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The anniversary of women's suffrage is bringing all sorts of enlightened opinions out of the woodwork. Including the US Chamber Of Commerce blogger whose solution to the pay gap is to tell women to "choose the right partner at home." On the lobbying group's official blog, Brad Peck approvingly cites another writer, Don Boudreaux, who wrote, "Not only does achievement of such 'equality' require the state to treat people unequally, obsession with income equality also reflects a Scrooge-like fetish for money." Peck was so taken with the "fetish for money" phrase that he named his post after it. Boudreaux also wondered, "Why do so many 'Progressives' excuse – or even positively approve of – envy of other persons' monetary assets?" In other words, why are you so jealous of people getting paid more to do the same work? He compares women's situation in the workplace to two men, one of whom chooses to go to work a lot and the other one of whom likes to spend all his time in the gym. Peck uses the example to suggest that businesses shouldn't be penalized just because women insist on popping out babies. This would be the same US Chamber of Commerce whose resistance to climate change legislation was too extreme for several power companies, among others, and whose pro-business agenda has also extended to opposing health care reform and unionization. Given all this, it will not shock you that they also opposed what would become the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which it said represented a potential wind-fall against employers by employees trying to dredge up stale pay claims." Via Firedoglake, we learn that they have a sterling record on women's rights: * 1977: US Chamber opposes amendment to Civil Rights Act that would ban discrimination against pregnant women. * 1978: US Chamber says pregnancy is a "voluntary" condition in its opposition to Pregnancy Discrimination Act. * 1987: Family Medical Leave Act "sets a dangerous precedent," according to the US Chamber. * 1998: US Chamber opposes Equal Pay Act because "work experience does tend to create greater wage gaps." * 2007: US Chamber opposes Lilly Ledbetter's court case for equal pay because "tear-stained testimony" prejudices against a defendant. Opposed the bill in Congress to right the wrongs against Ledbetter in 2008 and 2009 as well. * 2007: Chamber official pledges "all out war" against Family Medical Leave Act, and in 2010 made it a "priority" to fight in Congress. * Monday: US Chamber again cites pregnancy as a "voluntary choice." Advertisement There are plenty of inconvenient facts about what causes the pay gap that have nothing to do with lazy ladies and their childbearing, but nevermind. This is how Peck dispenses with them: It is true that culturally speaking women are more likely to have to make the tough choices about work-life balance. But as we all seek to fit our values into a dynamic 24/7 economy, let's not overlook the obvious, immediate, power-of-the-individual solution: choosing the right place to work and choosing the right partner at home. Advertisement I make an individual choice to tell Peck he's an idiot. Equality, Suffrage, And A Fetish For Money [Chamber Post] US Chamber: Equal Pay "a Fetish for Money," Women Should "Choose the Right Partner at Home" [Firedoglake] Earlier: The New York Times Gets The Wage Gap Wrong Does The Wage Gap Really Exist? How Do We End The Wage Gap? Advertisement Image via iofoto/Shutterstock
A simple parking ticket can lead to a hold on your vehicle registration and threats to intercept California tax refunds. The $73 citations, which can spiral, if unpaid, to $175 or more, are the bane of many Angelenos' existence. They brought nearly $150 million to municipal coffers last year and are acknowledged to be a necessary stream of revenue for City Hall's budget. In essence, they're just another way to tax people without saying so. This week a state lawmaker proposed mandatory parking-ticket payment plans for cities including Los Angeles. And yesterday, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation announced its own limited payment program. The bill, by Assemblyman Tom Lackey of Palmdale, would "require local governments to create a monthly payment plan by which low-income drivers will be able to realistically pay their parking fines," according to a fact sheet from the Republican's office.
