been pushed by the Democrats' agenda, the issue is far from settled."
Megan Barry
Nashville mayoral candidate:
"We have worked hard to make Nashville a warm and welcoming place to all who enter – no matter where you were born, no matter how you got here, and certainly no matter whom you love. Now that marriage equality is the law of the land, I hope that the State of Tennessee will fully join the City of Nashville in embracing equality by removing any last vestiges of discrimination that still exist in our laws."
Jeremy Kane
Nashville mayoral candidate:
"Children like my three-year-old daughter Wells won't remember a time without marriage equality and that's beautiful. #SCOTUSmarriage
"This morning, the Supreme Court ruled that all loving couples deserve marriage equality. I look forward to celebrating our progress with everyone at the Nashville Pride festival this weekend. Love conquers all."
Bill Freeman
Nashville mayoral candidate:
"Today is a historic day in our country and I am very pleased the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is now legal in every state, including Tennessee. Nashville is a vibrant city of inclusion that supports equality and dignity for ALL its residents. Now the law reflects that sentiment and I am proud of our country."
David Fowler
President, Family Action Council of Tennessee:
"Today a handful of Americans on the Court have stripped the people of the freedom to democratically address the meaning and role of society's most fundamental institution, marriage. The majority have arrogantly said they are not only smarter than the 50 million Americans who have voted to affirm marriage as the union of a man and a woman, but also millions of human beings over thousands of years across the entire globe."
Reince Priebus
Chairman, Republican National Committee
"As a Party, we believe in the importance of traditional marriage between a man and a woman and remain committed to finding common ground to champion the family's role in society. Marriage is critically important to strengthening our country and our communities. Likewise, we will remain champions of religious liberty. Today's ruling cannot and must not be used to coerce a church or religious institution into performing marriages that their faith does not recognize."
Ryan Anderson
The Heritage Foundation's senior research fellow
"Today is a significant setback for all Americans who believe in the Constitution, rule of law, democratic self-government, and marriage as a union of one man and one woman. The Court got it wrong: it should have not mandated all 50 states to redefine marriage."
This is a developing story. Check for updates at www.Tennessean.com as more reactions come in.
Reach Dave Boucher at 615-259-8892 and on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.
Read or Share this story: http://tnne.ws/1Njb2qT |
Since the introduction of the tiki-taka style of play, developed by Pep Guardiola, FC Barcelona has dominated time of possession against almost all opponents.
Pep gave football a new, dynamic approach and it was the three anchors of the mighty Catalans who sailed the ship: Messi, Iniesta and Xavi.
One after another, Barcelona annihilated teams from Spain and Europe and won major titles without many difficulties.
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Messi and his side were considered invincible until the first glimpse of a decline occurred in Italy, when Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan beat Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals in 2010.
Barcelona had success next year with great performances against Real Madrid in the semi-finals and Manchester United in the Wembley final.
However, the 2012-13 season saw Chelsea do something which nobody could have imagined: they parked the bus and utilized counter-attacking opportunities.
Celtic did the same this season when they defeated Barcelona 2-1 in front of thousands of Scottish fans and just when Barcelona supporters thought that the curse was over, AC Milan delivered the final punch when they came out with a 2-0 win at San Siro.
Next, Real Madrid came to Camp Nou with immense confidence, wanting to end Barcelona’s Copa Del Rey Glory. Los Blancos eliminated Barcelona from the tournament with an overwhelming score of 3-1.
Once again, it was a failure of Barcelona tactically.
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Is this the end of FC Barcelona’s era?
The world now understands that the way to stop them is to be disciplined on defence, and that the only way to score is to rely on counter-attacks and cage Messi.
So what does Barcelona need to do? They cannot have 12 players on the field, neither can they shoot from 50 yards out. They need to rebuild.
Internal and External Reconstruction
Barcelona need to change their style of play and increase the ranks. This can be done both internally and externally.
The following are three assets which will revive the Spanish giants in Europe.
1. Wing Attack – Neymar
Barcelona needs to reinvent their strategy and use the wings which they have traditionally avoided due to their style of play and lack of a formidable winger.
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With high speculations surrounding the arrival of Neymar, Barcelona will be a side with the best of Messi and the best of Ronaldinho.
Neymar’s position as a winger will be nothing less than the role played by Ronaldinho years ago.
He can make the full use of wing and allow Messi, Villa and other forwards to find a suitable place in the box, ready to strike.
Xavi and Iniesta along with Fabregas can continue to pass the ball around the pitch and just when their options seem to exhaust, wing can be the alternative with a sensational playmaker.
With this, the opposition defenders would lurk out of fear, and cannot mark Messi alone.
Neymar can equally be as dangerous from the wing and Barcelona will be a team against which every team will need a plan B.
2. Last Line – Be more disciplined and responsible
Barcelona has conceded almost in every match this season. With the absence of Abidal and poor form shown by Puyol and Alves, The Catalans need to be more responsible in order to get a clean sheet.
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The critics have chosen Victor Valdes and Javier Mascherano to be the real reason behind Barcelona’s poor defence.
Other than Alba, nobody has looked to show some mettle and defend from their hearts. Barcelona needs to make serious change in their defensive unit.
They should spend money in order to find a better guard than Valdes with Neur possibly being the best replacement.
Barcelona’s senior defender such as Gerard Pique should take over the role of stopping opposition’s forward and Dani Alves should restrict his forward move.
With Neymar and Alba already utilizing the flanks, Alves should look to play behind and be the man to stop the opposition’s counter-attack. I would suggest Alves and Pique to restrict their movement and allow Alba alone to ship forward.
3. Lethal Formation
Finally, Barcelona must change their formation from their 4-3-3 to a 4-5-1.
Instead of three forwards, Barcelona should give Lionel Messi full privilege to be the lone forward in the playing eleven.
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They should have Fabregas, Xavi, Iniesta, Neymar and Villa or Pedro in the midfield.
Since Barcelona have greater possession than their opposition, playing a more attacking style of football cum a bit tiki-taka and having a great backing up would allow Tito Vilanova’s side to be ready for a counter-attack.
Having three forwards and three midfielders will not help the Spanish unit at all as they tend to concede in every counter-attack.
Barcelona, having lost to Milan, Chelsea, Celtic and Madrid of late, need to consider these serious changes.
They must spend heavily on Neymar and possibly a new goalkeeper (Neur).
They must also allow Alves and Pique to change their style of play and overall, Barcelona needs to reduce their tiki-taka because if they don’t there could be more shocking losses in the future. |
This Real Bout Fatal Fury interview first appeared in an official strategy guide in 1995. I’ve supplemented it with concept art and a few additional tidbits of information from Neo Geo Freak magazine, as well. It’s a bit more informative than other SNK interviews I’ve translated, and explains the design philosophy and reasoning behind several gameplay changes from Fatal Fury 3.
Real Bout Fatal Fury – 1995 Developer Interview originally featured in the RBFF guidebook
—What was your concept for the development of this installment of Fatal Fury?
Staff: A new Fatal Fury, one that both beginners and experienced players could enjoy, punched up with loads of snazzy visual effects. That was our image, but of course, the way newcomers and veteran players enjoy a FTG is dramatically different, right? Newcomers play relatively casually, and want to be able to perform lots of different special moves; meanwhile, veterans are more interested in precise timing and big combos. We tried to appeal to both, but above all, to make it the kind of game that jumps out at you visually.
This may be too subtle to notice on first glance, but did you see how most of the stage backgrounds are done in darker colors? We did that so the flashy HIT marks and player graphics would stand out all the more. We asked ourselves, what do players really want to see in a FTG game today? And what you see in Real Bout Fatal Fury is the answer we came up with.
I think you can say this about any game, but if it looks good, it will look fun to players. With that principle as our basis, we endeavored to make a game that truly anyone could enjoy.
—As the fifth installment of the Fatal Fury series, how does it relate to the other games?
Staff: I think for many players, it will remind them of Fatal Fury Special: a fast tempo, lots of combos, and a distinctly different feel from other FTGs… the more I think about it, the more it reminds me of Fatal Fury Special. (laughs) But we didn’t want to make the same game twice, so we really dug deep for new ideas and mechanics to add, to make it even more intereting.
Concept art for Andy and Terry Bogard.
—What is the meaning behind the title “Real Bout”?
Staff: That was actually the working project title of the original Garou Densetsu. As this development progressed, we wracked our brains trying to come up with a new title for this sequel, and wondered if changing the entire title itself wouldn’t be more interesting. Then someone suggested, “hey, what if we bring back ‘Real Bout’…” So we have a lot of attachment to it, as you might imagine.
—Why did you bring back Kim, Billy, and Duck for this game?
Staff: Well… the first one we decided on adding was Kim. But we got really stuck in deciding between Duck or Cheng. We did some research on which character was more popular, and which had a more interesting moveset, and the dance-fighter Duck came out on top. Originally, we were going to add a new character… but during the development, Billy’s popularity grew and grew, and we decided on him. We considered adding a hidden character too, but we thought it would be strange to have another boss fight after the battle with Geese.
Concept art for Geese Howard.
—Why did you bring back Geese as the final boss?
Staff: We wanted to bring the saga of the Bogard siblings and Geese to a conclusion, so we chose Geese as the last boss.
—I’m guessing we won’t be seeing Geese again in future games then, will we…?
Staff: Hmmm. It’s difficult, but among the developers, we see this as Garou Densetsu—a legend being told. Exactly because Geese is so charistmatic, it wouldn’t make sense to keep bringing him back again and again. We can probably use him again in a similar episodic capacity, though.
As you probably know, Geese does appear again in the new Real Bout Fatal Fury Special. During the location test, I was watching a player fight (and get demolished by) the CPU-controlled Geese. The defeated player turned directly toward the screen, and is if in supplication, cried out “Geese-sama…” It struck me in that moment that the players have an even stronger connection to these characters than the developers themselves.
—Lilly appears in Joe’s ending in Fatal Fury 3… what has happened to them since then?
Staff: Billy has torn a rift between the two of them, but Lilly still seems to hold a candle in her heart for Joe. Joe, on the other hand, appears to still be crazy for her.
—I also saw that only Billy got a big update to his clothing this time. Does that perhaps reflect an inner change in his character?
Staff: Not particularly. But did you notice the “NO SMOKING” print on the back of his jumper? It’s not to say Billy doesn’t smoke… it’s just something he found randomly in the city (he didn’t pay for it, by the way).
—Why did you update the layout of the buttons so much for Real Bout?
Staff: About that. In Fatal Fury 3 we introduced the Oversway Line. It seemed to be very difficult for new players, but we were convinced the idea itself was good. So we tried to make it easier to use this game, which meant adding a dedicated button for it. That was the biggest reason for changing the entire button layout.
Besides that, three attack buttons corresponded nicely to weak-mid-strong, which matched our vision of a game that would be simple to understand, but deep.
Concept art for Duck King, who was chosen for inclusion in Real Bout Fatal Fury instead of Cheng.
—Tell us about the creation of the new “Ring Out” mechanic.
Staff: We had a lot of different ideas for the ring out system, at first… like having the players fall off of buildings, or get eaten by animals outside the ring, or be frozen… different ways to die. (laughs)
It changes the way you use your attacks depending on whether you’re in the center or edges of the screen. Those were the kind of thrilling, dynamic fights we were hoping to create by adding the ring out system.
—How did you come up with the idea for Combination Attacks?
Staff: Well, there were “Combination Arts” in Fatal Fury 3 too… remember? They were really fun if you played a lot, but the input timing was too severe, so in Real Bout we wanted to improve on them.
—Can you tell us about the “Hidden Abilities”, which are even more powerful than Super Special Attacks?
Staff: The Hidden Ability moves also first appeared in Fatal Fury 3, actually. As the name suggests, they’re supposed to be hidden abilities each character possesses—abilities far above their normal level—that are only released in the heat of battle when one’s psyche is being pushed to the absolute limit. That was our image for them, but in Fatal Fury 3, you couldn’t use them freely at will. We wanted to make them easier to use and more in-line with our original vision, so we added a power gauge for them.
Concept art for Blue Mary.
—The special moves are a lot easier to execute in Real Bout. And you publicly released the command inputs for the special moves ahead of the game’s release this time.
Staff: Pulling off flashy special moves and combos are what make a FTG game feel fun. We didn’t think there was any reason to hide those or make them too hard to do. Plus, most of our staff and the players felt the same way.
—The combo system allows for very big chains. What made you include this new combo system?
Staff: You’re referring to the Rush Hit system—it was to bring out the sense of excitement and exhiliration. Nothing beats that feeling of being able to chain together moves (especially special moves) into a nice combo.
The thing about combos though is that if they’re too long, the other player will get bored seeing them again and again. So there’s lot of opportunities for multi-hit attacks, but to the best of our ability, we tried to avoid really long combos.
—Please give a final message for fans of Fatal Fury series.
Staff: I think the Fatal Fury games have a very distinct style and flavor from other FTGs. I know opinions will differ, but we’ve designed the games to be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible, so I hope you enjoy them and continue to show us your support.
Concept art for Joe Higashi, who the developers say was relegated to a background role in this game’s plot, in favor of the drama between the Bogard siblings and Geese. |
U.S. Army Capt. William Swenson bows his head for a prayer during his Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House. Swenson, 34, was honored for his service during a September 2009 battle in the Ganjgal Valley in eastern Afghanistan.
Oct. 15, 2013 U.S. Army Capt. William Swenson bows his head for a prayer during his Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House. Swenson, 34, was honored for his service during a September 2009 battle in the Ganjgal Valley in eastern Afghanistan. Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post
The 34-year-old Army captain is credited with risking his life to help save his fellow troops and recover others’ bodies after coalition troops were ambushed in Afghanistan’s Ganjgal valley in September 2009.
The 34-year-old former soldier is credited with risking his life to help save his fellow troops and recover others’ bodies after coalition troops were ambushed in Afghanistan’s Ganjgal valley in September 2009.
The 34-year-old former soldier is credited with risking his life to help save his fellow troops and recover others’ bodies after coalition troops were ambushed in Afghanistan’s Ganjgal valley in September 2009.
Four years after he survived a brutal firefight in a remote Afghanistan valley that claimed the lives of five Americans, retired U.S. Army Capt. William Swenson will be hailed as a hero at the White House on Tuesday.
Swenson, 34, is credited with risking his life to help save his fellow troops and recover bodies, feats that President Obama will recount when he presents Swenson with the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration.
But for Swenson, the award stands for more than his personal bravery during the seven-hour battle in the Ganjgal valley, near the Pakistan border, on Sept. 8, 2009. It is also a measure of vindication.
After returning from the battlefield, Swenson engaged in a lengthy and bitter dispute with the military over the narrative of one of the Afghan war’s most notorious firefights.
The questions he raised resulted in reprimands for two other officers and what he and others say was an effort by the Army to discredit him. His account also cast doubt on the exploits of another Medal of Honor recipient from the same battle, Dakota Meyer of the Marine Corps.
The Battle of Ganjgal remains one of the deadliest in the Afghan war. Yet William Swenson, a former captain in the U.S. Army, managed to help fend off an onslaught of insurgents, saved lives, coordinated a rescue, and braved gunfire to retrieve fallen soldiers. This is his story. (The Washington Post)
United in war, the two men have taken far different paths since. Meyer has found celebrity and success, with a book and a personal assistant, boosted by a story that Swenson considers an inflated and misleading account of that harrowing day.
Swenson — the first Army officer since the Vietnam War to be awarded the medal — has been unemployed since leaving the service in 2011. He is single and lives in Seattle, growing a thick beard and long hair, in contrast to the clean-cut look of his military days, and escaping often to the mountains to find solitude in “my forced early retirement.”
“Are you familiar with Pyrrhic victories?” Swenson said in a recent interview. “That’s what I specialize in.”
Ganjgal remains one of the costliest battles of the 12-year Afghan conflict. In addition to the five U.S. deaths, 10 Afghan army troops and an interpreter were killed, while more than two dozen coalition troops were injured.
The troops were part of a coalition task force that set out that morning to meet with village elders, a mission designed to “separate the isolated mountain communities from insurgents,” according to the Army. Shortly after making their way over the rocky terrain and descending into the valley, however, they came under heavy fire from 60 well-armed Taliban fighters who sneaked into the area overnight.
Overmatched and quickly separated from one another, the coalition troops fought for hours as insurgents rained down gunfire in the U-shaped mountain pass.
Some of the chaos was captured in a short video, recorded on the helmet cameras of two pilots of a medical evacuation helicopter, that shows Swenson helping Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrook, who was wounded, into the chopper. In the video, Swenson can be seen pausing to kiss his battlefield adviser on the forehead before returning to the fight.
Calling him "the soldier who went back in," President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to former Army captain William Swenson for his bravery during the Battle of Ganjgal, one of the deadliest battles in the Afghan war. (The Washington Post)
Westbrook, a married father of three, survived for a month before dying at a U.S. hospital of complications from blood transfusions.
Toward the end of the battle, Swenson and Marine Capt. Ademola Fabayo made two trips into the kill zone to rescue Afghan troops. Then they joined Meyer and Marine Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez, who had been making separate rescue missions, to recover the bodies of three Marines, a Navy corpsman and their Afghan interpreter, who were found in a deep trench. (Fabayo and Rodriguez-Chavez were awarded the Navy Cross.)
In an interview with superiors several days later, Swenson lashed out at the military’s rules of engagement, which had been tightened by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal in an effort to limit civilian casualties. Swenson demanded to know why many of his radio calls for air cover and artillery support were rejected by his superiors. He asked why he was “being second-guessed by [higher-ups] or somebody that’s sitting in an air-conditioned” office. “Why [the] hell am I even out there in the first place?” he said, according to an account by the Military Times. “Let’s sit back and play Nintendo.”
Officers reprimanded
An Army investigation, finalized 11 / 2 years later, resulted in severe reprimands of two officers who were in charge at the forward operating base that fielded Swenson’s calls for help.
War correspondent Jonathan Landay of McClatchy Newspapers, who was embedded with the coalition troops, has written extensively about the battle. He called Swenson “one of the most upstanding and moral men I have met in my life, someone who believes in what he’s doing. He believes in the regulations, in accountability. He’s unwilling to accept the go-along, get-along.”
But it was Meyer who gained the most attention and acclaim — a 21-year-old from Kentucky who reportedly disregarded orders and rushed into the battle from a rear position after listening to the ambush on the radio.
On Sept. 14, 2011, Meyer visited the White House to have a beer with Obama. The next day he appeared in the East Room, where the president draped the Medal of Honor around his neck. He was the first living Marine to win the award in 38 years. Obama hailed Meyer for helping save 13 Americans and 23 Afghans in a feat that “will be told for generations.”
Others were not convinced. Three months later, Landay published an exhaustive investigation, based on internal military documents and interviews with Afghan troops, that alleged the official narrative that supported Meyer’s award inflated the number of Americans he rescued and how many insurgents he killed.
Landay reported that 11 U.S. troops were on the battlefield and that four died that day. In his account, it was Swenson who led the final mission to retrieve the bodies of the four dead Americans, with Meyer in the back seat of the Humvee. Landay emphasized that Meyer also performed heroically and that his fellow troops thought he deserved the medal, despite the contradictions.
The Marine Corps and Meyer have disputed Landay’s findings. Asked to comment, Meyer said through a spokeswoman: “I am very proud of Captain Swenson. He received the medal he deserves. . . . My family and I will continue to have everyone who lost their lives that day in our thoughts and prayers.”
As Meyer accepted his award, Swenson’s medal nomination — first submitted by the Army in December 2009 — had vanished.
‘Armchair bureaucracy’
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) has never spoken with Swenson, but he was incensed when he learned about his case last year.
A former Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hunter was frustrated by what he called the “armchair bureaucracy sitting back at the Pentagon changing what the guys on the ground are saying happened.”
The congressman took up Swenson’s cause, writing letters to high-ranking military officials. “It’s taken four years for Swenson to get the medal,” Hunter said in an interview. “Don’t tell me you can’t do it in six months.”
After an internal investigation, Army officials concluded that Swenson’s digital nomination packet had been lost in the computer system for 19 months. Landay also reported that the Army’s investigation had uncovered evidence that military officials may have improperly attempted to downgrade the original nomination to a Distinguished Service Cross.
An Army spokeswoman said this past week that Swenson’s award had not been downgraded and that Medal of Honor award procedures were not violated. Swenson was renominated in 2011 after Marine Gen. John R. Allen, then the commander in Afghanistan, took interest.
“The Army is reviewing ways to ensure this type of injustice does not happen again,” said spokeswoman Tatjana Christian, adding that it typically takes one to three years to process a Medal of Honor nomination before it reaches the White House. She also noted that a medal was awarded this spring to Army Chaplain Emil J. Kapaun, a Korean War prisoner of war who died in captivity in 1951.
During the delay, Westbrook’s widow, Charlene Westbrook, who lives in Colorado, shared her frustrations in telephone conversations with Swenson. “It was almost like a blacklist,” she said in an interview. “He said something, criticized the upper ranks, and he’s being punished for it.”
Swenson retreated further into private life while Meyer became a prominent public figure. Last fall, Meyer published an autobiography titled “Into the Fire,” co-written by military author Bing West. Meyer said in the book that he killed a Taliban fighter by bashing him on the head with a rock — a detail he had not told investigators after the battle.
In the book, Meyer and West praise Swenson and criticize the Army for its handling of his case. But Swenson remains skeptical of Meyer and the publicity he has sought. Swenson has not spoken publicly about the Ganjgal battle.
In recent days, Swenson pressed the Army to produce a section on the Medal of Honor Web site with maps and diagrams of the Ganjgal battle based on documents he provided. The site went online this past week. Some of the information in the account, Swenson said, “is not going to mutually support other stories.”
One of the few people Swenson keeps in touch with from his Army days is Charlene Westbrook. The two have spoken monthly since Ganjgal, and last year he traveled to Fort Benning, Ga., where she was presented the Silver Star in honor of her husband.
When Swenson told her last month that his own medal had been approved, Westbrook said, “I cried, and he assured me he was accepting it for the team.”
Westbrook credited Swenson with helping her and her three adult sons cope with a series of family traumas. Kenneth Westbrook’s older brother Marshall, a New Mexico National Guardsman, was killed during combat in Iraq in 2005. Last year, Marshall’s daughter Nicole, 21, was slain in a random shooting in Seattle.
The Army widow said Swenson offered support when she flew to Seattle after her niece was shot, a sign, perhaps, that the former captain has not left his service days entirely behind.
“He’s my soldier,” Swenson said of his dead battlefield partner. “You take care of your soldiers.” |
A Salute to Downton Abbey
A Salute to Downton Abbey premiered November 2015
Join host Hugh Bonneville to recall the high points of the series and preview season six.
About the Program
Hugh Bonneville As the top-rated PBS drama of all time approaches its sixth and final season in January 2016, join host Hugh Bonneville, who portrays Robert, Earl of Grantham, to look back on this remarkable series and its beloved characters.
A Salute to Downton Abbey gives a tantalizing glimpse of what the climactic nine episodes in Season 6 will bring. Where will fate, passion, ambition and duty lead television’s cherished characters?
Featuring interviews with writer and creator Julian Fellowes, executive producer Gareth Neame and the cast of Downton Abbey, A Salute to Downton Abbey includes favorite scenes and behind-the-scenes footage from both above and below stairs.
Host Hugh Bonneville recalls the high points from storylines of the past five seasons, and with his characteristic charm and wit, helps answer the following burning questions: |
1,000 Days and Counting
by Stephen Lendman
December 13 marked the 1,000th day of Bahraini protests. At issue are long denied fundamental rights.
Majority Shias face systematic discrimination. The ruling Al Khalifa monarchy governs lawlessly. Ruthlessness reflects official state policy.
Since mid-February 2011, pro-democracy demonstrators rallied nearly daily. They demand fundamental civil and human rights.
They want democratic governance replacing despotism. The want Al Khalifa royal family members to relinquish power.
They ruthlessly retain it. They enjoy full US support. They’ve killed dozens of peaceful protesters. They arrested hundreds more.
They deny free expression, assembly, equity and judicial fairness. Torture is official state policy. So are state-sponsored atrocities.
On September 13, a joint statement of concern on human rights was read at the 24th UN Human Rights Council’s opening day. It was on behalf of 47 co-sponsoring countries. In part it said:
“(T)he human rights situation in Bahrain remains an issue of serious concern.”
“We are particularly concerned by the ongoing violation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and the repression of demonstrations.”
“(W)e continue to be concerned about the continued harassment and imprisonment of persons exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression, including of human rights defenders.”
“We are also concerned about the cases of revocation of nationality without due process, some of which might lead to statelessness.”
“Lastly, we are concerned that those alleged to have committed human rights violations (aren’t) held accountable.”
Physicians for Human Rights – Bahrain (PHR-B) expressed great concern about mistreatment of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. They’re terrorized for treating injured protesters.
Medical providers have firsthand knowledge of government atrocities. PHR-B documented them.
They include excessive force. Nonviolent civilians are targeted with high-velocity weapons, shotguns, birdshot, rubber bullets, tear gas and other weapons.
Often it’s at a close range. Bystanders are attacked for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Bahraini forces fire tear gas into enclosed spaces. Homes are targeted. Toxic chemical agents are used.
They cause disorientation, respiratory distress, shortness of breath, choking, burning, aphasia and convulsions.
Civilian detainees are tortured and abused in custody. Wanting to live free is considered terrorism.
Bahrain is a signatory to nearly every major international humanitarian and human rights law. They include:
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR);
the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR);
the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and
the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), among others.
Authorities spurn their provisions unaccountably. They do it violently. They do it daily. Middle of the night abductions, disappearances, beatings and detentions are commonplace.
Human rights defenders are especially vulnerable. Yousif Al-Muhafdaha is acting Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) vice president.
On December 2, he headlined “I’ve Been Forced into Exile for Defending Human Rights in My Home Country, Bahrain.”
In part he said:
“I am not going back to my country. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.”
“But I made it to continue doing the work that matters most to me: documenting the human rights violations in Bahrain that have been ongoing since protests for change began in February 2011.”
“I will stay abroad and work from exile for the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) after receiving numerous death threats for launching a campaign to hold officials accountable for torture.”
On October 31, BCHR launched a “ Wanted for Justice ” campaign. It did so to end longstanding Al Khalifa repression impunity.
It named names. It listed charges. It included officials ranging from low to high level authority.
Cards displaying culpable images were distributed under the banner “Wanted for Justice in Bahrain.” The campaign ran from November 1 to the International Day to End Impunity on November 23.
Days later, the UN established November 2 as International Day to End Impunity.
Day to End Impunity.org calls the initiative “a day dedicated to a call to action to demand justice for those who have been targeted for exercising their right to freedom of expression, and to shed light on the issue of impunity.”
It marks the anniversary of the 2009 Maguindanao Ampatuan (Philippines) massacre. Fifty-eight people were murdered in cold blood.
Included were 32 journalists and media workers. No one faced justice. Similar crimes occur worldwide. Impunity is standard practice. State terror extends way beyond Bahrain.
BCHR initiated its campaign knowing the risks involved. It acted anyway. It did so responsibly. It’s clear, it said, “that justice cannot be attained within the judicial system in Bahrain.”
State-sponsored terrorism goes unpunished. Bahraini authorities “have a history of retaliating against human rights defenders.”
Notable ones languish in Bahrain’s gulag. They’re horrifically treated. They’re tortured and abused. They’re denied vital medical care. They’re rights are systematically ignored.
BCHR expressed great concern that its members and families will be ruthlessly targeted because of its campaign.
Maryam Al-Khawaja is acting BCHR president. Her father, Abdulhadi, is one of many imprisoned human rights defenders. So is her sister, Zainab.
Maryam commented on BCHR’s Wanted for Justice campaign, saying:
“It is about time we put a face to the violations. Continuously referring to the perpetrators of widespread human rights violations from the 1990’s until now as the ‘Government of Bahrain’ or the ‘regime’ allows the individuals involved to continue living and traveling freely.”
“Let their faces be known, not only in Bahrain, but internationally. All the names included in our list are people who should be given a fair trial according to international standards, and if found guilty, should be held accountable.”
“We also hope that this campaign will help encourage international actors to stop doing business with these individuals, and start thinking about individual sanctions.”
BCHR targeted 15 Al Khalifa family members. Numerous other regime-connected brutes were included. They’re wanted for systematic crimes against humanity.
Bahrainis justifiably want democratically elected officials replacing repressive ones. They’re brutalized for demanding human and civil rights. They’re targeted for supporting right over wrong.
On February 27, 2013, Zainab Al-Khawaja was arrested. She was targeted for her human rights activism. She’s imprisoned on numerous false charges.
Her sentence runs 12 months. On December 22, she’ll be tried again. She’s charged with “insulting a police officer.”
She defended another prisoner against a guard’s abuse. She’s been horrifically mistreated in detention. It’s taken a serious toll on her health.
Family members said she’s pale, tired, dizzy and weak. She has trouble standing. She’s unable to read. She’s denied proper medical care. Numerous other prisoners are treated the same way.
On November 23, pro-government newspaper, Akhbar Alkheleej, published photos and names of 18 noted Bahraini human rights defenders.
It maliciously accused them of human rights violations, terrorism and other false charges. The next day, Hussain Jawad was arrested. He heads the European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights (EBOHR).
He’s charged with “inciting hatred of the regime.” At issue is his human rights advocacy.
Bahrain Teachers Society president Mahdi Abu Deeb was sentenced to 10 years in prison. His deputy, Jalila Al-Salman, got three years.
They’ve been horrifically mistreated. They were brutally tortured and abused. Abu Deeb appealed to Bahrain’s court of cassation.
It’s a supreme court of appeal for all civil, commercial and criminal matters. Judges are appointed by royal decree. They support power. They ignore justice. They rejected Abu Deeb’s appeal.
He may not survive 10 years of brutalizing treatment. Others wrongfully imprisoned and abused may suffer the same fate.
Bahrain is a lawless police state. It’s a valued US ally. It’s home base for America’s Fifth Fleet. It’s part of the Pentagon’s Central Command (CENTCOM).
In early December, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited Bahrain. He reaffirmed America’s commitment to the monarchy.
In November, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Johathan Greenert said regional naval plans include expanding America’s footprint in Bahrain.
Hagel said $580 million in construction upgrades are underway. America’s Asia pivot doesn’t mean abandoning Middle East nations, he stressed.
He assured regional allies, “we’re not going anywhere.” Washington’s Asia pivot “should not be misunderstood to be that we are retreating from any part of the world,” he stressed.
America’s imperial footprint stretches globally. It targets vital freedoms everywhere. It supports some of the world’s worst despots.
They’re considered valued allies. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, other Gulf states, Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab countries are involved in America’s regional adventurism.
Bahrainis, Syrians, Palestinians, Iranians and others are targeted. Imperialism operates this way.
Hagel explained saying: “Our success will continue to hinge on America’s military power, and the credibility of our assurances to our allies and partners in the Middle East.”
He promised Bahrain full US support. He called Iran “a profoundly destabilizing influence.” He ignored ruthless Israeli policies.
He stressed America’s regional commitment. He called it “enduring.” As long as it’s oil and gas rich, US forces are there to stay.
Their presence provides no aid and comfort to beleaguered Bahrainis. Their liberation struggle continues. It’s largely out of sight and mind. America’s media ignore it.
Bahrainis are on their own to achieve long denied equity and justice. Maybe some day. Not now.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.
It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
http://www.dailycensored.com/1000-days-counting/ |
⇓ More from ICTworks
Imagine a world where all phones were automatically connected to the Internet, at no charge. Is this an idle fantasy?
The current worldwide debate about Zero-Rating and Network Neutrality has brought the issue of affordable Internet access into sharp relief. I recently came back from the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Brazil where there were no less than seven sessions on Zero Rating and Network Neutrality.
Internet.org, now renamed as Free Basics, continues to be a subject of often emotional debate as to whether it brings greater benefits or harms to those who use it.
This has got me thinking about how we value the Internet and how fast the Internet needs to be in order to qualify as ‘enough’. In one of his sessions at the IGF, Vint Cerf pointed out that we use the word Internet as if it meant the same thing to everyone but this isn’t really true.
A feature-phone user browsing the Internet via Opera over a 3G connection does not have the same experience as the San Francisco-based developer on gigabit fibre staring at his/her dual 26 inch monitors.
Is All Data Bandwidth is Equally Valuable?
The “all bits are created equal” debate in Network Neutrality doesn’t really take into account our varied experiences of Internet. On a personal level, it is clear that some bits are more valuable to us than others.
A one or a zero that indicates whether your loved one is alive is worth infinitely more than four gigabytes of the latest Hollywood movie.
This leads me to question the assumption, implicit in most national broadband strategies, that the value of Internet increases more or less proportionately with increase in speed. The reality is that even very tiny amounts of data can be enormously valuable and that the value of access goes up dramatically with even a little access and then tapers off.
From a value maximisation perspective then one might conclude that it is more strategic to make a priority of ensuring that everyone has at least some connectivity as opposed to some percentage of the people getting fast Internet.
The Network Effect
This got me thinking about the spread of mobile telephony in sub-Saharan Africa. The Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) model implemented by mobile network operators (MNOs) meant that it didn’t cost any money to be part of the network. All phones with a SIM card automatically register on the network and are callable on the network. A credit on the network is not required.
Why has this turned out to be a such a phenomenally successful model? Because MNOs recognised that each and every person connected to the network added value to the network whether they made a call or not because they increased the size of the callable network, thereby increasing value to paying users.
This phenomenon is known as network effect and while it may have been a somewhat esoteric concept twenty years ago when the mobile industry started, it is now well understood by any Internet entrepreneur.
Registering and managing non-paying customers on the phone network is a significant operational and financial overhead for MNOs, especially now with mandatory SIM registration being more common. Connecting phones to the network for free has obviously proven to be worthwhile. The increase in size of the overall network also helps to transform those non-paying users into paying ones as they see more and more value from the increased number of people to connect to. It is a positive cycle.
What If All Low-Bitrate Bandwidth Were Free?
This brings me back to an approach I suggested last year: low-bitrate, generic zero-rating. What if it were normal for all MNOs to offer low-bitrate, generic Internet access in the same manner that all MNOs connect phones to their network?
Let’s imagine that Internet data were enabled by default for free at GSM (2G) speeds of only 9.6kbps to all users. Let’s also imagine that it is a best-effort service that might not always achieve that speed or may have terrible latency, a bit like real 2G service.
A million users consuming 2G at a modest 4.8kbps would consume about 4.8gbps per second of capacity. Looking at the adult population of South Africa of roughly 35M people, if everyone were consuming that data on their phones at one time, it would amount to 168 gbps of capacity across the entire country.
Let’s put this in the context of South Africa’s undersea fibre optic cable capacity, which currently has an aggregate design capacity of 17 tbps, soon to reach 22 tbps when the ACE cable lands. Free 2G data for all would consume less than 0.01% of the design capacity of the international submarine cables landing in South Africa.
That is a very rough and inevitably flawed calculation. It doesn’t take into account whether the existing mobile networks could handle this capacity with their current spectrum allocations and technology. It also doesn’t take into account backhaul limitations where terrestrial fibre is not available.
But we do know that MNOs are actively investing in upgrading their networks, which would make this amount of data an increasingly small percentage of their network traffic. But the value to individuals would not diminish.
Generic low-speed zero-rating of mobile networks could have multiple impacts. It would:
Spur adoption of data services. As Clay Shirky has so eloquently put it, “If things are expensive to try, people will hold back from trying them and they’ll spend all their time trying not to fail. If the cost of experimentation falls though, and I mean falls precipitously, then people will spend a lot of time experimenting, and instead of not failing, the goal becomes to fail informatively to learn something from the things you tried.”
Legitimise data as a means of government/civic communication. If everyone can access basic data services just by having a feature/smartphone, then it is easier to justify government investment in e-services.
Decrease the digital divide. Democratising access to data through free low-bitrate access would create a true on-ramp to the Internet and its vast diversity of services and interactions.
Open up vast new markets to data service providers. The network-effects of millions of new data users would dramatically increase the value of data services in general.
Spur innovation in low data consumption applications. If you know that you can reach *everyone* at a very low speed, it would spur both the public and private sector to develop applications that consume less bandwidth in order to reach more people. Indeed Facebook is already doing this with their application development.
I’ve asked you to imagine a world where mobile phones connect to the Internet in the same way that they simply connect to the mobile phone network, where there are no data charges for very low data speeds. On the surface at least it would seem that the benefits to both the public and private sector would dramatically outweigh the costs of doing this.
If we accept that the value of access is not directly proportional to speed of access and that there is huge value in even small amounts of data access, then perhaps a national strategy ought to focus on getting everyone connected at a modest, free rate as opposed to say 80% of the people at say 2Mbps?
It will take more detailed cost modelling to really dig into this idea but I cannot help but think of more consumer benefits at every turn. Even for globe-trotting travellers. Imagine being able to pick up basic text messages and emails as soon as you get off the plane in a new country without having to search for a WiFi hotspot or wonder whether you dare turn on roaming. Always-on mobile data could open up new possibilities for mobile payment services.
Some operators like T-mobile in the US already offer 2G roaming but only for postpaid customers. What if it just made good social and economic sense to have basic rate Internet enabled for all mobile phones?
This post was first published as Zero-Rating: A Modest Proposal and was made possible in part through support from the Network Startup Resource Center |
As a young martial artist I once debated whether a certain Kung Fu striking technique could actually work in a real fight.
To prove my point I mentioned that a bouncer I knew had successfully used that technique on a drunk in the bar the other night.
The guy I was arguing with shut me down with a devastatingly simple rebuttal, “Yeah Stephan, that doesn’t prove anything, because ANYTHING will work on a drunk.”
And he was right.
If a guy is drunk enough then you might just be able to land your spinning-flying-monkey-fist, or apply a standing aikido wrist lock against him. But the fact that something worked once against an inebriated opponent is NOT proof of the intrinsic effectiveness of the technique.
The sad truth is that low percentage techniques like the spinning-flying-monkey-fist (or whatever) will occasionally work against inferior opponents, but then completely fail you against strong, sober and determined opponents.
If the monkey fist really worked then every boxer and MMA fighter in the world, motivated by the desire to knock his opponent out and collect the prize money, would be monkey-fisting in every fight against every opponent.
By contrast, high percentage techniques like the jab, cross, push kick and knee from the Thai clinch have been proven many times against high quality opponents in the ring and in the street. That means you can rely on them working more often and against a better quality of opponent.
BJJ techniques are much the same way.
There are techniques that will work against white and blue belts that will not work against higher belts. Or, if by some crazy fluke they catch a higher belt with it once, then you’ll never catch him with it a second time.
If you get tricked by your early initial successes with these novelty techniques and make them your bread and butter then you’ll end up down a major blind alley – you’ll waste months or years of your training time stalled out exploring some blind alley.
By contrast high percentage BJJ techniques work again and again. In fact, if you refine them then they work even when your opponent is expecting them and is doing everything he can to shut them down.
To figure out the high percentage techniques the general rule of thumb is to look at what the high level guys are doing – if they’re doing it against the best black belts in the world then it’ll probably work for you at your club too.
(The only thing you have to be careful of are the techniques that require some crazy attribute, like extreme flexibility or super high levels of strength…)
Rob Biernacki and I discuss this concept – of modelling the top level guys – extensively in the immediatey video below. Give it a watch or a listen if you want to do a deep dive into figuring out which techniques to add to your game, and/or read on below.
Now it’s OK to spend a little bit of your training time doing crazy experiments and exploring weird ass techniques. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover the next big thing in jiu-jitsu…
But make sure that you spend the majority of your time on techniques that work the most often… the high percentage stuff… the moves you know will work against black belts.
For example, when it comes to submissions, how many matches at the Mundials ended with armbars, chokes from the back, kneebars and triangle chokes? Answer: in most years these account for the majority of all submissions!
So if you’re serious about submitting your opponents I would spend quite a bit of time developing my armbar and/or my chokes from the back and/or my kneebars and/or my triangle chokes.
Let’s finish up with one more real world example about defending the guard pass…
I often train with a really good purple belt. He’s tough, strong, smart and has been training a looonnnnggg time.
He complained to me that his jiu-jitsu development had stalled out, and I took that as an invitation to give him s*** for a bad habit that might be part of the reason his pesky plateauing.
I told him that whenever I was close to passing his guard he would concede the pass, lie flat on his back, and swim an arm around my head in an attempt to get my lapel noosed around my neck. It’s sort of a weird inverted loop choke.
(This choke-attack-as-a-guard-pass-defense is unorthodox; I can recall a few times that I’ve had to scramble like hell to escape the choke. But once you’re wise to this choke it’s pretty easy to shut down. And by flopping to his back the guy on the bottom has given up his final opportunity to stop the guard pass.)
In general, I advised him, going flat onto your back when your guard is about to be passed is a bad idea unless you’ve got some crazy-ass flexible legs.
Therefore the best thing he could do to make his guard harder to pass was to STOP falling to his back and going for this tricky choke.
Instead I told him to put a frame in place, fight like crazy to sit up, and escape his hips backwards.
This is the ‘Frame and Hip Escape’ style of guard retention (video below).
Now the frame and hip escape isn’t the only effective method of guard pass prevention.
But it is very effective, it works for almost everyone, and it combines well with other guard retention methods like the half Granby roll (which you can learn in the second video in this guard retention article on Grapplearts).
Want proof that it works?
Well, if you watch footage of Marcelo Garcia sparring or competing you see him do this style frame and hip escape guard pass prevention again and again.
Torreando pass: Frame… Situp… Hip Escape!
Over-under pass: Frame… Situp… Hip Escape!
Leg-on-shoulder pass: Frame… Situp… Hip Escape!
And he’s not the only only competitor using it. A ton of other high level grapplers use variations of this movement to prevent the guard pass, which is a pretty good indicator that it’s a high percentage reliable technique.
We’ve talked about submissions and guard pass prevention techniques, but the same approach applies to every area of jiu-jitsu including takedowns, pin escapes, taking the back, sweeping your opponent, passing the guard, and breaking grips…
Training time is precious. Unless you can spend 8 hours a day at the dojo spend the majority of your time working on the high percentage stuff.
So focus on the techniques the black belts use when they’re fighting other black belts for real.
If it’s their bread and butter when the rubber meets the road then maybe you should consider making it your bread and butter too.
Comments ( ) |
Evelyn Francis McHale (September 20, 1923 – May 1, 1947)[1] was an American bookkeeper who took her own life by jumping from the 86th floor Observation Deck of the Empire State Building on May 1, 1947.
A photograph taken four minutes after her death by photography student Robert Wiles has become an iconic suicide photograph, referred to as "the most beautiful suicide".[2][3]
Life [ edit ]
Evelyn McHale was born in Berkeley, California[4] one of nine children to Helen and Vincent McHale. Vincent was a bank examiner and relocated to Washington D.C. in 1930. Her mother suffered from undiagnosed and untreated depression. This led to a challenging marriage, and ultimately a divorce.[5] Vincent gained custody of all children and moved to Tuckahoe, New York.
After graduating from high school Evelyn joined the Women's Army Corps, and was stationed in Jefferson City, Missouri.
She later moved to Baldwin, New York and was employed as a bookkeeper at the Kitab Engraving Company on Pearl Street. She met her fiance Barry Rhodes, a college student discharged from the United States Army Air Force.[6][7]
Death [ edit ]
On April 30, 1947, McHale took a train from New York to Easton, Pennsylvania to visit Rhodes. The next day, after leaving Rhodes' residence, she returned to New York City and went to the Empire State Building where she jumped from the 86th floor observatory. A security guard was reportedly standing approximately ten feet from her just before she jumped.
Rhodes did not notice any indication of suicide before McHale left. Detective Frank Murray found her suicide note in a black pocketbook next to her neatly folded cloth coat over the observation deck wall. The note read:[6][8]
I don't want anyone in or out of my family to see any part of me. Could you destroy my body by cremation? I beg of you and my family – don't have any service for me or remembrance for me. My fiance asked me to marry him in June. I don't think I would make a good wife for anybody. He is much better off without me. Tell my father, I have too many of my mother's tendencies.
Her body was identified by her sister, Helen Brenner.
In accordance with her wishes, she was cremated with no memorial, service or grave.[6]
Her then-fiance Barry Rhodes became an engineer before moving south. He died unmarried in Melbourne, Florida on October 9th 2007.[9]
Legacy [ edit ]
The Robert Wiles photo
The photo of her body, taken by Robert Wiles, has been compared to the photograph by Malcolm Wilde Browne of the self-immolation of Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức who burned himself alive at a busy Saigon road intersection on June 11, 1963, which is widely regarded as among the most iconic suicide photographs. Ben Cosgrove of Time described the photo as "technically rich, visually compelling and ... downright beautiful". Cosgrove described her body as "resting, or napping, rather than ... dead" and appears as if she is "daydreaming of her beau".[2][10]
Andy Warhol used Wiles' photo in one of his prints entitled Suicide (Fallen Body).[11]
Her picture was also used on the cover of Saccharine Trust's album Surviving You, Always, released in 1984 by SST Records.
David Bowie's 1993 video for the single "Jump They Say" includes a recreation of the image, with the singer splayed atop a smashed car.
The cover of the 1995 album Gilt by the Tucson band Machines of Loving Grace uses a color photo that recreates the original image.
The cover of the 2009 album “Backspacer” by the band Pearl Jam features an artist rendition of the iconic photograph in the bottom right corner.
The shot is also referenced at the start of Taylor Swift's 'Bad Blood' video. |
Eyes on the Street: 33rd Street Plaza Comes to Life
There is now a plaza at Penn Plaza.
The finishing touches were added to a temporary pedestrian space occupying the full breadth of 33rd Street just west of Seventh Avenue earlier this week. The plaza stretches a little less than halfway to Eighth Avenue, replacing what used to be westbound traffic lanes with planters, sculptures, a terraced seating area, and a painted surface to grab the attention of passing commuters.
The plaza was funded by Vornado Realty Trust, which owns a number of large properties nearby, including Penn Plaza, the Hotel Pennsylvania, and the Manhattan Mall. Vornado received the backing of DOT and Community Board 5 for its plan earlier this year,
The space was busy during yesterday’s evening rush hour. “I’m a New Yorker. I like to have a place to sit,” said Eva, who commutes by Long Island Rail Road from Flushing Estates and refused to give her last time. “In this area here, you don’t have a park, you don’t have a place to come sit down at lunchtime,” she said. “It’s nice.”
Vornado is planning to host performances, workshops and other events in the plaza space this summer and fall. For a temporary plaza, the design is high-quality, noted Curbed, including sculptures by Keith Haring and Roy Lichtenstein. Some of the wooden seats are cleverly designed to fit over concrete steps, while the planters are ringed by seating, as well.
The western half of the block was converted to two-way operation and is used by Madison Square Garden for access to its loading docks. While the plaza provides a low-stress connection to a Citi Bike station across Seventh Avenue, a Vornado security guard at the plaza yesterday said bicycling, along with skateboarding, is prohibited.
The plaza is the centerpiece of changes Vornado recently installed nearby. A painted sidewalk extension, including benches and planters, was added to the north side of 32nd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues. Vornado also worked with UrbanSpace to launch Penn Plates, a pop-up food market in Pearson Park, an outdoor mid-block passage connecting the plaza to 34th Street. The market is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. through November 15.
The plaza on 33rd Street and sidewalk extension on 32nd Street will be removed October 11, at which point Vornado and DOT will evaluate whether to make the plaza permanent or bring it back seasonally. Vornado has hired Sam Schwartz Engineering to monitor 10 nearby intersections during the trial period.
The real estate giant has also hired Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, designer of the permanent Times Square plazas, to develop a public space plan for its properties near Penn Station.
Pedestrian volumes on streets near Penn Station are among the highest in the city. In 2008, Tri-State Transportation Campaign launched a campaign, Penn for Peds, to give more space to pedestrians near the station. In 2010, DOT unveiled a plan to construct a transitway on 34th Street that included a one-block plaza between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. The plan was withdrawn in 2011 due to opposition from nearby property owners. |
PHILADELPHIA — For more than two decades prosecutors in Philadelphia were convinced they knew exactly what happened to Louise Talley, who was murdered inside her home in 1991.
Now, they’re not so sure.
But they’re willing to stake the integrity of the American justice system on their belief that Anthony Wright had something to do with it.
Last week, Wright went on trial a second time on charges that he murdered the 77-year-old widow during a drug-fueled burglary. A jury found Wright guilty of murder in 1993 and he was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, narrowly escaping the death penalty. Wright spent the next 23 years in prison before DNA evidence proved that another man was responsible for the crime.
Yet Wright is back on trial for the same murder today.
A judge vacated Wright’s conviction in 2014, but now he’s being tried again for the same crime. (Since a jury did not acquit Wright of murder in the first place, the Constitution’s prohibition on “double jeopardy” can’t protect him.) Now the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office led by Seth Williams argues that Wright must have had an accomplice who left the incriminating DNA.
That man was Ronnie Byrd, a former crackhead who had racked up a long list of felonies including convictions for assault, robbery, and receiving stolen property before he died in prison in 2013.
Having tried and failed to put Wright away for life without scientific evidence, the DA is trying again.
A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office refused to comment on the case, citing agency policy. Wright’s attorneys did not return phone messages seeking their input. However, Bradley Bridge, a veteran attorney with the Defender Association of Philadelphia who represented Wright as a juvenile, spoke to The Daily Beast about the case and said the DA’s inconsistencies are troubling.
“They advanced one theory for decades, discovered that it’s undercut by the science, and now they’re advancing a different theory, which is totally at odds with the first and doesn’t make much sense anyway,” he said. “The prosecutor is stretching to come up with a theory of this case that isn’t supported by the evidence.”
In fact, the DA’s office was so hell-bent on keeping Wright in prison that it fought to prevent DNA testing from even taking place originally. It took attorneys from the Innocence Project at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York nine years of legal wrangling (all the way up to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court) to get prosecutors to drop their objections.
For all the controversy surrounding Wright’s retrial, it’s undisputed that Talley met a horrifically violent end. According to court records, when police entered her home on Oct. 19, 1991, at the behest of concerned family members, they found the property had been ransacked. The victim’s body was discovered on the second floor, naked, and lying face down in her bed. An empty blood-soaked purse was found beneath her body. On the floor next to Talley police retrieved a bloody kitchen knife from inside the folds of her discarded bathrobe.
The medical examiner would later rule that Talley died as a result of blunt force trauma and multiple stab wounds to her neck, chest, and back. A semen stain on her sheets indicated she had been raped before she died, investigators said.
Wright was brought in next morning for questioning. If police are to be believed, he waived his Miranda rights and provided a full confession all within the time it takes to watch an episode-and-a-half of Law & Order. The nine-page statement he signed describes in detail how he forced Talley to strip, raped her, and then stabbed her when she began to struggle. As all this was going on, Talley was begging him not to hurt her, according to the statement.
Wright recanted the confession at trial, claiming he had been handcuffed to a chair by police and forced to sign it without reading it. Wright’s interrogation was not recorded, and the only witnesses were the detectives asking the questions—the ones Wright says promised to “skullfuck” him if he didn’t cooperate.
In 1993 a judge denied a motion by Wright’s court-appointed lawyer to suppress the confession, on the grounds that it was given “voluntarily.” Astoundingly, the judge overseeing Wright’s case, Sandy L.V. Byrd (no relation to Ronnie Byrd), ruled to allow the confession as evidence in his current case. The DNA evidence proves that significant portions of Wright’s questionable confession could not have happened as described.
While the original investigation said it discovered semen on Talley’s sheets, follow-up testing showed there was none present on items retrieved from the bed. Instead, ejaculate was found inside Talley’s vagina and rectum (where the medical examiner failed to discover it the first time). Most importantly, DNA from the semen matched with Byrd and excluded Wright.
What’s more, the prosecution’s smoking gun—clothing items long believed to have been worn by the killer—turned out upon further inspection to be less than incriminating.
Wright’s confession described the clothes he was wearing at the alleged time he killed Talley as a black Chicago Bulls sweatshirt, a pair of blue jeans, and Fila sneakers. Detectives testified that they recovered these items from Wright’s home the day of his arrest and that they were spattered with blood. Wright and his mother have long maintained the items weren’t his, and sophisticated testing failed to turn up any of his DNA inside the clothing. Instead investigators found forensic evidence suggesting that the clothes belonged to Talley, not her murderer.
Marissa Boyers Bluestine, legal director of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project at Temple University, said the district attorney’s office will need to articulate how it made such a profound error about such an important piece of evidence.
“On the one hand, it seems highly unlikely that the police walk into a crime scene, take clothing away and plant it on him,” she told The Daily Beast. “But there are a host of questions there. We’re talking about clothing that we now know was not Mr. Wright’s. To be honest I cannot come up with a sustainable narrative to explain it.”
The clothing evidence is so integral to the prosecution’s case against Wright that last Wednesday the DA’s office asked for a continuance so it could test a single strand of hair that was only recently discovered in the sweatshirt. Even if that hair turned out to be Wright’s, the absence of his DNA as a dominant source on the clothes is problematic given the prosecution’s original narrative.
“One would expect to find the suspect’s wearer DNA on contact points tested unless a barrier such as under clothing prevented a transfer of skin cells to the garment,” said Joe Minor, a former forensic supervisor at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation who now consults on DNA evidence.
The absence of a single mention of Byrd in Wright’s confession suggests either the person who concocted the statement didn’t know the man existed, or Wright purposely left Byrd out when writing the nine-page statement and took the full blame in a murder case where the death penalty was likely.
For his part Wright insists he never knew Byrd and since the time of his trial has steadfastly proclaimed he is innocent. Yet there’s still the perplexing question of why a 20-year-old with presumably nothing to lose would sign what could have amounted to his own death warrant. Wright was facing capital murder charges; a deadlocked jury during the sentencing phase of his trial spared him from that fate.
Talley was murdered in the Tioga-Nicetown neighborhood, where drug gangs competed for influence with cadres of corrupt cops as the city notched more than 500 murders. The precinct’s narcotics unit was overseen by supervisors known on the street as the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” They were later convicted of shaking down so many drug dealers, planting so much evidence, and cracking so many skulls that hundreds of drug cases would later be reversed.
The attitude of most Philly cops in the 1980s and 1990s was summed up in a statement by Officer Christopher Rudy, who was on duty when he helped a friend violently settle a personal dispute in 1993.
“I’m a cop. Ain’t nothing going to happen.”
Three years before Talley’s murder, Wright broke Officer Bohndan Fylystyn’s nose and jaw with a piece of lumber, also knocking out several teeth.
Despite calls to try Wright as an adult for the assault, Bridge (his public defender) managed to keep his case in juvenile court and secured for his client a sentence that colleagues of Fylystyn no doubt considered too lenient: two years in a wilderness boot-camp program.
It’s unknown if the detectives who questioned Wright in connection with Talley’s murder knew Fylystyn, but breaking a police officer’s face in Philly does not go unnoticed by his brothers.
So it’s almost no wonder that police zeroed in on Wright as a suspect in Talley’s murder before they had even left the crime scene.
Officers testified in 1993 that they received a tip that the man responsible for the murder could be found at a house on the street just behind Talley’s that had recently become a source of drug activity.
Over the next 12 hours homicide detectives would detain and question that home’s owner, Roland Saint James, who admitted to operating a crackhouse on the premises, and his roommate John Richardson. Both men had extensive criminal records, and by their own accounts were heavy crack users. Under questioning each fingered the younger man for Talley’s murder, but their stories varied considerably. For instance, Saint James offered at least three different descriptions of the clothing Wright was wearing the night of the murder.
The two were released within hours of giving their statements and neither was ever charged in connection to the case, despite the fact that Wright’s nine-page confession mentions Saint James and Richardson as accessories to the crime.
Nearly every piece of evidence investigators obtained in building their case against Wright (with the exception of the fraudulent confession) can be traced back to this crackhead duo, who, according to neighbors, expanded their flophouse into a full-fledged drug operation in the months following Talley’s murder. Despite all of that, Judge Byrd ruled that their statements from 1991 can still be used as evidence in Wright’s retrial. (Both men are deceased.)
The prosecution called two other eyewitnesses at Wright’s original trial: Both were teenagers at the time and claimed they saw Wright casing Talley’s house. Both have reportedly recanted their testimony and now say it was coerced. According to reporting on the case last year by Rolling Stone, one of the witnesses said police warned him that he’d never see his mother again if he didn’t testify.
In light of these major evidentiary issues, it’s possible the DA will ultimately drop the case against Wright. A status hearing is scheduled for June, and the trial is slated to resume in August. That gives prosecutors plenty of time to decide that losing graciously is better than doubling down on a potentially grave miscarriage of justice. |
Introducing: Women of Star Wars By The Senate on 2015-08-25 21:00:00 Our newest set in Card Trader celebrates the female side of the saga, with some of the most legendary warriors in the galaxy. These are the Women of Star Wars.
There are four variants of Women of Star Wars available: Green, Pink, White, and Gold. Green and Pink will be available in the Women of Star Wars Pack, while White and Gold will be in the Master Pack.
The Green and White variants are available now, and in two hours the Pink and the Gold variants will be available. If you pull a Green variant before the Pink is released, you’ll get the Pink for free. If you pull a White variant before the Gold is released, you’ll get the Gold for free.
REMINDER:
No matter how many Greens or Whites are pulled, you'll only receive one Pink or Gold. The free Pink or Gold will be handed out right after those parallels are available in packs!
Today’s Woman of Star Wars is none other than Padmé Amidala.
The odds are:
-Green: 3000 printed, 1:30
-Pink: 3000 printed, 1:50
-White: 1000 printed, 1:30
-Gold: 1000 printed, 1:50
There will be 7 cards to chase in Women of Star Wars, collect all 7 of the same Parallel for your Leia Organa Award Card!
Which other women of the Star Wars universe do you want to see in this set? Let us know in the comments! Get to the Cantina! |
The pleas of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and its leader Praveen Togadia have been dismissed. The Karnataka High Court on Friday upheld Bengaluru City Police’s order preventing Togadia’s entry into the city between February 5 and 11. The VHP chief was scheduled to attend and address the Virat Hindu Samajotsava in Bengaluru on Sunday.The judge clarified that Togadia had been prevented from entering the city but nothing stopped the samajotsava from taking place or for Togadia to address participants via videoconference.Bengaluru Police Commissioner MN Reddi’s order banning Togadia said that “provocative and inflammatory speeches of Shri Praveen Togadia to which he is habitually inclined would have sufficiently grave consequences” and that “there is every likelihood of disturbance to public tranquility and communal harmony in Bengaluru City” if such a speech is not prevented.The police’s preventive action has been taken also because of the worry that Asaduddin Owaisi, president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party, was scheduled to speak in Bengaluru on the same day. Both the police and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have announced that neither Togadia nor Owaisi will be allowed to enter the city.Karnataka BJP leaders staged a walkout in the state Assembly on Wednesday over the ban and called the Congress government anti-Hindu and anti-majority. They might be forgetting the very recent outbreak of violence near Mangaluru soon after Togadia addressed a Virat Hindu Hridaya Sangama meeting there.At least 30 people in two taluks near Mangaluru were reportedly injured on January 17 when Hindus returning from the meeting clashed with Muslims. Three hundred Hindu activists allegedly attacked a mosque and its priest. Police lodged a complaint of rioting and are investigating allegations that inflammatory speeches were made by Togadia and other Hindu leaders at the venue.In late December, the police in West Bengal lodged a First Information Report against Togadia , charging him with delivering a communal speech in Rampurhat village in Birbhum district. The speech was given at a “ghar wapasi” function, where 17 Christian and two Muslim families were reportedly converted to Hinduism.The VHP has slammed the Bengaluru police, saying that the ban against Togadia has been ordered on the basis of old cases in which Togadia has not been found guilty. But as recently as December, the first class court in Kasargod had declared Togadia an absconder in a case registered against him for making a “hate speech” in 2011. In November, the Oomen Chandy government in Kerala had come under severe criticism from the opposition for dropping a case against the VHP president for another hate speech he had made in Kozhikode in 2003.In April 2014, Togadia allegedly exhorted his supporters at a rally in Bhavnagar to evict Muslims living in Hindu-majority areas by hanging “Bajrang Dal” signs outside their houses, giving the residents 48 hours to vacate and storming the premises if they failed to do so. The incident earned Togadia yet another FIR, although he denied the remarks.Togadia has in the past held the record for the maximum number of complaints and criminal cases for making objectionable speeches. Till August 2013, 19 cases had been registered against him, of which 15 had been filed in the three preceding years. By the looks of it, he might continue to hold this record. |
Sen. Al Franken Alan (Al) Stuart FrankenVirginia can be better than this Harris off to best start among Dems in race, say strategists, donors Virginia scandals pit Democrats against themselves and their message MORE (D-Minn.) said on Sunday that Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE Jr. and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort should testify under oath.
During an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Franken was asked whether it was good enough for the two to testify behind closed doors and not under oath.
"No, that's not good enough," Franken said. "It should be under oath."
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Franken said he would like to ask questions about whether they had any other meetings with the Russians.
The comments come after lawmakers announced last week that Trump Jr. and Manafort reached a deal with the Senate Judiciary Committee to avoid appearing at a public hearing.
Manafort and the president's eldest son are the focus of new attention after reports that they attended a meeting, along with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, with a Russian lawyer. An email setting up the meeting promised damaging information on Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' Former Sanders campaign spokesman: Clinton staff are 'biggest a--holes in American politics' MORE that would be provided by the Russian government.
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement that they would not immediately subpoena Trump Jr. or Manafort to testify at the Wednesday hearing.
"Both Donald Trump Jr. and Paul Manafort, through their attorneys, have agreed to negotiate to provide the committee with documents and be interviewed by committee members and staff prior to a public hearing," the lawmakers said. |
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Perry Coniglio, 43, of Highland Falls, was arrested during a police raid captured on video for holding an 81-year-old Marine Corps veteran hostage in a motel for at least four years in order to steal his benefits checks.
According to CBS Local Perry Coniglio was arrested July 19 in his room adjoining the victim’s at the U.S. Academy Motel in Highlands, just feet away from a building housing police and ambulance services in the Hudson Valley town. The charges against Coniglio include grand larceny and unlawful imprisonment.
Police say he used brute force and intimidation to get veteran David McClellan to cooperate with him. Investigators say the victim received three checks every month. The amounts weren’t released.
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The victim has been taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Conligio faces multiple charges, including criminal possession of a weapon, endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, grand larceny, menacing, unlawful imprisonment and unlawful possession of marijuana.
Coniglio is being held in jail Thursday on $15,000 bail. It’s unclear if Coniglio has an attorney.
Photo: Bing |
Intel is expected to unveil its 4th generation Core "Haswell" processor family by early-June, along the sidelines of the 2013 Computex event. In addition to being available in 1000-unit tray quantities to OEMs, the desktop variants of these processors will be available in their familiar retail box packages. Multiple sources confirm that pricing of these chips will be largely identical to that of the current Core "Ivy Bridge" series, with succeeding next-generation part for each current generation one. The table below describes their US MSRP (excl. taxes).
60 Comments on Intel Core "Haswell" Desktop Processor Box Pricing Compiled
1 to 25 of 60 Go to Page 123 PreviousNext
#1 The Von Matrices
The i7-4770K is clocked lower and has a higher TDP than the i7-3770K. That's interesting. I hope that means that the IPC improvements are significant. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 3:03 Reply
#2 Nordic
I kinda wonder how cheap sandy chips will become. I also really have that upgrade itch and I want to pair it with a matx board... patiently waiting for reviews. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 3:05 Reply
#3 techtard
I think the IPC will be a bit better, but they stuffed a much more powerful iGPU inside. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 3:11 Reply
#4 LAN_deRf_HA
The Von Matrices said: The i7-4770K is clocked lower and has a higher TDP than the i7-3770K. Did I miss something obvious? Did I miss something obvious? Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 3:25 Reply
#5 The Von Matrices
LAN_deRf_HA said: Did I miss something obvious? Look at the chart - stock clock of i7-4770K is 3.4 GHz; stock clock of i7-3770K is 3.5 GHz. Look at the chart - stock clock of i7-4770K is 3.4 GHz; stock clock of i7-3770K is 3.5 GHz. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 3:27 Reply
#6 RCoon
Gaming Moderator 4670K is a tempting price if it provides a decent upgrade to the current. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 3:31 Reply
#7 LAN_deRf_HA
The Von Matrices said: Look at the chart - stock clock of i7-4770K is 3.4 GHz; stock clock of i7-3770K is 3.5 GHz. What chart are you looking at... cause it's not the one I am. What chart are you looking at... cause it's not the one I am. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 3:33 Reply
#8 lyndonguitar
I play games looks like I'll stick with my i7-2600k, again :D Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 3:34 Reply
#9 RCoon
Gaming Moderator lyndonguitar said: looks like I'll stick with my i7-2600k, again :D If it aint broke, fix it 'til its broke :toast: If it aint broke, fix it 'til its broke :toast: Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 3:42 Reply
#10 robE
The Von Matrices said: Look at the chart - stock clock of i7-4770K is 3.4 GHz; stock clock of i7-3770K is 3.5 GHz. i think you are looking at the i5, not i7 because it`s the same with 3770k
It`s me or the msrp is lower than ivy? i think you are looking at the i5, not i7 because it`s the same with 3770kIt`s me or the msrp is lower than ivy? Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 4:09 Reply
#11 Aquinus
Resident Wat-man The Von Matrices said: Look at the chart - stock clock of i7-4770K is 3.4 GHz; stock clock of i7-3770K is 3.5 GHz. Not sure what graph you're looking at but the one here says 3.5Ghz, 3.9Ghz turbo for the 4770k which is the same as the 3770k. Not sure what graph you're looking at but the one here says 3.5Ghz, 3.9Ghz turbo for the 4770k which is the same as the 3770k. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 4:14 Reply
#12 Lionheart
These new CPU's do look tempting but my i7 920 & i7 970 are both going strong :toast: Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 5:30 Reply
#13 chief-gunney
james888 said: I kinda wonder how cheap sandy chips will become. I also really have that upgrade itch and I want to pair it with a matx board... patiently waiting for reviews. Sandy chips? Gee wish I could get one of those, 2700k in particular. No supply in AU for 10 months. Sandy chips? Gee wish I could get one of those, 2700k in particular. No supply in AU for 10 months. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 6:27 Reply
#14 jigar2speed
Lionheart said: These new CPU's do look tempting but my i7 920 & i7 970 are both going strong :toast: Heh, my Q6600 at 3.5 GHZ is still going absolutely awesome. :cool: Heh, my Q6600 at 3.5 GHZ is still going absolutely awesome. :cool: Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 6:34 Reply
#15 NdMk2o1o
james888 said: I kinda wonder how cheap sandy chips will become. I also really have that upgrade itch and I want to pair it with a matx board... patiently waiting for reviews. They have gone up in price since the release of IB strange enough, you can now buy a 3570k for less than a 2500k :rolleyes: They have gone up in price since the release of IB strange enough, you can now buy a 3570k for less than a 2500k :rolleyes: Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 6:43 Reply
#16 Animalpak
Right price for the 4770k. My next buy, hope they are good to overclock even at day 1. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 7:38 Reply
#17 Mindweaver
Moderato®™ I guess I'll stick with my 970 and 2600k for my main rigs... But if I decide to upgrade or side grade.. I'll change out my 2600k and give it to my daughter which is still running a Q9550.. She won't notice a difference, but I'll see it in crunching. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 8:09 Reply
#18 xenocide
jigar2speed said: Heh, my Q6600 at 3.5 GHZ is still going absolutely awesome. :cool: I would bet a pound of flesh your Q6600 is bottlenecking that HD7970 noticeably. I would bet a pound of flesh your Q6600 is bottlenecking that HD7970 noticeably. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 8:15 Reply
#19 Sasqui
RCoon said: 4670K is a tempting price if it provides a decent upgrade to the current. It's the 3770k vs 3570k all over again!
jigar2speed said: Heh, my Q6600 at 3.5 GHZ is still going absolutely awesome. :cool: You don't know what your missing :) It's the 3770k vs 3570k all over again!You don't know what your missing :) Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 9:45 Reply
#20 xorbe
The 4670K looks good to me. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 10:31 Reply
#21 hckngrtfakt
jigar2speed said: Heh, my Q6600 at 3.5 GHZ is still going absolutely awesome. :cool: You may want to consider upgrading that Q6600 of yours specially with that 7970 card :o
Two systems ago, i had a Q9550@4.3 which was SERIOUSLY bottlenecking a 6970,
i moved to a 2700k, and the difference was day and night :D You may want to consider upgrading that Q6600 of yours specially with that 7970 card :oTwo systems ago, i had a Q9550@4.3 which was SERIOUSLY bottlenecking a 6970,i moved to a 2700k, and the difference was day and night :D Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 10:37 Reply
#22 theoneandonlymrk
The Von Matrices said: The i7-4770K is clocked lower and has a higher TDP than the i7-3770K. That's interesting. I hope that means that the IPC improvements are significant. The gfx upgrade will be quite significant not the Ipc so much, im not impressed with the default clocks at all , seams intel is goading enthusiasts and amd to me. The gfx upgrade will be quite significant not the Ipc so much, im not impressed with the default clocks at all , seams intel is goading enthusiasts and amd to me. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 10:43 Reply
#23 Krneki
Don't know about the Q6600@3.6, but for my i5 750@4.0 the Nvidia 670@1350 is the bottleneck in 90% of the games. Sure you might get better average FPS with faster CPU, but I'm looking at FPS dropping below 60.
I do want to upgrade (look it's shiny!), but I can't find a logical reason. :(
For gaming, i5 vs i7. Until now almost no game took advantage of the extra L3 or HT, the situation is slowly changing. It would be awesome to see the difference in modern games when both CPU are at the same clock. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 10:45 Reply
#24 jihadjoe
The Von Matrices said: The i7-4770K is clocked lower and has a higher TDP than the i7-3770K. That's interesting. I hope that means that the IPC improvements are significant. AFAIK TDP is higher because the VRM is integrated onto the die. Total platform power remains the same, if not slightly lower. AFAIK TDP is higher because the VRM is integrated onto the die. Total platform power remains the same, if not slightly lower. Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 12:00 Reply
#25 Shinshin
Guys, don't forget that to upgrade to the new Haswell processors you will need a new motherboard..... :cool: Posted on Apr 23rd 2013, 12:37 Reply |
Along with playing an essential role in manufacturing industries, Lean Six Sigma promises to enhance your business efficiency multifold. The business improvement modules linked with Lean Six Sigma reduces waste from operations and has a lot to offer in terms of efficiency.
Lean is a systematic approach that first identifies and then eliminates all forms of wastes for achieving efficient production flow by the value stream. Six Sigma is a methodology that is driven by data consisting of different phases. And, Lean Six Sigma refers to team based efforts that continuously strives to promote effective business growth/improvement.
Well, it would be wrong to signify Six Sigma as a quality program because it is actually an overall business strategy that can be applied to all business processes – whether they pertain to manufacturing concerns, retail, banking transactions, anything!
Lean Six Sigma Efficiently Reduces Costs
Are you seeking better ways of reducing costs? Are you tired of implementing short term way-outs that ultimately harms customer satisfaction? Go for efficient implementation of Lean Six Sigma modules – the inherent processes will evaluate your companies’ processes systematically for producing real and sustainable results. Also, the elimination of wastes, and overall improvement of efficiency around all operational areas, can significantly reduce costs with the proper safeguarding of customer satisfaction.
Let’s See How!
Lean Six Sigma’s improvement methodologies are efficient enough in reducing the number of defects.
We all are aware of the fact that defects result in enhancement of costs.
Beyond the factor of defects, companies suffer from losses due to the costs associated with poor quality.
Some experts even believe that the average firm loses around 5% to 30% of gross sales due to the costs linked with poor quality.
Yes, a Fortune 500 firm, in recent times, has calculated the figure at 8.6% of sales and has set an objective to reduce it to 5.4% - all with the help of Lean Six Sigma!
Eliminate these Costs with Six Sigma!
Given under are few costs that are associated with poor quality; they can be eliminated through Lean:
Scrape or salvage
Loss of customer loyalty
Lost sales figures
Higher risk of operation
Increased costs of administration
Returns and allowances
Lower morale of the employees
Warranty restores and replacement
Service calls; and more!
The Evolution of the “Lean” Concept
The evolution of the concept “Lean” started with Henry Ford’s Model “T” assembly line. In this attempt, vehicles were moved to the assembler rather than assemblers moving to the vehicles. This attempt had helped the company attain higher volumes of manufacturing activities that got accomplished by moderately low-skilled workers; thereby heightening its profitability par imagination!
The concept of “lean” was taken to the next level by Toyota during the 1950s and 1960s. In this period, Ford’s mass production assembly line was made to adapt to a leaner process of automobile production. For enabling more customization to the process, small work groups or cells, as well as labor possessing multi-functional skills and components of Just-in-time (JIT) were incorporated by Toyota.
A Case Study!
Since the year 2005, the US Army has utilized the standards of Lean Six Sigma with an aim of reducing costs. At the same time, it strives towards improving the effectiveness of its processes and meeting customer expectations. Here, the proven skills of Lean Six Sigma professionals were used for the logistics involved in moving forces, equipment, and support supplies out of Iraq and into Afghanistan. These professionals were brought in to analyze the objectives and constraints, and accordingly suggest the most prominent processes for ensuring greater efficiency. These experts noticeably enhanced the flow with an aim of eliminating delivery failures, and thus reducing the costs.
The results! As a result of this awesome lookout of the US Army, in the year 2009, a surprising $3.8 billion savings in costs was reported. As per studies, most of the savings were due to the successful implementation of Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
Equation of Lean Six Sigma and Organizational Efficiencies
Literally, the equation signifies that Lean Six Sigma is aimed at improving the efficiency of your organization; this may be acquired by:
Optimizing the efforts of your organization towards delivering satisfactory products or service to all esteemed customers
Letting your organization allocate the resources or revenues generated from your recently enhanced processes for ensuring the growth of your business
In a nutshell, Lean Six Sigma is the improvement process that enables you to generate efficient processes. It is aimed at making your organization capable of delivering more products or services, with more number of satisfied customers than ever before.
Potential Efficiencies of Lean Six Sigma
The aim of “Lean” is to achieve more with less - be it less human efforts, less machines, less time, or less space. The following are the latent benefits of Lean that pave the path for organizational efficiencies:
Decrease in lead time
Enhanced throughput
Lower requirement for inventory or idle stock
Reduction of wastages, thus cost
Improved engagement of employee
Enhanced level of customer satisfaction
Lower cost of implementation
Are you ready to bring in more changes with Lean Six Sigma? Go for it! |
Maryland takes one of the more liberal approaches toward medical marijuana access, and that's caught the notice of businesses that flooded regulators with more than 1,000 applications.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Plenty of states have rolled out medical marijuana operations before Maryland, but as the state prepares to announce its top candidates for licenses to grow and process the drug, it’s determined not to repeat the mistakes of others.
Maryland takes one of the more liberal approaches toward medical marijuana access, and that’s caught the notice of businesses that flooded regulators with more than 1,000 applications.
“It’s failed in other states because they’ve been too restrictive about the kinds of diseases and ailments that could be utilized by physicians, and I think in Maryland they’ve taken the opposite approach, which generates the interest because they appreciate that Maryland is forward thinking on this,” said Gerard Evans, a lobbyist for license applicant Holistic Industries.
Medical marijuana will be available for any condition that is severe in which other medical treatments have been ineffective, and if the symptoms “reasonably can be expected to be relieved” by marijuana. Patients with a chronic or debilitating medical condition that causes severe appetite loss, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures or severe muscle spasms also can have access, as well as people with glaucoma or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Even further, Maryland will allow not only physicians but nurse practitioners, dentists, podiatrists and nurse midwives to certify patients as eligible to receive marijuana.
“It’s not only the broad spectrum of conditions and ailments that they’ve put out there, but also the broad spectrum of health care practitioners that can recommend it,” said Angeline Nanni, CEO of CannaMED Pharmaceuticals, which has applied for a grower’s license in Hebron on Maryland’s Eastern Shore where the company already has invested about $1 million in a facility to grow and research marijuana.
Regulators have adopted best-industry practices for marijuana concentrates and cannabis-infused products. They also have implemented strict regulations regarding bona fide physician-patient relationships.
People authorized to recommend marijuana use will be able to do so for patients in other states who come to Maryland.
Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have legalized a comprehensive medical marijuana program, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Maryland, regulators are scheduled to announce on Monday which companies have received preliminary approval for licenses to grow or process marijuana.
The industry has struggled in some states. For example, Minnesota’s two licensed medical marijuana manufacturers each posted millions of dollars in losses in their first year of operations, according to financial documents obtained by The Associated Press. Minnesota’s program is only open to patients with 10 severe conditions.
Maryland approved its first medical marijuana law in 2013. The effort stalled, however, because it required academic medical centers to run the programs, and none stepped forward.
The law was changed in 2014 to allow doctors certified by the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission to recommend marijuana for patients with debilitating, chronic and severe illnesses.
Medical cannabis is not expected to be available from Maryland dispensaries until sometime next year. The commission is expected to grant 94 dispensary licenses from 811 applicants later this year.
Troy Dayton of the San Francisco-based Arcview Group said interest in Maryland also is driven by the potential for full legalization later. Four states — Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia — allow marijuana possession in small amounts by adults over 21 for any reason. Medical and recreational marijuana sales in Colorado reached nearly $1 billion last year.
“Part of the reason I think why a lot of people want to get these licenses now is that they imagine that adult-use legalization will come sometime, and they will already have a brand and a market and customers and really have an advantage if the market shifts in Maryland,” Dayton said.
For now, though, officials say the focus is on helping sick people, including children who meet their physician’s criteria for treatment.
Harry “Buddy” Robshaw, the vice chairman of the commission, spent more than 40 years as a policeman, 15 of them as a narcotics investigator who used to put people in jail for using drugs.
“I have come to believe very strongly, though, that medical marijuana is going to be a savior for a lot of people in the state of Maryland, particularly kids,” Robshaw said at a recent meeting this month.
Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed. |
Could German subs soon be the pride of Australia's Navy?
Germany’s bid for Australia’s SEA 1000 Future Submarine project could reasonably be described as coming from a safe pair of hands.
Since 1960, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) through its Howaldwerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) subsidiary has delivered 161 diesel-electric submarines to 20 navies. Of this total, 123 have been built for international customers —including six NATO navies—51 of them in South Korea, Turkey, Greece and Brazil.
All have been built to fixed price contracts, a model which clearly works otherwise, as noted by TKMS Board member Torsten Konker “we’d be broke.”
Notwithstanding the company’s experience, TKMS has yet to construct a submarine in the 4,000 tons range that’s generally regarded as the size needed to meet Australia’s requirements.
That isn’t seen as a problem by TKMS, whose designs have steadily grown in size and capability to meet customers’ specifications.
Such an evolutionary approach, based on the consistent use of the same design philosophy, is apparent in the Type 216 reference design on which the company’s SEA 1000 proposal is based.
Predicated on a 4,345 tons (submerged displacement) platform but designed to be scaled up or down, the Type 216 is 89 meters long with a hull diameter of 8.1 meters, two pressure-tight compartments, and a two-deck layout.
At the heart of the boat is a propulsion system that employs a methanol reformer air independent propulsion (AIP) system to achieve a submerged range without snorkeling of 2,600 nautical miles (4,815 km) at four knots, assisted by lithium ion batteries as a supplementary energy source.
Snorkeling under diesel electric power at 10 knots adds a further 10,400 nautical miles (19,260 km), during which the indiscretion rate—the percentage of time during which the snorkel is raised—is less than 20%.
Overall endurance is about 80 days during which, according to unofficial but informed sources, a submerged AIP period could, if required, exceed more than 20 days. By contrast, Collins boats have no AIP and their endurance without snorkeling is understood to be about three days.
While a 33-strong crew would be sufficient to man and operate the Type 216, 60 bunks will be provided to meet Navy’s requirements that presumably include accommodation for embarked special forces; a gym area can be included for crew wellbeing.
The Type 216 design provides space for up to 18 heavyweight torpedoes or a mix of weapons that could include missiles and mines, fired through six bow tubes.
The design also provides an option for an innovative vertical multi-purpose lock just aft of the sail for cruise missiles, unmanned systems or divers, together with pressure-tight containers inside the aft and forward casing for torpedo countermeasures systems and garaging of unmanned aerial vehicles.
An intercept detection, ranging sonar and a new conformal array sonar in the bow are included in the sensor suite, as are an expanded flank array incorporating passive ranging, an aft sonar array, a towed array and underwater cameras.
The 2,200 tons Dolphin II class now in service with Israel—and reputedly nuclear-armed—is the largest submarine yet produced by TKMS. Two variants known as the Type 218SG are reliably reported to have been ordered by Singapore with delivery expected in 2020.
Scaling up a pressure hull is assessed as low risk, entailing as it does the same hull material, the same calculation systematics and engineering tools, the same stealth calculations and design, the same underlying layout parameters, and the same degree of quality assurance and documentation.
The design risk is therefore in the reliability and integration of systems and subsystems, of which TKMS says more than 80% are already at sea in the company’s Type 214.
Obviously these don’t include the AN/BYG-1(V) combat management system and the Mk48 Mod 7 CBASS heavyweight torpedo that equips the Collins-class and are mandated for its successor. Nor are they likely to include several RAN-specified underwater and surface sensors.
Yet capabilities even within a given class can vary widely depending on the requirements, skills and presumably the pockets of the operators, and TKMS says that the integration of diverse systems and the handling of sensitive information is a well-established part of its normal business.
Close engagement with the Israeli Navy on a variety of systems had seen the Dolphin II—arguably the company’s most capable type to date—“emerge as a unique submarine that precisely meets their needs.”
A $20 billion offer by the parent company to deliver 12 Type 216-based submarines built in Germany, Australia or a mix of both, had been based on RAN’s anticipated top-level requirements, Dr. John White, chairman of the Melbourne-based subsidiary TKMS Australia (TKMSA), clarified to the Senate Economics References Committee in July.
Although the actual requirements had since been made available, the comparative evaluation process (CEP) involving all three SEA 1000 contenders wouldn’t be long enough to produce a revised figure.
Both Defense Minister Kevin Andrews and Navy chief Tim Barrett have visited the sprawling TKMS shipyard in Kiel, where Andrews saw nine submarines either under construction, refit or repair.
A subsequent paper was prepared at Andrews’ request predicting the additional facilities and expertise required at ASC should the Type 216 be constructed there under TKMS management. This paper was also copied to and discussed with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann.
Dr. White, head of the successful 1990s ANZAC frigate program, told the Senate committee that as with all complex infrastructure projects, including SEA 1000, when done properly the most efficient, lowest cost option was to engineer and plan from the very beginning for building all boats in Australia.
TKMS would also provide options for building all or some boats in Germany as requested in the CEP. If selected, the company would follow the ANZAC model and utilize multiple sites to make best use of the skilled labor located around Australia.
Perhaps surprisingly, Dr. White disclosed that TKMS would find it difficult to achieve a continuous build from eight submarines—the number on which current speculation is centered—even if planned refits and potential upgrades were included in the time frame.
Since time is money, it wouldn’t be prudent to achieve a continuous build process simply by extending the build schedule.
This piece first appeared in ASPI’s The Strategist here. |
This feisty side dish is quick to throw together, will make your kitchen smell amazing, and is guaranteed to be devoured. Quickly. There is just something irresistibly addicting about popping these piquant garlicky beans in your mouth – just beware, they might not make it to the table! And forget about having leftovers…serves 3-4.
Ingredients:
4 (or more) cups of green beans, washed and trimmed
1 Tbsp coconut oil
4-5 garlic cloves
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp dried red chile flakes (or more, depending on your spice threshold!)
Into a work or large frying pan, throw the blob of coconut oil and fire up the heat to high. Put in your green beans, toss lightly to coat in the oil, and let the sizzling begin! Put on the cover so the beans start to cook through.
Meanwhile, mince your garlic cloves. Once the beans have been cooking for a minute and start turning a gorgeous bright green, add in your minced garlic, sesame oil, chile flakes, and soy sauce, and turn down the heat just a bit to medium-high. Mix to coat evenly with the seasonings, and put the cover back on for about three minutes, stirring periodically. Your mouth will start to water from the heavenly aroma…
Give it a good final mix, take off the cover back off for a final minute to finish them off on high heat (you want the ends to be turning brown and the garlic to be nice and toasty but not burnt). Serve hot. Good luck fighting the urge to eat them before they make it to the table…
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The chief executive of Nokia says that business analysis back in 2010 pointed to the scenario that has played out in the Android business - and he's pleased with his choice
A perennial question that revolves around Nokia is: why didn't it choose to go with Android to replace Symbian when it decided to kill that as its smartphone operating system in late 2010?
It's known that Nokia did discuss the idea with Google - but didn't follow through. That led to the tweet from Google's Vic Gundotra just ahead of the announcement of the Windows Phone tieup in February 2011 that "two turkeys do not make an eagle".
vicgundotra (@vicgundotra) #feb11 "Two turkeys do not make an Eagle".
(That slightly sour jibe led to Gundotra's boss telling him to stop tweeting.)
But what, precisely, was wrong with Android in 2010? Elop expanded on this at a round table with journalists including the Guardian and other European papers. The question: did he ever regret not choosing Android as the platform for Nokia's post-Symbian smartphones?
"I'm very happy with the decision we made," he said. "What we were worried about a couple of years ago was the very high risk that one hardware manufacturer could come to dominate Android. We had a suspicion of who it might be, because of the resources available, the vertical integration, and we were respectful of the fact that we were quite late in making that decision. Many others were in that space already.
"Now fast forward to today and examine the Android ecosystem, and there's a lot of good devices from many different companies, but one company has essentially now become the dominant player."
This, he continues, becomes important in negotiations with carriers - who are the gatekeepers to getting a phone in front of so many people, especially in the US.
"Strategically that's important for us [to be offering an alternative OS] because having a conversation with [chief executive] Ralph de la Vega at AT&T, the first step in the conversation is the recognition that we're not Apple, we're not Samsung/Android - used to be Android/Samsung, it's actually about Samsung now - we're a third alternative.
"And as an operator he wants to negotiate with different people and keep pressure on everybody and have the best range of options, he wants that third alternative. So strategically we have an opening with AT&T and every other operator in the world - because we've taken that path as the third ecosystem.
"Now, it's hard - it's very difficult because we are starting as a challenger, we're having to build that credibility; but with partners like AT&T we're gaining that traction . But it was the right decision. You look at a number of other Android providers right now and they're in a tough spot."
Whether Windows Phone has definitely staked its claim as the third ecosystem ahead of BlackBerry should become clear on Thursday, when Nokia will announce its second-quarter results. That will bring figures for handset shipments. In its latest quarter to the end of May BlackBerry shipped 6.8m handsets; if Nokia can beat that (and the forecasts from analysts are that it has: they're putting the figure at between 7m and 8m handsets) it will begin to have credibility as the third ecosystem. Certainly there will be more Windows Phone 8 handsets out there than BB10 handsets; however there could be some way to go to beat the 75m BlackBerry subscribers worldwide, as Windows Phone has only shipped about 30m handsets in total.
But for those who were wondering why Nokia didn't go with Android, Elop's reasoning is pretty clear: he and his team reckoned that Samsung would be well-placed (because of its manufacturing capability and history in the mobile space) to dominate, which would leave no room for anyone else.
They've certainly been proved right - HTC's figures show continuing falls in revenue despite the critical plaudits for the HTC One. It's impossible to know, of course, whether it was the right decision - but at least we know why it was made. |
A top NBC spokesman said Thursday that it was "beneath my dignity" to respond to President Trump's attacks on Mika Brzezinski, the co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
Trump attacked Brzezinski as "low I.Q. Crazy Mika" in a series of morning tweets, claiming that he had seen Brzezinski "bleeding badly from a face-lift."
"Never imagined a day when I would think to myself, 'it is beneath my dignity to respond to the President of the United States,'" Mark Kornblau, NBCUniversal News Group's senior vice president of communications, tweeted in response.