Login • Register Username: Password: \| Log me on automatically each visit MozillaZine Topics Posts Last post MozillaZine Site Discussion Talk about stuff specific to the site -- bugs, suggestions, and of course praise welcome. 4623 Topics 122335 Posts Last post by tamikanz1 Today, 12:40 pm by tamikanz1 Today, 12:40 pm MozillaZine Tech Discuss various technical topics not related to Mozilla. 8839 Topics 100669 Posts Last post by February 18th, 2019, 2:15 am by Brummelchen February 18th, 2019, 2:15 am Who is online In total there are 63 users online :: 4 registered, 59 guests (based on users active over the past 1 minute) Most users ever online was 1683 on May 13th, 2015, 2:46 am Registered users: Bing [Bot], Google [Bot], jeffreybruton, tanstaafl Legend: Administrators, Folder@Home, Global moderators Statistics Total posts 4872605 • Total topics 893670 • Total members 425340 • Our newest member Edwardapeks
News in Science Human sigh acts as a reset button Scientists studying breathing patterns think they have found the reason we sigh: To reset breathing patterns that are getting out of whack and keep our respiratory system flexible. The study entailed rigging up eight men and 34 women with sensor-equipped shirts that record their breathing, heart rates and blood carbon dioxide levels over 20 minutes of quiet sitting. What the researchers at the University of Leuven in Belgium were looking for were specific changes over one-minute periods encompassing sighs that could confirm or contradict the "re-setter hypothesis" for the function of sighing. And they think they found it. "Our results show that the respiratory dynamics are different before and after a sigh," writes Elke Vlemincx and her co-authors in the latest issue of the journal Biological Psychology. "We hypothesise that a sigh acts as a general re-setter of the respiratory system." The re-setter hypothesis is based on the idea that breathing is an inherently dynamic and rather chaotic system, with all sorts of internal and external factors changing how much oxygen we need and keeping our lungs healthy and ready for action. This sort of system requires a balance of meaningful signals and random noise to operate correctly. Occasional noise in a physiological system, like the respiratory system, is essential because it enables the body to learn how to respond flexibly to the unexpected, says Vlemincx. "A sigh can be considered a noise factor because it has a respiratory volume out of range," she says. Loosening up In this experiment, a sigh was defined as at least two times as large as the mean breath volume. "A breath is defined by a specific volume (depth), the amount of air we breathe in and out, and a specific timing, the time it takes to breathe in and out," says Vlemincx. "Both these characteristics vary: from one moment to the next we breathe slower, faster, shallower, deeper." Vlemincx says that when breathing is in one state for too long, the lungs deteriorate. They become more stiff and less efficient in gas exchange. So in times of stress, when breathing is less variable, a sigh can reset the respiratory system and loosen the lung's air sacs, or alveoli, which may be accompanied by a sensation of relief, says Vlemincx. Knowing this, it would seem logical then to add some sighs to the breathing regimes of people on mechanical, ventilators. As it turns out, it has been tried. "If you put in a few sigh breaths, people feel better," says Frank Wilhelm a clinical psychologist at the Universit�t Basel in Switzerland. Wilhelm has studied the role of breathing in psychological disorders extensively. Over doing it On the other hand, too much sighing can add too much noise to the system and can also throw the system out of whack. This appears to be what happens to people experiencing panic attacks, says Wilhelm. "Panic victims don't recover from sighing," says Wilhelm. In fact, people experiencing panic attacks have been long observed to involve a great deal of sighing, and show all the symptoms of hyperventilation: dizziness, numbness in the extremities, etc., he says. For that reason a training program involving biofeedback was developed to help panic disorder victims get control of their sighing. It works, says Wilhelm, and further confirms the re-setter hypothesis for sighs. "It's like a miracle cure, when you think about it," he says.
In 2013, Kshama Sawant became the first socialist elected to a major city council in decades. Among her accomplishments in office, she helped make a $15 an hour minimum wage in Seattle a reality in 2015, catalyzing it into a mainstream idea in American politics. Since Bernie Sanders’ 2016 Presidential Campaign, Democratic Socialism has surged in popular as an antidote to far right and corporate establishment politics. While the Democratic Party experienced recent electoral wins this November in Virginia, New Jersey and across the country, included in that blue wave were 21 Democratic Socialists of America members or endorsed candidates. “Within the Democratic Party, people are not just passively saying, ‘Well, anybody but Trump.’ People are clearly rejecting corporate politics as well as Trump himself and right wing politics,” said Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant in an interview. “There’s a real battle within the Democratic Party going on between corporate politics, Wall Street dominated politics of Pelosi and Schumer, and the millions in the grassroots, people who supported Bernie Sanders and were really energized by his message of a political revolution against the billionaire class. Just because Bernie is not running himself, or because it’s not the presidential election year doesn’t mean that the ideas that he energized have gone away.” That energy is most evident among young people. Sanders won more voters under 30 across all demographics than Clinton and Trump combined during the primaries. A Harvard-Harris poll conducted in October 2017 found that 69 percent of Democrats ages 18 to 34 favored moving the party further left. The failures of neoliberalism and the Democratic Party establishment’s ties to wealthy donors over the working class are pushing voters to favor progressive solutions that challenge these power structures. “Now that the DSA and Our Revolution have got their candidates elected, I think the question is, what kind of policy program will these elected officials at different levels put forward? What kind of work will they do?” she said. “The reason I am fighting and I have fulfilled every promise that I made on the campaign trail is because I’m part of an organization, Socialist Alternative, that is tied to social movements, tied to the working class and holds me accountable. What are the structures similar to Socialist Alternative? What are the structures that can be used to hold these other candidates who have won, accountable?” Rather than simply pushing the Democratic Party further left, many young voters are turning to socialism as a solution to the problems rampant in today’s hyper-capitalist society. The Democratic Socialists of America reached over 30,000 members in October 2017, and recent election victories of members and endorsed candidates are reflective of this surge in popularity. “I think that will be one of the key questions in the next several years, not just next year but for the rest of their first term,” she said of trying to push the Democrats leftward. “The vast majority of people who voted for Trump are working class people who wanted to register a protest against corporate politics. What it shows, really more than anything else, is the absence of a real alternative to corporate politics. If Bernie Sanders had been the candidate who was running against Trump, he would have presented a real left wing alternative, a real progressive, humane, and sane alternative to what people are looking for. Instead, Trump, because he’s a con man, he got to pose as somebody who would as he said, ‘Remember the forgotten men and women,’ but obviously not.” She cites the Republican tax reform package as “the antithesis of anything good for the working class,” likening it to a wish-list for the wealthy. And yet, she says, because Hillary Clinton didn’t offer an alternative to corporate politics, working people voted for him. “What Trump took advantage of was the complete vacuum that exists on the left. He ran as an alternative, as an outsider to Hillary Clinton,” she said. “The reason he succeeded was because there’s such a deep hatred of corporate politics.” And yet, the Democratic Party’s answer seems to be more of the same. And, according to Sewant, this dynamic isn’t confined to national politics. “You see the same power structures being replicated,” she said. “In Seattle, we didn’t win a $15 minimum because the Seattle city council is all Democrat. No, we won it despite the fact that all the politicians here are Democrats, because most of them are corporate Democrats and they did not support $15 an hour, but we won it despite them because we built a strong social movement,” she said. Sawant says that building social movements on the left will invigorate the Democratic Party—and not the other way around. “As a socialist, I feel more optimistic today than I would have in years past because people are moving more to left and not to the right. People are questioning the status quo, people are angry at corporate politics. There’s a small current of real right wing ideology and that’s horrific. We should not pretend it doesn’t exist, but that does not describe the vast majority of people who voted for Trump,” said Sawant.