Never imagined a day when I would think to myself, "it is beneath my dignity to respond to the President of the United States." — Mark Kornblau (@MarkKornblau) June 29, 2017
@POTUS tweets this morning are not just beneath the dignity of the office, they are beneath the dignity of The Office. pic.twitter.com/QQFOU355lp — Mark Kornblau (@MarkKornblau) June 29, 2017
His comments came after Trump bashed Brzezinski in tweets about her New Year's Eve visit to Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
"I heard poorly rated Morning Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came ..." Trump tweeted before adding, "to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!"
Trump’s latest tweets followed a slew of attacks on various media outlets this week.
MSNBC expressed disappointment in a statement following the tweets.
"It's a sad day for America when the president spends his time bullying, lying and spewing petty personal attacks instead of doing his job," the statement said. |
DALLAS—When the children were released from the privately run immigration detention facility in Karnes City, Texas, they were immediately taken to the emergency room with pneumonia.
Over the past few months, several children who fled from violence in South and Central America with their mothers have been hospitalized after leaving the facility run by GEO Group, a private prison company that saw its stocks jump following Election Day. The children’s health problems were the result of poor medical care inside what is essentially a prison for mothers and their children, according to Amy Fischer of the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.
A GEO Group spokesperson denied the claim, saying all children are given chest X-rays upon admission to the facility. The spokesman also said that not everyone is given X-rays when leaving Karnes City unless “they seem to be ailing.”
With Donald Trump now president-elect, the Karnes City facility and a dozen more like it across the country are preparing to fill even more beds with immigrants and refugees. GEO Group and another private prison company, Corrections Corporation of America, are also preparing for more large, lucrative contracts with the federal government to run the detention centers.
Both companies saw their stock prices soar following Trump’s historic and shocking win.
“If we see how the stocks skyrocketed, I think they see this as a huge opportunity for profit,” Fischer said of the two companies.
Of the 1,000 largest companies in the country, Forbes reported the day after Trump’s victory, “the biggest winner of the election was Corrections Corporation of America.”
CCA’s stock shot up 49 percent that day thanks to Trump’s promise to enact mass deportations as president. GEO’s stock rose 21 percent the same day.
But it isn’t just the two companies who have an interest in detaining more immigrants. A report released Thursday shows that some of the country’s largest banks profit off fees and interest payments from the two companies—both of which rely on such debt financing for their daily operations.
The report (PDF), compiled by In the Public Interest, which describes itself as a “comprehensive research and policy center,” shows the two companies have nearly $2 billion in debt each from lenders including JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America. Without them, GEO Group and CCA would have difficulty operating, according to the report.
In the Public Interest calls for the banks to immediately halt debt financing to GEO Group and CCA. If the banks did so, the “companies will be forced to find other sources of funds, which would significantly reduce their operations and growth.”
Some of those operations include significant donations to Republican lawmakers in Congress, many of whom have harsh stances on crime and immigration, according to Fischer.
“You can trace their campaign contributions to some of the most aggressive anti-immigrant politicians both at the state and federal level,” Fischer said.
Those contributions are in addition to the millions both companies spent on lobbying politicians between 2004 and 2014, according to a 2015 report from the liberal Center for American Progress. For its part, CCA says it makes a point not to lobby for specific criminal justice laws.
“It is CoreCivic [CCA]’s longstanding policy not to draft, lobby for, promote or in any way take a position on proposals, policies or legislation that determine the basis or duration of an individual’s incarceration or detention,” spokesman Jonathan Burns told International Business Times this week.
On top of helping to fund its daily operations, large loans from banks have helped GEO Group and CCA to purchase smaller corrections companies, the report notes, allowing them to become the two largest private prison companies in the country.
Under Trump, they may have the opportunity to grow even larger. In June the president-elect told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that privatization of prisons “seems to work a lot better.” The comment came two months before the Department of Justice, citing security problems and poor conditions at private prisons nationwide, said it would phase out the use of private companies to run federal penal institutions.
Whether Trump still believes private prisons are superior to those run by the government is unknown, but GEO Group and CCA have the president-elect’s comments on immigration to lift their spirits—and, possibly, their bottom line.
In a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday, Trump pledged to deport between 2 and 3 million immigrants, making it a priority to remove those with criminal records. Whether there even are that many who fall into that category is a matter of debate, to put it charitably. If there are that many criminal illegal aliens, Trump would have to make good on his campaign promise of creating a “deportation force” to remove them—a promise House Speaker Paul Ryan assured the American public last week was only lip service.
Illegal immigrants with criminal records are an easy target for deportation, but the immigration plan on Trump’s website makes no distinction for men, women, and children fleeing violent countries like El Salvador, where some 4,000 people had been murdered by October, according to The Washington Post.
“Anyone who crosses the border illegally will be detained until they are removed out of our country,” Trump’s official immigration policy statement reads. Whether Trump intends to kick out the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing South and Central American violence remains to be seen, but what is clear is that GEO Group and CCA see Trump’s win as a boon for business.
“As you know, the need for new infrastructure has been frequently discussed during this election season,” CCA CEO Damion Hininger said in a November call with investors just before the election. “And (CCA) is positioned to assist government organizations in making investments to modernize their mission-critical criminal justice infrastructure, while allowing them to maintain their borrowing capacity to address other capital needs.”
In layman’s terms, “we’re about to get paid.”
The call came after U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement renewed a contract with CCA in October to operate the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, a $1 billion dollar deal that runs through 2020.
Prior to the contract renewal, the company’s future was grim—stock prices dove following the August Justice Department decree that called for the end of private companies running federal prisons. Partly in response, CCA changed its name to CoreCivic and, in the November call with investors, Hininger said the rebranding was part of an effort to change the company into a “diversified government solutions provider.”
The name change had nothing to do with problems at CCA-run facilities, like the deadly 2015 gang fight at an Oklahoma prison that left four men dead, Hininger said.
“Despite poorly sourced claims from industry critics and activists to the contrary, our continued focus on operational excellence, flexibility, and our compelling value proposition have continued to create opportunities for the company to grow where our partners need and want solutions that we can deliver,” Hininger said during the call.
Except Trump’s pledge may be difficult to meet, a brief look at federal data shows.
It has taken President Obama six years to deport 2.5 million people, according to a 2015 Department of Homeland Security report. Last year, DHS, ICE, and Customs and Border Patrol deported less than 1 million people combined.
More than 30,000 of those men, women, and children were from South and Central America, according to the report, and at least 40,000 more such refugees are currently being held in private detention centers like the ones in Karnes City and Dilley, Fischer said. That number is expected to increase, as the renewed contract for the Dilley facility indicates.
Along with an expected increase in detentions will come a greater burden on an already overworked system in which “credible fear” interviews are held. There, DHS hears arguments from refugees who say a return to their home country would put them at risk of injury or death.
“Unfortunately, there’s no right to counsel in these proceedings, so what we do is prep the mothers as much as we can ahead of these interviews,” Fischer said.
In Karnes City, a family facility that holds mostly mothers and their children, Fischer and other advocates have a high success rate—roughly 90 percent of refugees there are granted the right to stay in the United States and eventually seek citizenship.
In official terms, their fear is credible. Now, they have a new fear: President Trump.
“I think the immigrant community is right to be very scared,” Fischer said. “At the same time, it’s an expansive system and I don’t think Trump has really thought through the intricacies of what it would take to deport the amount of people he has mentioned.”
If Trump’s words are to be trusted, no one currently in a detention facility or caught crossing the border illegally after Jan. 20 will have the opportunity to prove they have a credible fear of returning to their home country.
“As we look forward to a Trump presidency we expect this to only be more aggressive,” Fischer said. |
I will be 47 years old Superbowl Sunday, but parts of me will only be 3 or 5 years old, depending on which of my surgeons you confer with. Blade Runner and The Terminator are less science fiction movies that documentaries to me these days, and it is fair to say having alien technology inside your body does change not only your physiognomy but your psychology and mentality in certain ways, sometimes ways one isn't even aware of for many years. It also effects those close to you. For instance, my heart clicks. Like a clock. You might wonder how long it takes to tune that phenomenon out of your daily existence, or if it just wears on one in eventually maddening ways like Chinese water torture or Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." The answer is both. For the first several weeks, even months after artificial valve surgery, your heart feels like it is going to pound out of your chest. Most of this is probably attributable to the sound. Typically one probably wouldn't be aware of the beating of one's heart, but being able to hear each beat makes it unignorable.
Heart poem by Thomas L. Vaultonburg , illustrated by Jenny Mathews of Rockford Illustrating
I am torn between writing more about what it's like to go through open-heart surgery and have artificial parts surgically implanted inside one's body, and the lasting changes that makes in one's life, or just writing about what it's like to collaborate with an artist like Jenny Mathews. Mostly I'm just happy to wake up day after day and see she has drawn something new. In this case I am also happy to be able to collaborate in the process. Eventually I may write more about the ongoing process of becoming a cyborg, but for the most part I just find myself grateful and happy to be alive. |
Yet another member of the GOP has publicly called for the brutal execution of Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. Oklahoma Republican representative, John Bennett of Sallisaw, Oklahoma just took to his Facebook page to demand that Clinton be taken out via firing squad.
What has she done this time, you ask? What new dirt has been dug up? Nothing. Bennett is talking about Benghazi. He wrote “Two words…Firing squad,” in a Facebook post made Tuesday night and uncovered by Tulsa World News.
The representative later texted The Oklahoman and said that his words were meant to be sarcastic, but he is either extremely dimwitted, or completely full of it. In case it’s stupidity, Mr. Bennett, the definition of sarcasm is: “the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.”
Regardless of stupidity, or an utter lack of integrity, this is seemingly a common occurrence with Republicans in 2016. It’s as if we’ve stepped into a twilight zone where we’ve gone back in time to relive the past injustices of less evolved eras.
Who are these people and why are we allowing them to ruin our country? They’ve turned us into a punchline worldwide. We are now just one giant reality television show, entertaining the rest of the world with our unbelievable antics.
What has happened to us?
Video courtesy of Tulsa World: |
Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre said is team is focused on Arizona not the College Football Playoff rankings. ( Cliff Grassmick / Staff Photographer )
While the Colorado football team continues to focus on its goal of winning the Pac-12 championship, its chances of getting a shot at the national title keep getting a little better.
On Tuesday night, the Buffaloes moved up to No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings. They were No. 15 in the CFP's initial rankings last week.
The top four teams in the CFP rankings released on Dec. 4 will play for the championship. With two losses already, CU (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12) may have a tough time getting into position for the title, but sitting at No. 12 with four weeks to go gives the Buffs a shot.
Publicly, the Buffs, ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press poll and No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches poll, say they aren't concerned with the rankings at this point.
"The rankings come with the wins and it's a nice honor or blessing," quarterback Sefo Liufau said. "We just want to focus on this week (at Arizona)."
Earlier on Tuesday, head coach Mike MacIntyre said he wasn't planning to watch the show to reveal the latest Top 25.
"(Associate athletic director/sports information director) Dave Plati will call me tonight and tell me what we're ranked," MacIntyre said. "I won't watch it. I'll be here watching Arizona and watching our practice film and talking to some of our kids and coaches and recruiting and everything we do.
"I won't worry about all of that until the end (of the season). I will say, though, the more we're on television, the more we're ranked, I do notice it helps recruiting.
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CU is one of five Pac-12 teams in the CFP Top 25, joining Washington (9-0) at No. 4, Utah (7-2) at No. 15, Southern California (6-3) at No. 20 and Washington State (7-2) at No. 23.
On Tuesday, the top three remained unchanged from last week, as Alabama (9-0) sits at No. 1, Clemson (9-0) at No. 2 and Michigan (9-0) at No. 3.
The undefeated Huskies moved up from No. 5 after last week's No. 4, Texas A&M, lost to Mississippi State.
In the previous two seasons of the CFP, the highest end-of-season ranking for a two-loss team came last year, when Stanford was ranked No. 6 with an 11-2 record.
Contact staff writer Brian Howell at howellb@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/BrianHowell33. |
Sen. Ted Cruz washed his hands of blame in the bulging controversy surrounding a pornographic video on his Twitter account.
The former presidential hopeful said a staffer, not himself, “liked” the video.
The conservative Texas Republican blamed “someone” with access to his Twitter account for clicking the little heart-shaped icon below a risqué two-minute clip from @SexuallPosts on the social media site.
“There are a number of people on the team that have access to the account and it appears that someone inadvertently hit the like button,” Cruz said.
Ted Cruz talks about watching porn with Sandra Day O’Connor
The video — featuring two women and a man — appeared on Cruz’s list of likes late Monday and was deleted by 2 a.m. Tuesday.
A naughty video appeared on a list of Sen. Ted Cruz's liked tweets. Image by: MIKE SEGAR/REUTERS
Word of the post’s appearance led to widespread mockery of a man who once helped write a legal brief defending a Texas law banning sex toys.
“Everyone on Twitter after 1 a.m. on a Monday knows exactly how this whole thing works,” Kevin Shark tweeted. “You’re foolin’ nobody.”
“To be fair, literally every photo of Ted Cruz looks like he just got caught masturbating,” wrote Mike Drucker.
The history of Ted Cruz making his family uncomfortable
Cruz, a failed presidential candidate who derided “New York values” during a debate last year, attempted to slap his own sense of humor on the situation as well.
The porno appeared on Ted Cruz's page early Tuesday. Image by: Twitter
“This is not how I envisioned waking up this morning,” the 46-year-old father of two said. “Although I will say that if I had known that this would trend so quickly, perhaps we should have posted something like this back during the Indiana primary.”
Cruz critic Craig Mazin, a screenwriter and director who bunked with the lawmaker during the pair’s college days at Princeton, said the X-rated activity wouldn’t be a first for the pious pol.
“Sadly, the fact that Ted Cruz (pleasures himself) to mediocre porn spam is the most human thing we can say about him. This is actually his high point,” Mazin tweeted.
Ted Cruz's college roommate dishes the dirt on Texas Senator
“Now imagine Ted Cruz is doing this four feet below you in the bottom bunk bed. Yes, my misery very much appreciates your company,” he wrote.
Cruz, who last year voted in favor of an amendment to the GOP platform describing pornography as a “public health crisis,” has long branded himself as a family values-first public servant.
As state solicitor general in 2007, Cruz attempted to bar Texans from buying sex toys by penning a 76-page argument that was struck down.
Cruz’s team argued that while the law banned the sale of sexual aids, “there is no substantive-due-process right to stimulate one’s genitals for non-medical purposes unrelated to procreation or outside of an interpersonal relationship.”
As a fledgling law clerk, Cruz said he once searched for hardcore pornography using the term “cantaloupe” alongside retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor — for work.
RELATED GALLERY
America better get their homework done Ted Cruz just might be everyone's favorite nanny! ▲ The resemblance is uncanny! Ted Cruz IS a blobfish. ▲ Ted Cruz can only hope to be a fraction as cool as Grandpa Munster once he has grandkids! ▲ A Ted Cruz lookalike was mocked across the Internet when the unfortunate woman appeared on the Maury Povich show trying to determine her daughter's real father. For the record: Ted Cruz is NOT the father. ▲ Jerri Blank was a user, boozer and a loserâ can't really say the same about Ted Cruz. Well, except the loser/losing part. ▲ Poor Kevin can't catch a break, even after all of these years since 'The Office' wrapped. Actor Brian Baumgartner (r) has recently been compared to GOP candidate Ted Cruz. ▲ We bet that Ted Cruz wishes Grayson Allen was a RED Devil instead of blue. ▲ "So I guess my doppelgänger is @tedcruz? Guess I better cancel the @Stryper tour so I can focus on my campaign ;-)" Stryper member Michael Sweet tweeted. ▲ Continue to Full Gallery
The evangelical Christian divulged his bizarre work duties alongside his wife, Heidi Cruz, and their two daughters during a CNN town hall in April 2016.
The Supreme Court at the time was considering a case challenging a law that regulated online porn.
Last year, Cruz’s campaign pulled a Sen. Marco Rubio attack ad that aired after learning the actress they hired for the commercial was softcore porn veteran Amy Lindsay.
The post that was liked by Cruz’s account late Monday was originally shared by the Twitter handle @SexuallPosts.
“A friend texted me. It’s really pretty comical,” the owner of the account, who only gave his name as Kyle, told the Washington Post.
The account tried to make the best of all the attention on Tuesday.
“Follow for the Same Porn @TedCruz Watches,” a new banner on the page reads. |
Recipe by Daniel Myers
Ingredients
1 cup cooked chicken
1 Tbsp. butter or lard
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. grains of paradise
1/4 tsp. salt
Method
Cut chicken into small pieces and sautee in butter until it starts to brown. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer until thick. Serve hot.
Source [Le Ménagier de Paris, J. Pichon (ed.)]: BROUET DE CANELLE. Despeciez vostre poulaille ou autre char, puis la cuisiez en eaue et mettez du vin avec, et friolez: puis prenez des amandes crues et séchées à toute l'escorce et sans peler, et canelle grant foison, et si broyez très bien, et deffaites de vostre boullon ou de boullon de beuf, et faites boulir avec vostre grain: puis broyez gingembre, giroffle et graine, etc., et soit liant et for.
Source [Le Ménagier de Paris, J. Hinson (trans.)]: Cinnamon Soup. Cut up your poultry or other meat, then cook in water and add wine, and fry: then take raw almonds with the skin on unpeeled, and a great quantity of cinnamon, and grind up well, and mix with your stock or with beef stock, and put to boil with your meat: then grind ginger, clove and grain, etc., and let it be thick and yellow-brown.
Source [Le Viandier de Taillevent, Pichon & Vicaire (eds.)]: BROUET DE CANELLE. Cuissiez vostre poulaille en vin ou en eaue, ou tel grain comme vous vouldrez; et le despeciez par quartiers, et friolez, puis prenez amendes toutes seiches, et cuisez sans peler, et de canelle grant foison, et brayez, et coullez, et le deffaictes de vostre boullon de beuf, et faictez bien boullir avecques vostre grain, et du verjus, et prenez girofle et graine de paradiz, braiez, et mettez emsemble; et soit lyant et fort.
Source [Le Viandier de Taillevent, J. Prescott (trans.)]: Cassia soup. Cook your chicken (or whatever meat you wish) in wine or water, quarter it, and brown it [in lard]. Take completely dry almonds cooked without peeling, plus plenty of cassia; crush, sieve, and steep in beef broth. Boil well with your meat and some verjuice. Take cloves and grains_of_paradise, crush, and add. It should be thick and strong.
Published: May 18, 2007
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Dr. Chiari thought the shells on the saddlebacks, with their edges and corners, had evolved to make it easier for these tortoises to get back up, and set out to test her hypothesis in a study that was published Thursday in Scientific Reports. She was wrong, but her research offered additional insights into the anatomies of these endangered creatures and how they may have evolved to get back on their feet.
To test her idea, Dr. Chiari and her team first made digital 3D models of both types of shells using 89 tortoises, some in the wild and some at the California Academy of Sciences.
The researchers also determined centers of mass for the two different types of tortoises by placing them on an unstable platform and photographing them. The scientists were then able to calculate which shell would require a tortoise to expend more energy when rolling off its back.
The results suggested that a tortoise with a saddleback shell would have to work harder to get back on its feet. In general, the study found, the rounder the shell, the easier it is for the animal to right itself — seemingly an advantage for the domed tortoise.
But there is another significant anatomical difference between the saddleback and domed tortoises: the larger size of the saddleback’s neck opening. This allows the saddleback to extend its longer neck farther, which biologists long assumed was a trait that helped the tortoise reach food in a drier climate. |
Jess and Nick on "New Girl" will get some romantic help from Prince.
The 55-year-old music icon is set to appear on the Fox comedy during the show's Super Bowl episode "Party Time," which will air on Feb. 2.
"Jess (Zooey Deschanel) is ready to paint the town purple when a chance encounter finds her and best friend Cece (Hannah Simone) invited to a once-in-a-lifetime mansion party thrown by music legend Prince, guest-starring as himself," a description of the episode from Fox reads. "Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Winston (Lamorne Morris) and Coach (guest star Damon Wayans, Jr.) are determined to crash the festivities, building toward an unforgettable ending. The episode also will feature special guest cameo appearances. "
Brett Baer, an executive producer on "New Girl," revealed to E! News that it was Prince who contacted the show about making a guest appearance.
"He contacted us last season because he's a huge fan," Baer told the news outlet. "He knows everything about the show. He contacted Zooey and Hannah directly and asked to do the show. We couldn't work it out last year. But when the Super Bowl thing was floated, it was perfect timing."
"He said, 'I want to be involved in the show in a real way and I want to help Nick and Jess with their relationship,'" executive producer Dave Finkel told the entertainment news outlet.
Prince's episode of "New Girl" is set to air on Feb. 2 at approximately 10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/7:30-8:00 p.m. PT on Fox. |
TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea has told Japan it can only give a preliminary report on the status of its investigation into the fate of Japanese citizens abducted by Pyongyang decades ago and of other missing Japanese, the government spokesman in Tokyo said on Friday.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga smiles during a news conference at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's official residence in Tokyo September 3, 2014. REUTERS/Yuya Shino
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said resolving the emotive dispute over the abductees is a top priority for his administration. In 2002, North Korea admitted kidnapping 13 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to help train spies. Five abductees and their families later returned to Japan.
North Korea said the remaining eight were dead and that the issue was closed, but Japan pressed for more information about their fate and others that Tokyo believes were also kidnapped.
Japan’s National Police Agency says there are more than 800 missing people who may have been abducted.
Tokyo eased some sanctions on North Korea in July in return for Pyongyang’s reopening of the investigation and had said it expected an initial report to come out between late summer and early autumn, prompting speculation that there might be some dramatic progress soon.
However, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the timing of even the preliminary report was unclear.
Suga told a news conference that North Korea had informed Japan the investigation was proceeding and hoped to wrap it up within a year, although Pyongyang also said the probe was in its initial stage and any explanation would only be preliminary.
“The Japanese side has conveyed firmly to North Korea that there must be a speedy, comprehensive and overall investigation concerning all Japanese citizens beginning with the abductees,” Suga said. He said Japan was seeking a more detailed explanation about the investigation through diplomatic routes.
Tokyo has no formal diplomatic ties with North Korea and the dispute over the abductees has been a major stumbling block. North Korea is also subject to U.N. sanctions over its nuclear weapons tests.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency last week quoted Song Il-ho, North Korea’s top negotiator in talks with Japan, as voicing hope that Japan would further ease sanctions as the probe advanced.
In July, Japan lifted travel curbs to and from North Korea and ended restrictions on the amount of money that can be sent to the North without notifying Japanese authorities.
It also allowed port calls by North Korean ships for humanitarian purposes. Tokyo, however, has a ban in place on exports to and imports from North Korea and on flights to Japan by chartered planes from North Korea.
The government plans to brief relatives of the abductees on the negotiations with North Korea later on Friday. |
"Directed energy has the potential to redefine military technology beyond missiles and our pulse power modules and containers will provide the tremendous amount of energy required to power applications like the Navy Railgun," said Colin Whelan, vice president of Advanced Technology for Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business. "Raytheon's engineering and manufacturing expertise uniquely position us to support next generation weapon systems to meet the ever-evolving threat."
Raytheon's pulse power container design is the result of work stemming from an initial $10 million contract with Naval Sea Systems Command to develop a pulsed power system, which will enable land or sea-based projectiles to reach great distances without the use of an explosive charge or rocket motor. Raytheon is one of three contractors developing a PPC design for the U.S. Navy.
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 94 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5ITM products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. Visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.
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As new leaders take office in Japan, China, and South Korea in an unprecedented coincidence of power shifts, a fresh opportunity has arisen to hit the reset button on fractious relationships beset by territorial disputes, nationalism, and history.
It will not be easy, though, to move beyond issues that have roiled Northeast Asia in recent years. It will require the region's new governments to look beyond the territorial disputes that have poisoned Japan's relations with China and complicated its ties with South Korea. And it will need a closer meeting of minds over how to halt renegade North Korea's drive for a nuclear weapon.
But some analysts are optimistic. "This is a critical time," says Sun Zhe, professor of international relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing. "I hope the leaders can have a bigger vision and think about their relationships over the next 20 years. They can work together."
Behind that optimism is cold economic reality: The three Asian giants need each other's trade and investment, and all the incoming governments have made economic prosperity the cornerstone of their policies.
"There is enough economic focus in all three countries" to trump the issues of nationalist pride that divide them," says Torkel Patterson, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Their success or failure will be felt far beyond the region. China, Japan, and South Korea accounted for more than 16 percent of world trade in 2011, according to the International Monetary Fund. In parlous economic times, the world cannot afford to see politics undermine the growth prospects of such a key region.
Where history weighs heavily
In a part of the world where history weighs heavily – especially Japan's brutal imperialist occupation of its neighbors – all three new leaders have close family ties to the past.
Shinzo Abe, elected prime minister of Japan in December, reveres his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, who is both widely regarded as lucky to have avoided prosecution as a war criminal and is also a close friend of Gen. Park Chung-hee, the dictatorial father of modern South Korea. And Park's daughter, Park Geun-hye, was sworn in as South Korea's new president last week, while Xi Jinping, due to take the reins of government in Beijing in early March, is the son of one of Mao Zedong's revolutionary lieutenants.
Whether these ancestral connections will make it easier for the new leaders to clear some of the historical underbrush that has tripped up their predecessors remains to be seen.
"A lot will be determined by how these leaders relate to one another and perceive one another," says John Delury, who teaches history at Yonsei University in Seoul.
A lot will depend on Japan
Key to the new dynamics will be Mr. Abe. He is viewed with mistrust by his neighbors because his vision of a resurgent Japan seems to them to be based on a continued denial of how poorly Japan behaved when it was last a dominant regional power, in the 1930s and '40s.
In the past, Abe has said he did not believe that the Japanese Imperial Army had forcibly recruited sex slaves, or "comfort women," to serve Japanese soldiers, a denial that infuriates South Koreans as well as runs counter to a previous official Japanese admission of guilt.
He has also publicly regretted not visiting Yasukuni, the Tokyo shrine to Japanese war dead that also honors 14 Class A war criminals, when he was last prime minister.
But since retaking office, Abe has been "pragmatic and careful" not to raise such contentious issues, says Hiroshi Meguro, a foreign-affairs analyst at Tokyo's Hosei University. Abe also backed off a campaign pledge to make a big issue out of Tokyo's claim to islands under South Korean control, known here as the Takeshima and in Korea as the Dokdo.
Faced with the more immediate threat of China's claim to a key set of islands , "Abe needs allies, and that is encouraging him to mute anti-South Korean rhetoric," says Robert Dujarric, a regional analyst at the Tokyo campus of Temple University.
Washington is clearly anxious to see its two treaty allies in the region, Japan and South Korea, mend their ties, as is the new Japanese government. "Both sides should come to their senses about our priorities" in light of China's rise, says Taro Kono, a veteran member of parliament from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. "And the priority is cooperation."
A lot will depend, says one Western diplomat, on "how strongly Abe feels on the history issues in his heart ... compared with the downside he sees of messing things up with an important partner in the region."
Even if Abe can hold his tongue, the South Korean public is very wary. Ms. Park has said she wants to improve relations with Japan, and as an outspoken advocate of former comfort women she has the credentials to make overtures to Tokyo, Dr. Delury says. But "she will have to step with great caution ... so as not to get ahead of her public," he warns.
Neither will Park want to make friends with Japan at the risk of alienating China, which has become Seoul's top trading partner. The new South Korean leader speaks Chinese and was the previous government's special envoy to Beijing, giving her a natural inclination to work closely with the new Chinese authorities; one of her main goals is to negotiate a free-trade agreement with China.
At the same time, Beijing has deeply disappointed Seoul in recent years by its continued support for North Korea even when Pyongyang directly attacked the South. Beijing did not condemn Pyongyang in 2010 when it sank a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, for example.
Park has made overtures to the North, offering food and fertilizer and advocating a relationship based on trust. But only pressure from Beijing is expected to have any impact on Pyongyang's nuclear program and there are few signs that Seoul will be able to count on such pressure.
Economic fallout?
Japan, meanwhile, locked in a territorial dispute with China over islets in the East China Sea, is suffering the economic fallout. Exports to China, once its biggest market, fell by nearly 7 percent last year, according to Chinese customs figures.
But bilateral trade was still a whopping $330 billion between the world's second- and third-largest economies, tying them in interdependent knots that would be difficult to undo. Abe's caution so far in dealing with the island crisis is driven largely by the fact that "Japan is certainly cognizant of the damage it would suffer if relations with China really go into the tank," the Western diplomat says.
China's larger challenge
China, however, faces a larger challenge in the region, once the current crisis with Japan dies down, warns Professor Sun, and that will be to engender trust and confidence among its neighbors.
He is hopeful that Mr. Xi, who has headed the ruling Communist Party for the past three months, will nurture his early steps to crack down on corruption and curb official showiness into deeper political reforms.
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"If Xi can continue this trend, people in other countries will feel there is some hope for Chinese political change and that China will share the same values as they do," he suggests.
That would open the window to regional cooperation on climate and environmental issues, for example. "There will be signs of changing prospects for China to cooperate regionally in the next five or 10 years," Sun predicts. "We need to push China to be more integrated in the international community." |
How to Prepare for That First Investment Property Purchase
– How to Prepare for That First Investment Property Purchase –
Buying commercial real estate is not for the faint of heart.
Following are some essential tips that will help investors through their first commercial property purchase:
Prepare Financially: Commercial investments require larger down payments than residential properties. It is not unusual for commercial lenders (many different types of commercial lenders) to require 10 to 30% down in order to purchase a business or commercial property (owner occupant commercial real estate). Commercial investment properties (owner’s business does not occupy the real estate) often require 25 to 50% down payment. Investors must also have capital in reserve to make upgrades to the property or sustain the initial business.
Select a Qualified Commercial Real Estate Agent: Commercial property sales can be very complex for an unfamiliar buyer. A real estate agent can educate you on the process of buying, explain about any pitfalls and identify properties that meet your criteria.
Decide What Type of Property to Invest In: Each property type has unique issues that need to be addressed. Gas stations, multi-family residential complexes, hotels, commercial residential mix, industrial, general office, land, medical office, and retail buildings all have benefits and drawbacks.
Be Confident and Aggressive: First-time commercial buyers need to go into the transaction informed and knowledgeable (seek brokers and developers that educate instead of dictate). Buyers will be required to make quick decisions and work to deadlines with their broker. By being confident in your decision and aggressive with your offer and negotiation (find a broker with financial education to help you learn how to quantify decisions) you’ll get the best deal possible (seek “win-win deals” through “math” and uniting the goals of each party in the transaction).
First-time commercial investors (investment properties, owner occupied purchases, and leases are all “investments”) have a major hurdles to overcome when entering into the world of commercial real estate investments. By finding a qualified commercial real estate brokerage team, and being confident in the decision (learn the math!), investors will find an investment that can provide profits for years to come. After you find a deal with your broker, consult with your cpa, attorney, and any other trusted advisers before making a final decision. Well rounded “team” decisions usually have better success than impulsive unadvised choices.
Contact a Texas Commercial Real Estate Expert:
Contact Luke LeGrand, ePRO via email @ luke@kwcommercialsa.com or call 210-843-5853 or Link LeGrand, CCIM via email @ link@kwcommercialsa.com or call 210-789-5465
How to Prepare for That First Investment Property Purchase |
HOUSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. oil and natural gas industry emits more methane than previously thought, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy said on Wednesday as she defended efforts to curb its output.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy announces steps under the Clean Air Act to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants during a news conference in Washington June 2, 2014. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
The regulator last year said it would try to reduce emissions of methane, which is far more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide, by requiring new oil and gas processing and transmission facilities to find and repair methane leaks and for producers to capture or limit methane from shale wells.
As part of that rules process, the EPA collected new data on how much methane is emitted by oil drilling, transportation and refining.
“Methane emissions from existing sources in the oil and gas sector are substantially higher than we previously understood,” McCarthy told IHS CERAWeek, the annual gathering of global oil executives, though she did not quantify the difference.
While the new data collected by the EPA on methane emissions show that emissions have not increased, they do give regulators a fuller picture of emissions, McCarthy said.
“The data confirm that we can and must do more on methane,” McCarthy said. “By tackling methane emissions, we can unlock an amazing opportunity to better protect our environment for the future.”
The Obama administration has also set a goal of reducing methane emissions 40 percent to 45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025.
So far, industry and state leaders have lined up to oppose McCarthy, who has sought industry’s help by asking them to voluntarily disclose their methane emissions.
Only eight out of nearly 8,000 U.S. natural gas producers have done so, and much of the EPA’s new data comes by combining research from other government agencies and universities.
SUPREME COURT
McCarthy told the conference she was disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily put on hold federal regulations to curb carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, but said she was confident the plan would ultimately be approved.
“We remain fully confident in the legal merits of this rule, and that ultimately, it will stand the test of time,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy did strike a bold note at the conference, seeking to project a sense of inevitability around the EPA’s proposed regulations in order to convince the oil and natural gas industry that it has no choice but to fall in line
“If anyone thinks we’re done on climate, think again, guys.” |
The presidential campaign of Democrat Bernie Sanders effectively declared war on the Democratic National Committee Friday, condemning as unfair a punishment the party doled out after discovering that Sanders staffers had inappropriately accessed sensitive information from Hillary Clinton’s campaign held by the DNC.
The DNC maintains a master voter file, which campaigns supplement with their own information. On Wednesday, a vendor error created a security breach that several Sanders staffers, including its top data official, exploited to access valuable Clinton campaign data. The DNC responded by barring the Sanders campaign from the database entirely, which includes data generated by the campaign itself.
Close video Fired Sanders campaign staffer speaks out Josh Uretsky, fired Sanders campaign staffer, is interviewed by MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki with his perspective on the controversy following Clinton campaign data being accessed by the Sanders campaign during a DNC firewall failure. share tweet email save Embed
Saying the national party violated its pledged neutrality with the punishment, Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver threatened to sue the DNC in federal court and accused the national party of “trying to help the Clinton campaign” with “our data [that] has been stolen by the DNC.”
“Rather incredibly, the leadership of the DNC has used this incident to shutdown our access to our own information. This is the lifeblood of our campaign,” Weaver said at a press conference Friday in Washington. “By their action, the leadership of the DNC is now actively attempting to undermine our campaign. This is unacceptable.”
The lockout has had sweeping ramifications for the Sanders campaign, effectively bringing to a halt the their entire field operation. Sanders quickly fired his chief data official, and more punishments may come, but it’s unclear when the conflict will be resolved and when the campaign will be allowed back in to the database.
“This is taking our campaign hostage,” Weaver said.
As Weaver was speaking, the DNC released a new statement from Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz accusing the Sanders campaign of “inappropriately and systematically” accessed Clinton data. “I have personally reached out to Senator Sanders to make sure that he is aware of the situation. When we receive this report from the Sanders campaign, we will make a determination on re-enabling the campaign’s access to the system,” she said.
RELATED: Documents show Sanders staffers breached Clinton voter data
Appearing on MSNBC earlier in the day, Wasserman Schultz said the campaign downloaded and exported the data, in contradiction to earlier Sanders statements. (The tech vendor, NGP VAN, said the Sanders official “was able to search by and view, but not export or save or act on” the data.
It’s a dramatic eruption of tensions that have simmered for months between the DNC and supporters of Sanders and long shot candidate Martin O’Malley. And it comes just over 24 hours away from the party’s final presidential debate of the year, which itself has generated controversy.
When Clinton and Sanders meet onstage in Manchester, New Hampshire Saturday night, the mood will be tenser than ever as acrimony between the campaigns reaches new heights following the illicit data breach.
Already, Sanders allies alleged the DNC limited the number of debates and their timing – including this one on the final weekend before Christmas – to protect Clinton.
And in the center of it all is Wasserman Schultz, who effectively referees the party’s nominating contest. Anti-Clinton forces have long accused her of being in the tank for the Democratic front-runner, noting she served as national co-chair of Clinton’s 2008 campaign.
But the dust-up over the data breach, the most explosive controversy to hit the Democratic primary thus far, has solidified drawn battle lines, with Sanders going to war against the DNC and the Clinton campaign with the army it has, a fairly rag tag group of liberal organizations.
Sanders’ relationship with the Democratic Party is fragile to begin with. He is the longest serving independent in the history of Congress and has been highly critical of the party in the past, before officially joining it this year to run for president. While he caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate and agrees ideologically with the party on virtually every issue, he was proud to say he was not beholden to any party bosses. That served him well, but also meant he has not engaged in the kind of party building activities typically requested of partisan politicians.
Allies tried to blame the DNC and its vendor, NGP VAN, for the breach, instead of Sanders. MoveOn.org said the DNC had “failed” to keep data safe and that locking Sanders out of the database was “unnecessary and misguided.”
Charles Chamberlain, the executive director of the group Democracy for America, which endorsed Sanders Thursday, called on the DNC to reverse its decision “before the committee does even more to bring its neutrality in the race for President into question.” Dan Cantor of the Working Families Party, which endorsed Sanders last week, said the DNC had to “take their thumbs off the scale.”
“Last week, the Working Families Party chose our candidate, and today, it looks like the DNC has chosen theirs,” he said.
Already on social media, Sanders fans seemed ready to go to the barricades, seeing the move as an attempt by the political establishment to squash an insurgent threat. Using the hashtag #StormTheDNC, supporters have shared the number for the DNC switchboard so supporters can express their outrage, while some supporters on Reddit are calling for stepped up donations to Sanders’ campaign.
National Nurses United, a nurses union that has endorsed Sanders, plans to stage a protest outside Wasserman Schultz’ congressional office in Florida. Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro said the DNC’s decision to lock out Sanders “continues an anti-democratic pattern by the DNC to derail the growing grassroots momentum of the Sanders campaign and the millions of Americans who support it.”
It’s a natural card for Sanders and his allies to play, and it will undoubtedly rally supporters to their cause – but it may win over few others. Regardless of whether the DNC’s punishment was too harsh, it does not change the fact that senior Sanders campaign officials worked to improperly access Clinton’s proprietary data, and evidence suggest they did so in a systematic way.
Instead, the battle is likely to only harden either side’s distrust of the other as the candidates head into the home stretch of the primary.
This story has been updated. |
An F-35B Lightning II prepared to take off from the flight deck of the USS America in October.
NEW YORK — Shares of Lockheed Martin fell as President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that making F-35 fighter planes is too costly and that he will cut ‘‘billions’’ in costs for military purchases.
Lockheed makes the F-35 one-seat fighter aircraft for the U.S. and is a major defense contractor. The F-35 program made up 20 percent of Lockheed’s total revenue last year.
This is the second time in a week that Trump has blasted U.S. aircraft spending. Last week, Trump tweeted that costs to build new presidential planes by Boeing Corp. were ‘‘out of control’’ and ended the tweet with ‘‘Cancel order!’’
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A senior Lockheed Martin official defended the price tag of the F-35 stealth fighter and said he is ready to answer any questions Donald Trump may have regarding the price tag.
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Jeff Babione, executive vice president and general manager of the F-35 program, said it is the most affordable plane of its kind.
Babione is in Israel as it prepares to receive the first two next-generation F-35 fighter jets.
Lockheed Martin Corp. shares fell 2.5 percent to $253 before the stock market open Monday. In the first few minutes after the opening bell, shares dropped about 4 percent to $248.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter is in the middle of a visit to Israel during which he will take part in the deliver of two F-35 jets to that country’s ministry of defense.
Israeli Defense Ministry via European Pressphoto Agency Defense Secretary Ashton Carter (center) began a three-day visit Monday to Israel. He will take part in the delivery of Israel’s first two F-35 “Adir” Joint Strike Fighters. |
There's no guarantee that the flash unit is still good or that the battery still has a charge (chances are good though). There should be a button on the front to activate the flash charging circuit. Go ahead and press that. You should hear the whine of the capacitor charging and after a bit you should see the indicator LED light up on the back. You should NOT have to hold the front button down. If the capacitor won't charge without the button being held down, toss the camera and find another. With the back off, you should see a small sprocket just under the view hole and above the rectangular cavity. The film advance wheel should spin easily since there is no film inside. When there is film in the camera and you advance the film with the wheel, the teeth on the edge of the film spin the small sprocket. This action resets the release button. Since there’s no film in the camera now, go ahead and spin the small sprocket towards the right. You should feel the tension build and then the sprocket should lock once the release button is set. Now press the release button. You should see a flash.
If you didn’t hear the whine, it’s most likely a bad battery. Replace the battery with a fresh one and repeat. If the flash doesn’t fire, toss the camera and get another one. |
The 2016 NHL All-Star Weekend is upon us. On the surface, these few days appears as a much-needed break from the daily grind of a long hockey season where players get the opportunity to have some fun without any pressure. However, the individuals involved with making their respective organizations stronger are not taking any time to kick back and relax. With the February 29th trade deadline now less than a month away, it is now crunch time for generals managers across the National Hockey League.
As it has been expected for some time now, Ducks GM Bob Murray is going to have a very small amount of sleep during the month of February. After an extremely slow and disappointing start to the 2015-2016 season, Anaheim finally seems to be playing up to its potential (minus Ryan Getzlaf). The Ducks currently sit in fourth place in the Pacific Division with a 22-18-7 record and are only two points behind the third place Coyotes.
The team may be improving but there is no denying that the Ducks could still use some more assistance in the scoring department if they want to make a real run in the postseason. Luckily for Murray, there is one guy out there who would be the perfect fit in his organization.
Insert Andrew Ladd
Contract extension talks between Andrew Ladd and the Jets have apparently come to a halt and it Winnipeg is now focussing its efforts on working out a deal with Dustin Byfuglien. One would imagine that this puts Ladd on the trade market and he would be a valuable asset to any team looking to make a postseason push.
http://gty.im/468415840
The 30-year-old left winger has not had the strongest outing so far this season, recording 10 goals and 17 assists in 49 games. However, the potential to be a real difference maker is still there and a change of scenery to a team with more talent could bring out the best in Ladd. The truth of the matter is he would fit in perfectly with the Ducks. They need a proven top line left winger who can score and is not afraid to get physical. Ten goals may not seem like a lot but when only three members of the Ducks have posted double-digit goal totals this season, the team will take any improvement they can get. Since the game against the rival
Since the game against the rival Kings, Bruce Boudreau has readjusted his lines spreading out his most talented players instead of having them all on two lines. Acquiring Ladd would cause Boudreau to do some more adjusting but I imagine the left winger on a line with Ryan Kesler.
What Would He Cost?
If the Ducks were to acquire Ladd before the trade deadline, it would simply be only for the rest of this season. It is reported that he is seeking a six-year contract with a price tag somewhere north of $6M annually. Anaheim already has plenty of high-priced players on the books and will be focussed on signing some of their key RFA’s this offseason. Murray will only deal for Ladd so his team can still take a run at the Stanley Cup this spring.
http://gty.im/459857056
The Jets are looking for defensemen which immediately translates into Sami Vatanen when discussing trading with Anaheim. The Ducks have a crowded blueline and Vatanen has been viewed as the most expendable asset. However, I do not think parting ways with a skilled player such as Vatanen would be a smart move for the Ducks to make for a rental player. Murray will be hesitant deal someone away he feels could be a valuable member of his organization’s future for someone he will only have for a few months. Although the Ducks will have to part with someone, I imagine a deal with Winnipeg involving Anaheim’s first round pick as the centerpiece.
The 2016 trade deadline will be here before we know it and there is no doubt that Murray and the Ducks will be looking to make at least one more big move. They may be more than one appealing deal out there but acquiring Ladd is the one Anaheim must make. |
Far be it from mem with a daughter of my own, and a wife, to minimize the issue of rape, but to borrow from the Bard, in the case of the “rape” case being alleged against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (technically, Swedish prosecutors say it’s not rape, it’s “sex by surprise”), currently being held in a British jail without bail pending an extradition request from Stockholm: “Something is rotten in Sweden.”
As I wrote earlier in this publication, the alleged sexual crimes that Assange is currently being sought for by a Swedish prosecutor are:
1. Allegedly failing to halt an act of consensual sexual intercourse when his sex partner and host, Anna Ardin, claims she somehow became aware that the condom he was using had “split” and,
2. Having consensual sex with a second woman a few days later without informing her that he had just been with Ardin, and then, a day later, allegedly refusing to return a phone call on his cell phone, when she tried to call him to ask him to take an STD test. (Assange says he had turned off and was not using his phone for fear he was being traced through it, not that refusing to take a call from a woman one recently slept with should be considered criminal. Cold or even cruel, maybe, but not justification for a rape charge!)
In most countries, including the US and UK, these would not pass the test to be considered a crime, much less qualify as a category of “rape,” but Swedish authorities, who in all of this year have only submitted one other request to Interpol for assistance in capturing a sex crimes suspect, asked the international police agency to issue a so-called Red Alert for Assange, who was subsquently asked by police in the UK, where he was staying, to turn himself in or face arrest. (The other Interpol Red Alert sought by Swedish prosecutors this year was for Jan Christer Wallenkurtz, a 58-year-old Swedish national wanted on multiple charges of alleged sex crimes and sex crimes against children.)
You have to ask, given that Sweden has the highest per-capital number of reported rape cases in Europe, how it can be that only these two suspects–Wallenkurtz and Assange–are brought to Interpol.
You also have to wonder how it is that Assange–accused, not charged, only with consensual sex “offenses” not “rape” or even “sexual assault”–is denied bail by a British court magistrate, despite having several people at his arraignment hearing, including a well-known British filmmaker, ready to post whatever bail might be required to assure his return to court for an extradition hearing, while even people charged with aggressive rape are apparently routinely released on bail in both the UK and Sweden.
Here’s an interesting letter that ran yesterday in the Guardian in England, authored by Katrin Axelsson, of the British organization Women Against Rape:
“Many women in both Sweden and Britain will wonder at the unusual zeal with which Julian Assange is being pursued for rape allegations. Women in Sweden don’t fare better than we do in Britain when it comes to rape. Though Sweden has the highest per capita number of reported rapes in Europe and these have quadrupled in the last 20 years, conviction rates have decreased. On 23 April 2010 Carina Hägg and Nalin Pekgul (respectively MP and chairwoman of Social Democratic Women in Sweden) wrote in the Göteborgs-Posten that “up to 90% of all reported rapes never get to court. In 2006 six people were convicted of rape though almost 4,000 people were reported”. They endorsed Amnesty International’s call for an independent inquiry to examine the rape cases that had been closed and the quality of the original investigations.
“Assange, who it seems has no criminal convictions, was refused bail in England despite sureties of more than £120,000. Yet bail following rape allegations is routine. For two years we have been supporting a woman who suffered rape and domestic violence from a man previously convicted after attempting to murder an ex-partner and her children – he was granted bail while police investigated.
“There is a long tradition of the use of rape and sexual assault for political agendas that have nothing to do with women’s safety. In the south of the US, the lynching of black men was often justified on grounds that they had raped or even looked at a white woman. Women don’t take kindly to our demand for safety being misused, while rape continues to be neglected at best or protected at worst.”
The long arm of the US in this case is hard to miss here.
Especially in view of one of the latest WikiLeaks State Department cables to be disclosed in the New York Times, which in an article on Thursday laid out how the US had strong-armed even the powerful German government into blocking German prosecutors from indicting and requesting the extradition to Germany of 13 CIA agents involved in the illegal kidnapping and renditioning to Bagram prison in Afghanistan of Khaled el-Masri, a German citizen wrongly thought by the CIA to be a terrorist. El-Masri was kidnapped by these agents in 2003, stripped, bound, placed in an adult diaper with a plug in his rectum, and flown by the CIA to Bagram, where he was repeatedly tortured, sodomized, injected with mind-altering drugs, and held for months, before being simply dropped off by the CIA on an Albanian roadside, after it was determined by the US that a “mistake” had been made. The US did not want its rendition program and its policy of officially-sanctioned torture disclosed and so it pressed German authorities to drop all prosecution of the agency kidnappers, threatinging “the implications for relations with the U.S.” (El-Masri has been barred from suing the US government for damages.)
It strains credulity to believe that the same US government that put such pressure on a NATO ally Germany is not behind Swedish prosecutors’ sudden intense interest in this preposterous case of consensual sex and a broken condom–particularly as the initial prosecutor in the case dropped it after learning that the two women, far from being upset following their nights with Assange, had in one case thrown a party for him following the alleged incident, and in the other, left him in her bed while she went out to buy him breakfast. (Both women reportedly sent twitters to friends bragging about their conquests, messages they later tried to have expunged from the Twitter system).
It also strains credulity to believe that the denial of bail to this particular suspect by a British court–particularly given that he is not charged with any violent act, and has no criminal record–is not the result of behind-the-scenes US pressure.
Indeed, it appears that the US is busy trumping up more serious charges against Assange, with his lawyers saying they are anticipating that the US Justice Department (already reportedly in discussions with Swedish authorities about getting their hands on Assange), is planning soon to charge him under the 1917 Espionage statute, the same law that the Nixon Justice Department tried to use unsuccessfully against Daniel Ellsberg in the Pentagon Papers case. That could explain why efforts are being made to try to keep Assange held in a cell.
It could also explain why Assange is challenging the Swedish extradition request.
Opposition to the Afghan and Irag Wars is intense in the UK and is supported by the overwhelming majority of British citizens, which makes Assange something of a hero in Britain for his WikiLeaks exposes of the ongoing crimes by US and UK forces in those conflicts. British government acquiescence to an extradition order from the US on espionage charges would likely lead to massive opposition by British citizens. Sweden, on the other hand, which is not a member of NATO, but which has some 500 troops participating in the “NATO” war in Afghanistan, does not face the same kind of popular opposition to its role, and Assange may fear that Sweden, a very small country, could be pressured much more easily to hand Assange over to US authorities, with little resulting fuss from the Swedish public.
Back in the US, there has been no move by news organizations to come to Assange’s defense. In fact, the corporate media reaction to this whole issue has been the opposite. For the most part, the Swedish charges, and his arrest in Britain on the basis of the Interpol Red Alert, are reported as being about “rape,” without any explanation of the actual “violations,” which would not even rise to the level of a crime in the US. Meanwhile, most editorial pages are condemning the violation of diplomatic secrecy, not the government’s efforts to shut down a source of important news about government ineptness, malfeasance and deceit.
Yet if it turns out, as I’m confident it will, that the US government has been the driving force behind both the arrest and imprisonment of Assange, and his extradition to Sweden, and if it turns out, as appears increasingly likely, that the US government has also been behind simultaneous decisions by Visa, MasterCard, Paypal and several Swiss banks to refuse to handle donations to WikiLeaks, as well as by Amazon, which withdrew Wikileak’s access to its cloud data storage system, and a DNS registry which de-registered WikiLeak’s URL, publishers and broadcasters, and journalists themselves, should be up in arms defending him. As I wrote here earlier, this kind of attack on a news source for purely political reasons is a threat to the First Amendment as profound as the Nixonian attack on Daniel Ellsberg, and the attempt to block the New York Times from publishing his purloined documents about the origins of the Vietnam War.
Andreas Fink, CEO of DataCell ehf, the Swiss company that has been accepting donations on behalf of Wikileaks via Visa, had this to say about the Dec. 8 decision by Visa to cease processing Wikileaks donations:
“The suspension of payments towards Wikileaks is a violation of the agreements with their customers. Visa users have explicitly expressed their will to send their donations to Wikileaks and Visa is not fulfilling this wish. It will probably hurt their brand much much more to block payments towards Wikileaks than to have them occur. Visa customers are contacting us in masses to confirm that they really donate and they are not happy about Visa rejecting them. It is obvious that Visa is under political pressure to close us down. We strongly believe a world class company such as Visa should not get involved by politics and just simply do their business where they are good at. Transferring money. They have no problem transferring money for other businesses such as gambling sites, pornography services and the like so why a donation to a Website which is holding up for human rights should be morally any worse than that is outside of my understanding.”
Contributions can still be made to Wikileaks and to Assange’s Defense by wire transfer and by check and ordinary mail. To find out how to contribute, go to: www.wikileaks.ch/support.html
By the way, if there is anyone out there working for Visa, MasterCard, Paypal, or any banking organization, or in a government office, who can provide me with evidence that the US has been behind the decision of any of those organizations to freeze out WikiLeaks and destroy it financially, I will guarantee your anonymity at all costs. Please contact me or send me documentation. |
The Palestinian security services circulated on Monday instructions to communications companies to stop working with Hamas' al-Aqsa TV and to no longer provide them services.
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The Palestinian Authority is trying to curtail Hamas' television station in the West Bank. Al-Aqsa TV's staff and studios are located in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian security services' directive was given a day after a joint operation of the IDF, Shin Bet and the Civil Administration during which equipment and transmitters from Hebron's Radio Dream were confiscated.
Radio Al-Khalil after the IDF raid on the station
The army stated that the operation was carried out following programs inciting hatred were broadcasted at the radio station.
Last weekend, the IDF closed the Palestinian radio station Radio Al-Khalil (Radio Hebron). It confiscated broadcasting equipment and issued a six-month closing order signed by the GOC Central Command, Maj.-Gen. Roni Numa.
Earlier this month, Israeli security forces raided the offices and studio of the Al-Hurriya radio station in Hebron. The IDF, in cooperation with the Civil Administration, confiscated technical equipment and the station's transmitters. In addition, a six-month closure order was issued to the station. |
Paul Ryan waves alongside his children after being named Mitt Romney’s running mate during a campaign rally at the Nauticus Museum in Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday.
Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/GettyImages.
Also in Slate, William Saletan writes that Paul Ryan is what a Republican should be, David Weigel explains why conservatives love him, Matthew Yglesias explains how the pick means both sides will ignore the election’s most important issue, and Emily Bazelon asks if Romney just surrendered Florida.
JANESVILLE, Wis.— Mitt Romney has made his first presidential-level decision, picking Paul Ryan, the 42-year-old, seven-term Congressman from southern Wisconsin, as his running mate. The choice offers the first real hints about what kind of president Romney will be. Here’s what we learned: He takes risks, he can adapt, and he’s willing to campaign on a bold set of ideas rather than generalities. If you’re looking for the attributes of presidential leadership, these are all strong qualities. The Ryan pick also tells us less flattering things about Romney: He’s willing to discard what were once deeply held views about the necessity of business and executive experience and to cosset the GOP base for political reasons at the expense of independents.
Thanks to the endless coverage this campaign of gaffes and out-of-context quotes, it had seemed like we were going to have a donut election: fluffy, sugary, and with nothing in the middle. The stakes for voters have always been high, but the way the campaign has played out has not matched the claims by both candidates that this is the most important election of a generation. Romney has had plans he could point to, but he wasn’t really running on them. Now he’s put a greater emphasis on those plans. They are no longer in the background, which means this election will be a clearer choice for voters. It will touch on the central question of how you refashion government in a time of scarcity and when a majority of the public is scared, thinking the country is headed in the wrong direction.
The Ryan pick is thrilling. That’s a first for Romney’s campaign. Throughout the primaries, a segment of conservatives were lukewarm about him. Since then, in countless interviews with activists, strategists and voters, it has been clear that Republicans are voting more against Obama than for Mitt Romney. Now conservatives have something to vote for. Paul Ryan is a revered figure in conservative circles. He is a conservative evangelist for the free market and lower taxes, and he doesn’t apologize. Ryan, along with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walter, is loud and proud—willing to be specific and controversial despite the political heat.
Mitt Romney has never been considered in the same mold. Over the last few months, there has been an influential chorus of Republicans—joined by Walker—calling for Romney not only to get specific about conservative solutions but to campaign on them. To run merely as the anti-Obama alternative was not enough, argued people like Ryan-backer Bill Kristol. Romney had to present a set of alternative ideas and champion them. Others, like Mitch Daniels, argued that only by campaigning with brio could Romney win a mandate for governing.
By picking Ryan, Romney has staked his campaign on fundamentally restructuring the government and its relationship to the people who fund it. Ryan has called for the privatization of Social Security and transforming Medicare from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan. The seven-term congressman has pushed these ideas for years, pointing to his continued success in a contested state and in a district that Barack Obama won in 2008 as proof that conservatives could be true to their beliefs and survive politically.
As a conservative ideas man, Ryan is well ahead of most others in his party not just in his level of specificity but in his willingness to stand behind his ideas. But in 2010, Republican leaders didn’t embrace Ryan’s “roadmap,” knowing that it would be too controversial, particularly the change to Medicare. House Republicans were running against Democrats by arguing that Democrats were destroying Medicare, something that would have been hard to do while also championing the Ryan plan, which would have opened them to the same charge. Those ideas are now so central to the party’s chances of winning back the White House that they have won Ryan a spot on the ticket.
Ryan is loved by conservatives, but he makes moderate Republicans nervous. “We’ve switched the campaign from being about jobs and Obama’s bad record to one about Paul Ryan’s Medicare plans,” said one Republican strategist, echoing the sentiment of several I interviewed. The Romney team argues that swing state independent voters will see the new policy focus as a road out of their current economic woes. Some Republican strategists think it’s a gift to the Obama campaign.
That’s because one of the Obama teams’ goals has long been to tie Romney to Ryan and his budget proposals. They also wanted this election to be a choice, not a referendum on Obama. When both the campaign and the challenger have the same goals it suggests that one of them really has it very wrong.
Ryan is not a complement to Mitt Romney. He’s an injection of energy, like Sarah Palin was for John McCain or Jack Kemp was for Bob Dole. He is telegenic and enjoys sparring with those who doubt him, which are important skills. He’s also a possible ambassador to middle class and Rust Belt voters in the way that Joe Biden has been for president Obama. That might put a state like Wisconsin, which was trending toward Obama, back in play. When Mitt Romney talked about his vice presidential pick before it was announced, he said, in an interview with NBC, that he wanted a candidate who had “a vision for the country that adds something to the political discourse about the direction of the country.” Sounds good, but the president is the one who is supposed to have the vision. In this case though, the No. 2 has the vision and instincts that Romney doesn’t. It’s why so many wanted Ryan to run for president. To be fair, Romney is certainly capable of articulating a vision. That’s what he did with his health care plan in Massachusetts. But he is reluctant to boast about those achievements.
Perhaps Romney can take a vision graft from Ryan. He’ll have to, because voters won’t be lured by Ryan’s ideas unless the man at the top of the ticket makes the case for them. But for all of the talk of a new emphasis on policy specifics, this is still going to be a campaign deeply connected to American values. When Ryan spoke on Saturday, he talked about the threat Obama poses to the American way of life. Underneath every policy debate will be the argument that when tough choices have to be made about the federal government, you’re going to want candidates who share your values when they’re doing the awful math of scarcity.
The Romney choice represents a significant adaptation from the plan that the campaign had been running before, which relied mostly on keeping the campaign focused on Barack Obama’s record. By picking Ryan, who comes with a very detailed set of ideas and proposals, Romney has embraced the view that he needs to run a campaign that offers bright alternatives to Obama’s vision. Even the Romney bus sends this message. It has been redesigned on the outside to read “The Romney Plan.”
Every president needs to know how to stick to a plan against all advice to the contrary, but perhaps even more important is that they know when to adapt. Romney has been slipping in the polls against Obama. The Real Clear Politics average has him down four points. Voters have a more unfavorable view of him than they do a favorable one, according to a variety of polls. By picking Ryan, Romney has a chance to redefine himself in a way that might relaunch the brand. But unlike the Sarah Palin pick or Bob Dole’s pick of Jack Kemp, this is not an odd couple. It is a rebranding that is mostly consistent with Romney’s general approach.
There is one big way in which Ryan is not in the Romney mold: He lacks executive experience. Romney has repeatedly said this shortcoming makes politicians from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama to Rick Santorum unqualified for office. It was the talking point for those who have endorsed Romney, particularly N.J. Gov. Chris Christie: “Let’s be very leery, very wary of sending another member of Congress to the White House. Now, see, members of Congress, they can be OK, but they don’t know the first thing most of the time about using executive authority. They don’t know the first thing about getting things done.” Ryan also has no real business experience, a quality that Romney has said should be a qualification for office.
Romney is running an attribute campaign: His argument is that his skills and experience are particularly suited to the White House. Given that, it’s no small thing to then throw away the key attribute when selecting your vice president.
In picking a running mate, Romney has said the first criteria is that he needs to be able to step into the job. Either he doesn’t mean that or his previous emphasis on the necessity of executive experience was meaningless. It is a time-honored tradition to revise the criteria you set before you picked your vice president to fit the person you actually do pick. It makes the sale harder, though, for a candidate like Romney who has a reputation for ideological malleability.
To get around this, the Romney campaign has sold Ryan as the Washington counterpoint to Romney’s leadership skills. “I believe my record of getting things done in Congress will be a very helpful complement to Gov. Romney’s executive and private sector success outside Washington,” Ryan said at the announcement. This is a new criteria for Romney’s vice presidential pick, but it’s also one that will require some scrutiny. Is Ryan really the bipartisan deal-maker he claims? He didn’t sign on to the Simpson-Bowles, even though a strong conservative like Sen. Tom Coburn was able to in the name of bipartisanship. And he has not been a willing partner with Obama, despite Obama’s early view that he could work with Ryan. Liberals cite Obama’s appreciation for Ryan as one of his foolish early moves: mistaking an ideologue for someone who actually wanted to exchange ideas.
Romney will now test the proposition at the heart of all of the good advice he was getting from conservatives: Whether specificity kills or whether the country is really hungering for a detailed plan. Until this point, Romney has been almost allergic to specifics. Now he will have to give nuanced, precise, and powerful answers. He’s going to have to flip a switch, which might not be that easy given how hyper-careful he has been to this point. His aides have long said that Romney loves policy details. He’ll get a chance to prove it now. |
"Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine, And Thy Medicine Be Thy Food." - Hippocrates That is the message from the founding father of modern medicine echoed in this brave new documentary film brought to you by Producer-Directors James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch. 'Food Matters' is a hard hitting, fast paced look at our current state of health. Despite the billions of dollars of funding and research into new so-called cures we continue to suffer from a raft of chronic ills and every day maladies. Patching up an over-toxic and over-indulgent population with a host of toxic therapies and nutrient sparse foods is definitely not helping the situation. In a personal quest of discovery James & Laurentine together with a film crew and the editorial and production expertise of Enzo Tedeschi have set out on an independent mission to uncover the wholesome truth. The filmmakers have interviewed several world leaders in nutrition and natural healing who claim that not only are we harming our bodies ... Written by Anonymous |
With the rise of behavioral economics, my profession is no longer so fixated on the theory that people are relentlessly selfish, striving only to maximize their own pleasure. We know, for example, that work is not just eight daily hours of suffering that people endure to make money for their own benefit. People actually like to work if they see meaning in it, and they can be generous with their money, too.
I work at the nonprofit Yale University, and the higher purpose of education is a major reward for me. Many teachers and others in the helping professions share that feeling. They have consciously chosen to make less money than they could in the private sector, because they feel they are contributing to a greater good.
Philanthropic causes could do more to gain from this natural tendency. Yes, charities have already been very inventive in strategies to encourage donations, but they’ve been limited by institutional and legal structures that they take as a given. Fortunately, charities now have a chance to look at some new organizational paths to giving, some of which have benefited from research in behavioral economics. |
(CNN) -- Music from late rapper Tupac Shakur has been included as part of the Vatican's official MySpace Music playlist.
The seat of the Catholic Church released a list of 12 songs onto the social networking Web site's streaming music service this week when the site launched in the United Kingdom.
Among selections from Mozart, Muse and Dame Shirley Bassey is the slain rapper's song "Changes," which was released two years after his shooting death on a greatest hits album in 1998.
"The genres are very different from each other, but all these artists share the aim to reach the heart of good minded people," the Vatican wrote on its official MySpace Music page.
As of Thursday night, "Changes" had been played more than 4.6 million times on the Web site.
The list was compiled by Father Giulio Neroni, artistic director of church publisher St Paul's Multimedia. He was also responsible for compiling the Vatican's recent Alma Mater album, which combined Gregorian chants and prayers with classical music and the voice of Pope Benedict XVI speaking in five languages.
Shakur, who spent time in prison for sexual assault, was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Nevada in 1996.
The lyrics of "Changes" describe Shakur's desire to change a grim life of drugs, crime and violence on the streets.
Lyrics of the song, which is labeled as "explicit," include 'Is life worth living, should I blast myself?" "Give the crack to the kids, who the hell cares, one less hungry mouth on the welfare," and "My stomach hurts, so I'm looking for a purse to snatch."
At another point, Tupac sings: "Cause both black and white are smokin' crack tonight."
In contrast, the playlist also contains selections from the album "Music of the Vatican" such as "Advocata Nostra" and "Causa Nostrae Laetitiae."
Other contemporary tracks on the mix include Muse's "Uprising" from their new album "The Resistance" and "He Doesn't Know Why" by the folk group Fleet Foxes. |
In a test that started on Monday and runs through Thursday, Disney World is requiring Hollywood Studios visitors to make advance reservations via the FastPass+ system if they want to hop aboard the popular Toy Story ride, an interactive “4D” attraction in which guests twist through a series of virtual carnival games while wearing 3D glasses. Normally, the wait time to ride Toy Story Mania can easily stretch over an hour, but the new reservation-only system means that Disney World guests won’t have the option of waiting it out in the standby queue.
A Disney spokesperson explained to the Orlando Sentinel that extra FastPass+ reservations for Toy Story Mania would be available during the course of the experiment. On the one hand, the move means that no one will have to endure agonizingly long lines for the ride. The FastPass+ system gives riders a time window when they are to arrive and hop on in a jiffy. On the other hand, some worry that all of the available pass times could be snatched up as soon as they’re available, and those who don’t snag a reservation early in the day will be shut out from riding.
What makes this four-day test potentially big news is that it could be a vision of how theme parks will operate on a broader scale in the future. Over the years, Walt Disney World and other theme parks have tweaked numerous policies that essentially kill spontaneity because they all but force guests to plot out plans for meals, rides, and more in advance. Disney guests have been instructed that if they want to bring their kids to a Character Breakfast or have dinner at one of the nicer park establishments, they should reserve weeks if not months before arrival. Likewise, the MyMagic+ wristband system introduced in early 2013 was created to help guests reserve meals, ride times, and more.
When theme park guests aren’t waiting in lines for hours, they’re happier, which works out for Disney and park visitors alike. What works out especially brilliantly for Disney is that when guests aren’t waiting in lines, they’re free to roam about in the areas where they’re apt to spend more money, such as gift shops and restaurants. After all, you can’t buy overpriced souvenirs while you’re stuck waiting on line.
In a post at Theme Park Insider, most Disney fans seem opposed to reservation-only rides. “I want a vacation, for Christ’s sake, and if I have to plan everything in advance, then it’s simply not fun anymore,” one commenter stated, bashing the entire swath of policies pushing guests to plot minute-by-minute plans ahead of time. Still, another commenter noted that Toy Story Mania reservations are “definitely needed for the ride. The queues are longer than any other attraction in the Disney parks.”
Love it or hate it, the shift to more reservations and less waiting in line seems like the way things are heading. “Everybody’s striving to improve the flow of the guest. That’s the wave of the future in our industry,” Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services, explained to the Orlando Sentinel. “It would not surprise me within the next 10 years that we see rides that are totally reserved.” |
August 3, 2015 5 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Everyone wants to know the secret to success, which is why we all look up to role models such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. But one of the biggest lessons you can learn from them? It’s simply to worry only about the things that you can control, and ignore the rest.
There are many things that stop would-be founders that successful entrepreneurs simply don’t worry about. Here are 21 of them to get you started:
1. Failure
Successful entrepreneurs don’t worry about failing. Instead, they know that every failure leads to their next success.
2. Success
Many would-be founders are tripped up by fearing success. Successful entrepreneurs know that what they have to share is important, so they don’t fear being corrupted by success.
3. Happiness
This sounds odd, because successful entrepreneurs are often very happy. But the key is they don’t worry about it. They know that happiness comes when you’re doing the work you’re meant to do.
Related: To Thrive You Need to Wake Up to These 5 Hard Truths
4. Limits
Mary Kay Ash could have worried about the limits of being a woman in the 1960s, but she didn’t. Instead, she went on to found a massively successful company and encourage others to live their dreams.
5. Quitting
Successful business owners realize that quitting isn’t always bad. Sometimes you have to cut your losses and move on to another idea.
6. Charging what they’re worth
Great entrepreneurs never worry about what they charge. They know they’ve created enough value that they’re worth it.
7. Things that might go wrong
There’s no room in a successful entrepreneur’s mind for pessimistic thinking. If there’s an issue, they handle it, but they don’t invent problems.
8. Work-life balance
This may sound harsh, but the early stages of entrepreneurship require your all. Successful founders don’t worry about this -- they dig it and get it done.
9. What they didn’t do last week
Maybe last week wasn’t 100 percent productive, but those who are successful don’t worry about it. They’ve already moved on to what they can accomplish today.
10. Living someone else’s life
Steve Jobs famously urged those who heard him speak to live their own lives to the fullest. He never wasted his limited time worrying about others’ expectations.
11. Following the established rules
Famous for flouting the rules of how things “should be done,” Richard Branson doesn’t worry what others think. Instead, he follows his gut to make his ideas a reality.
12. Being safe
Successful entrepreneurs see life as an adventure. They don’t worry about being safe or doing the easy thing. They want to see and experience what life has in store for them each day.
Related: 4 Habits of Millionaires That Work for Everyone
13. Regret
Successful founders realize that we don’t regret the things we do, we regret the things we don’t do. As a result, they don’t worry about regret. They focus on seizing every opportunity that comes their way.
14. What they can’t do
Successful entrepreneurs know they can’t do everything, and they don’t worry about what they can’t do. They simply hire people to make up for their weaknesses and focus on their strengths.
15. Taking chances
Debbi Fields, the founder of Mrs. Fields cookies, knew that reaching her goals would mean taking chances such as giving away cookies to strangers for free. As a result of her efforts, she’s a household name with over 700 stores in 10 countries.
16. Why they can’t
Successful founders don’t worry about why they can’t do something. Instead, they think of ways around obstacles and discover how they can accomplish their goals.
17. Others’ success
Successful entrepreneurs realize that the world has room for a lot of different ideas. They don’t worry if someone else is already successful. They just focus on making their own contributions to the world.
18. Being wrong
Drew Houston, co-founder and CEO of Dropbox, said, “Don’t worry about failure. You only have to be right once.” Successful entrepreneurs don’t worry about being wrong -- they just keep looking for what’s right.
19. Having smart employees
Great entrepreneurs don’t worry about hiring team members that are smarter than themselves. They realize that they need to hire the best if they want their companies to succeed. They look for the A-players, and they aren’t threatened by them.
20. Being proved wrong
Successful founders are never afraid to test their assumptions. They’re more concerned with doing the right thing than with always being right.
21. Making tons of money
Ironically, chasing money is the surest way to not get it. Successful entrepreneurs don’t worry about getting rich. They focus on sharing the value they create with others and riches follow naturally.
Maybe you were surprised by some of the items on this list. Perhaps it makes perfect sense to you. Either way, you can learn a lot about business success by studying the things successful entrepreneurs never worry about.
Which of these 21 have you fallen victim to before? Share your experiences, and how you’ve handled them, by leaving a comment below.
Related: The Proven, Reasonable and Totally Unsexy Way to Become More Successful |
It's easy to focus on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as they represent the two major parties but Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson's name will also show up on the Georgia ballot.
Experts say third-party candidates can have an impact on a race.
Jill Stein is also a third-party candidate, representing the Green Party, but she is not named on the ballot as she is a qualified write-in candidate in Georgia.
There have been a few presidential races in recent years that have given had impacts on the final outcome.
Green party candidate Ralph Nader running in 2000 made waves and independent Ross Perot took about 14% of votes in Georgia in 1992.
Darton State College Political Science Professor Roger Marietta said third party candidates help offer a balance and choice to the people
"You could argue that people that vote for third parties are voters who wouldn't vote for the main candidates anyways. I think there's a lot of truth in that. Those people who said Ross Perot gave Bill Clinton the election I don’t think that’s true I think a lot of people wouldn’t have voted if they didn’t have Ross Perot," said Marietta.
Marietta also says he thinks the libertarian party has a chance to get double digit votes this year because of the unpopularity of the major party candidates. |
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12 (UPI) — Katy Perry helped CoverGirl introduce their first ever male model whom she dubbed CoverBoy.
“Just wrapped another great @COVERGIRL shoot. Honored to have the pleasure to announce the very first COVERBOY, James Charles!” the pop star wrote on Instagram Tuesday alongside a photo of Perry standing next to Charles.
According to Billboard, Charles is a 17-year-old high-school senior who got the attention of the makeup brand from his Instagram account which has garnered over 500,000 followers.
CoverGirl and Charles each shared a video in which the teenager formally introduced himself.
“Hey guys, my name is James Charles and I’m a 17-year-old makeup artist! Today I am living out one of my biggest dreams and I’m currently on set for my first-ever TV commercial with CoverGirl. That’s right, I am a new CoverGirl,” he says in the clip.
Additionally, CoverGirl has shared a shot from their new ad campaign featuring Charles writing, “Meet @JCharlesBeauty: makeup artist, boundary breaker, and the newest COVERGIRL!”
Charles and Perry will be seen together in an upcoming series of print, TV and digital ads for CoverGirl. |
This article is part of an ongoing AlterNet series, "The Age of Fraud."
What do you get when you throw together economic fraudsters, plutocrats and opportunistic criminals? A financial crisis, that’s what. If you look back over the massive frauds that have swept the country in recent decades, from the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s to the 2007-'08 financial crash, this deadly combination always appears.
A dangerous cycle begins when prominent economists pander to plutocrats and bought politicians, who reward them with top posts, where they promote the perverse economic policies that cause fraud epidemics. Crises develop, and millions of people are ripped off. Those who fight for truth are ignored or ruined. The criminals get wealthier, bolder and more politically powerful, and go on to hatch even more devastating cons.
The three most recent financial crises in U.S. history were driven by a special type of fraud called “control fraud” — cases where the officers who control what look like legitimate entities use them as “weapons” to commit crimes. Each time, Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, played a catastrophic role. First, his policies created the fraud-friendly (criminogenic) environment that produces epidemics of control fraud, then he failed to identify those epidemics and incipient crises, and finally, he failed to counter them.
At the heart of Greenspan’s failure lies an ethical void in the brand of economics that has dominated American universities and policy circles for the last several decades, a brand known as “free market fundamentalism” or the “neoclassical school.” (I call it “theoclassical economics” for its quasi-religious belief system.) Mainstream economists who follow this school assert a deeply flawed and controversial concept known as the “efficient market hypothesis,” which holds that financial markets magically regulate themselves (they automatically “self-correct”) and are thus immune to fraud. When an economist starts believing in that kind of fallacy, he is bound to become blind to reality. Let’s take a look at what blinded Greenspan:
Greenspan knew that markets were “efficient” because the efficient market hypothesis is the foundational pillar underlying modern finance theory. Markets can’t be efficient if there is control fraud, so there must not be any. Wait, there are control frauds! Tens of thousands of them. Then control fraud must not really be harmful, or markets would not be efficient. Control fraud, therefore, must not be immoral. As crime boss Emilio Barzini put it in The Godfather, “It’s just business.”
As delusional and immoral as this “logic” chain is, many elite economists believe it. This warped perspective has spawned policies so perverse that they turn the world of finance into the optimal environment for criminals. The upshot is that most of our elite financial leaders and professionals have thrown integrity out the window, and we end up with recurrent, intensifying financial crises, de facto immunity for our most elite criminals, and the rise of crony capitalism. Let’s do a little time travel to see exactly how this plays out.
How to Stoke a Savings and Loan Fiasco
The Lincoln Savings and Loan Association of Irvine, California was at the center of the famous crisis that rocked the financial world in the 1980s. A once prudently run company morphed into a casino when S&L associations became deregulated and started doing risky business with depositors’ money. Businessman, GOP darling, and anti-pornography crusader Charles Keating, ironically nicknamed “Mr. Clean,” took over Lincoln in 1984 and got the casino rolling. (It was a special kind of casino where the games were rigged – and not in favor of newlywed brides who were the subject of sexual extortion in Casablanca.) In a classic case of control fraud, Keating devoted himself to turning the company into a weapon of mass financial destruction and a source of wealth for his family. Keating’s “weapon of choice” for his frauds was accounting.
Keating went on a spree buying land, taking equity positions in real estate projects, and purchasing junk bonds. In 1985, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB), where I was the staffer leading the regulation efforts, grew alarmed at the new activities of savings associations like Lincoln. So we made a rule: S&Ls could not put more than 10 percent of company assets in "direct investments” – an activity that led to very large losses.
Alan Greenspan, chairman of an economic consulting firm at the time, urged us to permit Lincoln Savings to go full steam ahead. His memo supporting Lincoln’s application to make hundreds of millions of dollars in direct investments praised the company’s management (Keating) and claimed that Lincoln Savings “posed no foreseeable risk of loss.”
The FHLBB rejected Lincoln’s request to exceed the rule’s threshold because direct investments were a superb vehicle for accounting fraud – they made it easy to hide losses and to create fictional income. Nevertheless, Lincoln continued to violate the rule and created fictional (backdated) board consents with hundreds of forged signatures to make it appear that the investments were “grandfathered” under the rule. The hundreds of millions of dollars in unlawful direct investments were used for fraudulent purposes by Lincoln Savings’ controlling officers and caused enormous losses – many of them to elderly citizens who were conned into buying the junk bonds of Lincoln Savings’ holding company. The massive losses on Lincoln’s illegal direct investments were a major reason those bonds were worthless.
Hoping to use his political clout to continue the fraud, Keating hired Greenspan to lobby the senators who eventually became the known as the “Keating Five.” I remember well when these senators intervened at Keating’s request to try to prevent me and my colleagues from taking an enforcement action (or conservatorship) that would have saved over a billion dollars. (I took the notes of that meeting, which led to the Senate ethics investigation of the Keating Five.) The cronyism was so thick in Washington that William Weld, then a top Department of Justice official and later the Republican governor of Massachusetts, actually tried to gin up a criminal investigation of the regulators rather than Keating at the request of Lincoln’s lawyers who had just left the DOJ! Eventually, Keating and many of the senior managers of Lincoln Savings were convicted of felonies and Lincoln Savings became the most expensive failure of the S&L debacle.
When you look back on this expensive fiasco, you see that the work of respected professional economists was frequently called upon to support the fraudulent activities. One of the ways Greenspan tried to advance Keating’s effort to have the courts strike down the direct investment rule was to use a study conducted by a less famous economist, George Benston, who showed that S&Ls that violated the direct investment rule earned higher profits than those who didn’t. So he recommended the rule be dropped. Small problem: In less than two years all 33 of the companies Benston studied had failed. Most were accounting control frauds in which executives cooked the books to show fictional profits.
Keating had a talent for obtaining endorsements from prominent economists. He got Daniel Fischel to conduct a study that purported to show that Lincoln Savings was the best S&L in America. Fischel invoked the efficient market hypothesis to opine that our examiners provided no useful information because the markets had already perfectly taken into account any information to which we had access. In reality, of course, this was nonsense, and Lincoln Savings was the worst S&L in the country.
Economists who pander to plutocrats have a great advantage over scholars in other fields: There is no reputational penalty among your peers for being dead wrong. Benston got an endowed chair at Emory, Fischel was made dean of the Univerisity of Chicago’s Law School, and Greenspan was made Chairman of the Fed. Those who got control fraud right and fought the elite scams and their powerful political patrons – people like Edwin Gray, head of the FHLBB, and Joe Selby, head of supervision in Texas – saw their careers ended.
Consider what that perverse pattern indicates about how badly ethics have fallen in the both economics and government.
How to Create a Regulatory Black Hole
Alan Greenspan was Ayn Rand’s protégé, but he moved radically to the wacky side of Rand on the issue of financial fraud. And that, friends, is pretty wacky. Greenspan pushed the idea that preventing fraud was not a legitimate basis for regulation, and said so in a famous encounter with Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair Brooksley Born. “I don’t think there is any need for a law against fraud,” Born recalls Greenspan telling her. Greenspan actually believed the market would sort itself out if any fraud occurred. Born knew she had a powerful foe on any regulation.
She was right. Greenspan, with the rabid support of the Rubin wing of the Clinton administration, along with Republican Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Phil Gramm, crushed Born’s effort to regulate credit default swaps (CDS). The plutocrats and their political allies deliberately created what’s known as a regulatory black hole – a place where elite criminals could commit their crimes under the cover of perpetual night.
Greenspan chose another Fed economist, Patrick Parkinson, to testify on behalf of the bill to create the regulatory black hole for these dangerous financial instruments. Parkinson offered the old line that efficient markets easily excluded fraud — otherwise, they wouldn’t be efficient markets! (Parkinson would later tell the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in 2011 that the “whole concept” of a related financial instrument known as an “ABS CDO” had been an “abomination”). Greenspan’s successor richly rewarded Parkinson for being stunningly wrong in his belief: Ben Bernanke appointed Parkinson — who had no experience as a supervisor or examiner — as the Fed’s head of supervision.
Lynn Turner, former chief accountant of the SEC, told me of Greenspan’s infamous question to his group of senior officials who met at the Fed in late 1998 or early 1999 (roughly the same time as Greenspan’s conversation with Born): "Why does it matter if the banks are allowed to fudge their numbers a little bit?" What’s wrong with a “little bit” of fraud?
Conservatives often support the “broken windows” theory of criminal activity, which asserts that you stop serious blue-collar crime by cracking down on minor offenses. Yet mysteriously, they never apply the concept to white-collar financial crimes by elites. The little-bit-of fraud-is-ok concept got made into law in the Commodities Futures Modernization Act of 2000, which created the regulatory black hole for credit default swaps. That black hole was compounded by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission under the leadership of Wendy Gramm, spouse of Senator Phil Gramm.
Enron’s fraudulent leaders were delighted to exploit that black hole, because they were engaged in a massive control fraud. They appointed Wendy Gramm to their board of directors and proceeded to use derivatives to manipulate prices and aid their cartel in driving electricity prices far higher on the Pacific Coast. In a bizarre irony, the massive increase in prices led to the defeat of California Governor Gray Davis (the leading opponent of the cartel) and his replacement by Governor Schwarzenegger – a man who was part of the group that met secretly with Enron’s leadership to try to defeat Davis’s efforts to get the federal regulators to kill the cartel.
How damaging was Greenspan’s dogmatic and delusional defense of elite financial frauds in the case of Enron? If you look closely, you can see that Enron brought together all the critical elements of a financial crisis: big-time accounting control fraud, derivatives, cartels, and the use of off-balance sheet scams to inflate income and hide real losses and leverage. On top of all that, many of the world’s largest banks aided Enron and its extremely creative CFO Andrew Fastow to create frauds. The Fed could have responded by adopting and enforcing mandates to end the criminal practices that were driving the epidemic, but it didn’t. Instead, Greenspan and other Fed economists championed Enron’s leadership and cited the company as proof that regulation was unnecessary to prevent control fraud. They were so extreme that they attacked their own senior supervisors for daring to criticize the banks’ role in aiding and abetting Enron’s activities.
Later, when risky derivatives activities and control frauds at large financial institutions were pushing us toward the catastrophic crash of 2007-2008, the Fed took no meaningful action based on the lessons learned from Enron. Greenspan and the senior leadership of the Fed had learned absolutely nothing, which shows how disabling economic dogma is to regulators – making them worse than simply useless. They become harmful, again attacking their supervisors for criticizing the banks’ fraudulent “liar’s” loans. When Bernanke placed Patrick Parkinson (an economist blind to fraud by elite banksters) in a supervisory role at the Fed, he sealed the fate of millions of Americans whose financial well-being would be sucked right into that regulatory black hole – and removed the ability of the accursed supervisors to criticize the largest banks.
How to Protect Predatory Lenders
Finally, we come to the mortgage meltdown of 2008, when the entire housing industry went into freefall. Central to this crisis is the story of the liar's loan — mortgage-industry slang for a mortgage that a lender gives without checking tax returns, employment history, or anything else that might reliably indicate that the borrower can make the payments.
The Fed, and only the Fed, had authority under the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA) to ban liar’s loans by all lenders. At a series of hearings mandated by Congress, dozens of witnesses representing home mortgage borrowers and state and local criminal investigators urged the Fed to do this. The testimony included a study that found a 90 percent incidence of fraud in liar’s loans.
What did Greenspan and Bernanke do? Exactly nothing. They consistently refused to act.
Greenspan went so far as to refuse pleas to send Fed examiners into bank holding company affiliates to find the facts and collect data on liar’s loans. Simultaneously, the Fed’s economists dismissed the warnings from progressives about fraudulent liar’s loans as “merely anecdotal.” In 2005, the desperate Fed regulators, blocked by Greenspan from sending in the examiners to get data from the banks, resorted to simply sending a letter to the largest banks requesting information. The Fed supervisor who received the banks’ response to that letter termed the data “very alarming.”
If you suspect that the banks would typically respond to such requests by understating their problem assets significantly, then you have the right instincts to be a financial regulator.
By 2003, loan quality was so bad that it could only be explained as the inevitable product of endemic accounting control fraud and it continued to collapse through 2007 until the bubble burst. By 2006, over two million fraudulent liar’s loans were originated annually. We know that it was overwhelmingly lenders and their agents who put the lies in liar’s loans. Liar’s loans make the perfect “natural experiment” because no governmental entity ever required a lender or a purchaser (and that includes Fannie and Freddie) to make or purchase a liar’s loan. Banks made, and purchased, trillions of dollars in liar’s loans because doing so lined the pockets of their controlling officers.
The Fed’s leadership, dominated by economists devoted to false theory, was enraged when the Fed’s supervisors presented evidence of endemic control fraud by the most elite lenders, particularly in the making of fraudulent liar’s loans. How dare the supervisors criticize our most reputable bank CEOs by showing that they were making hundreds of thousands through scams?
Bernanke finally acted under Congressional pressure on July 14, 2008 to ban liar’s loans. He cited evidence of endemic fraud available since early 2006 – evidence which would have been available way back in 2001 had Greenspan moved to require examiners to study liar’s loans. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, Bernanke delayed the ban for 18 months — one would not wish to inconvenience a fraudulent lender, after all.
We did not have to suffer this crisis. Economists who were not blinded by neoclassical theory, like George Akerlof (who won the Nobel Prize in 2001) and Christina Romer (adviser to President Obama from 2008-2010), had warned their colleagues about accounting control fraud and liar’s loans, as did criminologists and regulators like me. But Greenspan (and Timothy Geithner) refused to see the obvious truth.
Alan Greenspan had no excuse for assuming fraud out of existence, and his exceptionally immoral position on fraud and regulation proved catastrophic to America and much of the world. We cannot afford the price, measured in many trillions of dollars, over 10 million jobs, and endless suffering, of unethical economists. |
One of the issues we discussed regarding the proposed cybersecurity bills in the Senate was the question of a regulatory system to identify best practices and require them for critical infrastructure. I was then, and remain, skeptical of the idea. One reason for my criticism was (and remains) my belief that in the long run, a civil tort/contract liability system will develop that will work more effectively and flexibly -- imposing costs on those who stint their cybersecurity efforts in an unreasonable manner. Today, Wired's Kim Zetter reports the first instance (at least the first that I know of) where a commercial institution (in this case a bank) has actually paid out a judgment ($345,000) to an account holder who had been hacked. As Zetter reports:
In a case watched closely by banks and their commercial customers, a financial institution in Maine has agreed to reimburse a construction company $345,000 that was lost to hackers after a court ruled that the bank’s security practices were “commercially unreasonable.” People’s United Bank has agreed to pay Patco Construction Company all the money it lost to hackers in 2009, plus about $45,000 in interest, after intruders installed malware on Patco’s computers and stole its banking credentials to siphon money from its account.