Звездный крик Загадочные космические вспышки гамма-излучения, продолжавшиеся от нескольких секунд до нескольких минут, впервые были обнаружены в 1968 году американскими спутниками, предназначенными для наблюдений за советскими ядерными испытаниями. На небосводе гамма-вспышки наблюдаются появляются раз в день. По современным представлениям ученых, они возникают во время взрывов особенно крупных звезд и на первых фазах их превращения в черные дыры. Когда такая звезда гибнет, сила притяжения порождаемой ими черной дыры или нейтронной звезды заставляет клубы материи бывшего светила. выбрасываемые в открытый космос, возвращаться назад и объединяться в "бублик", вращающийся вокруг центрального объекта. Часть этого диска поглощается черной дырой, а остатки разгоняются до околосветовых скоростей и выбрасываются во внешнее пространство в виде джетов, узких пучков материи. Во время этой "раскрутки" материи погибающая звезда порождает столько энергии и света, сколько звезда класса Солнца вырабатывает за всю свою жизнь. То, как именно происходит этот процесс, ученые пока не знают, и спорят о его сути на протяжении последних 50 лет. Кутырев и его коллеги сделали большой шаг к раскрытию тайны рождения гамма-всплесков, наблюдая за одной из последних вспышек такого рода, GRB160625B, возникшей в созвездии Дельфина на ночном небе северного полушария Земли в конце июня прошлого года и открытой в первые секунды после ее рождения космическим гамма-телескопом "Ферми". Загадочные космические вспышки гамма-излучения, продолжавшиеся от нескольких секунд до нескольких минут, впервые были обнаружены в 1968 году американскими спутниками, предназначенными для наблюдений за советскими ядерными испытаниями. На небосводе гамма-вспышки наблюдаются появляются раз в день. По современным представлениям ученых, они возникают во время взрывов особенно крупных звезд и на первых фазах их превращения в черные дыры.Когда такая звезда гибнет, сила притяжения порождаемой ими черной дыры или нейтронной звезды заставляет клубы материи бывшего светила. выбрасываемые в открытый космос, возвращаться назад и объединяться в "бублик", вращающийся вокруг центрального объекта. Часть этого диска поглощается черной дырой, а остатки разгоняются до околосветовых скоростей и выбрасываются во внешнее пространство в виде джетов, узких пучков материи.Во время этой "раскрутки" материи погибающая звезда порождает столько энергии и света, сколько звезда класса Солнца вырабатывает за всю свою жизнь. То, как именно происходит этот процесс, ученые пока не знают, и спорят о его сути на протяжении последних 50 лет.Кутырев и его коллеги сделали большой шаг к раскрытию тайны рождения гамма-всплесков, наблюдая за одной из последних вспышек такого рода, GRB160625B, возникшей в созвездии Дельфина на ночном небе северного полушария Земли в конце июня прошлого года и открытой в первые секунды после ее рождения космическим гамма-телескопом "Ферми". Практически в первые же секунды после начала вспышки к наблюдениям присоединилась российская сеть роботизированных телескопов МАСТЕР, созданных под руководством Владимира Липунова из ГАИШ МГУ и расставленных в стратегически выбранных точках по территории всей планеты. Танец электронов Наблюдения за послесвечением вспышки, которые вели Липунов и его коллеги, помогли ученым впервые проследить за тем, в какую сторону "закручено" ее излучение и понять, какую роль в ее рождении играли магнитные поля и притяжение черной дыры. Астрономы в прошлом считали, что вспышка гамма-всплеска может возникать по двум разным причинам – в результате взаимодействия магнитного поля черной дыры и "роя" окружающих ее частиц, или же в результате взаимного трения частиц материи звезды, падающих на нее и "выплевываемых" вместе с джетами. Как пишут Липунов и его коллеги, данные по поляризации излучения GRB160625B указывают на то, что на самом деле в рождении этих вспышек виноват и тот, и другой механизм. Изначально рождением гамма-всплеска "дирижирует" магнитное поле черной дыры, однако на некотором расстоянии от сингулярности это поле ослабевает, и взаимодействия частиц материи начинают играть ведущую роль в формировании излучения. "Синхротронное излучение, порождаемое электронами, "танцующими" в магнитном поле, является единственным механизмом формирования вспышки, который мог бы породить ту поляризацию и тот спектр гамма-всплеска, который мы наблюдали в первые мгновения после его начала. Открытие и доказательство этого является крайне важной вещью для нас, так как до этого нам не удавалось однозначно идентифицировать механизм, порождающий этот поток частиц света", — добавляет Элеонора Троя (Eleonora Troja), астроном