The underlying decision by the First Circuit, Patco Constr. Co. Inc. v. People's United Bank (1st Cir. July 2012) concluded that the Bank's reliance on password authentication and its decision to ignore certain transaction based flags (which had highlighted an unusually large off-shore fund transfer) was not good commercial practice. That's almost certainly correct and also almost certainly the right way to develop cybersecurity performance standards -- through a close, fact-bound and developmental process. |
Who says that golf lacks a compelling mano-a-mano rivalry? In our ranking of the Top 100 Courses You Can Play, two heavy hitters have dominated the competition for more than a decade. Now, for the first time in 12 years, there’s a new Number One: Pebble Beach has reclaimed the top spot from Pacific Dunes. Mind you, Tom Doak’s design on the Oregon coast is no less brilliant. Rather, our judges were swayed by Pebble’s ongoing improvements. Since our last survey two years ago, Pebble has enhanced the seaside 17th (restoring the size of the green and revamping the bunkering) and smoothed out the wildly sloping 14th green, which had gotten out of control with modern green speeds. Beyond Pebble and Pacific, six rookies have catapulted their way onto the list, headed by urban legend Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx, N.Y., and by Gamble Sands, David McLay Kidd’s high-desert funfest in central Washington State. And kudos to Streamsong Resort’s Red course in Florida, a Bill Coore–Ben Crenshaw design that’s cracked the top 10. Could one of these newcomers challenge the Big Two for supremacy? Check back in 2018 for the answer. THE LIST 1. Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach, Calif. ($495-$565) Site of five U.S. Opens, 70 PGA Tour events and countless photos of the Pacific Ocean, Pebble has been tweaked several times since its 1919 debut, yet even today there isn’t a more thrilling, spectacular stretch of holes anywhere than holes 7 through 10. And is there anything in golf that can compare with that final stroll up the par-5 18th as it curls to the left around the splendor of Carmel Bay? 2. Pacific Dunes
Bandon, Ore. ($85-$310) The highest-ranking American links, this 2001 Tom Doak creation checks in as one of the greatest modern designs in the world. It fits so majestically into its billowing terrain, it looks like it’s been there 100 years. Scattered blow-out bunkers, gigantic natural dunes, smartly contoured greens and Pacific panoramas are headliners. 3. Pinehurst Resort No. 2
Pinehurst, N.C. ($370-$480) Donald Ross’s 108-year-old chef d’oeuvre rolls gently and spaciously through tall Longleaf pines in the Carolina Sandhills, with holes culminating in the legendary “inverted saucer” greens that have confounded the game’s very best since they were first grassed in 1935. For the 2014 U.S. Open, a Coore-Crenshaw restoration brought back the tawny-edged fairways and native roughs last seen in the 1940s. 4. Bethpage State Park (Black)
Farmingdale, N.Y. ($78-$150) The Black scares golfers with a sign at the first tee: “Warning — The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.” Among the highly skilled? Tiger Woods and Lucas Glover, who won the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens here. The “People’s Open,” as the 2002 edition came to be known, brutalized players with its Rees Jones-restored A.W. Tillinghast layout, owing to rugged, uphill par-4s, massive bunkers and wrist-fracturing rough. Woods was the only golfer to break par for 72 holes. 5. Whistling Straits (Straits)
Kohler, Wis. ($395-$460) Venue for the 2004, ’10 and ’15 PGA Championships, this 1998 Pete Dye design on Lake Michigan was once a poker table-flat military training base in World War II. Eventually it became a site for illegal dumping of toxic waste. Dye and owner Herb Kohler engineered a mind-boggling cleanup, moved three million cubic yards of dirt, trucked in 7,000 loads of sand to create the hills and bunkers, and repositioned the bluffs farther back from the shore. All Kohler told Dye was “I want the course to look like it’s in Ireland.” Mission accomplished. 6. The Ocean Course at Kiawah Resort
Kiawah Island, S.C. ($274-$374) A blend of tidal marsh carries, scrub-topped dunes and wildly undulating greens pair with 7,600 muscular yards to form a relentless mix of beauty and brawn. While architect Pete Dye has softened his greens and their surrounds over years, the Ocean Course remains among the toughest tests in the country. That’s what competitors in the 1991 “War by the Shore” Ryder Cup maintain; Rory McIlroy, who decimated the course in winning the 2012 PGA Championship, might feel differently. 7. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. ($350-$495) Venue for the PGA Tour’s Players Championship since 1982, Pete Dye’s imaginative, variety-filled and occasionally terror-inducing track has crowned winners such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman and Adam Scott. One of the wildest finishes took place in 2013, when Sergio Garcia, tied with Woods, splashed two tee shots at the infamous island-green 17th, made quadruple-bogey, and sunk to eighth place. Some sniff at its artificiality, yet for shotmaking options and memorable individual holes that require a blend of power and finesse, TPC Sawgrass has few peers. 8. Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Ore. ($85-$310) Bandon’s original course is a David McLay Kidd design draped atop craggy headlands above the Pacific. Ocean views stun the senses, along with bluff-top sand dunes sprinkled with Scotch broom and gorse bushes, coastal pines, crashing surf, wind-whipped tall native grasses, and stacked sod bunkers. The most memorable seaside tests are the par-4 fourth, the par-3 12th and the par-4 16th, each with eye-popping scenery and enjoyable risk/rewards. 9. Harbour Town Golf Links
Hilton Head Island, S.C. ($190-$380) A favorite of PGA Tour pros for more than 40 years, Harbour Town boasts the iconic candy cane-striped lighthouse that backdrops the 18th hole — and so much more. A place of subtle beauty, this is a shotmaker’s paradise where power takes a backseat to precision. Mixing live oaks, lagoons, tiny greens, bunkers banked by railroad ties and a closing stretch along the Calibogue Sound, this Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus collaboration delights and terrorizes at every turn. 10. Streamsong Resort (Red)
Streamsong, Fla. ($85-$255) Streamsong dishes out a unique palette for Florida golf. Tall, odd-shaped sand piles, significant climbs and drops, firm, fast-running Bermuda fairways and lakes submerged in the sand spice the play on the Coore-Crenshaw-designed Red course. The uphill, 474-yard, par-4 opener sets the tone, with a drive over water and scrub. Most dramatic is the 208-yard, par-3 16th, a funky, stunning Biarritz hole, with a forced carry over water leading to a green that’s bisected by a massive hollow.
11. Old Macdonald
Bandon, Ore. ($85-$310) This 2010 Tom Doak/Jim Urbina collaboration features turnpike-wide landing areas and gigantic, heaving greens that are hard to miss. To get the ball into the hole, however, you’ll need to master angles, strategy, trajectory and the ground game, making for an Old World links experience second to none in the U.S. The course pays homage to the design style and template holes of C.B. Macdonald, American’s pioneer architect, though the most memorable hole is a Doak/Urbina original, the par-4 7th, where the elevated green peers down over the beach.
12. Bandon Trails
Bandon, Ore. ($85-$310) Unlike its elder Bandon siblings, “Trails” doesn’t cling to cliffs, but it’s no less spectacular. It opens in massive, scrub-covered dunes, then plunges into pine forest and touches linksy meadow before returning to dunesland. Along the way are stirring long views of the Pacific and a superb set of wildly different par-3s. 13. Pasatiempo Golf Club
Santa Cruz, Calif. ($240-$272) Par has been shaved from 74 to 70 since Dr. Alister MacKenzie’s finest public access course first opened in 1929, yet it seldom takes a beating, even at the hands of Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson or Tiger Woods, none of whom has bettered 67. How can such a pipsqueak in the yardage department play so difficult? Try rolling terrain that’s crisscrossed by barrancas, slender fairways hemmed in by trees, hordes of deep, artfully sculpted bunkers, Pacific Ocean breezes and nightmarishly quick, canted greens. 14. Streamsong Resort (Blue)
Streamsong, Fla. ($85-$255)
Hewn from the remnants of old phosphate mines, Streamsong Blue features a distinctive sand-based canvas that puts an emphasis on ground-game prowess. Tom Doak crafted fairways that cling to the terrain as if they’ve been here for thousands of years. Greens melt into their surrounds. Imaginative green-contouring forces players to think before approaching. After the dizzying panorama from the par-4 1st, the next stunner is the 203-yard, par-3 7th that demands a lake carry to a wildly undulating green cocooned in the sandhills. This is retro golf with modern trappings. 15. Spyglass Hill Golf Course
Pebble Beach, Calif ($395-$435) Part of the rotation for the PGA Tour’s Bing Crosby (now AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am) since 1967, this Robert Trent Jones Sr. design has been one of the Tour’s hardest layouts for nearly 50 years. Few have conquered its dune-flecked, oceanside start, nor its final 13 holes through the pines, except Phil Mickelson in 2005 and Luke Donald in 2006, when both posted astonishing 10-under-par 62s. 16. Shadow Creek North
Las Vegas, Nev. ($500) Tom Fazio and Steve Wynn demonstrated in 1990 that with sufficient money and imagination, there’s nothing that couldn’t be accomplished in golf course design. Hewn from flat, featureless desert, Shadow Creek emerged with rolling hills, a forest of pines, bursts of flowers and a network of creeks and lakes. 17. Chambers Bay Golf Course
University Place, Wash. ($100-$275) Controversial home to the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open, this 7,500-yard, walking-only, Robert Trent Jones II design unfolds atop an old gravel mine at the southeast tip of Puget Sound, 45 minutes south of Seattle. The eye candy commences at the first hole, a par-4 that shares a fairway with the 18th a la St. Andrews, amid 50-foot dunes. 18. Trump National Doral (Blue Monster)
Miami, Fla. ($250-$450) An extraordinary makeover from Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner took what had become a tired resort course and turned it into one of the toughest tests on the PGA Tour, a fire-breather that once again lived up to its name. Newly installed teeth in the form of added yardage, altered angles, contoured greens and steeper slopes around the putting surfaces have dramatically altered the layout, strengthening it in every way. 19. Blackwolf Run (River)
Kohler, Wis. ($285-$320) Often an afterthought to its sibling, Whistling Straits, Blackwolf Run’s River is a major venue in its own right. It played host to the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open, when nine of its holes paired with Blackwolf Run’s original front nine (now the back nine of the Meadow Valleys course). Dye’s typically penal hard edges along water hazards, ligament-snapping rough and nasty, steep, grass-faced bunkers are angst-inducing, but memorable holes abound, such as the remarkable short par-4 9th, with three legitimate options off the tee and the handsome, if brutal closing stretch of 16-18 that incorporates a twisting arm of the Sheboygan River.
20. Torrey Pines Golf Course (South)
La Jolla, Calif. ($110-$272) This clifftop, city-owned venue overlooking the Pacific Ocean in suburban San Diego stretches 7,600 yards, following a 2001 Rees Jones renovation that also moved greens closer to canyon edges. Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Phil Mickelson have won Tour events here. Tiger Woods has dominated, with seven wins in the Farmers Insurance Open and one amazing U.S. Open victory in 2008. Omni Homestead (Cascades) Hole 16 21. Forest Dunes Golf Club
Roscommon, Mich. ($69-$149) An inspired Tom Weiskopf design three hours northwest of Detroit rolls through man-made sand dunes and red pine forests, with ground game options aided by firm, fast, rumpled fairways and perfectly groomed greens. Strategic tests such as the double-fairway, par-4 10th and the drivable par-4 17th, framed with sand and fescues, are superb. 22. Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside)
St. Simons Island, Ga. ($235-$320) Home to the PGA Tour since 2010, the venerable 88-year-old Seaside layout was redesigned by Tom Fazio in 1999. Marsh-tinged wetlands, bold bunkers and views of the Atlantic Ocean are highlights. Most remarkable was the 2012 event, when Tommy Gainey’s final-round 60 catapulted him over Davis Love, Jim Furyk and David Toms for the win. 23. Erin Hills Golf Course
Erin, Wisc. ($265-$280) Thirty-five miles northwest of Milwaukee, Erin Hills occupies a massive, topsy-turvy spread of ridges, dunes and fescue grasses, lending an Ireland-in-the-Heartland ambiance — but no Emerald Isle course stretches to 7,823 yards, as this one does. Designed by Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten, Erin Hills controversially was chosen to host the 2017 U.S. Open before it had fully established itself. Yet, it proved worthy as host to the 2008 U.S. Women’s Public Links event, and again at the 2011 U.S. Amateur. A few ill-advised design changes by the original owner have now been reversed and today, Erin Hills boasts a formidable test of modern links-style shotmaking, with contour, angles, varied green sites and Old World bunkering. 24. Kapalua Resort (Plantation)
Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii ($219-$299) Home to the PGA Tour’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions, this 1991 Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw creation features extra-wide landing areas draped atop a former pineapple plantation. Past winners Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Ernie Els have each conquered the downhill-plunging 508-yard, par-4 17th and the 663-yard, par-5 18th, both with jungle-strewn canyons to the left and Pacific Ocean views beyond. 25. Troon North Golf Club (Pinnacle)
Scottsdale, Ariz. ($39-$279) Tucked into the shadows of Pinnacle Peak and down the block from the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, this Weiskopf/Morrish creation zigzags through boulders and cacti, at times leapfrogging dry desert washes and at others, skirting mountain slopes. Daunting forced carries and strategic risk/reward options elevates the Pinnacle for strong players. 26. Omni Homestead (Cascades)
Hot Springs, Va. ($100-$195) Sloping fairways, gurgling brooks, tree-shrouded mountains and library-like tranquility fuel a round of golf at this 1923 William Flynn design that demands artful shotmaking, of the likes once favored by native son Sam Snead, who grew up here. Cascades serves up a dazzling array of lies, stances and imaginative shots you will be asked to manufacture, with the first 12 holes hemmed in by thick woods. The last six open up and strategy options abound. 27. Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles
Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. ($160-$280) The world’s only Donald J. Trump Signature design will have you fired up to experience its spectacular bluff-top setting above the Pacific, some 40 minutes south of LAX. Draped atop cliffs amid the rolling horse country of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, no course in America offers such exquisite ocean vistas for four and a half hours. Pete Dye and Tom Fazio contributed to Trump’s original design and most recently, Gil Hanse has installed some classical features. 28. The Highland Course at Primland Resort
Meadows of Dan, Va. ($135-$220) Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, 20 miles north of the North Carolina border, English architect Donald Steel draped the Highland course across mountain peaks and into valleys that edge a River Dan gorge. He also outfitted the layout with deep bunkers and closely mown green surrounds that place an emphasis on precise approaches. At 3,000 feet elevation, the fall color palette is rich. 29. Caledonia Golf and Fish Club
Pawleys Island, S.C. ($69-$209) Don’t let Caledonia’s miniscule 6,526 back tee yardage fool you: Stands of hardwoods, lakes, wetlands and imposing live oaks whose branches swat away stray shots like Tim Duncan make this 1994 Mike Strantz design a complete test of shotmaking. An antebellum clubhouse and 18th hole that border an old rice plantation and the Waccamaw River completes a pretty picture.
30. Fallen Oak at Beau Rivage Resort
Biloxi, Miss. ($200) Picture Shadow Creek drenched in Deep South aesthetics and you have another Tom Fazio-MGM masterpiece, 20 minutes inland from the coastal Beau Rivage. Fallen Oak dishes out streams, orchards, lakes and wetlands, along with Fazio’s sprawling bunkers—plus an Acadian-style, Southern Mansion clubhouse. 31. Cog Hill (No. 4)
Lemont, Ill. ($155) Former Western Open/BMW Championship venue Cog Hill in the southwestern Chicago suburbs became Tiger Woods’ personal playground. In 14 appearances, he triumphed five times between 1997 and 2009. Dick Wilson and Joe Lee crafted Cog Hill in 1964. More than 50 years later, Rees Jones added new back tees and reworked bunkers and greens to restore the dread in a course nicknamed, “Dubsdread.” 32. Mauna Kea Golf Course
Kamuela, Big Island, Hawaii ($165-$275) Robert Trent Jones lists this 1964 Big Island layout as among his five favorite designs (of more than 500) and it’s easy to see why. It boasts his signature characteristics: long tees, propped-up greens protected by yawning traps and man-sized carries over water—notably at the 272-yard, par-3 third hole, which skirts the Pacific Ocean. 33. Dancing Rabbit (Azaleas)
Choctaw, Miss. ($70-$150) This undulating 1997 Tom Fazio/Jerry Pate design 70 miles northeast of Jackson darts through thick forest for most of its journey, on a canvas ribboned with creeks, wetlands and in springtime, countless azaleas, notably at the par-4 sixth and the par-3 13th, both boasting amphitheater settings. If your luck runs out at the long, watery, par-4 18th, you can find it again down the street at the Pearl River Resort. 34. Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club
Sandia Park, N.M. ($62-$117) Situated between 6,500 and 7,000 breathtaking feet on the eastern side of the Sandia Mountains, 25 minutes from Albuquerque, Paa-Ko dishes out a series of option-laden desert jewels that tumble through junipers, cedars and pines, forming a surprisingly green backdrop to many holes. However, numerous rock outcroppings, sagebrush and arroyos remind you that you’ll still in the desert. 35. World Woods (Pine Barrens)
Brooksville, Fla. ($40-$119) With its forced carries over sandy waste areas and pine-framed, risk/reward holes, Pine Barrens is intended to resemble Pine Valley, but this 1993 Tom Fazio design is more player-friendly and much easier to get onto. It’s an hour-plus ride north of Tampa into Nowheresville, but well worth the journey. The 330-yard, split-fairway, drivable par-4 15th is a standout. 36. Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club
Arcadia, Mich. ($85-$190) Top teacher Rick Smith and design associate Warren Henderson teamed in 1998 to craft this headlands course that peers down at Lake Michigan early and often, inevitably in spectacular fashion. With breezes off the lake, tawny fescues and tall sand dunes, the course professes a linksy feel, without being quite as bouncy as a true links, but at least the wide fairways and large greens make for extra playability in the wind. 37. The Greenbrier (Old White TPC)
White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. ($250-$425) Following a sensitive 2007 restoration by Lester George, this 102-year-old C.B. Macdonald-Seth Raynor effort has charmed the old admirers and wowed the new ones. The PGA Tour has played here since 2010, amid the rolling terrain in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains and players delight in the classic accents, such as the Redan par-3 8th, Punchbowl par-4 9th and Eden par-3 15th. Devastating floods closed the course in June 2016. It’s scheduled to reopen in 2017. 38. Pronghorn Golf Club and Resort (Nicklaus)
Bend, Ore. ($95-$215) This 2004 creation didn’t reach mass appeal until it opened its doors to outside play in 2010. Since then, folks have been scaling the snow-topped Cascades for a chance to duel with this sagebrush-lined, high desert treat that’s dotted with lava rock ridges and juniper trees, notably at the lake-guarded, dogleg-right, 378-yard, par-4 13th. 39. Dunes Golf and Beach Club
Myrtle Beach, S.C. ($100-$215) The Dunes is a 1948 Robert Trent Jones Sr. creation that sports the master’s celebrated elevated greens, strategically deployed water hazards and heroic shot values, notably at the vaunted 590-yard, par-5 13th, that doglegs 110 degrees to the right around Lake Singleton. Double bogeys and alligators await any sliced shot.
40. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Saguaro)
Fort McDowell, Ariz. ($75-$235) Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw’s 2006 gem may lack the in-your-face drama of its sibling the Cholla, but its jaw-dropping mountain vistas are no less impressive and its subtle strategies are superior. Rolling, tilted, walkable fairways, imaginative green contouring, cactus-covered hillsides and no homes or roads make for a remarkable back-to-nature experience. 41. Reynolds Lake Oconee (Great Waters)
Greensboro, Ga. ($159-$245) Few courses so successfully fuse beauty, challenge and playability as this 1992 effort that hugs the shoreline of Lake Oconee for nearly the entire back nine. Tall pines frame most of the holes, but the essence of the course centers on superior risk/reward tests such as the par-4 9th, par-4th 11th and par-5 18th, each of which challenges the mind and delights the eye with lakeside peril. 42. Taconic Golf Club
Williamstown, Mass. ($100-$160) Abutting the postcard perfect campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., Taconic blends heart-of-the-Berkshires charm with superb shotmaking challenges. Trivia buffs: 16-year-old Jack Nicklaus aced the par-3 14th hole in a practice round at the 1956 U.S. Junior Amateur. Still, it’s the 470-yard, downhill, par-4 11th that will set your camera clicking. 43. Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point
Bronx, N.Y. ($194-$255) New York City finally has a track to challenge Bethpage Black for public-access state supremacy. This Jack Nicklaus creation, with John Sanford consulting, is a treeless faux-links, complete with dunes and fescue grasses framing the fairways and options around the greens. Most memorable, however, are the Gotham visuals, from the Whitestone Bridge to the East River to the Manhattan skyline. 44. Manele Golf Course
Lanai City, Lanai, Hawaii ($325) Jack Nicklaus’ 23-year-old hillside layout in the shadow of the Four Seasons Resort is best known for its incomparable 202-yard, par-3 12th, its green and tees separated by vertical cliff faces and the crashing surf of Hulopo’e Bay 150 feet below. The rest of the course isn’t far behind, with holes twisting among black lava outcroppings above the Pacific Ocean. 45. Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge (Challenger/Champion)
Orlando, Fla. ($90-$324) Arnold Palmer and Bay Hill have been synonymous since 1965, when Arnie shot 66 and waxed Jack Nicklaus in an exhibition. Four years later, Arnie bought the place. Tiger Woods owns eight Tour triumphs at Bay Hill and captured the 1991 U.S. Junior Amateur here—his first USGA victory. Gently rolling—unusual for Florida—and splashed with lakes, bunkers and doglegs, Bay Hill favors shotmakers, as well as someone with nerves, as the watery two-hole finish is as scary as they come. 46. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Cholla)
Fort McDowell, Ariz. ($75-$235) We-Ko-Pa’s original course, designed by Scott Miller in 2001, zigzags through cactus-framed canyons, climb atop ridges and offer stunning vistas of Four Peaks Mountain and Red Mountain, with nary a home or road in sight. Three split-fairway holes are Cholla highlights. 47. The Links at Spanish Bay
Pebble Beach, Calif. ($280-$320) This undeniably gorgeous layout begins at the Pacific Ocean, eases through marshes and dunes, climbs into the forest and finally returns to the sea. The green at the par-5 first affords a sweeping panorama of the waters of Spanish Bay, clear out to the spit of land known as Point Joe, which serves as home to the Restless Sea, where ocean and bay currents collide, creating a tumult of foamy, white sea spray. 48. Gamble Sands
Brewster, Wash. ($85-$160) GOLF Magazine’s Best New Course winner of 2014 is a David McLay Kidd design in central Washington that serves up extra-wide, firm fairways that zigzag around massive sand ridges and heavily contoured greens that place significant emphasis on ground game options. The rugged, high-desert scenery includes Columbia River views and vistas of the snow-capped northern Cascades. 49. Bulle Rock
Havre de Grace, Md. ($79-$130) Five times the venue for the LPGA Championship, this beautiful 18-year-old brute from Pete Dye that’s situated 40 minutes north of Baltimore unfolds over rolling, tree-lined terrain for 7,375 yards and enjoys several grin-inducing vistas of Chesapeake Bay. The 485-yard, par-4 final hole with water down the entire left side is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most memorable closers. |
Sen. Max Baucus Max Sieben BaucusOvernight Defense: McCain honored in Capitol ceremony | Mattis extends border deployment | Trump to embark on four-country trip after midterms Congress gives McCain the highest honor Judge boots Green Party from Montana ballot in boost to Tester MORE (D-Mont.) said Wednesday he fears a "train wreck" as the Obama administration implements its signature healthcare law.
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Baucus, the chairman of the chamber's powerful Finance Committee and a key architect of the healthcare reform law, said he fears people do not understand how the law will work.
"I just see a huge train wreck coming down," he told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen SebeliusIs a presidential appointment worth the risk? New Dem Kansas gov reinstates protections for LGBT state employees Next Kansas governor to reinstate LGBT protections for state workers MORE at a Wednesday hearing. "You and I have discussed this many times, and I don't see any results yet."
Baucus pressed Sebelius for details about how the Health Department will explain the law and raise awareness of its provisions, which are supposed to take effect in just a matter of months.
"I'm very concerned that not enough is being done so far — very concerned," Baucus said.
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He pressed Sebelius to explain how her department will overcome entrenched misunderstandings about what the healthcare law does.
"Small businesses have no idea what to do, what to expect," Baucus said.
Citing anecdotal evidence from small businesses in his home state, Baucus asked Sebelius for specifics about how it is measuring public understanding of the law.
"You need data. Do you have any data? You've never given me data. You only give me concepts, frankly," he said.
Sebelius said in response that the administration is not independently monitoring public awareness of specific provisions but will be embarking on an education campaign beginning this summer.
Baucus is facing a competitive reelection fight next year, and Republicans are sure to attack him over his role as the primary author of the healthcare law.
A messy rollout of the law's major provisions, months before Baucus faces voters, could feed into the GOP's criticism.
Wednesday's hearing wasn't the first time Democrats, including Baucus, have raised concerns about the implementation. But while other lawmakers have toned down their public comments as they've gotten answers from the Health secretary, Baucus said Sebelius has not addressed his fears.
"I'm going to keep on this until I feel a lot better about it," Baucus told Sebelius.
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found deep and persistent misconceptions about the healthcare law. Public awareness was highest for the most politically unpopular provisions, and many people wrongly believed the law contains provisions like a "death panel" to make decisions about end-of-life care.
Enrollment in the healthcare law's insurance exchanges is slated to begin in October, for coverage that begins in January. Baucus, though, said he's worried exchanges won't be ready in time.
"For the marketplaces to work, people need to know about them," he said. "People need to know their options and how to enroll." |
Donald Trump Jr is a curious beast. Of all the hotheads around his hotheaded father, the oldest son leads the charge in confirming the president’s very worst instincts.
If there’s a public spat with the media, you can find Trump Jr throwing his own punches. If there’s an ultra-rightwing gadfly (inside the White House or just on the internet), you can find Trump Jr heartily endorsing their comments.
And now we know: if there’s a Russian stranger offering up dirt on his political opponents, Trump Jr will happily sit down with them.
The younger Donald may have many talents. His Twitter bio cites, for instance, his position as “Boardroom Advisor on The Apprentice”. Those capital letters add a surprising degree of gravitas to this part of his résumé.
But whatever his talents, good judgment is not one of them. Nor is honesty.
Donald Trump Jr faces calls to testify before Senate over Russia meeting Read more
First the facts, as we know them so far: Trump Jr agreed to meet with a Kremlin-connected lawyer at Trump campaign headquarters just two weeks after his father clinched the Republican presidential nomination. The meeting took place with the then campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and Trump Jr’s brother-in-law, Jared Kushner.
When the New York Times first confronted Trump Jr about the meeting, his explanation was that the meeting was primarily about adoptions. He mentioned nothing about a certain presidential candidate called Hillary Clinton.
“It was a short introductory meeting,” he said in a statement. “I asked Jared and Paul to stop by. We primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children that was active and popular with American families years ago and was since ended by the Russian government, but it was not a campaign issue at the time and there was no follow up.”
The next day, when confronted with confidential documents, Trump Jr told a very different story. It is worth reading that new explanation in detail to understand the twists and turns of his mind, at this point in time.
“I was asked to have a meeting by an acquaintance I knew from the 2013 Miss Universe pageant with an individual who I was told might have information helpful to the campaign,” he began in his updated statement. This much is clear: Junior took the meeting with a Russian national because he expected “information helpful to the campaign”.
“I was not told her name prior to the meeting,” he continued. “I asked Jared and Paul to attend, but told them nothing of the substance. We had a meeting in June 2016,” he continued.
This is a curious addition to the narrative. Trump Jr took the meeting without knowing the identity of the person involved, based solely on the word of “an acquaintance” from a Miss Universe pageant. That acquaintance turns out to be a former tabloid journalist called Rob Goldstone, who took a selfie on the day after Trump’s election wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the giant red word: RUSSIA.
But let’s get back to Junior’s story, shall we? “After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Ms Clinton,” he explained. “Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information.”
This is apparently meaningful for the president’s eldest son. It is not in dispute that his intent was to obtain damaging information about the Clinton campaign from a Russian national. His only defense for apparently wanting to collude with an unknown foreign national was that nothing moved forward because she had no supporting information.
At this point, the Russian – a lawyer we now know to be named Natalia Veselnitskaya – changed the subject to the Magnitsky Act and adoptions. Magnitsky represents a series of US sanctions designed to punish Russian officials for human rights abuses, notably the violent death in custody of a lawyer investigating fraud by tax officials. The Russian response was to ban US adoptions of Russian children, among other tit-for-tat measures. “My father knew nothing of the meeting or these events,” Trump Jr concludes.
There is so much that is troubling about this latest version of events that it is hard to know where to begin. By his own admission, the president’s oldest son took a meeting with the most senior campaign officials and Trump advisers with an unknown Russian national. In the months since, the entire Trump White House and campaign denied such meetings vehemently.
Worse, he took the meeting – along with the most senior campaign staff – in the hope and expectation of receiving damaging information about his campaign opponent. All from a Russian national introduced by an acquaintance, with no other background information about her.
This is clear proof both of malicious intent and a desire to collude with Kremlin-connected Russian nationals, whether or not this particular collusion moved forward. Trump Jr was sending a clear signal to Putin’s allies and operatives that he was open for business. He also seems unclear about why Magnitsky involves something that goes far beyond US adoptions of Russian children.
It isn’t hard to see what the alternative could and should have looked like. Ethical conduct has been the standard for presidential campaigns stretching back decades, until the Trumps took center stage.
Consider George HW Bush’s advice to his family in May 1988, at a similar point to Trump’s Russia meeting. “As we move closer to November, you’ll find you’ve got a lot of new friends,” he wrote. “They may become real friends. Or if the polls show Dukakis kicking us – there might be some friendships that will vaporize. They’ll ask for things – ‘Do you know anyone at commerce? Can you call Joe Doakes at state?’
“My plea is this: please do not contact any federal agency or department on anything … I know I must sound very defensive but – believe me – every effort will be made to find some phone call, some inquiry, some letter, that can be made to appear improper.”
There’s nothing wrong with Trump Jr fighting for his father’s election. There’s nothing wrong with him punching back against his critics. You might expect him to do nothing less.
But there’s everything wrong with his ethics, his readiness to lie and obfuscate, and his desire to dig up dirt through any Russian operative who walked through the door.
By doing so, he just moved the whole FBI investigation – and the impeachment machine – several yards closer to the Oval Office. For that alone, his judgment is nothing short of disastrous. |
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Translator: TranslationChicken
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Editor: TranslationChicken
(Thank you Jeffry, Aaron, MrAwesome for helping with proofreading on the Live Draft!!! <3)
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ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO TAPPEI NAGATSUKI, THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF RE:ZERO, THIS IS A TRANSLATION OF THE FREE JAPANESE WEB NOVEL INTO ENGLISH
JAPANESE WEB NOVEL SOURCE: HTTP://NCODE.SYOSETU.COM/N2267BE/209/
Previous Chapter: https://translationchicken.com/2017/09/01/rezero-arc-4-chapter-42-the-value-of-a-life-part-22/
ARC 4
THE EVERLASTING COVENANT
Chapter 43 [And Then Everyone Was――]
――What woke him was the feeling of water drops dripping onto his face.
The steady rhythm of cold droplets splashing on his cheek pulled his consciousness upward. And alongside the awakening of his consciousness, an acute sense of being alive slowly permeated throughout his body.
Simply put, it was that primal and intense sensation which required no words to convey―― Pain.
[Subaru: ……dgah]
As if to welcome Subaru’s awakening, agonizing pain embraced him with open arms. Once the initial shock was felt, there was no way to avoid the rest of the onslaught.
His cracked forehead, his mangled right arm, and his spine that was marred by the extreme impact all shrieked with pain. But, far exceeding all of them, was,
[Subaru: this’s b..ad……]
Directing his gaze towards the source of the razor-sharp pain, Subaru found that a branch as thick as two fingers had skewered him through the area under his right collarbone. Its point was slick with blood, and as much as Subaru rallied his resolve to pull it out it in spite of the pain, it refused to budge an inch.
Fortunately, the branch was broken on the way down, so, as long as Subaru ignored it visually, it wouldn’t do much to impede his movements.
[Subaru: way too eccentric…… this fashion……]
Somehow managing to get his unresponsive body to move and sitting himself up, Subaru leaned into a nearby rock-face to catch his breath. Looking over his surroundings, he found himself at the entrance of a small cave. Apparently, the water dripping onto his face was the morning dew falling from the top of the cave’s mouth. ――But morning dew would mean,
[Subaru: it’s morning……!?]
As Subaru understood the heartless passage of time, intense pain coursed up his trembling body as though the back of his eye was painted red and his entire body was pierced by needles. A tear rose in his single eye as his thoughts slowly caught up.
What happened to him before he lost consciousness? Recalling it,
[Subaru: ――a]
Subaru remembered what senseless tragedy his existence had brought.
Timidly gazing upwards, he saw the daylight penetrating between the gaps of the trees and into the forest. Bathed in that light, Subaru looked up towards the slope from which he fell―― wondering what kind of scene was awaiting him there.
[Subaru: ――ng]
Gulping down a breath, tormented by the guilt of not dying straight away, Subaru crawled at a caterpillar’s pace, heading towards the other side of the slope.
Although his movements were hindered by the branch jutting from his chest, slowly but surely, he drew closer with time.
If this was the old Subaru, just imagining the scene that was awaiting him would have gripped him with horror, and he would probably have run away, refusing to look. But the current Subaru would not permit that.
He must see it to the end, swallow it down, and make it his food.
Because this was the duty of Natsuki Subaru, having failed to die when he should have.
[Subaru: hha……hhaa]
With one crawl, and then another, he dragged himself up the slope with only his upper body off the ground. His breath panting, sweat soaking the dried wounds on his forehead, blood seeped out once more. He rudely wiped at it with his sleeve, soiling his face with mud and blood as he crawled.
Crawling past a totaled carriage, passing around a large toppled tree, Subaru’s fingers reached the destined rim of the slope―― the spot from which Patrasche threw him in her sacrifice.
[Subaru: ――――]
For a moment, there was hesitation.
By raising his head and extending his neck to peek over, Subaru would be faced with the inescapable reality. He will no longer be able to escape into his imagination and indulge in the fantasy that some miracle might have occurred after he was driven away and that the majority of the refugees had managed to escape.
[Subaru: What am I, stupid? ……no, I am stupid]
Without a doubt, in his one sided vision, Subaru had witnessed the moment Patrasche was crushed under the beast’s jaw. After offering her all for Subaru, the instant of that loyal dragon’s death was still branded into the back of Subaru’s eyelids. To pretend that it was a dream or to escape into some convenient fantasy was nothing less than to insult her, who had sacrificed the very last embers of her life for Subaru.
Igniting the flame of conviction in his heart, Subaru wrenched out what little willpower he had left and opened his eye. Pushing himself up on his stomach, through the thick branches obstructing his vision and beyond the opening forest, in the scene of the tragedy――
[Subaru: ――――h?]
There was nothing.
Nothing at all.
[Subaru: how is that…… pos…ble?]
With his face still twisted from imagining the carnage that was supposed to have panned out before him, Subaru’s eye bulged in disbelief, unable to accept the scene that dawned on his sight.
There were scattered wrecks of carriages and several uprooted trees. Claw marks were still gouged deep into the ground, and there were signs of destruction and resistance all over.
And yet, the most heartbreaking sight was not there.
The remnants of the slaughter. The corpses of the villagers who, in the truest sense of the words, gave their lives so Subaru could escape. The corpse of the ground dragon who was torn in two for her loyalty.
They were all nowhere to be found.
[Subaru: ――――]
The beast and the battle could not have been a dream. The scattered wreckages proved this. Only, the consequence of the tragedy was missing.
With great effort, Subaru used a nearby tree to pull himself up. Fortunately, after the initial shock had passed, the wounds in his leg and hips were no more than superficial scrapes and bruises. He stood up, holding his right arm steady with his left to stop it from hurting from the motion of dangling. And, looking over his surroundings,
[Subaru: Ho..w? Where’s Patrasche…… everyone…… Otto?]
He didn’t want to see their corpses.
Honestly, he would like nothing more than if everyone survived. But there was no way for that kind of pipe dream to be true. Subaru, of all people, knew this in his very cells
After all, before Subaru lost consciousness, he had already witnessed several lives being extinguished by the beast’s claws.
The scrawny youth fought to the end, but without leaving even a single scratch, he was crushed. There was the woman who lost her life when she was tossed out from the dragon carriage that was sent flying. And the old man was snapped like a dried twig by a single swing of the beast’s claw, leaving nothing but a miserable corpse behind.
With every remembered death, pain and regret shaved away at Subaru’s heart. Yet, even so, those deaths that he supposedly witnessed here had somehow been stolen from this place.
[Subaru: Patrasche…… Patrasche……?]
Thinking of the lives that were lost, Subaru feebly and despairingly called his partner’s name.
The moment her body was torn in two, and the pain of her final gasp, Subaru had certainly seen and heard it, so he had no fleeting hopes that she could still be alive.
Nevertheless, he had wanted to find her soul-departed remains, and apologize. It was something only Subaru could do.
His steps dragged, and his body was near exhaustion. The search was slow and feeble, and it took all of two hours just to explore the surrounding area.
But despite spending all this time, all Subaru found was,
[Subaru: Luggage mixed with the wreckages, scraps of clothes, and……]
Massive amounts of blood.
Just as Subaru imagined with near-certainty, everything carved by the beast’s claws was accompanied by mass volumes of blood. He had expected there to be the choking stench of blood drifting about the scene, but perhaps because the blood clotting up Subaru’s nose canal had deprived him of his olfactory senses, he didn’t smell a thing.
He had already assembled enough evidence that the fact could not be denied. Yet the only piece he could not find was the conclusive proof itself, and how it came to be lost was enshrouded in mystery.
Even more importantly, it was while searching through the surroundings, that the extremely belated question finally burned into his mind. That is――
[Subaru: Why wasn’t I.. killed……?]
He didn’t finish Subaru off―― although Subaru surviving all those wounds may have been difficult to believe, it would still have been far too careless to have gone back without at least inspecting the body. After all, Subaru was Garfiel’s target to begin with.
Even though he still couldn’t understand why Garfiel would turn his claws to the refugees, he might have done it to teach Subaru a lesson.
But if that were the case, there would be even less reason for the bodies to disappear.
[Subaru: Even if… they were carried away……]
There were 42 refugees in total. Even if everyone turned into a corpse, it would still be too unrealistic to tow them all away, not to mention Patrasche and the other ground dragons as well.
[Subaru: But still……]
He didn’t want to imagine it, but if they were swallowed into the great beast’s belly―― yet, for the same numerical problem, it wasn’t a realistic theory. At least, while it was conceivable how they could be carried away, what was inconceivable was how they could afford the labor required to hide the bodies from sight.
In the end, before even considering whether the tiger would do such a roundabout thing, the crucial question was why it didn’t make an effort to finish the wounded Subaru off.
[Subaru: ――――]
Suddenly, it occurred to him just how much this scene resembled the depopulated Sanctuary.
Although the conditions leading up to it were different, the results had many points in common. All the signs of the surrounding destruction were from the great tiger’s rampage, and unrelated to the tiger and the refugee’s disappearance. If one looked past the this most striking aspect of the scene, the two were eerily similar in that there were no bodies in sight.
In other words,
[Subaru: Th-the Sanctuary would be in the same state as last time too……?]
His breath growing ragged as he came to that conclusion, Subaru once again used up all his strength to stand. Then, looking over his surroundings, he deduced the direction of the Sanctuary.
――This was the morning of the sixth day.
Last night was probably the deadline for the Mansion. Although he could not say for certain, if Elsa’s attack took place, then it was already too late to prevent the tragedy.
On the Sanctuary’s side, something must have happened that made the tiger-morphed Garfiel abandon the thought of dealing Subaru the final blow. That something must have also been the reason why everyone here disappeared. But why the same thing didn’t happen to Subaru remained completely unknown.
[Subaru: ――――]
Which way to go? Subaru hesitated for only a moment.
A warmth passing through his chest sent a faint ache across his heart. It was the inseverable sensation of guilt and remorse for the girl, still in her slumber, and all those he left in the Mansion.
Clenching his teeth, Subaru shook off these emotions and turned his steps to the Sanctuary.
With slow, dragging steps, in order to find out what had happened, Subaru made his way towards the Sanctuary.
What was waiting for him ahead? So that he could burn something worthy of the lives that were lost into his memories, he intended to spend this life for that redemption, even if only for the smallest hint to increase his chances of prevailing in the end.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Next part 2/2: https://translationchicken.com/2017/09/07/rezero-arc-4-chapter-43-and-then-everyone-was%E2%80%95%E2%80%95-part-22/
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Next part should be ready tomorrow! ❤
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Chapter 43 Live Draft:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/re-zero-arc-4-43-14241553
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Next part 2/2: https://translationchicken.com/2017/09/07/rezero-arc-4-chapter-43-and-then-everyone-was%E2%80%95%E2%80%95-part-22/ |
Description
Ncat is a feature-packed networking utility which reads and writes data across networks from the command line. Ncat was written for the Nmap Project and is the culmination of the currently splintered family of Netcat incarnations. It is designed to be a reliable back-end tool to instantly provide network connectivity to other applications and users. Ncat will not only work with IPv4 and IPv6 but provides the user with a virtually limitless number of potential uses.
Among Ncat's vast number of features there is the ability to chain Ncats together; redirection of TCP, UDP, and SCTP ports to other sites; SSL support; and proxy connections via SOCKS4, SOCKS5 or HTTP proxies (with optional proxy authentication as well). Some general principles apply to most applications and thus give you the capability of instantly adding networking support to software that would normally never support it. |
Dear HuffPost Friends,
I've been asked to write something about meditation today. A question was, "Why do I meditate?" I practice Transcendental Meditation as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Before I started TM, I looked into many different kinds of meditation, and something about each of them said they weren't for me. When I heard about Transcendental Meditation from my sister who had started, I liked what she told me in relation to all the other forms I had looked into. And as I've said, I'd heard a change in my sister's voice. I heard more happiness and more self-assuredness. And I said, "I want this Transcendental Meditation."
I guess people start meditation for many different reasons, but each person who starts will get the benefit they are looking for, and many other benefits as well. I became interested in meditation because I heard a phrase, "True happiness is not out there. True happiness lies within." And this phrase had a ring of truth to me, but the phrase doesn't tell you where the within is, nor how to get there.
One day it hit me that meditation would be the way to go within.
The beauty of Transcendental Meditation is that it gives effortless transcending. It is not a trying form of meditation, not concentration, nor contemplation. It is a unique form of meditation, a mental technique, an ancient form of meditation brought back by Maharishi for this time.
At the base of all matter and all mind there is an eternal field, which is beyond the field of relativity -- it is non-relative, absolute. This field has many names. For quantum physicists it is called the Unified Field. It is also known as The Transcendent, Being, The Source, Totality, Ocean of Pure Bliss Consciousness, The Self. This field is that level of life, which has always been, it is, and will be forever.
When a human being truly transcends and experiences this deepest level of life, they're able to infuse some of that consciousness and begin to expand whatever consciousness they had to begin with. All of us human beings have consciousness, but not every human being has the same amount. The potential for each of us is infinite consciousness, enlightenment, total fulfillment, infinite bliss, liberation.
Tied to consciousness are all-positive qualities, intelligence, creativity, happiness, love, energy, power and peace. With the regular practice of Transcendental Meditation, a person can transcend many times in each meditation and really see huge life-transforming benefits. Those all-positive qualities grow more and more each day. And the side effect is that negativity begins to recede. Stress, anxiety, tension, sorrow, depression, hate, anger and fear begin to lift and this is such a great sense of freedom for the human being. All the stressful things are still out there, all the negative things are still out there, but because the all-positive things are still growing, those negative things have less and less power to hurt us.
For me, I felt so much relief from this heavy weight of negativity lifting. And as I say, I felt the suffocating rubber clown suit of negativity dissolving, and it was such a feeling of bright freedom. I got more and more happiness in the doing of things, ideas seemed to flow more freely. I felt more energy for the work and I began to see other people as people I liked more and more. I felt healthier and more comfortable in my body. The whole world looked better.
There is an expression, "The world is as you are." I think it means that it can be the same old world, but when we change -- in a more positive way -- that same old world looks better and better.
The David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness Based Education and World Peace was started to raise money to give the technique of Transcendental Meditation to any student who wanted it anywhere in the world. So far we have helped 250,000 students learn this technique and get the benefits. The foundation has also branched out to funding programs for prisoners, prison guards, children suffering from child prostitution, the homeless, Native Americans suffering from diabetes and alcoholism, veterans suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. And it's always the same. No matter what the suffering is or how much stress or torment there is, when people get this technique they get happier. They start feeling better. They start seeing that suffering lift and they say they get their lives back and see a good future.