из университета Мэриленда в Балтиморе (США). Как отмечают астрономы, раскрытие механизма работы "самой мощной космической пушки" поможет астрономам понять, как часто возникают гамма-всплески, могут ли они рождаться в нашей Галактике и на каком расстоянии от Земли находится звезда, которая закончит свое существование подобным образом. Кроме того, это открытие указывает на то, что гамма-вспышки не являются источниками космических лучей высокой энергии, как считали раньше ученые, так как сильное магнитное поле черной дыры будет мешать их разгону. Практически в первые же секунды после начала вспышки к наблюдениям присоединилась российская сеть роботизированных телескопов МАСТЕР, созданных под руководством Владимира Липунова из ГАИШ МГУ и расставленных в стратегически выбранных точках по территории всей планеты.Наблюдения за послесвечением вспышки, которые вели Липунов и его коллеги, помогли ученым впервые проследить за тем, в какую сторону "закручено" ее излучение и понять, какую роль в ее рождении играли магнитные поля и притяжение черной дыры.Астрономы в прошлом считали, что вспышка гамма-всплеска может возникать по двум разным причинам – в результате взаимодействия магнитного поля черной дыры и "роя" окружающих ее частиц, или же в результате взаимного трения частиц материи звезды, падающих на нее и "выплевываемых" вместе с джетами.Как пишут Липунов и его коллеги, данные по поляризации излучения GRB160625B указывают на то, что на самом деле в рождении этих вспышек виноват и тот, и другой механизм. Изначально рождением гамма-всплеска "дирижирует" магнитное поле черной дыры, однако на некотором расстоянии от сингулярности это поле ослабевает, и взаимодействия частиц материи начинают играть ведущую роль в формировании излучения."Синхротронное излучение, порождаемое электронами, "танцующими" в магнитном поле, является единственным механизмом формирования вспышки, который мог бы породить ту поляризацию и тот спектр гамма-всплеска, который мы наблюдали в первые мгновения после его начала. Открытие и доказательство этого является крайне важной вещью для нас, так как до этого нам не удавалось однозначно идентифицировать механизм, порождающий этот поток частиц света", — добавляет Элеонора Троя (Eleonora Troja), астроном из университета Мэриленда в Балтиморе (США).Как отмечают астрономы, раскрытие механизма работы "самой мощной космической пушки" поможет астрономам понять, как часто возникают гамма-всплески, могут ли они рождаться в нашей Галактике и на каком расстоянии от Земли находится звезда, которая закончит свое существование подобным образом. Кроме того, это открытие указывает на то, что гамма-вспышки не являются источниками космических лучей высокой энергии, как считали раньше ученые, так как сильное магнитное поле черной дыры будет мешать их разгону. Астрономы из МГУ и ряда зарубежных университетов и институтов получили первые детальные фотографии и данные по тому, как возникают загадочные гамма-всплески, чье изучение поможет ученым понять, что их порождает и угрожают ли они Земле, говорится в статье, опубликованной в журнале Nature. "Гамма-вспышки происходят на космологических расстояниях от нас, и некоторые из них случились практически в момент рождения Вселенной. Их появление невозможно предсказать, и когда вспышка происходит, их источник навсегда исчезает. Нам очень повезло, что мы смогли проследить за этим событием при помощи разных телескопов и с разных углов зрения, особенно в момент рождения вспышки, который крайне тяжело поймать", — рассказывает Александр Кутырев из Центра космических полетов НАСА имени Годдарда в Гринбелте (США).
Party: Powerhouse Vice president: Vidha Dixit Describes campaign as: Experience. Dedication. Service. Why are you running for president? It is one of the best ways for us to give back to the University that has provided us with such an incredible college experience. Why are you qualified for the position? We have the most experience in SGA and truly understand how to effectively complete all of our campaign objectives. Through running the legislative branch as Speaker of the Senate, serving on university committees and in leadership in several student organizations, we have the leadership experience both inside SGA and outside to have what it takes to tackle the challenges ahead of us and to best serve the UH student body. If elected, what is your end goal? Our goal is service. When we are elected, we are chosen to advocate for the student body, serve others, and make progress, not to just be warm bodies. We want to look back and know that we sacrificed all we could to make service to our fellow students our first priority.