It's a human being thing to transcend. Many people have transcended without a technique, but they don't know how it happened. Transcendental Meditation is a technique that gives a person an opportunity to transcend -- first time, every time.
There are so many programs in the world to help people. But unfortunately most of them are surface solutions, and surface solutions will never work. They'll never address the deep torment, suffering, anger or hate inside the person. When a person can transcend and infuse those all-positive qualities from that beautiful field of pure consciousness within, it's like cleaning the machine and infusing it with gold.
Einstein said you can't solve a problem at the level of the problem, you have to solve it from beneath the problem. We can't get deeper than the Unified Field -- The Ocean of Consciousness, Being. This field is also known as the Kingdom of Heaven, which lies within. Think about it, how beautiful it is to sit quietly, close the eyes, start a technique and visit the Kingdom of Heaven each day.
Veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, from what I've heard, are not getting the help that truly lets them have their lives back, which truly relieves their suffering in a real way. Now there have been testimonials from veterans who have gotten the technique of Transcendental Meditation, and it is beautiful to hear their stories of how this has saved their life and helped the lives of their friends and family.
Maharishi revived a great technique, which is a blessing to human beings. Take advantage of it, make hay while the sun shines.
Your friend, |
The St. Paul Saints plan to change their name for a game sponsored by atheist groups.
The American Association minor league club will call itself the "Mr. Paul Aints" when they host the Amarillo Sox on Aug. 10.
The Minnesota Atheists and American Atheists suggested the promotion to tie in with a regional atheist conference in town that weekend. The game's billing is "a night of unbelievable fun." The letter "s'' will be covered up on Saints signs in the ballpark. Player jerseys will be auctioned for charity.
Saints executive Derek Sharrer says the club has "no intention of mocking or making fun of anyone's faith." He says several faith-based organizations have sponsored games before and that the Saints felt it would be "hypocritical" to tell the atheists no. |
When the original Robocop hit the big screen, i was four years old. When i first seen the film on VHS, i was still way too young to understand most of it. I did not fully "get" the humor and the violence level could make my mother blush. As a film (that i watched over and over) if had a profound effect on my image of the city i lived. Detroit was not hipster central when i was growing up and the idea of someone making a movie based on my city seemed extra bad ass. Cops were still hero's to my generation and the Ford Taurus had not yet turned into a beige rental car. It was a classic white hat vs black hat western with an urban cocaine filled twist.
Many years later, Robocop was the first Blu-ray i ever owned. The conversion from film was flawless and the old school animatronic special effects actually looked good, in some ways more convincing than the CGI of today. The movie held up over time and all was good with the world.
The story of Robocop essentially plays out as a political wet dream, especially in light of current events. Detroit is really broke and the crime rates have really gone awry. Large corporations now have vested interest in revitalizing the city....but those pesky residents keep getting in the way. Robocop in reality is played by a black guy named Kevyn Orr, Detroit's emergency manager. His job? Make the city whole again while keeping the residents and his bosses happy. Sound Familiar? Hopefully we don't play this story out exactly like the movie and no one gets shot in the hand. |
Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls has found his reason to go on learning the Salsa despite Donald Trump winning the US presidential election: Strictly Come Dancing is exactly what we need right now.
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Appearing on The Last Leg on Wednesday night, Balls reflected on the victory of the right-wing former Apprentice star and millionaire businessman: “I did feel this morning, you know – the nation wakes up, kids are going to school worrying about what’s happening. And I’m going to spend eight hours doing the Salsa.
“I did think to myself, ‘Is today the day to be dancing?’
However, the former Labour MP thinks Strictly is the perfect tool to heal political rifts – after all, his campaign to lift the Glitterball trophy has serious cross-party support.
“To be serious, there’s been a campaign where there’s lots of hate on either side,” he said. “People fear each other. Democrats fear what the Republicans can do. We saw the same thing with Brexit.
“But there’s things in our cultures which unite people. I’m supported on Strictly Come Dancing by Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband, Theresa May and George Osborne. That is one hell of a coalition of support!”
He added: “It’s important we find things in our lives which bring us together and bind us, which we enjoy together and from that you then try and do something more serious and positive.
“In the end, it’s quite a good thing we enjoy Saturday nights and get on and don’t see each other as enemies just because we’re Labour or Conservative or Democrat or Republican. We’ve got to find something to bring us together.”
Saturday can’t come soon enough.
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Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday on BBC1 at 6.55pm. The Last Leg is back on Friday night on Channel 4 at 10pm |
Hillary Rodham Clinton, a declared candidate for the presidency of the United States of America, did not deign to subject herself to a single question from the news media for 28 consecutive days. That streak ended after a photo-op in Iowa today, when Her Majesty magnanimously (and extremely briefly) entertained a handful of questions, prior to being whisked away by aides. Fox News' Ed Henry appeared to have finally broken through by shouting a question across the room, rudely interrupting Mrs. Clinton's choreographed event. The candidate was characteristically gracious and genial in her response:
Henry: [Will you take questions from us?]
HRC: "I might. I'll have to ponder it. I will put it on my list for due consideration."
The imperiousness and sense of entitlement was palpable as America's beleagured, sneering, put-upon sweetheart contemptuously sniffed at members of the free press for attempting to do their jobs. Following her stilted Q&A with supporters (which included this bold answer on trade proposals), Mrs. Clinton generously accepted Henry's request and chose to submit to fleeting questioning from a waiting gaggle of journalists. Over the course of a few short answers, she affirmed that she's "proud" of the Clinton Foundation, downplayed a query about the Sid Blumenthal scheme by lamely chalking her actions up to keeping in touch with "old friends," and urged the State Department to release her emails -- dismissing timing concerns by asserting that those communications don't belong to her. And then, like a vapor in the wind, she was gone. The official Hillary Questions Clock was duly reset, and now the press is back to panting about when she might next interact with them. We've reached a point where a presumptive major party presidential nominee lowering herself to field two minutes' worth of questions from reporters somehow qualifies as a breaking news event:
Breaking News! The 2016 campaign in one photo pic.twitter.com/ISbIkwKfAU — Philip Klein (@philipaklein) May 19, 2015
Hillary Clinton in Iowa says she wants to urge the US Department of State to release her emails as soon as possible. — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 19, 2015
There’s a simple solution to this problem. There’s a very simple way to incentivize Hillary to do the unthinkable and *gasp* answer questions from those whose job it is to solicit information from candidates for public office: ignore her entirely. As political consultant Rick Wilson noted in an extended Twitter rant this morning, media coverage is the oxygen that keeps candidacies alive. Without it, they suffocate and die. Yes, paid media in the form of massive ad buys is important, but it’s nothing compared to the power of earned media. In politics, you only matter if you’re on the news...Pull the reporters off the plane and off the bus. No more TV cameras at her events. No more wire or pool coverage of her stilted campaign Q-and-A sessions. No more front-page stories about this or that Iowa event. No more cut-and-paste coverage of canned, calculated quotes.
If that doesn’t work, then you don’t just continue the blackout. You replace the column space, the pixels, the TV time that you would’ve spent on Hillary’s campaign events with wall-to-wall coverage of Hillary’s scandals. What happened to the e-mails? Why was Hillary paying a nutcake war profiteer who’d already been banned by the White House to give her advice on foreign policy? Why did Hillary approve a massive uranium boondoggle for one of her tax-exempt group’s biggest donors? Why did Hillary refuse to disclose millions in donations she received from foreign governments while she was serving as the U.S. Secretary of State? It wouldn’t take long. Maybe a few days. But by blacking out coverage of her campaign and replacing it with coverage of the myriad ongoing Clinton cash and corruption scandals, the Hillary campaign would quickly change its tune.
Let's circle back to Hillary's reply to the question about her emails:That soundbyte is designed to make it seem as though she's an open book, a gallant public servant with nothing to hide. It neglects to acknowledge that the State Department never received more than 30,000 of those emails because they were unilaterally deleted by her lawyers, without any independent oversight. (For good measure, her team altered its tale about the process by which they destroyed those thousands of communications). And her insistence that her official emails don't belong to her, while technically true, is particularly brazen. The entire reason she set up a bootleg, national-security-compromising email server was to exert total control over what emails were, and were not, accessible via FOIA requests, Congressional investigations, etc. Her inner circle determined which messages were acceptable for public consumption, and turned those -- and only those -- over to State. Everything else was wiped away. The Federalist's Sean Davis has a few suggestions for how the media might fight back against Team Hillary's shabby treatment:The chances of any of that actually happening are virtually nil, of course, and Hillary knows it. The press won't treat her like a Republican (flooding the zone with indignant negativity), and they won't place a retaliatory gag order on their coverage of her regal glide . And even if they tried, it wouldn't hold. So the dysfunctional, borderline-abusive relationship remains intact, as Hillary nods and smiles her way through what Allahpundit describes as "daily simulacrums of interaction with the voting public." I'll leave you with GOP strategist Rick Wilson's extended Twitter rant , referenced in Davis' piece above. Righteous, and, I fear, futile. |
A burger should be held with two hands, much like a steering wheel or a big wooden trunk filled with cement. Hold on to your hamburger with this Groupon.
$12 for a Gourmet-Burger Meal for Two (Up to $26.85 Value)
Two gourmet burgers, such as the inside-out beef burger stuffed with blue cheese and topped with smoked bacon or the carnitas burger topped with queso fresco (up to a $10.95 value each)
One Side a la 'Cart' item, such as pale-ale-battered onion rings or hand-cut fries (up to a $4.95 value)
Blanc Burgers + Bottles
At Blanc Burgers + Bottles, burger doesn’t just mean a basic grilled patty. In addition to American beef, there’s also hormone-free chicken, carnitas-style pork, and curried lentils among nearly 20 protein options. Chefs stuff or pile each with eclectic extras such as wasabi aioli, foie gras butter, and housemade pickles. Hand-cut fries, beer-battered cheese curds and onion rings, and chicken wings marinated in housemade sauce make for marginally less elaborate sides. Though the options might seem overwhelming, servers with deep culinary knowledge acquired by sleeping on a copy of the menu every night are on hand to sort through them all.
Though the burgers take a wide-ranging, global approach to their flavor palettes, Blanc’s décor is decidedly space-age American. Stylized orange starbursts and flocks of bubbles decorate white and glass walls around sleek furniture. Behind a long white counter recalling a luncheonette just opened in 1959, barkeepers pour wine, refreshing seasonal cocktails, and nearly 100 varieties of domestic, imported, and American craft brews, including steam beers, lagers, hop-rich IPAs, and specialty lambics. Even youngsters can hop on the craft-beverage bandwagon with more than 30 boutique sodas in flavors such as apple, blueberry, and pineapple, available with or without cocktail onions. |
Senior members of Balliol College’s student committee banned a Christian group from attending the Oxford college’s freshers’ fair after claiming it could lead to “potential for harm to freshers” because Christianity was ‘damaging’ and ‘an excuse for homophobia and neo-Colonialism’.
In a leaked email chain obtained by Oxford’s independent student newspaper Cherwell, Junior Common Room (JCR) Vice-President Freddy Potts stated that the college body wanted the freshers’ fair to be a “secular space” following “concerns raised” by the college’s student welfare representatives.
The move caused outrage amongst the college’s members who called it an attack on free speech and freedom of religion.
According to the university newspaper, the vice-president attempted to prevent any Christian Union (CU) representation at the first-year students’ fair altogether, then allowed for a ‘multifaith’ stall – at which no member of a religious society was allowed to attend or speak to students.
The move was allegedly agreed to by the faith group, according to Balliol College president Hubert Au, in comments described as “misleading” by a CU representative.
In the internal email exchange, Potts justified the ban by telling CU: “We recognise the wonderful advantages in having CU representatives at the Fresher’s Fair, but are concerned that there is potential for harm to freshers who are already struggling to feel welcome in Oxford.”
“Christianity’s influence on many marginalised communities has been damaging in its methods of conversion and rules of practice, and is still used in many places as an excuse for homophobia and certain forms of neo-colonialism,” he added.
In reaction to the ban, the college’s students unanimously passed a JCR motion on Sunday accusing the JCR leadership of “barring the participation of specific faith-based organisations” and described the step as “a violation of free speech [and] a violation of religious freedom”.
Balliol College, one of Oxford’s oldest colleges, was founded in 1263 under the guidance of the Bishop of Durham.
Chief Executive of Christian Concern Andrea Williams told MailOnline: “The leading institution in the world founded on Christian principles is forgetting its great history.
“In Christianity, there has been freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom to believe and manifest belief.
“It is the student union that is rewriting history and using cheap smears to spread falsehoods with regards to Christianity.”
Twitter Follow @friedmanpress Follow Victoria Friedman on |
How can you improve your Java development workflow with Facebook’s Infer?
If you keep in the loop with tech buzz (which I’m assuming you do if you’re reading this blog), you’ve likely heard about the new tool Facebook just released to the public: Infer. Since it came from Facebook, people are naturally curious, so I wanted to take a look at what the tool’s about and how it could play a role for Java developers.
New Post: Infer: A Look Into Facebook’s New Java Static Analysis Tool http://t.co/Dnp2xmSPQG pic.twitter.com/Dw9zZByMvB — Takipi (@takipid) June 24, 2015
What is Facebook’s Infer?
Before assessing its potential usefulness, the first step is of course to get a sense of what the tool is and does. Infer is a static analysis tool that Facebook recently released as open source. Designed for iOS and Android usage, it can be used to detect bugs in your application before it ships. Facebook’s engineers have been using Infer as an internal tool on its Facebook and Instagram apps, so it’s been well vetted for high scale mobile environments.
Roughly, the way it works is that it scans your code during compilation looking for certain pre-conceived bugs and error conditions. After capturing information on your compilation process, it analyzes it in search of potential bugs. If it finds any, it will report them to you in your terminal and write them to a directory file. Examples of the types of bugs it looks for are null pointer exceptions and resource leaks.
Setting up Infer requires Python 2.7 and either Mac OS X or Linux. To run it, you can use javac directly or go through build tools like Maven or Gradle.
In this example we can see how Infer identifies a simple null reference, outputs the relevant information we need to fix it, and successfully passes the class after the fix is saved. The full source code for Infer can be found on Github.
Incremental vs. Non-Incremental
Infer can be run in either an incremental or non-incremental manner. The difference between the two being whether or not Infer will delete the existing results directory or not. So for example, you might want to run incrementally when using a build system and non-incrementally when using a single compiler command. To allow the incremental mode, you just need to add the –incremental flag.
As far as limitations go, Infer faces several that are standard to static analysis tools. It can report false alarms and/or miss bugs based on how your application has been coded and how it interacts with 3rd party code. There is also a limited scope of problems that it can detect, as it can’t test your code in a dynamic manner. There are also technical limitations around the types of bugs that it tests for. For example, Infer doesn’t test for array bounds errors or cast exceptions today.
What could this mean for Java developers?
Infer was designed for mobile usage, but it works perfectly fine for plain Java as well. As it can be run from build tools like Maven, it’s not a stretch to fit it into your workflow. The question of course is whether or not it’s worth using.
The answer to that question comes down to your stance on static analysis tools. Infer is obviously not the first static analysis tool that works with Java (FindBugs is a popular one for example), nor the only open source one. It is the only one that’s come from Facebook however, which may carry a certain cache with you. With established usage by Facebook on their giant apps, Infer has been put under fire for high scale.
There are some language limitations for Java that Infer faces however. It isn’t able to handle Java’s Concurrency Utilities or features like arithmetic. Some of these issues are trouble for other static analysis tools as well, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
Example workflow
Static analysis tools in general fit in the in-between phase of development. They’re essentially a testing tool for the staging step of the development process or as part of a CI/CD workflow. They can’t replace debuggers in development, since the code has to compile for them to work, and they can’t replace error trackers in production, since a whole host of bugs only show up once code hits the production environment and exposed to dynamic inputs. But there is a space in between those two environments where a tool like Infer could be useful.
For example, you may choose to use Infer as an intermediate step along with your IDE of choice for your development environment and OverOps for your production environment. Infer can help in this situation to pre-catch some obvious bugs before they go into production. This can prevent a few issues for your users or at the very least cut down on some entries in your OverOps dashboard. Or if you’re running a continuous deployment model with Jenkins, you can run Infer after each release push to see if anything new throws up obvious red flags.
Conclusion
When a company like Facebook releases an open source tool that plays well with Java, it’s worth giving it a look over. Infer isn’t built for Java specifically, but it can be used for static code analysis in Java apps nonetheless. There are some definite limitations to it, but there also some good potential uses for it and it’s something that should continue to improve in the future. If you play around with it, let me know what you think in the comments.
Using the right tools is critical to success, to make sure you’re covered when your code ships out to production, check out the alerting tools chapter of the definitive guide for production tools. |
In June, Jeremiah Heaton planted a flag in small region between Egypt and Sudan in a bid to make his daughter a princess. Now he hopes it will improve global food security
When Jeremiah Heaton’s seven-year-old daughter Emily turned to him one night last winter and asked him if she would ever be a real princess, he was faced with a dilemma.
“I didn’t want to break her spirits, so I said ‘yes, absolutely,’ he told the Guardian by phone from his home in Abingdon, Virginia, this week. “At that point I had no idea how to make it happen, but I couldn’t let her down. She had such a serious tone. I knew it meant a lot to her.”
The 38-year-old American took to Google to begin researching disputed regions across the world. He figured that to make his daughter a princess, he would have to make himself a king.
“I looked at Antarctica, and there is unclaimed land there, but there is a treaty that means people can’t claim it. So I kept researching, and I found Bir Tawil”.
Sandwiched between Egypt and Sudan, Bir Tawil is an area of around 800 square miles not far from the Red Sea, and is a geographical anomaly known as a ‘terra nullius’ - a land that belongs to no-one. Following a decades-old land dispute, neither Egypt or Sudan have laid claim to it.
Heaton had found what he was looking for. In June, he flew to Egypt and made a 14-hour journey through the desert to plant a flag (designed and made by his three children over the course of “a few dinners”) in the earth at Bir Tawil, laying claim to it on behalf of him and his family.
“It has been unclaimed for around 100 years,” Heaton explained. “I just followed the same process as many others have done over hundreds of years, planted our flag, and claimed it.”
Heaton, who works in the mining industry and ran for Congress in 2012, said he, his wife Kelly, and his three children have decided to rename the territory the Kingdom of North Sudan, and plan to launch a website to spell out their vision for the new country.
This vision includes using the land as a “testbed” for scientific advancement to help improve global food security.
He says the country’s initial development would be based on “four pillars”; innovative agricultural production, renewable energy, digital freedom and digital currency. The first two are particularly important to his children, Emily, 12 year-old Justin and 10 year-old Caleb, who know there are “a lot of hungry people in the world” and “would like to help”.
Heaton says the country’s initial development would be based on “four pillars”; innovative agricultural production, renewable energy, digital freedom and digital currency.
The second two are areas that Heaton is particularly interested in. He says he would like to establish a server farm in the kingdom that would allow “freedom to exchange information without any government interference”, and would like to establish a digital currency like Bitcoin, though he feels Bitcoin itself is too elitist.
Heaton says he has opened the project up to bids from the scientific community, and is looking forward to seeing the ideas he is presented with. But for now, he'll have his hands full working towards having his claim to Bir Tawil recognised by Egypt, Sudan, and the international community, for it to be validated.
“I know these are lofty goals, and it seems like a grand feat to accomplish them, but I believe we can,” he says.
What about the African people he encountered on his trip, and the Bedouin who roam Bir Tawal - what do they make of Heaton’s scheme?
“I didn’t encounter any hostility at all,” Heaton insists. He says his guide thought “it was a neat idea, like a lot of other people do”. He argues that the Bedouin don’t travel into Bir Tawil because it is too dry, and that the area therefore has no population. He said the Egyptian authorities, who approved his travel to Bir Tawil, appeared positive about his scheme, and that the Bedouins he spoke to “welcomed” his ideas, though admits he only spoke to a handful of people.
“One of our key principles would be to share the food and resources that we develop with other people in the region, so I think they understand that this project would be beneficial for everyone,” Heaton says.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jeremiah Heaton and his seven year-old daughter Emily, with the flag their family designed. Photograph: David Crigger/AP
He says critics have accused him of being a racist who is trying to colonise Bir Tawil. He insists that is not the case.
“What I am doing is the exact opposite of colonialism,” he says. “The dictionary defines colonialism as one country taking control of another to exploit its resources or people. Bir Tawil is not a country, it does not have a population, and I don’t represent the United States or a corporation. I’m an individual, and I'm not going to dig for diamonds or drill for oil or build a pipeline. What we’re doing is designed to improve people’s lives.”
"I don't see race, colour or creed, and neither do my children," he added.
Though the project began as a means to make his daughter a princess, he also rejects the suggestion that it was a materialistic pursuit, and insists it was only ever intended to be altruistic.
"That [lesson against materialism] is the real gift I will be giving my kids,” he says. “I’m not trying to entitle them. I’m trying to teach them about how to help others, and work in the service of others. If anything, I believe it will help them to be more humble.” |
Add two more draft picks to the Miami Dolphins total for next month's NFL Draft. The league awarded the 32 "compensatory" picks today, giving Miami two for losing defensive tackle Kendall Langford in free agency last year. The Dolphins additional 5th round pick this year will be the 33rd pick of that round. The seventh round pick is the 44th of the round.
Annually, the league awards 32 picks to teams that lost high profile players in free agency before the previous season. The players cannot have been cut by their previous team, but had to be coming off an expiring contract. Every player a team signs, negates a player they lost, with a lower salaried loss being negated by a higher salary gain.
For example, the Dolphins lost three players for consideration this year, quarterback Chad Henne, cornerback Will Allen and Langford. The team signed cornerback Richard Marshall. Looking at their salaries, Marshall was signed for 3-years, $16 million, which is used to negate the 2-year, $6.75 million contract Henne signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. That left Langford and Allen to land picks.
After that, no one is really quite sure how the NFL figures out what round to give to each team. It's some secret formula that can be estimated, but no one exactly knows how it will award the picks.
The league awards 32 picks every year, if the secret formula awards less than 32 picks, any extra picks are awarded in draft order in, what is essentially an eighth round.
Oddly, with the awarding of the picks this year, the final pick of the draft will go to the Indianapolis Colts, who held the last pick in the draft last year as well.
The Dolphins now have 11 total picks in April's draft. |
One of the most common arguments leveled against wind turbines is that they kill a large number of birds, with specific attention being paid to endangered or iconic birds. However, the data suggests that the contribution of wind turbines to bird deaths is negligible.
A 2009 study used data from US and European bird deaths to estimate the number of birds killed per unit of power generated by wind, nuclear power, and fossil fuel systems. The study concludes that wind farms kill relatively few birds, especially when compared to fossil fuel or nuclear power stations:
“Wind farms and nuclear power stations are responsible each for between 0.3 and 0.4 fatalities per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity while fossil-fueled power stations are responsible for about 5.2 fatalities per GWh… wind farms killed approximately 7,000 birds in the United States in 2006 but nuclear plants killed about 327,000 and fossil-fueled power plants 14.5 million.”
Essentially, for every bird killed by a wind turbine, nuclear and fossil fuels killed around 2,000 birds.
Other investigations have backed up the idea that turbines do not kill many birds, such as a Spanish study which reviewed inspections of the ground near 20 wind farms with 252 turbines from 2005 to 2008. The investigation found 596 dead birds over the course of three years, meaning that over the course of the 36 months the study took place in, the average number of bird fatalities a year per turbine was only 1.33. The authors of the study said this is one of the highest collision rates found in the whole world of research literature.
More research will need to be conducted, but the current studies suggest that fears surrounding wind turbines having dramatic negative effects on bird populations are largely unjustified. |
There are several reasons hospitals might want to be in the insurance business, or more closely aligned with insurers. By acting in cooperation, a unified organization might be able to better design incentives for higher-quality care. Or, by combining similar functions like human resources or tech support, the organization might cut costs. A joint provider-insurer may also be better able to adapt to — and make more money from — new Medicare payment models in the Affordable Care Act. Eventually, an organization that combines the functions of health care provision and health care insurance might have a leg up in the market, putting competitors at a disadvantage or driving them out. With less competition, of course, an organization would be in a good position to raise premiums.
Wary of threats to competition and the effects on consumers and patients, health economists and antitrust regulators are watching these market dynamics with a concerned eye.
Last year, with Steve Pizer of Northeastern University and Roger Feldman of the University of Minnesota, in the journal Health Services Research, I published a study that directly related hospital-insurer integration with quality and premiums. We found that insurance plans offered by hospitals charge higher premiums. We also found that such plans are rated to have higher quality by consumers — but that about 70 percent of the additional premium was not attributable to higher quality. We found no evidence that integration is associated with more generous health plan benefits.
To my knowledge, ours is the only study to directly relate hospital-provided insurance with plan quality and premiums. This is in large part because this is a challenging area to investigate. There is no research-ready database of where and when hospitals and insurers unite. We had to collect such data and build our own database. Moreover, historical data on most insurers’ health care products are scattered and incomplete, if they exist at all. For this reason, we studied the private Medicare plan market (Medicare Advantage) for which such data are readily available.
More work needs to be done in this area. Our study showed that integration between hospitals and plans might not be good for consumers, but it is just one study and was based on only one year of data. Additional data collection and analysis would be challenging and costly, but worth the investment given its importance to the future of health care quality and costs. |
BTW
Breaking Bad turned 10 this week, leading fans to look back and reminisce about the groundbreaking series. And while some may go back and rewatch the whole thing, you can also relive the high points with this one-minute recap from Peruvian YouTuber Esther Bellido.
To be fair, Breaking Bad is dense enough that some of its more powerful moments are hardly touched upon as it focuses on five seasons of Walter White’s hijinks and destruction. But it is also packed with plenty of detail while Walter speed-walks through his journey, including the fly in Gus’ lab and the pink bear that drops into Walter White’s yard in season 2.
He might be the one who knocks, but he’s also the one who endured after all this time in a show that people are still discovering after all this time. |
Elmo Joins the Forever War
The Muppets are getting ready to embark on a new mission: venturing to camps holding millions of child refugees from the Syrian civil war.
In Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon, there are some 2 million Syrian children who have fled the horrors of the 6-year-old civil war to live in primitive camps. Aid organizations struggle to ensure they get the basics — food, shelter, and (relative) safety — but little else.
That’s where the team behind Sesame Street saw an opening, said Sherrie Rollins Westin, executive vice president of the show’s nonprofit arm, Sesame Workshop. “If there are major issues that have an impact on children, we look for where we can make a difference,” Westin said, speaking this month on the sidelines of Foreign Policy’s CultureSummit in Abu Dhabi.
Sesame Street teamed up with the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid organization, to begin testing programming for children in Syrian refugee camps in Jordan in 2016. If all goes well, they hope to have Sesame Street programming running in the camps within a few years, tailored to children whose lives were upended by conflict.
Bringing furry American Muppets to Syrian refugee camps may sound like the fuzziest kind of soft power. But it could offer a glimmer of hope to children who’ve been robbed of a childhood. And retired military and former government officials say it could have another big side effect: helping starve terrorist groups like the Islamic State of its next generation of fighters. Cookie Monster, Elmo, and friends, that is, could pack as powerful a punch as a drone strike.
“I think it’s a brilliant idea and phenomenally positive,” said David Barno, a retired U.S. Army ranger and former commander of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan. The military alone could never root out terrorism, he told FP, while childhood education is one of the most potent and underappreciated antidotes to extremism.
“If we’re not doing enough in aid, development, childhood education, we’re going to have to keep fighting terrorists,” he said. “Almost all military folks who served out in Afghanistan and Iraq recognize that.”
The Islamic State certainly does. The terrorist group set up its own education programs to groom the next generation of fighters in Iraq and Syria. Through textbooks and phone apps, the Islamic State teaches kids math with AK-47s and grammar with tanks.
“The extremists are preying upon younger and younger children,” said Farah Pandith, who held senior positions in three Republican and Democratic administrations. “It isn’t just 25-, but 8-, 10-, 12-year-olds we need to focus on,” said Pandith, former U.S. special representative to Muslim communities. The United Nations recorded 274 cases of the Islamic State recruiting child soldiers in 2016, using children to fight, execute hostages, and carry out suicide bombings.
Sesame Street offers a real alternative, said Ammar al-Sabban, a “Muppeteer” for the Arabic version of Sesame Street based in the United Arab Emirates; younger fans would know him better as Cookie Monster or Elmo. His passion for childhood education drove him to dump a cushy, 10-year career as an architect to grab hold instead of a red, fuzzy, bug-eyed critter.
The first Arabic version of Sesame Street kicked off in 1978 but came to an abrupt end in 1990, when its studio in Kuwait was destroyed in the first Gulf War. The United Arab Emirates revived the regional broadcast in 2015, and Sabban joined shortly thereafter.
“We don’t flat-out talk about it here, but whatever extremism happens usually happens because there’s no alternative for people,” he said. “That’s where I think we make a huge difference. We get to deliver really positive messages of equality, of tolerance, of acceptance for other peoples,” he said — all antithetical to the Islamic State’s ideology. “Education is what can counter extremism.”
If it sounds corny, there’s hard research to back it up. A slew of neuroscience studies show the greatest return on investment is early childhood education, where brains under 5 develop at the fastest rate — and when they are most affected by conflict or trauma.
Sesame Street is in 150 countries around the world, and local versions do indeed appear to have made a difference. Take Sesame Street’s show in Afghanistan, Baghch-e-Simsim, for example. The show reaches 3 million children around the country. It features Zari, a wildly popular female Muppet that focuses on female empowerment and education in a country where the United Nations estimates only 17 percent of women and girls can read or write. One study of 101 children who watched Baghch-e-Simsim showed a 29 percent increase in measures of gender equity than among children who didn’t watch the show.
Or Sisimpur, the Bangladeshi version of Sesame Street that reaches 11.5 million children. Sesame Workshop commissioned a study that found 4-year-olds who watch the show scored 67 percent higher on math and literacy than those who didn’t watch. Or Takalani Sesame, the South African version that was widely lauded by international organizations for introducing Kami, an HIV-positive Muppet, in 2002 at the height of the country’s AIDS epidemic.
Westin said the show hopes to have a similar impact in Syrian refugee camps, where countering violent extremism is but a welcome byproduct of the main goal: childhood education. Something more is sorely needed on that front, she noted. Only 2 percent of funding for refugees worldwide goes toward education, and only a sliver of that is focused on the early years.
“This is now about how do you create a future,” she said. “If we’re not reaching children with education, then what is their path?”
Reaching refugee children is as important as it has been in decades. The U.N. said that refugee numbers in 2016 are higher than at any time since World War II. Of the 65 million refugees worldwide, nearly half are children. Of those, 8 million are under the age of 8. And they’re not stuck in refugee camps for short stays. The average refugee lives in a camp for 17 years.
Pandith said the soft-power approach has to be part of a bigger, sustained effort. “We tend to look at a program and say, Can this thing solve everything? It isn’t just a one-off,” she said. She lauded Sesame Workshop’s plan, and said, “We need to build it into a larger mosaic of experiences.” But she said the “U.S. government is very slow in understanding that.”
It’s getting slower. President Donald Trump’s proposed budget would cut all funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the public TV that usually carries Sesame Street. And he has vowed to gut the “soft power” side of American power like the State Department and USAID, a move widely criticized by military veterans and experienced diplomats and development experts. “We don’t do soft power,” Nikki Haley, Trump’s U.N. envoy, said in April.
Barno calls that type of thinking “strategic malpractice.”
But Westin and her team aren’t waiting for the debate in Washington to play out. They’ve begun testing programming tailored to children in refugee camps, and Sabban and his friends Elmo and Cookie Monster are hopeful.
“These puppets can really pack a huge punch,” Sabban said.
Photo credit: RYAN HEFFERNAN/Sesame Workshop |
In dramatic about-turn likely to fuel speculation of a cover-up, military admits soldiers injured by Palestinian truck-driver were targeted.
A senior IDF official has denied claims the army has changed its stance against regarding a hit-and-run earlier this month which left three soldiers seriously injured, insisting that at this point there is no evidence it was a deliberate attack.
"It is important to update the families since we are talking about soldiers and in an area under the military's control," the official said, emphasizing that although "progress has been made" regarding the incident no definitive position has been reached. He further noted that the investigation is being headed by the Israel Security Agency (ISA or Shabak), and that all directions were still being investigated.
It follows a Channel Two report that senior IDF officials had informed the families of the three soldiers - who were seriously injured when a Palestinian rammed his truck into them in Gush Etzion - that the incident was indeed a terrorist attack.
A little over two weeks ago, just hours after a car attack in Jerusalem killed a border policeman and seriously wounded several others - including an Israeli student who succumbed to his wounds shortly after - the IDF soldiers were run over by a Palestinian driver as they stood guard in the Etzion Bloc south of the capital.
CCTV footage showed what appeared to be a deliberate attack, with the driver swerving to hit the soldiers at great speed.
But when, after a series of arrests, the Palestinian driver turned himself in to Israeli security forces, the IDF and police announced they were treating it as a hit-and-run accident - an abrupt about-turn which triggered accusations of a cover up.
Roni Aharoni, whose son Yehonatan was seriously wounded in the incident, told Arutz Sheva his son had told him in hospital immediately after the attack that he was certain the driver had aimed for them - and that he even sped up as he veered towards the group.
Aharoni accused political leaders of trying to cover up the incident in an attempt to deflect public criticism over spiraling Arab violence.
The IDF's flip-flopping over the incident is likely to fuel speculation of a cover-up. |
LG wants to make sure you know that it's announcing a new watch at IFA in Berlin. In addition to the movie trailer-style teaser released on Sunday, the image below showed up on the official LG Mobile Facebook page late last night. It's undeniably the G Watch R, which sports a "completely round" screen, in contrast with some watches that are taking their sweet time to come to the retail market.
LG's image is a little murky, in a "look at our fantastic new gadget" kind of way. Here's the same image with a few brightening tools applied in Photoshop.
The G Watch R looks... well, it looks like a watch. That's actually a pretty big deal, since almost every smartwatch up to this point has looked more like a tiny phone with a wrist strap rather than a conventional timepiece. For example, compare the original G Watch with a Seiko 5 series, which is a standard "sport" watch that you can pick up in stores around the world. Then check it next to the G Watch R. Notice the general shape of the watch roughly matches, including the chunky lugs for the strap. Contrast that with the lugless Moto 360, which connects to its strap under the watch face.
The latter isn't high fashion or anything, but it might blend in with a skillfully-selected outfit much better than the current crop of smartwatches, Android Wear or otherwise. And not to generalize half of LG's potential consumer base, but women might even appreciate a watch that doesn't look like a scifi prop.
IFA starts on September 5th in Berlin. Android Police will be there to cover it live.
Source: LG Facebook via Liliputing |
Taking notice of an electronic and social media campaign against one of the most prominent private schools in Lahore for introducing ‘Comparative Religion’ as a subject in its syllabus, the Punjab government on Friday ordered authorities to seize and eliminate all reading material related to the course.
The provincial government also constituted a committee to review ‘objectionable material’ in the syllabi of all private educational institutions across the province.
The committee is headed by Secretary Education (Schools) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen and comprises Punjab Textbook Board Chairman Nawazish Ali and Punjab Curriculum Authority Chairman Saleem Akhtar Kiani.
Addressing a press conference, Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan said the committee would propose necessary modification in the current syllabus being taught in different institutions at school level.
“No one would be allowed to change the basic ideology of the education system of Pakistan and stern action would be initiated against the people behind such a conspiracy,” said the minister.
BACKGROUND:
The controversy started when a branch of the prestigious Lahore Grammar School (LGS-55 Main), introduced a subject titled ‘Comparative Religion’, which aims to “educate about Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Hinduism”.
The course received considerable backlash, gaining mainstream attention following an episode of in a local TV channel’s talk show on September 16.
The school was accused of attempting to convert students to other religions, as well as ridding Islamiat from the curriculum following the sixth grade.
Clarifying the school’s stance on the subject following the backlash, Mrs Nasreen Shah, the principal of LGS-55 Main, posted a message on the official Facebook page of the school:
“Our institution believes in inculcating values such as tolerance and empathy in all our students. ‘Comparative religion’ is essentially a ‘history of religion’. It is NOT merely comparing religions; we aim to educate about Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Hinduism – and their fundamental teachings. Doing so, we believe, will enlighten our students about the importance of ‘peaceful coexistence.” |
Elderly people from a nearby senior citizen facility sit on the edge of the boardwalk and look out over the ocean on the first day of autumn Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014, in Seaside Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
Pennsylvania state government is facing perhaps its most difficult budget dilemma since the recession, and demographic trends will provide no relief in coming years.
Already one of the nation's oldest states, the growth of Pennsylvania's retirement age population is projected to balloon in the coming decade, while its working-age population shrinks.
The projections, by the Pennsylvania State Data Center, were cited by the Legislature's nonpartisan budget analyst, the Independent Fiscal Office, as it assesses the state's fiscal future.
That immediate future involves a roughly $3 billion two-year projected deficit, compared with a $31.5 billion approved budget for the fiscal year ending June 30. Much of the deficit is driven by lackluster tax collections, making good on long-overdue pension obligations and rising costs for health care and prisons.
A shrinking proportion of working-age Pennsylvanians isn't helping.
"A dimension of the budget deficit we face is specifically the demographic shift," said Mark Price, a labor economist at the Harrisburg-based Keystone Research Center, a labor union-affiliated think tank.
In Pennsylvania, retirement income - such as pensions and Social Security - is not subject to the state's 3.07 percent income tax. That means that income tax collections will slow as more people leave the workforce and live off retirement income.
Meanwhile, older people tend to shift their spending habits away from durable goods to services, Price said. That means sales tax collections will suffer, since durable goods are more likely to be subject to Pennsylvania's 6 percent sales tax, while services are less likely to be subject to the tax, Price said.
It also has ramifications for spending demands.
The cost to care for the elderly often fall on the state, such as on Medicaid, which pays for most of the nursing home residents in the state. That will put more strain on services.
"With an older population, you are spending a lot more on end-of-life care, which is a major expenditure as people transition to that stage of life," Price said.
More demand for services for the elderly will compete for state dollars for other services, such as public schools, he warned.
To some extent, Pennsylvania's demographic projections continue a trend that was already happening. But the Pennsylvania State Data Center's projections show the trend steepening.
For example, from 2005 to 2015, the number of Pennsylvania residents ages 20 to 59 largely stayed the same, shrinking by 2,000. The number of residents 60 and older grew by 540,000, or roughly 22 percent, the data center said.
Under the data center's projections, the number of Pennsylvania residents ages 20 to 59 will shrink by 214,000 from 2015 to 2025, or about 3 percent. But the number of residents 60 and older will grow by 711,000, or almost 24 percent, the data center said.
Where there were about 10 million residents under 60 in 2005, there will be fewer _ about 9.5 million _ in 2025, according to the data center's projections. Meanwhile, the number of people 60 and older will have risen by about 50 percent, from a little under 2.5 million to more than 3.7 million, it projected. |
The family of Michael Brown appeared on NBC’s “Today” show, during which they were confronted with video of Michael Brown’s stepfather telling Ferguson protesters to “burn this bitch down.”
There was a video that circulated about Monday night,” NBC’s Savannah Guthrie said to Brown’s mother Lesley McSpadden, “I want to show it to you. In the video we see your husband, what appears to be stirring up the crowd. Take a look at it.”
The video showed Michael Brown’s stepfather Louis Head climbing on top of a car on the night of the protest and repeatedly yelling at protesters to “burn this bitch down.” “I know you were there, in the crowd. this is just after the news came out,” Guthrie continued. “What do you have to say about that?” (RELATED: After Ferguson Decision, Liberal Media Beclown Themselves On Twitter)
“That he was just emotional,” McSpadden said. “I don’t feel that he stirred the crowd. The crowd was already stirred. It’s been stirring since Aug. 9.”
Instead, she blamed Missouri Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. “I hold — I wouldn’t hold him accountable for that. That comes from a higher power, elected official and it’s called the governor… They stirred the pot. they had everyone on edge. They had everyone in the uproar and had the city on edge, basically, since Aug. 9.” (RELATED: Missouri Governor: ‘Senseless Acts’ Of Destruction In Ferguson ‘Cannot Be Repeated’)
Follow Alex Griswold on Twitter |
Investors who lost billions of dollars in the disgraced hedge fund manager Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme could recover most of their initial investments, bankruptcy attorneys announced Monday.
More than $11 billion has been recovered, attorney Irving Picard said, according to ABC News. Investigators said Madoff's clients entrusted him with more than $17 billion in all.
Still, the money represents just a fraction of what those investors may have believed they earned. Madoff reportedly touted profits of more than $60 billion before his arrest.
Madoff revealed his fraud in December 2008 amid a collapsing economy, admitting that account statements showing clients held nearly $68 billion were a sham. The roughly $17.5 billion in principal invested by retirees, charities and other clients over decades was mostly gone - paid out as fake profits or raided by Madoff's family and cronies.
Madoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges a few months later and was sentenced to 150 years in prison.
Picard and fellow attorneys filed some 900 lawsuits to recover cash for Madoff's clients, according to ABC News. But some investors cried foul over fees charged by the law firm BakerHostetler, which could total nearly $1 billion.
“I would say he has been very cruel in what he has done,” investor Helen Chaitman told ABC.
“As a number it’s high, but in the context of what’s going on in this case, I don’t think so,” Picard responded.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption George W Bush said he could only paint these portraits because he got to know the leaders so intimately
On Saturday, former US President George W Bush, who has said he is admittedly "not a great painter", opens a public exhibit of his works - more than 24 portraits of world leaders he met while president. The BBC's Nick Bryant has a preview of the gallery.
For a president long criticised for seeing things only in black and white, the exhibition of George W Bush's art at his presidential library in Dallas comes as something of a revelation.
Delicate brushwork has replaced his famed swagger. He presents himself as a wholly different kind of Texas oilman. With each new brushstroke he seems also to be softening his public image.
George W Bush told his art teacher, whom he meets on a weekly basis, to unleash the ex-president's inner Rembrandt, and the results are now on public display: a deeply personal gallery of world leaders, focusing on the art of personal diplomacy.
His vantage point, of course, is unique: the cockpit of the presidency - or, at least, his recollection of those tumultuous White House years. So there is more to them than canvas, paints and brushes. Another key ingredient is personal chemistry.
Image copyright George W Bush Center Image caption The exhibition features paintings of more than 24 world leaders
His portrait of Tony Blair, which is bereft of the former British prime minister's trademark toothy smile, was intended to portray compassion, strength and reliability.
Critic: 'Frat-brother quality' "He's a pretty good painter. I don't in any way want to say it's great art or anything, but he's not bad," Lawrence Weschler, author of True to Life: Twenty-Five Years of Conversations with David Hockney, told the BBC. "It's just weird that this guy who once had this incredible power is not interested in writing about what he did or justifying it," Mr Weschler says. "No, he's doing paintings of people he once knew back in the old days." The portraits, he says, have "a frat-brother quality. Me and my pals ruling the world - us and our hijinks."
His Angela Merkel shows a more cheery side to the German chancellor than her sometimes grumpy public persona projects.
And maybe his Dalai Lama reveals more about the former president himself, as he enters a more contemplative and cloistered phase of his life. In art, he appears to locate an inner serenity.
But perhaps the most eagerly anticipated portrait is that of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
During their first meeting, in Slovenia in 2001, Mr Bush came close to claiming he could read the former KGB spymaster like a book.
"I looked the man in the eye," he famously said. "I was able to get a sense of his soul."
Image caption German Chancellor Angela Merkel is among the world leaders featured by the former president in his portraits
But here he is rendered as a poker-faced Putin, more enigmatic and unreadable.
There's a coldness to the portrait of a leader whom Mr Bush referred to privately as "Pootie Poot".
Mr Bush, or "43" as he signs each canvas, reckons this to be his finest work.
Perhaps the most unflattering portrait is that of the former Pakistan president, General Pervez Musharraf, a leader who liked to think of himself as a dashing former paratrooper rather than the tired and bloated figure represented here.
Critic: 'Bush in a different light' "It was a surprise when it emerged that he was painting," Philip Kennicott, art critic for the Washington Post, says. "It's anachronistic to paint, so it suggested a level of patience and reflection that often times Bush wasn't credited with. "I certainly see this as humanising him. You know - show yourself as earnestly involved in a skill and hopefully do it well enough so that we don't laugh you off. I think this gives him a chance to be seen in a different light."