Clowns brawled with animal rights protesters under a circus big top in San Bernardino on the night of Friday Apr. 17, 2015 (Published Monday, April 20, 2015) Clowns brawled with animal rights protesters under a circus big top in San Bernardino Friday night. Hundreds of spectators watched the fight break out when workers allegedly tried to stop the activists from forcing their way inside after the Ramos Bros. Circus show began. Two protestors were arrested following the melee, while two circus employees were injured when the fight broke out at 8:08 p.m., according to a San Bernardino Police Department spokesman. Ringmaster Oliver Ramos claimed his lip was split after he was hit on the face with his megaphone in trying to keep protestors outside. "All of a sudden when I turned around one of them jumped on top of my uncle - he's over 68-years-old - and they started beating on him and I reacted," Ramos said. "When I pulled them off they hit me with a megaphone in the face and all these ladies started scratching me on the face." However protester Nicholas Shaw-McMinn claimed they were protesting non-violently, and that protesters were the ones attacked by the circus workers. "Employees locked us on the property and wouldn't let us leave. They assaulted... multiple protestors, some with weapons," Shaw-McMinn said. He also claimed one of the workers placed him in a choke hold during the clash. The activists, who said they are members of the Direct Action Everywhere group, provided video which showed them protesting outside the big top before the melee. The Ramos Bros. Circus website boasts that the show features "animals from all over the world," showing images of lamas, camels and horses. Ramos said he does not mind activists protesting on the street but wants them to stay off the property where the circus is performing. He also believes something has to be done to prevent further clashes occurring "These people are just crazy fanatics… it has to stop. These people are getting out of hand," Ramos said. However it seems they will not be staying away, as more than 100 protesters are expected to show up for more demonstrations taking place Saturday. The "Protest Ramos Bros. Circus" Facebook page says: "Traveling animal acts perpetuate animal cruelty, inhumane care, public safety hazards and distorted images of wildlife. "As compassionate animal lovers we must stop animal entertainment and extend our love to all animals. Animals are not our (sic) to use, they are not our property; they are beings that desire the same freedoms as us." It also claims circus animals are trained using methods such as whipping, hitting, poking, and shocking with electrical prods.
Greek police searched the offices of the Golden Dawn party on Wednesday after an anti-racism rapper was stabbed to death by a man who sympathized with the far-right group. The killing touched a nerve in Greece, where an economic crisis has worsened social tensions, and rallies in several cities to mark the death turned violent. A 45-year-old man was arrested and admitted to the killing, police said. Greece's citizen protection minister said the suspect was a Golden Dawn sympathizer. Pavlos Fissas, 35, who went by the stage name Killah P, was stabbed twice in the heart and chest on Tuesday night in a brawl after a soccer match shown in a cafe in Keratsini, a working-class suburb of Athens. (Read more: Euro zone's 'north-south divide' to widen further) Police said the offices of a political party were searched for evidence linking it to the attack, but stopped short of naming Golden Dawn. They later arrested a Golden Dawn official for a weapons offence after finding a police-style night-stick in the party's offices in Piraeus. More than 5,000 people rallied in Athens on the spot where Fissas was stabbed. Police fired teargas at protesters who hurled stones and petrol bombs at a police station and set garbage containers on fire, Reuters witnesses said. "The government of (Prime Minister Antonis) Samaras is the instigator by allowing murderous Golden Dawners to roam around unpunished and armed with knives," said KEERFA, the United Movement Against Racism and the Fascist Threat. "It's time to punish the neo-Nazi murderers of Golden Dawn and to throw the Samaras government - a miserable gang of bankers, the troika (of international lenders) and neo-Nazis - into the trash." The leader of the right-wing Independent Greeks party, Panos Kamenos, who visited the scene of the crime to pay his respects was attacked and lightly injured by a group of protesters. Clashes between police and demonstrators were reported in two other Greek cities, Patras and Thessaloniki. Criminal The killing of Fissas has revived calls to ban Golden Dawn, Greece's third most popular party according to recent opinion polls, which denies constant accusations of involvement in a wave of attacks on immigrants and leftists. With an emblem resembling a swastika, the party rose from obscurity to enter parliament last year. Its leaders have denied the Holocaust and defended Greece's 1967-1974 military junta. Golden Dawn is a "criminal organization" that should be declared illegal, the co-ruling Socialist PASOK party said. The far-right party has condemned the killing and denied accusations by "wretched sycophants" of any involvement. "(The accusers) are miserable and wretched not only because of their brazen lies and slander but because they are exploiting a tragic event for politicking, to win votes and to divide Greek society," Golden Dawn said in a statement. The government plans to sharpen the law defining what a criminal organization is, said Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Dendias. "The abominable murder in Keratsini by an attacker sympathizing with Golden Dawn, according to his own statement, illustrates, in the clearest way, the intentions of neo-Nazism," Dendias said.