The extravagant bouffant, of which the general was justifiably proud, does not even make it into frame.
Maybe this is a form of artistic revenge. After all, when it came to fighting al-Qaeda and hunting down Osama Bin Laden, the Bush administration always suspected Islamabad of playing a double game: accepting American military aid but of not doing enough to flush out the mastermind of 9/11.
Nor is the outgoing Afghan president Hamid Karzai portrayed in a complimentary light. This, again, was a fraught relationship.
Image caption Mr Bush said the Dalai Lama is "a very sweet man, and I painted him as sweetly as I could"
Making these kinds of extrapolations is part of the fun of this exhibition. Far from being declarative, it can be interpreted in so many different ways.
So is it possible to read into this work a subtle dig at the man who succeeded him as president?
Critic: 'Bush as folk artist' "He's made himself strangely vulnerable," Daniel Rolnik, a Los Angeles-based critic who writes for ArtSlant and other publications, says. "It's more the fact that he's doing it than his technical ability - that's what folk art is all about." "He's like a folk artist. He knows that he wants to show you these portraits of people, but he's not a trained artist. In a weird way he's the most American folk artist ever because he's had the highest position in America."
George W Bush says his portraits would not have been possible had he not invested so much time in personal diplomacy.
He got to know the family details of international leaders - those useful conversation points. Many of them, like Tony Blair and the former Australian prime minister John Howard, were invited into the inner sanctum of his Texan ranch.
Barack Obama's approach is noticeably less chummy. He is often criticised as being more aloof and of not investing enough effort in working on the personal chemistry that can reap diplomatic dividends.
For those of us who covered the Bush presidency, from the golf rounds to the mountain-bike riding, from the brush clearing to that Top Gun moment in the aftermath of the fall of Baghdad, his newfound hobby is an improbable departure.
Image copyright George W Bush Center Image caption Mr Bush worked closely with President Hamid Karzai during the Afghan war
But he paints every day, gets a lesson every week and says his inspiration came from his great hero Sir Winston Churchill.
Those who interacted closely with Mr Bush during his White House years reckon he was unrecognisable from the two-dimensional figure who lent himself to such easy caricature.
Certainly, his artwork has added an extra and unexpected side. |
Reddit, the giant aggregator of social, political, and entertainment news, which boasts that it is “the front page of the Internet,” is taking flak for announcing that it now bans all climate “deniers” from its science forum.
In a December 16 posting on the left-liberal Grist website (a George Soros-funded website), Reddit science “moderator” (now self-professed censor) Nathan Allen announced that the Reddit science forum would no longer allow postings from those who challenge the increasingly discredited notion that manmade carbon-dioxide is causing a global warming existential threat to the planet.
Allen’s essay, entitled “Reddit’s science forum banned climate deniers. Why don’t all newspapers do the same?”, obviously hopes to spark a wave of official, explicit bans at other media outlets. Of course, most of the so-called mainstream media already employ de facto censorship of the realist/skeptic position in their “climate change” coverage, and have for many years. While they heap lavish, adoring coverage on fanatical climate “scientists” such as James Hansen and Michael Mann, and non-scientist activist celebrities such as Al Gore, George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bono, and Madonna, the mainstream media (MSM) can be counted on to ignore or vilify the thousands of genuine scientists who contradict the carefully crafted false claim of a “scientific consensus” in favor of anthropogenic global warming (AGW). However, much of the MSM have gone beyond censoring the contrarian scientists out of their “news” stories and op-ed pages, going so far as to ban all letters-to-the-editor section that challenge the AGW dogma. The Los Angeles Times is one of the few major MSM organs that has publicly admitted it has a policy of refusing to print letters from climate “deniers.” The folks at Reddit, apparently, would be happy if all media outlets followed suit.
In his Grist op-ed, Dr. Allen wrote:
In addition to my career as a PhD chemist, I am one of a select few who enjoy the privilege of moderating content on reddit.com’s science forum. The science forum is a small part of reddit, but it nonetheless enjoys over 4 million subscribers. By comparison, that’s roughly twice the circulation of The New York Times.
Dr. Allen is obviously pleased with himself and the global digital footprint he influences. He continues:
The forum, known as /r/science, provides a digital space for discussions about recent, peer-reviewed scientific publications. This puts us (along with /r/AskScience) on the front line of the science-public interface. On our little page, scientists and nonscientists can connect through discussions on everything from subatomic particles to interstellar astrophysics.
According to Allen, Reddit’s science forum is “a microcosm, representative of the vast range of views that can be supported by empirical evidence.” “Importantly,” he claims, “it provides the same window for those who are not scientists, who do not regularly talk with PhDs, and who may be unfamiliar with how science is discussed by scientists. In essence, it is a window into the Ivory Tower.” Unfortunately, the “window into the Ivory Tower” of Reddit is as closed as the window into the Ivory Tower of most of academe. Like his professorial comrades on the college and university campuses, Allen seems to be stuck in Stalinism 101, unable to tolerate true debate and the give-and-take that occurs in genuine scientific enquiry. Typical of his comrades on the left, he has adopted the terminology of the Holocaust, consciously vilifying all who dissent from the radical global warming alarmist dogma as “deniers.”
This uncivil discourse is a form of genuine hate speech, aimed at generating hate for those with an opposing scientific viewpoint. Of course, liberal-left activists such as Nathan Allen claim to abhor incivility and hate speech — all the while practicing it with a vengeance. According to Allen, “no topic consistently evokes such rude, uninformed, and outspoken opinions as climate change.”
While admitting that intemperate language and insults come from both sides of the AGW debate, he unconvincingly argues that it is the global warming “deniers” who are most culpable of offensive, “aggressive behavior.” “Rather than making thoughtful arguments based on peer-reviewed science to refute man-made climate change, contrarians immediately resorted to aggressive behaviors,” Allen charges.
“As a scientist myself, it became clear to me that the contrarians were not capable of providing the science to support their ‘skepticism’ on climate change,” asserts Allen. “The evidence simply does not exist to justify continued denial that climate change is caused by humans and will be bad.”
According to Reddit’s Nathan Allen, the “deniers” are hopeless “true believers” and the only way to deal with them is to cut off their access to all media outlets. “As a site, reddit is passionately dedicated to free speech, so we expected considerable blowback,” says Allen. “But the widespread outrage we feared never materialized, and the atmosphere greatly improved.” If Allen is being truthful, the fact that no widespread outrage materialized is an inadvertent auto-refutation of Reddit’s supposed passionate dedication to free speech. It belies the Reddit mythology about the website’s supposed openness and diversity.
Across the top of its “about” page, in large type, Reddit proudly runs this paean to its accessibility from a Reddit enthusiast, one Dapper77:
“This is a place friendly to thought, relationships, arguments, and to those that wish to challenge those genres."
Reddit’s Wikipedia entry says “The website is known for its open nature and diverse user community that generate its content.” It also claims that the website “has a strong culture of free speech and very few rules about the types of content that may be posted.”
Allen and his fellow Reddit moderators can tolerate just about anything — except dissent from their pet environmental dogma. "As moderators responsible for what millions of people see, we felt that to allow a handful of commenters to so purposefully mislead our audience was simply immoral," Allen said.
Talk about “true believers”! Allowing dissenters to comment, according to Reddit, is “immoral.” Allen calls upon other media thought police to emulate Reddit’s proficiency in policing their venues to eliminate “contrarian” thought. Says Allen:
So if a half-dozen volunteers can keep a page with more than 4 million users from being a microphone for the antiscientific, is it too much to ask for newspapers to police their own editorial pages as proficiently?
The “97% of Scientists” Consensus Myth
Not surprisingly, while ridiculing “deniers” as antiscientific, Allen and the Reddit science moderators engage in one of the biggest and most thoroughly discredited anti-science deceptions of all time: the claim that there is a near-unanimous scientific “consensus” in favor of their radical AGW theories. Here’s Allen:
When 97 percent of climate scientists agree that man is changing the climate, we would hope the comments would at least acknowledge if not reflect such widespread consensus.
Sound familiar? Yes, that’s the same bogus statistic cited by President Obama this past May, along with the usual MSM choir trumpeting the same false claims of almost total “scientific consensus” on the impending apocalyptic climate “crisis.” Like President Obama, Reddit cites as its source for this outrageous claim the thoroughly discredited study by Australian AGW alarmist/activist John Cook. The New American reported on the eviscerating analyses of Cook’s study by independent scientists and researchers here, here, and here.
The Cook report, which claimed to be based on “over 12,000 peer-reviewed climate science papers,” published in the period 1991-2011, turned out to be a colossal fraud. Stripped of its false accounting methodology, only 65 of the 12,000 papers actually explicitly endorsed AGW alarmist claims. That yields an endorsement rate of around half a percent, not 97 percent! But the 97 percent mantra has been repeated so often that it is cited as gospel by millions of true believers.
One of the most incredible claims of Allen and his Reddit cadres — and yet a claim that is all too typical among the AGW alarmists — is that the “deniers” are a bunch of nasty, ignorant laymen, and that the only scientists who dissent from AGW orthodoxy are a relative handful of “professional climate change deniers” in the pay of Big Oil and Big Coal. However, the AGW accusers never bother to back up their charges — because they can’t. As The New American has reported a number of times (see here and here), the few millions of dollars that AGW skeptics have received from corporate donors is a scant pittance compared to the tens of billions of dollars that have been lavished on the climate alarmists by corporations, foundations, environmental organizations, carbon trading investors, and governments.
Concerning the ever-recurring pernicious lie of scientific consensus, the alarmists appear to be getting increasingly shrill, perhaps in panic mode because so many of their former allies have been jumping ship. Two of the most prominent “green” scientists to reverse course on AGW alarmism are James Lovelock, the British inventor, NASA scientist, author, and originator of the Gaia Hypothesis; and Professor Fritz Vahrenholt, a founding father of Germany’s environmental movement and a director of one of Europe’s largest alternative energy companies.
Here are some of the other world-renowned scientists whom Allen and the Reddit ignore, dismiss, or insult:
• Dr. William Happer, one of America’s preeminent physicists and a professor of physics at Princeton University;
• Dr. Pierre Darriult, physicist and former Director of Research at the CERN Laboratories;
• Professor Judith Curry, chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology;
• Mike Hulme, professor of climate science at East Anglia University and an IPCC lead author;
• Dr. Richard Lindzen, MIT climate physicist and Alfred P. Sloan professor of meteorology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences;
• Dr. John Christy, climatologist of the University of Alabama in Huntsville and NASA;
• Dr. Lee C. Gerhard, past director and state geologist with the Kansas Geological Society and senior scientist emeritus of the University of Kansas;
• Dr. Patrick J. Michaels, former Virginia State climatologist, a UN IPCC reviewer, and University of Virginia professor of environmental sciences;
• Dr. Vincent Gray, New Zealand chemist and climate researcher;
• Dr. Tom V. Segalstad, geologist/geochemist, head of the Geological Museum in Norway;
• Dr. John T. Everett, a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) senior manager and project manager for the UN Atlas of the Oceans;
• Dr. Willie Soon, Harvard-Smithsonian Center astrophysicist;
• Burt Rutan, renowned engineer, inventor, and aviation/space pioneer;
• Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu, emeritus professor of physics, and founding director, International Arctic Research Center of the University of Alaska Fairbanks;
• Dr. Bjarne Andresen, physicist, and professor, The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark;
• Dr. Ian D. Clark, professor, isotope hydrogeology and paleoclimatology, University of Ottawa, Canada.
That’s just the tip of the proverbial scientific dissenter iceberg. In 2010, Marc Morano at Climate Depot published a 321-page PDF special report featuring statements and bios of more than 1,000 eminent scientists from around the world, including Nobel Prize winners and IPCC authors, who challenge the claim of scientific consensus on global warming.
And, as we have mentioned many times in previous articles, there are more than 31,000 scientists in the United States who have signed a petition urging the U.S. government to reject AGW hysteria and the types of actions that have been proposed at UN forums in Kyoto, Copenhagen, Cancun, and Rio.
In our free society the Reddit climate alarmists should be free to limit access to their website to whomever they please; however they should be named and shamed for falsely portraying themselves as advocates of free and open discourse, and for smearing all those who do not share their hysterical hype and their statist, anti-liberty policy proposals.
Related articles:
Al Gore Forecasted “Ice-Free” Arctic by 2013; Ice Cover Expands 50%
EPA Official Sentenced for Fraud
Obama EPA Climate Decrees Will Further Damage U.S. Economy
Top Scientists Slam and Ridicule UN IPCC Climate Report
Famous “Gaia” Scientist James Lovelock Converts From Alarmist to Skeptic on Global Warming, Blasts UN (Video)
Cooking Climate Consensus Data: “97% of Scientists Affirm AGW" Debunked
Global Warming “Consensus”: Cooking the Books
IPCC Researchers Admit Global Warming Fraud |
Editors' note: This story has been updated with additional comment from Dowd.
WASHINGTON — Matthew Dowd, an Austin-based television news commentator and former George W. Bush strategist, is mulling an independent challenge to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
“I don’t know what I will do," he told The Texas Tribune. "But I am giving it some thought, and I appreciate the interest of folks.”
Dowd said this has been a draft effort, as prominent members of both parties have approached him to run against Cruz.
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A year ago, Cruz was the dominant political figure in the state, but he stumbled last summer after losing the GOP presidential primary race to Donald Trump — and then refusing to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention last summer. Smelling blood, a number of potential challengers to Cruz have emerged over the past six months.
The two most public potential contenders are U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul, an Austin Republican, and Beto O’Rourke, an El Paso Democrat.
And now Dowd.
The political strategist’s career tells the story of the past three decades of Texas politics. Dowd started in Democratic politics, including as a staffer to then-U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and then-Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock.
But Dowd eventually gravitated to then-Gov. Bush in the late 1990s, working on both of his presidential campaigns and for the Republican National Committee.
In 2007, Dowd publicly criticized Bush over the Iraq war.
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More recently, Dowd used his social media and ABC News platforms to question the viability of the two-party system.
Now, he is considering a run of his own — against a man he once worked with on the 2000 Bush campaign.
“I don’t think Ted served the state well at all,” Dowd said. “He hasn’t been interested in being a U.S. senator from Texas. He’s been interested in national office since the day he got in.”
A Cruz spokeswoman declined to comment about Dowd's possible run on Thursday, but earlier in the day the senator expressed confidence in his re-election chances during a morning radio interview. But he said he was not taking anything for granted.
"At this point, I don't see anyone that is likely to run, but I'm going to assume that the threat is serious and prepare accordingly," Cruz told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.
An independent run would be a heavy lift, but it would probably scramble the race far more than anyone could have anticipated a year ago. Dowd argued that an independent candidate could have a better shot than a challenge from either party.
“I think Ted is vulnerable, but I don’t think Ted’s vulnerable in the Republican primary, and I don’t think Ted is vulnerable to a Democrat in the general,” he said. “I think a Democrat can’t win in the state.”
Fundraising in an expensive state without the party apparatus would likely be a major obstacle as well.
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“I actually believe money is less important now today than it’s ever been,” he said. “It’s going to take money and a lot of grassroots money, and it’s going to take people frustrated at Washington and frustrated about Ted.”
And if he won, with which party would Dowd caucus in the Senate?
“I would caucus with neither party,” he said. “I think the system is broken.”
Dowd is in no rush to make a decision.
“It’s not an immediate thing,” he said. “At some point, I have to obviously decide because this was a major adjustment in my life.”
Read more:
Last month, Trump passed over U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, for a job in Trump's administration.
U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke is considering a run for U.S. Senate - either in 2018 or 2020.
Patrick Svitek contributed to this report. |
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., plans to reintroduce federal spending transparency legislation without a provision for an independent oversight board that government budget officials have criticized, he told the Senate’s Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
Government watchdogs, however, say some independent oversight is needed to ensure agencies take the new reporting requirements seriously.
The current version of the Digital Accountability and Government Transparency Act would require agencies and federal grant and contract recipients to file receipts and detailed reports on spending to an independent commission. The legislation mandates uniform data markers for different types of spending so that costs can be compared across agencies.
The reports would be posted on a public website similar to Recovery.gov, which tracks spending on the 2009 economic stimulus package.
The bill, known as the DATA Act, in its current form would create an extra layer of bureaucracy and could interfere with transparency initiatives that the Office of Management and Budget already is working on, Danny Werfel, controller of OMB’s Federal Financial Management office told committee members Wednesday.
Rather than “replowing the earth and changing every account we have,” Congress should consider targeted legislation that makes up for specific deficiencies in spending reporting practices, Werfel said.
“The DATA Act approach is really wiping the slate clean and saying we’re starting over with a whole new set of standards,” he said. “Architecturally [that] might make sense but it’s very expensive, and I worry we’ll lose a lot of time in tackling the specific challenges we have right now while we rebuild this building from the foundation.”
Werfel also argued the DATA Act’s proposed governing board, the Federal Accountability and Spending Transparency Commission, would be unaccountable and could interfere with transparency work that OMB already has invested time and money in.
“There’s not apparently a way to disagree with that commission and there’s no built-in mechanism for the executive branch to object to or veto the standards [it sets] in any way,” he said. “It’s not clear how we give feedback. It’s also not clear in the bill how the public gives feedback.”
Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, who heads the Government Accountability Office, disagreed with Werfel about the necessity of overarching legislation at Wednesday’s hearing. He said such legislation is necessary to ensure agencies comply with heightened requirements for spending transparency and an independent oversight board will help ensure that reporting is a priority.
Dodaro noted the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, which tracks spending on the 2009 economic stimulus package, has been successful largely because it has a dedicated staff, an independent funding stream and legislative authority. The Recovery Board was a model for the DATA Act’s Federal Accountability and Spending Transparency Commission.
It’s important to place spending transparency oversight outside OMB to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Daniel Schuman, a policy analyst at the transparency group Sunlight Foundation, told Nextgov.
As an agency charged with implementing the Obama administration’s programs, OMB has a vested interest in making those programs appear successful, which will sometimes conflict with transparency, he said.
“It’s true that a lot of this stuff could have been done by OMB and they have the authority to do it, but they haven’t,” he said. The government “has been working on this issue for a decade or more . . . For whatever reason, the executive branch didn’t take up those issues and, frankly, it’s the role of Congress to direct executive branch agencies about what they should be doing.”
The House passed the DATA Act in April, sponsored by House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. Warner introduced the original Senate version of the DATA Act in June 2011.
If Warner’s revised DATA Act contains strong transparency requirements and significant oversight, there’s a solid chance a compromise can be worked out with the stronger House bill before the close of this Congress, according to Hudson Hollister, founder of the Data Transparency Coalition.
“It’s hard to predict,” he said. “Even if we don’t see legislation happen, the movement in government is clearly in favor of standardization [of spending data] and publication and that can only be good.” |
A horrific triple homicide was committed yesterday in Chapel Hill, NC, as three Muslim students were apparently murdered by a deranged anti-religion progressive.
The News & Observer reports:
Police charged a Chapel Hill man Wednesday with first-degree murder in the deaths of three Muslim students in a quiet neighborhood near Meadowmont just south of N.C. 54.Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, is being held in the Durham County Jail on three counts of first-degree murder. Hicks is accused of shooting his Finley Forest neighbors, Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, and his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and Abu-Salha’s sister, Razan Abu-Salha, 19, of Raleigh. Barakat was a doctoral student in UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Dentistry. The sisters were N.C. State University students. Chapel Hill police found all three victims dead at the scene, after responding to a report of gunshots on Summerwalk Circle at 5:11 p.m. Tuesday. The neighborhood, adjacent to the Friday Center, is mostly rental apartments and modest condominiums. It rarely appears in reports of crime in Chapel Hill. Police worked early into the morning trying to piece together what happened. Police have not offered a motive for the shootings.
[UPDATE: Chapel Hill police are now saying the shooting may be related to a parking dispute with no connection to the victims' religion. Thanks to tarheelkate in the comments.]
BREAKING: #ChapelHillShooting deaths of 3 Muslim students might have been linked to parking dispute, police say. http://t.co/TPJuBdDQt5 — CNN International (@cnni) February 11, 2015
Chapel Hill PD preliminary investigation: "the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking." http://t.co/tI2r71lVrD — Kyle W. Orton (@KyleWOrton) February 11, 2015
[UPDATE2: Jake Tapper with the Chapel Hill PD press statement:]
Chapel Hill Police Department press release pic.twitter.com/2ZQZWkFwcJ — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 11, 2015
[UPDATE3: And now the US Attorney completely deflates the anti-Muslim narrative:]
UPDATE #ChapelHillShooting: US Attorney says not targeted anti-Muslim organized campaign, just "isolated incident". pic.twitter.com/J8ZlgBdkk9 — Nora A. ???? ??????? (@Ana3rabeya) February 11, 2015
Barakat and Abu-Salha were just married a few weeks ago. She had recently graduated from NC State, and he was a UNC dental student.
A review of the Facebook page of the man charged in these murders, Craig Hicks, shows a consistent theme of anti-religion and progressive causes. Included in his many Facebook "likes" are the Huffington Post, Rachel Maddow, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Bill Nye "The Science Guy," Neil deGrasse Tyson, gay marriage groups, and a host of anti-conservative/Tea Party pages.
Remarkably, one of the four Facebook groups he had joined was "Religious Tolerance."
Just a few weeks ago he had posted this to his Facebook page:
Police no doubt will be releasing further details of this case in the coming days.
BTW, Richard Dawkins is getting pretty mouthy:
A parking dispute in NRA-land. 3 young people tragically murdered in Chapel Hill. A PARKING dispute in gun-land. http://t.co/OL1ax8HHPI — Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) February 11, 2015
Seeing as Hicks was a Dawkins fanboi. From his Facebook page:
UPDATE: Never let the facts get in the way of a good narrative (HT: RBPundit)
Three American Muslim students shot dead near University of North Carolina by Christian terrorist https://t.co/u4ntSt8p56 #MuslimLivesMatter — Michael Lee (@MichaelLee2009) February 11, 2015
Stuck on stupid (HT: Jim Treacher):
@sdsorrentino It's my understanding that he was baptized as a Christian. Stop making excuses #ChapelHillShooting — Michael Lee (@MichaelLee2009) February 11, 2015
A variation on the theme:
@WayneBogda This is the Amarican Christian Terrorist who murder 3 innocent Muslim college students in NC pic.twitter.com/mYMUyTrgs6 — ??????? (@Antiterrorism1) February 11, 2015
UPDATE2: Dean Obeidallah, who was part of the group of American Muslims who met with Obama last week, predictably blames the GOP:
I dont blame atheism for murder of 3 Muslim Amer students. My focus is the GOP officials+professional anti-Muslim bigots #MuslimLivesMatter — (((DeanObeidallah))) (@Deanofcomedy) February 11, 2015
And then doubles-down:
.@mjbenchmark @EWErickson so please send me links to where they demonized Muslims. I'll send u ones where many in GOP have. Thanks — (((DeanObeidallah))) (@Deanofcomedy) February 11, 2015
@JohnDalyBooks @Deanofcomedy Which is to say #Muslimlivesmatter but not as much as my completely separate agenda. — David Freddoso (@freddoso) February 11, 2015
In the Washington Post's coverage, they bury Hicks' leanings at the very end of their story:
Last night on Twitter, most of the #ChapelHillShooting posts were condemnations of US media (esp. Fox News) for not only not covering this, but supposed anti-Muslim reporting inspired it. Now...
And now the media reports the lack of media reports on the #ChapelHillShooting. — Tzvi Zucker (@TzviZucker) February 11, 2015
Why isn’t this ALL OVER the news?!! https://t.co/DO7kKPdwfl
IF Muslim had shot three white students, would dominate today’s media coverage — Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) February 11, 2015
That lack of media coverage of #ChapelHillShooting in full pic.twitter.com/NJZJwTXBdS — David Wilcock (@DavidWilcockPA) February 11, 2015
Frothing left: Why is nobody covering the UNC story?
Me: Top story on Fox.
Crickets. — JWF (@JammieWF) February 11, 2015
Has Southern Poverty Law Center made a statement yet?
Should be awesome seeing the SPLC condemn a hate crime by a fan of theirs http://t.co/fBoqq8CCg6 — JWF (@JammieWF) February 11, 2015
This, of course, is helpful:
Do you wanna radicalize the youth? Keep executing muslims. #ChapelHillShooting — Ahmed (@AlshehmaniA) February 11, 2015
A wave of kafirphobia sweeping the Muslim community: |
Scar is a featured article , which means it has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Disney Wiki community. If you see a way this page can be updated or improved without compromising previous work, please feel free to contribute.
Mufasa: "Don't turn your back on me, Scar!" Scar: "Oh, no, Mufasa. Perhaps you shouldn't turn your back on me." ―Mufasa and Scar
Scar is the main antagonist of Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King. As the younger brother of Mufasa and second-born prince of the Pride Lands, Scar was next in line to assume the throne as king. His chances were lost, however, at the arrival of his nephew, Simba. This embittered Scar with jealously and a sense of entitlement, prompting him to develop a regicidal plot to take over the kingdom, with the aid of his hyena henchmen.
As one of Disney's most infamous villains—made especially notorious for his success in murdering Mufasa—Scar is a primary member of the Disney Villains franchise.
Contents show]
Background
As revealed in "A Tale of Two Brothers", Scar was once named Taka (meaning "waste" in Swahili), and had become upset when he learned that his older brother Mufasa was chosen to be king over himself. Taka would come to meet three hyenas named Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, who tell him that if Mufasa is made to look like a failure, then he will look kingly in comparison and soon take the throne. This leads to Taka tricking his brother into going down to the waterhole, where a Cape buffalo called Boma is refusing to share the water with the rest of The Pride Lands which, at the time, is having a terrible drought. While there Mufasa starts to try to reason with Boma and Taka roars and tells Boma that he must move by order of the Lion King, or fight Mufasa, Boma then charges out of the water at Mufasa. Mufasa escapes with the aid of a mandrill called Rafiki, and Boma goes after Taka instead.
Mufasa runs back and finds Taka being attacked by Boma's herd. A large buffalo slashes Taka with his horns, causing him to be knocked unconscious. Mufasa leaps in to save his brother and the buffaloes prepare to attack again. Before they can do so, King Ahadi, father of Taka and Mufasa, appears with a large herd of animals that surrounds the Buffaloes. It was during this attack that Taka got a scar on his eye, and renamed himself "Scar", as a reminder of his mistake, explaining his cruel name.
As revealed in The Lion Guard, Scar was at one point selected as leader of the Lion Guard: a team of lions who would protect the Pride Lands and the Circle of Life, as part of tradition to all second-born children of the king. With this responsibility, Scar was given a power called the "Roar of the Elders". However, the power went to Scar's head, to the point that he believed that he should be king of the Pride Lands instead of Mufasa. When the Lion Guard refused to help Scar take down his brother, Scar used the Roar of the Elders to destroy them. Due to using the Roar of the Elders for evil, Scar lost the power completely and descended into depression, becoming shriveled and weak.
Personality
Scar was known to be very resentful of Mufasa and Simba, the latter for essentially ruining any chance of him becoming king. His resentment and anger towards Mufasa were strong enough that, after he usurped Mufasa's place on the throne by murdering him, he outlawed the very mention of Mufasa's name whenever he was in anyone's immediate vicinity.
Scar seemed to possess somewhat of an inferiority complex, as evidenced by his sad resignation to the fact that he was passed over in the gene pool regarding brute strength. Scar is egotistical and prides himself on his intelligence, saying "As far as brains go, I got the lion share" and was somewhat of a narcissist, the latter trait being especially prevalent when plotting the murder of Mufasa after the hyenas' failed attempt at murdering Simba at the Elephant Graveyard where he mentions that when he becomes king, they will see him "for the wonder [he is]." He has some odd quirks that he is aware of, as when Simba affectionately states "You're so weird," Scar tells Simba "You have no idea" (although this specific line was an intentional in-joke referring to Reversal of Fortune, in which Jeremy Irons utters the same line).
Scar was heavily sardonic, frequently replying to attempts at conversation with sarcasm and subtle insults. After taking over Pride Rock, Scar's overall demeanor took a turn for the worse, becoming somewhat deluded, if not in self-denial, in believing that he is still an efficient ruler despite clear evidence to the contrary, apparently being unwilling to admit even to himself that Mufasa was a better king or finding fault in his own leadership. As such, in a dark parallel to Simba's initial idealism to becoming king, he also proceeded to refuse relocating the Pride from Pride Rock despite being confronted with clear evidence that any surviving animals in the region had fled the premises as well as there being an ongoing drought, not caring if this resulted in the kingdom's, or his own, death. This implied that a large part of the reason why he decided this course of action was simply because he could give that order as king.
Scar was highly intelligent as he himself liked to boast, easily able to manipulate situations and conversations to his advantage. This made up for Scar's lack of physical strength, which was further demonstrated by his decision to subject a fully grown Simba to a court rather than fighting him openly. Despite this, he didn't appear to mind doing his own hunts, as evidenced when he brought a zebra leg for the hyenas. He was a fierce fighter who held his own against the bigger and much younger Simba and came very close to killing him. However, Scar will not hesitate to cheat in a fight, as seen when he flings embers into Simba's eyes, temporarily blinding him, to gain the upper hand. Scar was a very charismatic individual, able to inspire the hyenas to follow his cause and gain fanatical loyalty from Zira and her pride of lionesses, even in death.
Regarding his treatment of Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, he was somewhat harsh with them, as evidenced by his berating them regarding their failure to kill Simba and Nala (even though they only escaped because of Mufasa's timely arrival), and his angrily kicking them out after Banzai made the mistake of mentioning Mufasa within earshot. He could barely tolerate the idea of relying on "idiots" like them. Worst of all, when he realized that they lied to him about Simba's fate, he gave them a glance which seemed to indicate he would deal with them later. Despite this, however, he seemed to value them as friends, as evidenced by his remark when he finds the hyenas waiting for him before he realized they overheard his remarks, as well as his attempts at apologizing to them falling on deaf ears when he realized it was too late and finally perished.
He was also a sadist, convincing his own nephew he was responsible for Mufasa's death and then taunting him for it further. He even toyed with Zazu whenever the Majordomo tried talking back at him. Despite his negative traits, he attempted to encourage Zazu to sing a more "bouncy" song, other than "It's a Small World", which he apparently finds to be extremely annoying (like a lot of people do in real life), because when Zazu starts to sing it, Scar snaps at him, telling him to stop ("NO, no! Anything but that!").
He remains conniving and power-hungry, even after his death, as evidently shown by his schemes to weaken the Lion Guard, led by his great-nephew, Kion, and he has apparently become less forgiving of failure to the point that Janja fears Scar greatly. In death, he is still manipulative and—in spite of his arrogance—knows that his goals cannot be accomplished without the assistance of the Outlanders, prompting him to use both intimidation and temptation to keep his new lackeys compliant.
Physical appearance
Scar is elegant and poised, but also unkempt and wild looking. He also speaks with an English accent. He is perhaps the most evidently feline lion in the film, lithe and melanistic in appearance with a sleek, black mane, brownish-orange fur, and distinctive, almond-shaped neon green eyes. He has large, tan paws with long, curving black claws that unlike those of other lions in the film are always bared and never retracted, perhaps alluding to his vicious nature.
Scar also sports a white goatee beard, characteristic of villains, particularly the evil twin archetype which is fitting given his relationship with Mufasa. Finally, Scar has a small, thin, pink scar over his left eye, thus earning him his namesake (which happened to him during his younger days). Some of his physical traits were also based in part on his original voice actor, Jeremy Irons.
After his death, Scar became a spirit manifested in lava and fire.
Appearances
Scar remained bitterly jealous of his elder brother but was allowed to live in the Pride Lands. He did not attend Simba's presentation, much to Mufasa's disappointment. During this time, he also tried to eat a mouse, although he was ultimately forced to let the mouse escape when Zazu told him off for missing Simba's presentation, causing Scar to attempt to exact revenge on Zazu by eating him instead until Mufasa interfered, forcing him to spit Zazu out. Scar also implied when Mufasa warned him not to walk away that he might attack Mufasa should he be distracted, before claiming that he would not dream of challenging his brother. He also briefly lamented that he may be cast out of the gene pool anyways before leaving Pride Rock dejected. As some time passed, Scar rapidly became jealous of his nephew Simba's position as the next king of Pride Rock and started plotting to kill him in order to take out the competition for the throne himself. He started to recruit hyenas, primarily Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, to build an army. He used bribes of food to get them on his side. The first attempt the hyenas made was to kill Simba after tricking the cub into entering their territory with his best friend, Nala. When Mufasa foiled that plan, Scar saw the whole scene with great unhappiness. Later, Scar admonishes the hyenas for failing to kill Simba, even when it was clear that Simba only survived due to Mufasa's interference.
Knowing Simba will always be safe so long as Mufasa is around, Scar proposes they kill both Simba and Mufasa. To motivate and mobilise the hyenas, Scar promises that under his rule, the hyenas will never go hungry again, a promise which he clearly could not (and ultimately failed to) keep. With their help, he engineers a wildebeest stampede meant to kill both Simba and Mufasa, tricking Simba into waiting in a gorge under the notion that Mufasa has a 'marvelous surprise' for him. Scar alerts Mufasa, who rushes to Simba's aid. Mufasa manages to save his son and ends up clinging to a cliff where he spots Scar and pleads with his brother to help him. However, Scar instead pierces Mufasa's paws with his claws and, grinning wickedly, throws his brother off the cliff to his death with the impersonating words, "Long live the king". Scar discovers Simba still alive and places the blame of Mufasa's death on his nephew. He orders Simba to run away and never return as punishment. Scar then sends the hyenas to kill Simba, but they fail this task due to Simba going through a bed of thorns too dense for them to get through. Shenzi felt that allowing the cub to flee into the desert would kill him eventually and they would kill him if he survived and returned. Thus, they let the cub escape, and lie to Scar.
Scar then tells the lionesses that Mufasa and Simba died and takes over the Pride Lands, using the hyena clan as muscle to ensure his reign goes undisputed. Due to Scar's irresponsibility as king and abolishing most of Mufasa's laws that regulated the hunting parties, both the Pridelanders and the hyenas begin to run out of food, while a drought that lasted longer than usual deprived them of water. Likewise, he also enacts a law that says everyone may not mention Mufasa in his presence, especially not in a more favorable light. One day, Scar later questions Sarabi as to why she and the rest of the lions are not hunting for food, to which she replies there is nothing left and suggests they leave Pride Rock to survive. He rejects the idea, essentially sentencing everyone to death out of pride. Scar condones to the fact and declares that as king he can do whatever he wants. With Sarabi pushed beyond composure, she openly compares Scar to Mufasa in a condescending manner, angering Scar to the point of violence against his sister-in-law. Just as this occurs, Simba, alive and well, returns and confronts the anxious Scar, who initially mistakes him for Mufasa. However, after learning it is his nephew as an adult, Scar sarcastically expresses "joy" at seeing him alive, and gives a dirty look at the hyenas, knowing they had in fact failed at their task and lied to him regarding Simba's death.
Simba orders Scar to resign as king or engage in battle for the throne. Knowing he lacks the physical strength, Scar initiates a trial against Simba, blaming him for Mufasa's death in an attempt to turn the pride against him. Simba, still believing it was he who was responsible for his father's death, admits his "crime," allowing Scar to execute him as punishment. As a lightning bolt strikes beneath Pride Rock and causes a wildfire, Scar quietly admits to to Simba that it was the former who was truly responsible for Mufasa's death, enraging the younger lion. Simba furiously tackles Scar and threatens to strangle him unless he confesses to his crime. With no other choice, Scar bitterly reveals the truth to the observing pride. This leads to a ferocious battle in which the lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki, work together to defeat the hyenas. A coward, Scar tries to escape, but Simba spots him and corners his uncle on the top of Pride Rock. On the edge of panic, Scar tries to claim to Simba that the hyenas were behind Mufasa's death, unaware that Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed had overheard him, resulting in them angrily stepping away, but Simba refuses to believe him, knowing that everything his malevolent uncle ever told him was a lie. When Simba chooses to exile Scar rather than kill him, Scar appears to concede, but then does a sneak attack by brushing the closest embers available into Simba's face. Not wanting to give up the throne, he attacks Simba, and they engage in a fierce fight.
Scar soon bashes Simba across the face and knocks him onto his back. However, as the elder lion leaps to deliver the deathblow, Simba uses his hind legs to hurl Scar over the edge, sending him tumbling down a rocky slope to the base of Pride Rock. Scar survives the fall and as he slowly gets to his feet, the hyenas arrive. At first, Scar is relieved to see his "friends", but to his horror, they reveal that they overheard Scar calling them "the enemy," and they begin to surround their fallen master with wide grins. Realizing his mistake too late, Scar begs for mercy and attempts to explain himself, but the hyenas have had enough of his lies, derogatory treatment, and broken promises. Fueled by their hunger and seething rage, the hyenas surround Scar, leap upon him and devour him alive as flames surround them. With Scar dead, Simba ascends Pride Rock and reclaims the Pride Lands as the new king.
Despite his ultimate demise, Scar maintained the loyalty of the Outsiders, a pride of lionesses led by a lioness named Zira, who were banished to the Outlands by Simba. Zira was fanatically loyal to Scar and intended to install her son Kovu as King of Pride Rock, as he was chosen by Scar personally to be his heir and successor. They would continue to create trouble for Simba in the following years.
Scar also appeared in Simba's dream. Mufasa clings to the high cliff above the stampede and an adult Simba tries to save his father. However, Scar grabs Simba's paw, stopping from reaching him. As Mufasa falls off the cliff into the stampede, Scar morphs into Kovu and throws Simba into the stampede too. In addition, Scar was also mentioned by Simba when he explains to Kovu the true history of the fight between Scar and him. He also implies during this time that, in addition to the hyenas exacting revenge on Scar, Scar also ended up burned alive by the wildfire.
Scar makes another brief appearance when Kovu is exiled from the Pride Lands by Simba, he stops by a lake where he sees Scar's reflection instead of his own as Mufasa did to Simba.
In the end, Scar's dying wish would be fulfilled (Kovu becoming the king of the Pride Lands) since Simba would choose Kovu to become the king consort of his daughter Kiara, Scar's great-niece. However, unlike Scar's plan, Kovu would rule under the concept of the Circle of Life.
In the direct-to-video "parallel film" The Lion King 1½, Scar makes a few brief, non-speaking appearances in the scenes for which he was present in the original Lion King film.
Scar's song, "Be Prepared" is heard briefly as Timon and Pumbaa tour Scar's lair as a possible new home, commenting on how it is quiet, secluded and with no uninvited visitors. The shadows of the goose-stepping hyena army are then seen marching in front of them, though they haven't started singing yet. This convinces Timon and Pumbaa to look elsewhere.
He is also mentioned by Nala when tells Timon and Pumbaa that Simba needs their help in order to defeat Scar. Later, he is shown making Simba fall over Pride Rock's peak and fleeing from Simba after admitting he murdered Mufasa, where the hyenas were protecting him. Finally, after Timon, Ma, Pumbaa, and Uncle Max defeat the hyenas, Simba kicks Scar over the side of Pride Rock's summit, into the hole the hyenas fell into, and to his death by his minions' jaws.
In The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, Simba's second born cub—and Scar's great-nephew—Kion is told that Scar was once leader of the Lion Guard, until it met a disastrous end when the power went to his head. As such, Kion makes a great effort to refrain from misusing his gift and becoming the dark figure his great-uncle had been.
In "The Rise of Scar", a hyena named Janja tires of living under the harsh conditions of the Outlands, but refuses to accept the fact that he and the other hyenas only reside there because they selfishly refuse to adhere to the laws set by the Circle of Life. Instead, they want to eliminate Kion, but each of their attempts have failed. A snake named Ushari claims that the secret to Kion's success is his ability to talk to the Great Kings of the Past, more specifically Mufasa. This gives them the idea to find a way to summon the only lion that's ever sided with the hyenas: Scar. Under Scar's authority, they hope to eliminate Kion and create a new order amongst the Pride Lands that gives them freedom to devour as much as they want. By using both the combined powers of Kion's roar and Makini's magical bakora staff, Janja and Ushari successfully manage to summon Scar's spirit, manifested in lava and fire.
Revived and reinvigorated, Scar sees this as an opportunity to exact revenge against Simba and overthrow him as king. As revealed in "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie", Scar plots to gather all the animals in the Outlands to create a new legion of followers. With an army of henchmen at his disposal once more, Scar seeks to ignite a hostile takeover of the Pride Lands and reclaim the kingdom as his own domain.
In "The Scorpion's Sting", Scar sends a scorpion named Sumu to poison Simba. Knowing that volcanic ash is needed to remedy the fatal sting, Scar sends his crocodile, jackal, and hyena minions to slow the Lion Guard, accompanied by Makini, down. It is then that they overpower these foes and secure the ash that he finally makes himself known to his great-nephew and his friends. After his father's life is saved, Kion vows to defeat his great-uncle once and for all.
Other appearances
Scar makes a few cameos meant for comedy purposes in the animated series Timon & Pumbaa. He is seen when Timon tries to revive Pumbaa's amnesia after being struck by lightning, and when Zazu cleans out his trash can.
In Hercules, Scar makes a cameo as a lion skin briefly worn by Hercules at one point, which in itself was a reference to one of Hercules' twelve labors, which was killing the Nemean Lion. It may also be a reference to a joke made by Zazu in the first film, where he suggested that Scar is made into a throw rug.
In House of Mouse, Scar made few minor cameos. In the episode "Jiminy Cricket", Jiminy used Scar as an example of temptations. At the end of that same episode, Scar was seen aside some of the other guests when they were arguing over Jiminy. In the episode "Ask Von Drake", Scar can be briefly seen being held by Rafiki just as Simba was in the film. In the episode "Goofy's Valentine Date", Scar was seen along with the other guests.
In the animated blooper reel featured in the The Lion King: Diamond Edition special features, Scar makes a cameo appearance, seen botching his line during Simba's climactic trial at Pride Rock.
In the Disney Crossy Road: The Animated Series episode "Hyena Havoc", Scar appears in pursuit of Simba, alongside the hyenas. Simba crosses a road of animals for safety, and Scar orders the hyenas to capture him. Once they fail, Scar attempts to cross the road, himself, though he is comically trampled in the process, humiliating him.
Video games
Scar appeared in this video game as the final boss.
Scar appears as one of the bosses in this video game. He battles Simba and would jump onto a platform to roar, causing rocks to fall towards Simba which he has to dodge before he finally defeats Scar.
Largely following the story of the film, Scar is the tyrannical ruler of the Pridelands, after earning his throne through regicide (the murder of King Mufasa and supposedly Prince Simba). At some point, Scar meets Pete, an invader on a quest to dominate the worlds using a legion of demons known as the Heartless. Together, they rule the pride with discipline until Sora, Donald and Goofy arrive. With little food elsewhere, Scar attempts to devour the trio, only to be stopped by Nala, allowing them to escape. Once they do, they head out to find Simba, who was revealed to be alive by Sora. The group eventually finds him, and together, they return to Pride Rock to battle Scar. The tyrant is forced into revealing that he killed Mufasa, and a battle breaks loose, resulting in Scar's demise. However, the darkness of anger and jealously in Scar's heart corrupts the lion and revives him in the form of a Heartless, drenching the Pride Lands in darkness as well. Sora and friends battle Scar, and he is eventually killed off for good.
During the second visit, it is revealed an army of Scar's ghost is haunting the Pridelands. According to Rafiki, the ghosts feed off of Simba's insecurity towards being king. As a manifestation, Scar constantly tortures and taunts the new ruler, until a turn of events prompts Simba to stand up to the demon, finally having the courage necessary to send him off for good. However, the army then comes together and converge to create the Groundshaker Heartless to face Simba and Sora before the two are able to destroy it and the ghosts of Scar for good.
Other games
Like the cameo in the film Hercules, Scar also makes a cameo as a throw rug in a specific area of the game Hades Challenge. Like before, the cameo also references one of Hercules' twelve labors, specifically his defeating the Nemean Lion.
In Epic Mickey, Scar appears as a stained-glass portrait in the Mad Doctor's laboratory along with Maleficent and Captain Hook. There are also two lion statues in the courtyard of Dark Beauty Castle that bare resemblance to Scar.
Scar also appeared as an unlockable costume character in Disney Universe. He is also the boss of the last level of The Lion King universe, where you ride on a train for transportation to battle him with a cannon.
Scar is the main villain in the Broadway musical adaptation of The Lion King. In the original run of the show, in 1997, the character of Scar was portrayed by John Vickery, and is generally portrayed as an intellectual, immature prince, with a heavy hint of comedic elements in an (arguably) more prominent light than his animated counterpart.
Scar's role is also expanded upon with the song "The Madness of King Scar". In it, Scar begins doubting his reign, fearing that he might be losing the respect of the lionesses and indirectly receives an idea from Zazu that he needs a queen to ensure that his family line continues for generations, thus giving him immortality. He attempts to seduce Nala when he chooses her as his queen, promising to share the throne with her, to bear many cubs and to love her dearly, but she rebukes him by scratching his face after realizing what this would truly mean for her. The musical also implies that he might harbor some guilt for murdering Mufasa, as he mentions that Mufasa's ghost kept on haunting him. The musical also implies that his main motives for wanting to become king were due to neglect that he suffered while he was young, especially in comparison to Mufasa.
In World of Color, Scar can be briefly seen in the water projectors and heard vocally throughout a sequence based on the wildebeest stampede from the film. In addition, Scar was featured in the 2015 rendition of the show, during the brief montage celebrating villains.
Scar plays a role in Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. In Adventureland, Scar returns from the dead via Hades and is given a proposition to live forever in exchange for the crystal of the Magic Kingdom. Scar tricks the hyenas into believing he is invincible and forces them to work for him again. However, the park guests prove that Scar lied by injuring him in front of the hyenas, prompting them to leave their former boss. Scar consoles Hades for more power, but Hades refuses and leaves the lion to battle the park guests alone. Scar is defeated, but a recovered piece of the crystal imbues him with magic, allowing him to take on the guests once again. Scar is once again defeated, however, saving the kingdom from his wrath.
Scar appears as one of the main villains in the live nighttime spectacular Fantasmic!. In the show Scar is called fourth by The Evil Queen to destroy Mickey Mouse once and for all. In the end, Scar is killed by Mickey along with the other villains. His only line was "Yes, perfect."
In Happily Ever After, Scar is one of the villains featured during the adversity segment. He is seen battling Simba on Pride Rock as it is engulfed in flames.
Scar's likeness is also featured in Disney's Art of Animation Resort.
In France, Scar was featured on the villains' float in Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade.
Scar appears as one of Maleficent's invited guests during the climactic projection montage of Villains Night Out!
Scar appears in the Shanghai resort's production of The Lion King stage musical.
Aboard the Disney Dream, Scar and the hyenas are featured in Villains Tonight as some of the villains that assist Hades in retaining ownership of the Underworld. Their motif in the show resembles that of a biker gang.
Gallery
The Disney Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Scar. has a collection of images and media related to
Trivia
Scar is based on Claudius from Hamlet who was a prince who murdered his brother the king for the sake of his throne. However, unlike the diabolically evil Scar, Claudius had a kind side and genuinely believed that he could make the country a better place and was a highly competent king whereas Scar cared only for himself. Like Scar, Claudius was cunning, intelligent, manipulative, charismatic and cowardly. Unlike the diabolically evil Scar, Claudius repented from his wrongdoings but did not reveal the secret truth about his brother's murder to his family. He is also similar to the Shakespearean villain Iago from Othello , being sadistic, charming, smooth-talking, bitter, envious and narcissistic. He also shares many similarities to the title tragic hero character in Macbeth . Although not directly related, he started out as an honorable soldier to King Duncan. Like Scar, he believed he would be next in line for the throne as the king's son Malcolm was too young. However, when it became official that Malcolm would take over as king, Macbeth then plotted to kill King Duncan in order to scare his children away from the kingdom over accusations of murder, thus taking the throne for himself (similar to what Scar had happened to Mufasa and Simba). Macbeth succeeded in this and became a ruthless greedy king like Scar, leading to corruption in his kingdom, as he also had many people whom he thought were suspicious of him all murdered. Eventually Malcolm returned to the kingdom and got his revenge (though more indirectly as he let Macduff fight and kill Macbeth rather than facing the latter himself, like Simba did) and claimed his rightful place as king of Scotland.
who was a prince who murdered his brother the king for the sake of his throne. However, unlike the diabolically evil Scar, Claudius had a kind side and genuinely believed that he could make the country a better place and was a highly competent king whereas Scar cared only for himself. Like Scar, Claudius was cunning, intelligent, manipulative, charismatic and cowardly. Unlike the diabolically evil Scar, Claudius repented from his wrongdoings but did not reveal the secret truth about his brother's murder to his family. Scar's birth name, Taka , is the Swahili word for "waste".
, is the Swahili word for "waste". While Jeremy Irons voices Scar for most of the movie, he blew out his voice recording "Be Prepared" (Specifically the line "You won't get a sniff without me!"), and the rest of the song is sung by Jim Cummings. Incidentally, "Be Prepared" is also where Ed (also voiced by Jim Cummings) has his only line that is not laughter.
In an original draft for the ending of The Lion King , Scar was to be shown burned alive when Simba hurls him off the ledge, with Scar laughing as he did so (presumably due to completely losing his sanity over losing everything), which also results in Pride Rock's destruction. The final version of Scar's death was based on an original draft for Gaston's demise in Beauty and the Beast , in which the wolves would have attacked Gaston after surviving the fall from the Beast's castle with a broken leg.
, Scar was to be shown burned alive when Simba hurls him off the ledge, with Scar laughing as he did so (presumably due to completely losing his sanity over losing everything), which also results in Pride Rock's destruction. The final version of Scar's death was based on an original draft for Gaston's demise in , in which the wolves would have attacked Gaston after surviving the fall from the Beast's castle with a broken leg. Originally, Scar would send Nala, as an adult, away from Pride Rock because she ignored his romantic approaches, after which she finds Simba alive and well with Timon and Pumbaa. This idea was ultimately abandoned, as sexual harassment (and sexual advances in particular) was considered improper in a family movie at the time. However, the stage musical adaptation includes this plot development as part of director Julie Taymor's efforts to expand the female characters' presence in the story.
Originally, Scar would chase Simba out of the Pride Lands himself.
Originally, Scar would have been a rogue lion not related to Mufasa.
Scar is considered one of the darkest villains Disney has made for his many wicked deeds, such as murdering his brother Mufasa.
Scar apparently hates the song "It's a Small World", as he tells Zazu "No, no. Anything but that" when he tries to sing it. In some productions of the stage show held, Zazu originally sang "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", prior to the world premiere of Mary Poppins in Bristol, England, shortly before transferring to London's West End in 2004, but soon after the release of Frozen , Zazu sang "Let It Go" instead. Scar's reaction was the same.
, Zazu sang "Let It Go" instead. Scar's reaction was the same. Scar is the first Disney villain to be biologically related to the protagonist in the Disney canon. The previous villains such as the Evil Queen and Lady Tremaine were related to the protagonists only by marriage.
Scar is one of the few Disney villains in the Kingdom Hearts series, and the only Disney villain in Kingdom Hearts II , not to use the Heartless as his minions.
series, and the only Disney villain in , not to use the Heartless as his minions. When he murdered Mufasa, he was originally supposed to say "Good night, sweet prince!" immediately before throwing him off, referring to the Shakespearean play Hamlet . However, it was changed to Scar smugly saying "Long live the king!" to Mufasa because the former line seemed too "self-aware" to be taken seriously. In the alternate ending, Scar also was supposed to say the former line when attempting to finish off Simba, but it was instead changed to Scar admitting his crime to his nephew.
. However, it was changed to Scar smugly saying "Long live the king!" to Mufasa because the former line seemed too "self-aware" to be taken seriously. In the alternate ending, Scar also was supposed to say the former line when attempting to finish off Simba, but it was instead changed to Scar admitting his crime to his nephew. Malcolm McDowell and Tim Curry were once considered for the role of Scar.
Scar's greed for power is very similar to Adolf Hitler when he stands on a cliff and looks on his Hyena "army" in "Be Prepared". It shows the classic Nazi-Germany influence with hundreds of "soldiers" on the march when their "dictator" is watching on at the moment of power. In fact, a behind the scenes documentary for the film revealed that they used documentary footage relating to Hitler and Nazi Germany for designing "Be Prepared".
Scar makes a nod to an earlier film starring Jeremy Irons. When Simba remarks that Scar is weird, Scar replies "You have no idea". The character played by Irons makes exactly the same response to this statement in the film Reversal of Fortune.
The character played by Irons makes exactly the same response to this statement in the film As explained in "Lions of the Outlands" during his reign, he shared the knowledge of the Roar of the Elders with Zira.
In an interview with HelloGiggles, The Lion King producer Don Hahn claimed that Mufasa and Scar were actually not related by blood. Instead, he clarified that, as with real lions, Scar and Mufasa were a coalition of two unrelated males, with one being dominant over the other. The onscreen dynamic between Scar and Mufasa was heavily inspired by this real-life behavior, and that Scar's well known quote of "As far as brains go, I got the lion share. But when it comes to brutal strength, I'm afraid I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool." references this lack of family bond between the two characters. However, little over a week later, director Rob Minkoff "cleared up" in an interview with Screen Junkies that Mufasa and Scar grew up together and were in fact blood related. He also claimed that Scar's name is a "really mean nickname", and that he believes that Mufasa was the one who gave Scar his scar when they were cubs.
producer Don Hahn claimed that Mufasa and Scar were actually not related by blood. Instead, he clarified that, as with real lions, Scar and Mufasa were a coalition of two unrelated males, with one being dominant over the other. The onscreen dynamic between Scar and Mufasa was heavily inspired by this real-life behavior, and that Scar's well known quote of "As far as brains go, I got the lion share. But when it comes to brutal strength, I'm afraid I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool." references this lack of family bond between the two characters. Though he is well known after his death, Scar's demise at the jaws of his hyena minions is not known. Zira believes Simba killed him, while in truth, it was the hyenas. Janja, whose clan is a descendant of the one that served and turned on Scar, is also mistaken, as he believes the villainous lion perished in the flames of Pride Rock.
References |
CAIRO – A bombing at a chapel adjacent to Egypt’s main Coptic Christian cathedral killed 25 people and wounded another 49 during Sunday Mass, in one of the deadliest attacks carried out against the religious minority in recent memory.
The attack came two days after a bomb elsewhere in Cairo killed six policemen, an assault claimed by a shadowy group that authorities say is linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and which claimed responsibility for a pair of assassination attempts earlier this year in Cairo that targeted Egypt’s former mufti, or chief Muslim theologian, and an aide to the country’s top prosecutor.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday’s attack. However, Islamic militants have targeted Christians in the past, including a New Year’s Day bombing at a church in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria in 2011 that killed at least 21 people. More recently, the local affiliate of the Islamic State group targeted Christians in the Sinai Peninsula, where the extremist group is waging attacks against security forces. Christians endured a wave of attacks against their property and churches in provinces south of Cairo in the weeks and months that followed the July 2013 ouster by the military of an Islamist president.
Egypt’s official MENA news agency said an assailant lobbed a bomb into a chapel close to the outer wall of St Mark’s Cathedral, seat of Egypt’s Orthodox Christian church and home to the office of its spiritual leader, Pope Tawadros II, who is currently visiting Greece.
Egyptian state TV and the Health Ministry gave the casualty toll.
Witnesses said the explosion may have been caused by an explosive device planted inside the chapel. Conflicting accounts are common in the immediate aftermath of attacks.
The blast took place as a Sunday Mass being held in the chapel was about to end and coincided with a national holiday in Egypt marking the birth of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Most of the victims are thought to be women and children.
State television aired calls by several Cairo hospitals treating the wounded for blood donations and President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi declared a three-day state of mourning.
“The pain felt by Egyptians now will not go to waste, but will result in an uncompromising decisiveness to hunt down and bring to trial whoever helped — through inciting, facilitating, participating or executing — in this heinous crime,” a presidential statement quoted the Egyptian leader as saying.
An Associated Press reporter who arrived at the scene shortly after the blast saw blood-stained pews and shards of glass scattered across the chapel’s floor. Men and women wailed and cried outside. AP photos showed a broken pair of ladies’ spectacles on the ground next to a girl’s boots with leopard spots and a pink ribbon.
“I found bodies, many of them women, lying on the pews. It was a horrible scene,” said cathedral worker Attiya Mahrous, who rushed to the chapel after he heard the blast. His clothes and hands were stained with blood and his hair matted with dust.
“I saw a headless woman being carried away,” Mariam Shenouda said as she pounded her chest in grief. “Everyone was in a state of shock. We were scooping up people’s flesh off the floor,” she said.
“There were children. What have they done to deserve this? I wish I had died with them instead of seeing these scenes.”
The attack has drawn a flurry of condemnations by government and religious leaders as well as assertions of unity between Egypt’s Muslim majority and Christians, who account for about 10 per cent of the country’s 92 million people.
An angry crowd of several hundred people gathered outside the cathedral, chanting anti-government slogans and calling for the sacking of the interior minister, who is in charge of security. Scuffles broke out with the police when the protesters tried to push through their barricades, but there were no immediate reports of arrests. Police in full riot gear later arrived at the scene.
Egypt has seen a wave of attacks by Islamic militants since the military in 2013 overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, a freely elected leader and a senior Muslim Brotherhood official. Many of Morsi’s supporters blamed Christians for supporting the overthrow, and scores of churches and other Christian-owned properties in southern Egypt were ransacked that year.
The authorities have since 2013 waged a sweeping crackdown, jailing thousands of mostly Islamist dissidents and killing hundreds in clashes sparked by demonstrations.
Egypt’s Christians have long complained of discrimination in Egypt, contending they are denied top jobs in a wide range of fields, including academia and security apparatuses. Many Christians were relieved when Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood were ousted in 2013 after just one year in power.
The church and many Christians have since rallied behind el-Sissi, although there have been growing voices of dissent within the community, arguing that little has changed in their lives under his rule, with their churches and property frequently attacked or torched by mobs of Muslim villagers led by militants in provinces south of Cairo. |
For many people, testing their Django applications is a mystery. They hear that they should be testing their code but often have no clue how to get started. And when they hit the testing docs, they find a deep dive on what functionality is available, but no guidance on how to implement.
This is the first in a series of blog posts to try to help alleviate this & get everyone on the testing bandwagon. I'll assume you've never done any testing before but that you're comfortable with Python & Django.
We'll be walking through adding tests to the perennial tutorial Django app. To make it easier to follow along, I've uploaded the code to Github with tags for the major steps & to show how the code changes over time.
Before we dive into code, let's introduce some basic concepts & talk about how to think/go about testing.
Why Should You Test Your Code?
"Code without tests is broken by design." - Jacob
Providing automated tests for your code is a way to repeatedly ensure, with minimal developer effort, that the code you wrote to handle a task works as advertised. I like to think of tests as my insurance policy. They generally keep me from breaking existing code & looking foolish to other people. They're also concrete proof that the code works correctly. Without that proof, what you have is a pile of code that worked right once on your machine & that you'll either have to hand-test again & again in the future or will break without you knowing any wiser.
When you first get started, writing tests is a scary task that sounds like extra work. But simple tests are easy to write and having some tests is better than no tests at all. And as you add new tests, your suite (and your confidence) grows with it.
This is not to say that tests solve everything. There will always be bugs in software. Maybe the tests miss a codepath or a user will use something in an unexpected way. But tests give you better confidence & a safety net.
Types Of Testing
There are many different types of testing. The prominent ones this series will cover are unit tests and integration tests.
Unit tests cover very small, highly-specific areas of code. There's usually relatively few interactions with other areas of the software. This style of testing is very useful on critical, complicated components, such as validation, importing or methods with complex business logic.
Integration tests are at the opposite end of the spectrum. These tests usually cover multiple different facets of the application working together to produce a result. They ensure that data flow is right & often handle multiple user interactions.
The main difference between these two types is not the tooling but the approach and what you choose to test. It's also a very common thing to mix & match these two types throughout your test suite as it is appropriate.
Tooling
Within the Python world, there are a wide variety of tools to test your code. Some popular options include:
unittest / unittest2
/ doctest
nose
This guide won't dive into doctests or nose tests, sticking to unittest . This is because tests written in unittest run the fastest when testing Django apps (thanks to some fun transactional bits). I'd encourage you to go investigate the other options, if only to expand your knowledge of what's available.
You should not confuse unittest (the library) with unit testing (the approach of testing small chunks of contiguous code). You'll often use the unittest library for both unit & **integration`` tests.
What To Test?
Another common setback for developers/designers new to testing is the question of "what should (or shouldn't) I test?" While there are no hard & fast rules here that neatly apply everywhere, there are some general guidelines I can offer on making the decision:
If the code in question is a built-in Python function/library, don't test it. Examples like the datetime library.
library. If the code in question is built into Django, don't test it. Examples like the fields on a Model or testing how the built-in template.Node renders included tags.
or testing how the built-in renders included tags. If your model has custom methods, you should test that, usually with unit tests.
Same goes for custom views, forms, template tags, context processors, middleware, management commands, etc. If you implemented the business logic, you should test your aspects of the code.
Another upfront question is "how far down do you go?" Again, there's no right answer here, save for "where am I comfortable?" If you start mumbling "yo dawg..." under your breath or humming the tune of the INCEPTION theme, you know you've probably gone too far. :D
When Should You Test?
Another point of decision is deciding whether to do test-first (a.k.a. Test Driven Development) or test-after. Test-first is where you write the necessary tests to demonstrate proper behavior of the code BEFORE you write the code to solve the problem at hand. Test-after is when you've already written the code to solve the problem, then you go back & create tests to make sure the behavior of the code you wrote is correct.
This choice comes down to personal preference. An advantage of test-driven development is that it forces you to not skimp on the tests & think about the API up front. However, it feels very unnatural at first & if you have no experience writing tests, you may be at a loss as to what to do. Test-after feels more natural but can lead to weak tests if they're hurried & not given the proper time/effort.
Something that is always appropriate, regardless of general style, is when you get a bug report. ALWAYS create a test case first & run your tests. Make sure it demonstrates the failure, THEN go fix the bug. If your fix is correct, that new test should pass! It's an excellent way to sanity check yourself & is a great way to get started with testing to boot.
Let's Get To It!
Now that we've got a solid foundation on the why, what & when of testing, we're going to start diving into code. Most people's first experiences with Django involve the classic "polls" app (introduced in Django's tutorial docs). Since the tutorial never adds or mentions tests for that application, we'll use it as a starting point.
You should clone the repository ( git clone https://github.com/toastdriven/guide-to-testing-in-django.git ) to follow along. Whenever a decent chunk of code or new concept is introduced, I will mention the tag you should check out ( git co <tagname> ).
Tag: 01-initial
Our starting point is the completed "polls" app (with a few bugs intentionally added for demonstration). The first thing we'll do is run the test suite, even though we haven't added any tests yet.
Run the following command:
python manage.py test
You'll get a large number of . s then the following output:
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ran 307 tests in 5.763s OK
What? How are there so many tests and all of them already passing? The answer is that the various Django contrib apps that are included in the INSTALLED_APPS all have tests that run as part of the suite.
Since we trust that Django is working right, we'll run tests only for our application ( polls ). Run the following command:
python manage.py test polls
This limits the tests run only to those within the polls app. You should get something more reasonable, like:
. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ran 1 test in 0.000s OK
That's better, though we still have two unaccounted-for tests. When you run python manage.py startapp <appname> , this automatically creates a tests.py file within your app. This file has two basic, kinda-useless tests included. Something like:
""" This file demonstrates writing tests using the unittest module. These will pass when you run "manage.py test". Replace this with more appropriate tests for your application. """ from django.test import TestCase class SimpleTest(TestCase): def test_basic_addition(self): """ Tests that 1 + 1 always equals 2. """ self.assertEqual(1 + 1, 2)
Since 1 + 1 = 2 doesn't really test anything meaningful, we're going to get rid of these & replace them with something more useful. We'll start with the easiest area of Django to add new tests: views.
Adding Tests To Views
Step one is to nuke the existing tests. Select everything in tests.py & delete it all. Much better.
Tag: 02-first-test
Let's replace it with the simplest meaningful test we can do:
from django.test import TestCase class PollsViewsTestCase(TestCase): def test_index(self): resp = self.client.get('/polls/') self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200)
This code sets up a new test case ( PollsViewsTestCase ), which you can think of as a collection of related tests. Any method name starting with test will be run automatically & its output will be included in the testing output when we run the command.
The test itself is simple. We ask the Client ( self.client ) built-in to Django's TestCase to fetch the URL /polls/ using GET . We store that response (an HttpResponse in resp , then perform tests on it.
In this case, we do a simple check on what status code did we get back. Since successful HTTP GET requests result in a 200 , we do an assertEqual to make sure resp.status_code = 200 . When we run our tests, we get:
. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ran 1 test in 0.114s OK
Much better. And cheers, because we know that our index view works! Or does it? We know that the user will get a successful response, but we don't know what content the user will get.
Fortunately, we got back that HttpResponse we stashed in resp . As you (hopefully) know, HttpResponse objects include the content the user should get back. We could test that content against a known string. However, that'd be comparing the full rendered content of the page, which could have other elements involved (template tags, design changes, etc.) that could make our tests fail when there's nothing wrong.
Fortunately, there's a better way. The HttpResponse you get back has a number of additional properties on it that will make it easier for us to test. In particular, the useful ones are:
resp.status_code
resp.context
resp.templates
resp[<header name>]
Since the context should be very consistent between runs, let's use it to make sure things are on the up & up:
from django.test import TestCase class PollsViewsTestCase(TestCase): def test_index(self): resp = self.client.get('/polls/') self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200) self.assertTrue('latest_poll_list' in resp.context) self.assertEqual([poll.pk for poll in resp.context['latest_poll_list']], [1])
We add a check to make sure the latest_poll_list key is seen in the context . Then we make sure that the only Poll we have in our database is in that list of latest polls.
You might be asking "why use a list comprehension"? The answer is that, without using a list comprehension, what you'll actually get back out of the context is that list of the most recent five Polls . Since you're evaluating the list when you run assertEqual , the Poll objects will each return their __unicode__ method, which could change over time. By checking the pk , we make sure that out tests don't randomly fail in the future.
Let's run our tests:
python manage.py test polls
Uh-oh. This doesn't look good:
F ====================================================================== FAIL: test_index (polls.tests.PollsViewsTestCase) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Traceback (most recent call last): File "/Users/daniel/Desktop/guide_to_testing/polls/tests.py", line 9, in test_index self.assertEqual([poll.pk for poll in resp.context['latest_poll_list']], [1]) AssertionError: Lists differ: [] != [1] Second list contains 1 additional elements. First extra element 0: 1 - [] + [1] ? + ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ran 1 test in 0.100s FAILED (failures=1)
What happened? Our . was replaced with an F & we got a traceback saying AssertionError: Lists differ: [] != [1] . For some reason, the list of primary keys we were expecting wasn't there!
The reason is that tests don't run against the database you have in your settings.py . This could lead to destroying real data. Instead, Django runs your tests against a test-only database. When Django creates that database, it's completely empty, hence, the Poll that's present in our "live" database isn't there.
To fix this, we can manually recreate the data as part of the test.
import datetime from django.test import TestCase from polls.models import Poll, Choice class PollsViewsTestCase(TestCase): def test_index(self): poll_1 = Poll.objects.create( question='Are you learning about testing in Django?', pub_date=datetime.datetime(2011, 04, 10, 0, 37) ) choice_1 = Choice.objects.create( poll=poll_1, choice='Yes', votes=0 ) choice_2 = Choice.objects.create( poll=poll_1, choice='No', votes=0 ) resp = self.client.get('/polls/') self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200) self.assertTrue('latest_poll_list' in resp.context) self.assertEqual([poll.pk for poll in resp.context['latest_poll_list']], [1])
Now, if we run our tests, we get:
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ran 1 test in 0.020s OK
Much better. However, that was a lot of work to create that data & having to do that a lot could get verbose, when what you want is for a test to be a concise as possible. There's a general solution to this problem, in the form of fixtures.
Adding fixtures
Fixtures are serialized data that are easy to load. And one of the best uses if for test data within test cases. There are several options for creating them:
python manage.py dumpdata
By hand
Applications like testmaker
For now, because we're lazy & want to use what's included with Django, we'll take our "live" database & dump that data. Run the following command:
mkdir polls/fixtures python manage.py dumpdata polls --indent=4 > polls/fixtures/polls_views_testdata.json
This gives us a new directory ( fixtures ) & drops some nicely formatted JSON data in polls_views_testdata.json . Let's use this new fixture to run our tests.
Warning - Fixture names are "project-wide", so make sure your fixtures have a unique name, otherwise you may get unexpected data.
Tag: 03-better-index
First, we need to modify our code to use this new fixture. We'll remove the model creation bits we added & use the TestCase.fixtures attribute to tell Django's testing facilities what data we want to use when running the tests.
import datetime from django.test import TestCase from polls.models import Poll, Choice class PollsViewsTestCase(TestCase): fixtures = ['polls_views_testdata.json'] def test_index(self): resp = self.client.get('/polls/') self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200) self.assertTrue('latest_poll_list' in resp.context) self.assertEqual([poll.pk for poll in resp.context['latest_poll_list']], [1])
When we run our tests, we see that they still pass correctly:
. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ran 1 test in 0.115s OK
This is great! Let's add a few more tests to make sure the question & choices are right as well.
import datetime from django.test import TestCase from polls.models import Poll, Choice class PollsViewsTestCase(TestCase): fixtures = ['polls_views_testdata.json'] def test_index(self): resp = self.client.get('/polls/') self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200) self.assertTrue('latest_poll_list' in resp.context) self.assertEqual([poll.pk for poll in resp.context['latest_poll_list']], [1]) poll_1 = resp.context['latest_poll_list'][0] self.assertEqual(poll_1.question, 'Are you learning about testing in Django?') self.assertEqual(poll_1.choice_set.count(), 2) choices = poll_1.choice_set.all() self.assertEqual(choices[0].choice, 'Yes') self.assertEqual(choices[0].votes, 1) self.assertEqual(choices[1].choice, 'No') self.assertEqual(choices[1].votes, 0)
We do some tests to make sure all the data we're expecting is there. Again, run the tests & receive an all-clear:
. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ran 1 test in 0.065s OK
Another point of note is that the individual test methods are what count toward the overall test results, not each assertion. So while we've fleshed out our test_index method, it's still only counted as one test.
Tag: 04-second-test
To introduce, more coverage, let's test the detail view. Add the following method to PollsViewsTestCase :
def test_detail(self): resp = self.client.get('/polls/1/') self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200) self.assertEqual(resp.context['poll'].pk, 1) self.assertEqual(resp.context['poll'].question, 'Are you learning about testing in Django?') # Ensure that non-existent polls throw a 404. resp = self.client.get('/polls/2/') self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 404)
It uses all the same things we've already introduced, which is a very common pattern for views that simply display data. As a new twist, we're also checking to make sure that if a non-existent Poll primary key is requested, that we're correctly serving an Http404 .
Running the tests gives us:
E. ====================================================================== ERROR: test_detail (polls.tests.PollsViewsTestCase) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Traceback (most recent call last): # ... lots here... TemplateDoesNotExist: 404.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ran 2 tests in 0.418s FAILED (errors=1)
Oops! We made the common mistake of forgetting to add the 404.html and 500.html templates (since the test suite usually runs with settings.DEBUG = False ). We'll create those files (empty is fine for now) & we're back to passing tests:
.. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ran 2 tests in 0.097s OK
Since the results view is largely the same (at least right now), tests for that a largely a duplicate of the test_detail ones:
def test_results(self): resp = self.client.get('/polls/1/results/') self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200) self.assertEqual(resp.context['poll'].pk, 1) self.assertEqual(resp.context['poll'].question, 'Are you learning about testing in Django?') # Ensure that non-existent polls throw a 404. resp = self.client.get('/polls/2/results/') self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 404)
Running the tests gives us:
... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ran 3 tests in 0.079s OK
This is actually very important, even though those tests are trivial, because those views could change in the future & having test coverage helps ensure that things aren't broken. As we refactor parts of the app in the next installment, you'll see how this can be important.
What's Next?
We've covered getting up & started with testing, going from no tests to ensuring that the display aspects of our application work properly. Things we'll cover next time:
Testing POST requests
Testing forms
Testing models
Updates |
A ruling party lawmaker has drafted a bill making female genital mutilation (FGM) a criminal offense in Russia and ordering up to 10 years in prison for those who perform the operation.
“Discrimination of women based on religious motives manifested in full or partial amputation of external sex organs must be punished by a prison sentence between five and seven years,” reads the draft prepared by MP Maria Maksakova-Igenbergs.
“The same crime committed against an underage person must be punished by a prison sentence between seven and 10 years,” it continues.
READ MORE: ‘Better ways for rite of passage’: UN chief calls for end to female genital mutilation
In a letter sent to major Russian media outlets and news agencies on Friday, the lawmaker noted that according to the Constitution, Russia is a secular state and no cult can be put by its followers above the country’s basic law, which applies to all citizens regardless of their religious beliefs.
Maksakova-Igenbergs also wrote that there is an article in the Constitution that guarantees equal rights to men and women, but that the medical and psychological consequences of male circumcision cannot be compared to those of female genital mutilation.
“Such interference is nothing other than a form of mutilation because this anachronism is being driven only by the idea that this procedure could physically keep women from having an immoral way of life,” she noted.
The topic of FGM was brought up in the Russian mass media earlier this week after the Rights Initiative NGO released a report claiming the procedure is being practiced in a number of remote villages in the predominantly Muslim south Russian republic of Dagestan. The group said that tens of thousands of women had gone through the procedure, which is usually performed on children before the age of three, since the 1970s.
In comments to the report, the mufti of the Coordination Center of North Caucasus Muslims, Ismail Berdiyev, said that in his view all women should be subject to the operation as this would “bring down sexuality and prevent lechery on Earth.”
The statement caused such an outcry in the mass media and on social networks that the mufti had to backtrack the very same day, saying that his words were a joke wrongly interpreted by the press.
READ MORE: Top Russian mufti who said FGM ‘reduces perversions’ tells RT his statement was ‘joke’ gone wrong
Maksakova-Igenbergs told RT that it was the public reaction on the subject that caused her to draft the bill banning FGM in Russia. “I was paralyzed by some people’s reaction to this report. They said something like ‘Sharia laws allow this but do not insist’ and ‘I personally see nothing bad in it’ and the like. I understood that this is some sort of hurtful superstition that can only be ended by a threat of criminal responsibility,” she said.
Earlier in the week a member of Russian Public Chamber, Diana Gurtskaya, addressed the Prosecutor General’s Office with a request to check the legality of exercising FGM in Russia as well as the facts of this practice described in the Rights Initiative report. Another similar request has been filed by the Russian Presidential Council for Human Rights. |
Mark Carney says eurozone is caught in a debt trap and should ease hardline budget cuts just days after the Syriza election directly challenged policy
The Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, has launched a strong attack on austerity in the eurozone as he warned that he single-currency area was caught in a debt trap that could cost it a second lost decade.
Speaking in Dublin, Carney said the eurozone needed to ease its hardline budgetary policies and make rapid progress towards a fiscal union that would transfer resources from rich to poor countries.
“It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that, if the eurozone were a country, fiscal policy would be substantially more supportive,” the governor said. “However, it is tighter than in the UK, even though Europe still lacks other effective risk-sharing mechanisms and is relatively inflexible.”
Carney’s remarks come just three days after the election of the Syriza-led government in Greece presented a direct challenge to the austerity policies championed in the eurozone by Germany’s Angela Merkel.
Eurozone stalled by the toxic politics of the current climate Read more
While not mentioning any eurozone country by name, Carney made it clear that he thought the failure to complete the process of integration coupled with over-restrictive fiscal policies risked driving the 18-nation single currency area deeper into a debt trap.
“Since the financial crisis all major advanced economies have been in a debt trap where low growth deepens the burden of debt, prompting the private sector to cut spending further. Persistent economic weakness damages the extent to which economies can recover. Skills and capital atrophy. Workers become discouraged and leave the labour force. Prospects decline and the noose tightens.
“As difficult as it has been, some countries, including the US and the UK, are now escaping this trap. Others in the euro area are sinking deeper.”
Since the start of the eurozone crisis more than five years ago, Europe’s policy makers have been calling for the creation of a banking union and a fiscal union to stand alongside the monetary union that created the single currency. There have also been calls, from the European commission, the European Central Bank and individual governments for economic reforms to make the eurozone more competitive.
Carney noted: “As of this evening, progress on structural reforms in the euro area remains uneven. Cross border risk sharing through the financial system has slid backwards. Europe’s leaders do not currently foresee fiscal union as part of monetary union. Such timidity has costs.”
The governor added that there are four features of Britain’s economic model that showed how to escape a debt trap: an integrated financial system that channelled savings into investment; fiscal policy that moved money around the UK and was flexible enough to allow budget deficits to rise during downturns; the economy was open and flexible; and the monetary policy operated by Threadneedle Street was credible.
He contrasted the UK with the eurozone, where output unadjusted for inflation has increased by 5% in almost seven years and inflation excluding fuel and food prices has been below 1% for over a year. “This is potentially dangerous. Low nominal growth is intensifying the euro area’s debt burden. The fear of stagnation is holding back spending and investment.”
Carney has been vocal in his support for the European Central Bank’s decision to start buying government and commercial debt in its own version of the quantitative easing programmes, but said the Frankfurt-based central bank was unable alone to eliminate the threat of a prolonged stagnation. “These exist primarily because, in most respects, the current construction of the euro area is unfinished.”
The governor expressed scepticism about whether improving competitiveness through driving down costs – a process known as internal devaluation – would work. “Internal devaluations simply reallocate demand within the currency union. They do not boost aggregate demand in the euro area as a whole. Put another way, since competitiveness is relative, a solution for some cannot be a solution for all.”
Carney said the eurozone’s unemployment rate of 11.5% was more than double that of the UK, but its fiscal deficit – the gap between tax revenues and spending – was only half the size of the UK’s. The eurozone, he said, should be using a “constructive” fiscal policy to support demand and mitigate the “tail risks of stagnation”.
He added: “Europe needs a comprehensive, coherent plan to anchor expectations, build confidence and escape its debt trap.” |
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) is the first terrorist group whose members have grown up on the internet. They are exploiting the power of the web to create a jihadi threat with near-global reach. The challenge to governments and their intelligence agencies is huge – and it can only be met with greater co-operation from technology companies.
Terrorists have long made use of the internet. But Isis’s approach is different in two important areas. Where al-Qaeda and its affiliates saw the internet as a place to disseminate material anonymously or meet in “dark spaces”, Isis has embraced the web as a noisy channel in which to promote itself, intimidate people, and radicalise new recruits.
The extremists of Isis use messaging and social media services such as Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, and a language their peers understand. The videos they post of themselves attacking towns, firing weapons or detonating explosives have a self-conscious online gaming quality. Their use of the World Cup and Ebola hashtags to insert the Isis message into a wider news feed, and their ability to send 40,000 tweets a day during the advance on Mosul without triggering spam controls, illustrates their ease with new media. There is no need for today’s would-be jihadis to seek out restricted websites with secret passwords: they can follow other young people posting their adventures in Syria as they would anywhere else.
The Isis leadership understands the power this gives them with a new generation. The grotesque videos of beheadings were remarkable not just for their merciless brutality, which we have seen before from al-Qaeda in Iraq, but for what Isis has learnt from that experience. This time the “production values” were high and the videos stopped short of showing the actual beheading. They have realised that too much graphic violence can be counter-productive in their target audience and that by self-censoring they can stay just the right side of the rules of social media sites, capitalising on western freedom of expression.
Isis also differs from its predecessors in the security of its communications. This presents an even greater challenge to agencies such as GCHQ. Terrorists have always found ways of hiding their operations. But today mobile technology and smartphones have increased the options available exponentially. Techniques for encrypting messages or making them anonymous which were once the preserve of the most sophisticated criminals or nation states now come as standard. These are supplemented by freely available programs and apps adding extra layers of security, many of them proudly advertising that they are “Snowden approved”. There is no doubt that young foreign fighters have learnt and benefited from the leaks of the past two years.
GCHQ and its sister agencies, MI5 and the Secret Intelligence Service, cannot tackle these challenges at scale without greater support from the private sector, including the largest US technology companies which dominate the web. I understand why they have an uneasy relationship with governments. They aspire to be neutral conduits of data and to sit outside or above politics. But increasingly their services not only host the material of violent extremism or child exploitation, but are the routes for the facilitation of crime and terrorism. However much they may dislike it, they have become the command-and-control networks of choice for terrorists and criminals, who find their services as transformational as the rest of us. If they are to meet this challenge, it means coming up with better arrangements for facilitating lawful investigation by security and law enforcement agencies than we have now.
For our part, intelligence agencies such as GCHQ need to enter the public debate about privacy. I think we have a good story to tell. We need to show how we are accountable for the data we use to protect people, just as the private sector is increasingly under pressure to show how it filters and sells its customers’ data. GCHQ is happy to be part of a mature debate on privacy in the digital age. But privacy has never been an absolute right and the debate about this should not become a reason for postponing urgent and difficult decisions.
To those of us who have to tackle the depressing end of human behaviour on the internet, it can seem that some technology companies are in denial about its misuse. I suspect most ordinary users of the internet are ahead of them: they have strong views on the ethics of companies, whether on taxation, child protection or privacy; they do not want the media platforms they use with their friends and families to facilitate murder or child abuse. They know the internet grew out of the values of western democracy, not vice versa. I think those customers would be comfortable with a better, more sustainable relationship between the agencies and the technology companies. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the spectacular creation that is the world wide web, we need a new deal between democratic governments and the technology companies in the area of protecting our citizens. It should be a deal rooted in the democratic values we share. That means addressing some uncomfortable truths. Better to do it now than in the aftermath of greater violence.
The writer is the director of GCHQ, a UK government intelligence and security organisation
——————————————-
Letters in response to this article:
Helping rid the internet of child abuse images / From Mark Wood
Of course the internet can be misused – so can a car / From Alessandro Ciravegna
GCHQ’s flawed premise that the internet is a tool of terror / From Emma Carr
Mr Hannigan is perfectly entitled to his views / From Charles Brendon
Tech giants can choose what to publish or not to publish / From Sam Scott
Need to intrude must be demonstrated, not merely asserted / From Mark Stephens
The nerve of Richard Hannigan to accuse private companies of misusing the internet / From Richard Horton
Robert Hannigan must remember the fundamental tenet of British freedom / From Malcolm Rasala |
Cherry Coke is one of the things that helped me get through last years particularly strenuous school year of developing and teaching and overloaded schedule of college courses coupled with wedding planning. It also is one of the first things I turn to when I feel a migraine beginning (something about the caffeine, plus the sugar, plus the bubbles). But I try not to become too attached to it and currently I try to save it for "special occasions." Though, finding a restaurant with fountain cherry coke (or better yet, coke with grenadine) is a "special occasion" all its' own.
Cherry Coke Cake
Cherry Coke Soaking Syrup
Cherry Coke Icing
This looks so good! I may make a Coke cake for my birthday coming up. (It won't be nearly as pretty though.) 4 / 5 Oleh Edward Mian Oleh
makes two 8" cake layers (or approximately 24 cupcakes)(note: if you want to make this cake more than 2 layers, I suggest portioning the cake batter into multiple pans & adjusting the baking time. I'm not sure these cake layers would torte very well...)8 oz Unsalted Butter, plus additional for preparing the pan0.60 oz Cocoa Powder12 oz Cherry Coke (1 can)11.30 oz AP Flour, plus additional for preparing the pan11 oz Granulated Sugar1 tsp Baking Soda1/2 tsp Fine Grain Sea Salt2 eggs8 fl oz Buttermilk1 tsp Cola Syrup (optional)1 tsp Grenadine1. In a heavy sauce pan, heat the butter, cocoa powder and cherry coke until the butter melts & the mixture simmers. Set aside to cool.2. Prepare two 8" cake pans by buttering them (I like to use the leftover butter wrappers from step 1), lining the bottom with a circle of parchment, and flouring the pans. Preheat oven to 350 F.3. In a large bowl, whisk together the AP flour, sugar, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and buttermilk. Once the butter/cocoa/coke mixture cools, add the optional cola syrup & grenadine.4. In the dry ingredient bowl, make a well in the center of the ingredients. Pour in the cherry coke mixture & whisk to combine. Add the buttermilk/egg mixture & stir everything together until just incorporated.5. Evenly divide the batter between the two cake pans & bake for 35 minutes (or until a cake tester comes out clean). Cool on a rack.12 oz Cherry CokeGrenadineCoke Syrup1. Pour the soda into a sauce pan, heat over medium high heat & allow it to reduce by half. Don't forget about it or you'll have quite the mess!2. Cool completely. Add additional grenadine & coke syrup to taste.adapted from the Tasty Kitchen 2.7 oz AP Flour8 fl oz Milk8 fl oz Cherry Coke16 oz butter, softened but still cool14 oz Granulated sugar (NOT confectioners)4 oz Grenadine (plus more to taste)1. In a saucepan, whisk the flour together with the milk and cherry coke. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it thickens. The mixture should resemble thick gravy. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the sugar and butter on high speed until the sugar dissolves and the mixture lightens in color and increases in volume. This process does take a while, so have patience!3. Add the completely cooled milk/flour/coke mixture to the creamed butter. Beat until it resembles whipped cream. The mixture may look curdled, but keep beating! Add the grenadine.4. Taste the icing & determine if it has enough cherry flavor for your liking. If it doesn't, add additional grenadine.5. Reserve at room temperature until ready to assemble the cake. |
A Detroit-area teacher has been placed on leave for allegedly using physical force to make an 11-year-old student stand during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Stone Chaney, a sixth grader at East Middle School in the suburban Detroit area of Farmington Hills, Michigan, says he has declined to participate in the pledge since second grade because he believes he should only pledge to God and family.
Chaney said he takes after his father, who works for a neighboring school district, who also sits during the pledge.
“God said don’t worship anything other than me, don’t worship any idols, and pledging to a flag would kind of be like worshiping it,” Chaney told WJBK. “It’s not if I have a reason or not, it’s my right.”
Chaney said he had been doing homework during the pledge on September 7 when a teacher physically grabbed him from his chair.
“A teacher just comes up, puts her arms under my armpits and snatches me out of my chair. I say I don’t stand for the pledge, she just glares at me and walks away,” Chaney said. “I just feel like my rights were violated.”
Farmington Public Schools Superintendent George Heitsch told Fox News that the district is investigating the incident and one teacher has been placed on leave as a result.
Heitsch said students have a right to sit out the Pledge of Allegiance, adding that students and faculty have a right “to be treated with dignity and respect,” Heitsch said.
Phillina Mullin, Chaney’s mother, said the teacher had no right to touch her son.
Chaney said he hopes that ex-NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who became famous for sitting out the National Anthem to protest police brutality, takes notice of his quest to sit out the pledge.
Other teachers have been fired for taking a stand against those who choose to sit out the Pledge of Allegiance. A driver’s education teacher in Chicago had been fired in April for refusing to teach a student who did not want to stand for the pledge. |
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2011 May 13
A Beautiful Trifid
Image Credit & Copyright: R Jay Gabany
Explanation: The beautiful Trifid Nebula is a cosmic study in colorful contrasts. Also known as M20, it lies about 5,000 light-years away toward the nebula rich constellation Sagittarius. A star forming region in the plane of our galaxy, the Trifid illustrates three different types of astronomical nebulae; red emission nebulae dominated by light emitted by hydrogen atoms, blue reflection nebulae produced by dust reflecting starlight, and dark nebulae where dense dust clouds appear in silhouette. The bright red emission region, roughly separated into three parts by obscuring, dark dust lanes, lends the Trifid its popular name. In this well met scene, the red emission is also juxtaposed with the telltale blue haze of reflection nebulae. Pillars and jets sculpted by newborn stars, below and left of the emission nebula's center, appear in Hubble Space Telescope close-up images of the region. The Trifid Nebula is about 40 light-years across. |
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