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are excited to present to you our grand pre-release Q&A blog for Holdfast: Nations At War! We have always been keen on transparency. Primarily this is to keep you up to date with our progress but it also allows us to go a step forward and involve our community with the development of the game. Holdfast: NaW will be available to play through Steam Early Access on September the 21st. Today we’ll be answering some of your most-asked questions on Holdfast: Nations At War. Before we continue, we recommend that you head over to our previous blog post as we have not gone into detail on things already discussed over there. Developer Blog 17 - Holdfast: Nations At War releases this September the 21st! Anvil Game Studios. Meet the core development team Holdfast: Nations At War is being built from the ground up by a core development team of 3! Andrew “Refleax” Farrugia, the Producer is to the left, Andreas “Dreas” Grech the one and only Programmer working on the game sits to the right and Julian “Rycon” Farrugia the lead 3D Artist, is standing in the middle. We’re a small indie team putting long hours into something that we all love to do. We are giving it our all to make Holdfast: Nations At War truly great. Steam Early Access. Alpha phase Holdfast: Nations At War is still under active development (and will be for some time). This Alpha state means that some of its features and content are more polished than others. Improvements are ongoing for the core mechanics of the game such as the melee and naval combat along with player count optimisations. On that base, we also plan on the inclusion of new features such as cavalry, new factions and maps. We know what the community wants and we’re working on it! Constant game updates. Onwards to release We very well understand our responsibility towards our Early Access supporters in bringing it out of that phase and into a full release. In order to achieve this in a timely fashion, we will be pushing out regular updates and improvements to the game based on our development roadmap. We will also be releasing changelogs with each and every build to provide you with greater visibility of our progress. We feel that visibility and community involvement within development will be the secret to a successful transition from Early Access to release. 1. Is the melee combat directional and what are your priorities towards this mechanic? On Our Forum The melee combat system in Holdfast: Nations At War is based on a directional system. This means that you can strike and block in four directions. Not all of the weapons within the game can use all four directions. We feel that this system is incredibly important to the success of Holdfast: NaW and so we are working hard to develop it into something that plays and feels great. Since we first announced the game, we have been working closely with members of our competitive community during our closed-testing to improve upon this core mechanic of the game. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to them for allowing us to take up their time to gather their feedback! Work on melee combat is currently ongoing. We understand that melee combat is important to help with sustaining a healthy and competitive player base. This is why we’ve placed improvements and additional functionality for this mechanic at the very top of our priority list. We will also continue to consult with our wider community on our way forward when the game is out on Early Access to gather further direct feedback. You can join in the discussion on melee combat here: Melee Combat - Send us your feedback! 2. Can you tell us more about the available firearms and shooting mechanics? On Facebook As the game is set during the Napoleonic Wars, the firearms of the time were very different. The reliance on muzzle-loaded smoothbore muskets (and less often rifles) means a longer reload time. The accuracy of these weapons is also limited to a much smaller range. You will often have to rely on your sword or bayonet during combat. Other than that, they operate similarly to a traditional shooter, right click to aim and left click to fire. Besides muskets and rifles, you will also find other firearms present in the game such as pistols and blunderbusses. Each and every firearm has different characteristics. We have developed a system that correctly maps projectile trajectories while taking multiple mechanics into account like velocity, accuracy and arching bullet drop. This will come in especially handy for those crews and regiments looking at training their men with the use of firearms! This functionality can be toggled on and off by server administrators. Here’s a first-hand look at some firearms you’ll be seeing get into the game during Early Access! They’ll be there to complement both existing and new classes. French Firearms (Work In Progress) British Firearms (Work In Progress) 3. Will you be releasing the server files to the public? On Facebook Yes! You will be able to host your own servers on day one within Early Access. We know how important it is to allow the community to host their own servers so events can start taking place. We will also be providing you with documentation which goes into detail on how to setup and administer your own server. 4. Do you have any plans for player built defences? On Twitter Player built defences will be constructed by the Sapper (Engineer) class which we will be working on during Early Access. You’ll see this present in our development roadmap for the game. We want the Sapper class to do more than just build defences however! Our current thinking in terms of the engineer is as follows: Reinforce Doors - Engineers can reinforce doors to increase their resistance to damage. Repair - The sapper will also be able to repair destroyed artillery pieces, player built defences and other objects on the map. Explosive Barrel - Engineers can construct and carry explosive barrels underneath fortifications to create breaches. Explosives can also be used to destroy bridges. Gabions - Engineers can construct wickerwork defences filled with earth to provide cover. Shooting Platform - Engineers can construct platforms to allow players to shoot above cover such as walls. Chevaux De Frise - Engineers can construct chevaux de frise which damage cavalry if they touch them. Infantry Spikes - Engineers can construct spikes which damage infantry if touched. Trenches - Engineers can dig trenches on fort-based maps to provide cover on the advance. Tunnels - Engineers can dig tunnels on fort-based maps. They can be used to carry explosives under the fort’s walls and create breaches. They can also be used as a direct entrance to a fortification. Firing Holes - Engineers can construct firing holes inside walls (in certain places) so that players can fire from them. Chairs - Engineers can construct chairs because chairs are nice. You’re very welcome to share with us your own ideas for the Sapper class. Holdfast: Nations At War is being developed based on community feedback. 5. What about Cavalry? I haven’t seen it in the announcement trailer. Can you tell us if you plan on including it or not in the game? On Our Forum Yes! Cavalry will be making an appearance within Holdfast: Nations At War during Early Access. We've already planned ahead for their inclusion in the game whilst working on other systems and mechanics. We would have never promised this feature to our community unless we had already done our research and preparation. We’re very much looking forward to the day we see them in the game ourselves. 6. How many classes do you plan on including in the game? On Facebook The greater the selection of classes, the more versatile gameplay will be! There are more classes already present within the game which have yet to be revealed. The selection of playable classes currently totals to 17. Be sure to keep an eye out on our Facebook and Twitter during the coming days. To start off, here’s a better view of the captain class. Captains have priority over the rest of the crewmen when it comes to sailing a naval vessel. They also come equipped with a pistol, sword, lantern and a spyglass. 7. Will we be seeing new classes get into the game during Early Access? On Facebook We have already talked about cavalry and sappers above, and you can see a render of a third class below which you may be able to recognise yourselves! Plans for additional classes to make it into the game other than what we’ve mentioned here are also being discussed. On top of this, we are also going to be working on expanding the features of all the current classes. British Uniform (Work In Progress) French Uniform (Work In Progress) 8. Can you tell us more about game modes? On Facebook If you have seen our interview with Historia Games a few months backs, you will already be familiar with this question. Army based game-modes indicate that they are land-only (no ships!) while Naval and Coastal game-modes indicate that they are either purely naval or a combination of both sea and land. Army Battlefield - Push back the enemy faction's troops until their reinforcements deplete. By depleting their reinforcements, players won't be able to spawn for that faction anymore. If you're still alive on the battlefield and your faction's reinforcements deplete, you will have to commit to your last stand! Players will also spawn in waves in this game mode. Army Assault - This game mode is an unforgiving single-life battle to the end. The first team to annihilate the other wins the fight. Army Death Match - Traditional respawning chaos in which a player struggles to kill more of the enemy until the timer ends. Army Siege - One team holds a fortified position that the opposing side must take. Siege maps have multiple capture points. The defenders spawn in waves in the following game mode and have limited reinforcements. Naval Battlefield - Two fleets of ships with limited respawns per-vessel fight to the last in a naval engagement. Naval Assault - Be wary of your opponent’s guns. You only have one life. Sink the other faction’s ships or eliminate their crewmen to win the match. Coastal Siege - Combined gameplay on land and sea! Two sides clash over a coastal fortification. You’ll be seeing more land-based fortifications added to the game during Early Access. We have already mentioned some of our plans for the Army Siege game mode whilst talking about the Sapeur class in this blog post. Here’s a preview of something we’re working on right now: Star Fort (Work In Progress) 9. How many maps are in the game right now? Will you be working on additional game levels during Early Access? On Discord We have a total of 14 maps ready and playable in Holdfast: Nations At War. Keep an eye out on our Facebook and Twitter as we regularly showcase more maps as we get ever closer to our Early Access launch date. You can also head over to our website from the link below to check out the maps we have revealed so far. Holdfast: Nations At War - Diverse Map Selection The selection of maps available on land, sea and coast will continuously expand before, during and even after Early Access. There are a total of 7 maps which are currently undergoing development. Here’s a preview of three of the maps that you’ll be seeing get into the game during its Early Access phase. Land Based Map 1 (Work In Progress) Siege Map (Work In Progress) Land Based Map 2 (Work In Progress) We are also taking what you are saying into account when it comes to the design of our maps. The most obvious example of this is the creation of a place for you and our entire community as a whole to share with us your map ideas! You’re most welcome to join in the discussion by heading here: Map Concepts - Share with us your Ideas! 10. Will you be working on a map editor? On Discord Yes, we would certainly love to provide our community with tools to design and create maps. Even though right now our priorities are towards the core mechanics of the game, we have already put a lot of thought into the technicalities behind a map editor! Steam workshop integration would also greatly complement this feature. The map editor will be listed in our development roadmap for the game. 11. What is the development roadmap? On Our Forum The development roadmap details a list of new features for all of the theatres of combat within the game as well as improvements to existing systems. We will be releasing the development roadmap at the same time as we release Holdfast: Nations At War on the 21st of September. Within the roadmap you’ll be seeing our plans for the inclusion of cavalry, the sapper (engineer) class, player built defences, improvements upon the directional melee combat system, our ongoing dedication towards supporting high player counts, the ability to host single elimination tournaments, new maps, naval vessels, artillery pieces, additions to artillery mechanics, factions and firearms, sounds, additional voice acted orders and more! We’ll also be showing work in progress snippets in our roadmap to continuously assure you on our dedication towards the project as we've been doing throughout this Q&A blog. Here’s a preview of something which I am personally really looking forward to seeing added to the game during Early Access! You will also be able to fire these bad boys from boats. Rocket Artillery (Work In Progress) Work on redesigning the spawn menu is also ongoing. The user interface is yet another aspect of the game that we’ll be focusing on during Early Access. You’ll be seeing it listed in our development roadmap. Here’s a look at our progress in this area! We’re also thinking ahead on how to allow players to select different uniforms for the same class from this interface. Spawn Menu UI - Equip Weapon (Work In Progress) In order to respond to the wishes of the community, we are open to changes in both content and priority within our roadmap as development continues. For instance, as we have mentioned before a significant step will be the decision over which faction to add to the game next. 12. Will you continue developing the game after Early Access? On Facebook Yes, we chose the Napoleonic era for our first title because it provides us with an almost endless possibility for content to expand upon. We have also taken the fight in Holdfast: Nations At War from land to include the sea as well as the coast to further broaden the scope of the game. Our team is also very keen on the period which helps on the long days and difficult development problems! We know that the community that enjoys the type of gameplay we offer are also very passionate. Involving our community throughout the game’s development will be important for its success. 13. Why did you decide to go into Early Access? On Discord Early Access plays a key role in allowing us to remain independent. We are currently self-funding Holdfast: Nations At War to avoid any sort of outside influence to the development of the game and remain community oriented. We also want to create the game without the need for accepting donations or loans largely as part of our overall motivation and dedication to this project and our community. Our team takes great pride in being able to self-finance and create our game from scratch. We firmly believe that a work of passion properly pursued will always result in a game of higher quality. Shaping the game together with our players is going to play a major role in ensuring its success. We have been gathering and working directly based on feedback since the very early stages of the game’s development and we will continue to do so throughout development. Early Access will enable all of our followers with a direct opportunity to provide us with feedback while we continue to improve existing features as well as well as include new content within the game. 14. How much will the game cost? On Our Forum Holdfast: Nations At War will be priced at 19.99 EUR when it is released on Early Access this September. We are also taking measures to reduce the price from the original 19.99 EUR mark depending on the country you currently reside in - This is to make sure that the game is affordable for everyone. Here are a few examples of the pricing of the game in different currencies: Turkish Lira - TL31.00, GP Pounds - £14.99, Canadian Dollar - CDN $21.99 Etc. 15. Will you be working on Player Count optimisations during Early Access? How many players can you support per server right now? On Our Forum Yes, indeed! Supporting high player counts along with other optimisations and improvements to core mechanics (such as the melee combat) will be at the forefront of Holdfast: Nations At War. The larger the player-count is, the more enjoyable the experience will be. Andreas (Our sole programmer!) has been working tirelessly towards this goal. You don’t see high player counts being supported in games very often because it’s an extremely difficult and time-consuming feat to achieve. CPU, GPU, RAM, bandwidth and a whole range of other optimisations are required to support even the most basic number of players per server. Since we announced the game back in July, Andreas has managed to ramp up the player count to over 120 players on land per server! Needless to say, we won’t be stopping right here. We will be continuously working on this both before and during Early Access. We want to see epic Napoleonic battles rage on just as much as you do. To this effect, the stress tests we’ve been hosting throughout this month have provided us with a lot of technical information for the way forward on player count optimisations. We already know what needs to be done in this area to increase the number of players per server. We will keep you informed as this number grows during and after Early Access. More testers are being invited on a case by case basis to drive up the numbers in our events. 16. Will you be including additional factions into the game? On Discord We will be including new factions in Holdfast: Nations At War - The community will be involved in our decision as to which faction is brought first into the game during Early Access. 17. Will you be translating the game into other languages? On Steam We'll be translating the game to multiple languages after the game is released on Early Access. We hope to involve the community in deciding the priority for localisation. 18. What are the system requirements? On Steam We’re doing our best to support dated computer hardware (within reason!). Another method for allowing a wider range of systems to run the game is to give you a wide variety of settings and presets with which you can reduce graphical quality in favour of performance. You can have a look at this yourself in the screenshots down below. We will be utilizing the last few weeks before our Early Access release to investigate the minimum hardware requirements to run the game. This information will be made visible to everyone under the system requirements on our Steam store page along with our recommended system requirements for best gameplay. 19. How will the community be involved in the development of the game? On Our Forum A simple and effective format will be the invitation to our player-base to voice their opinion about gameplay features, priorities and preferences through polls. We will also frequent discord and our forums for more direct communication. Our competitive community is currently being involved in tests for the game to provide us with direct feedback of which we then work on. We will continue doing this during Early Access as well. You have our word that Holdfast: Nations At War is and will always be community driven! 20. Will there be a single-life game mode available during the Early Access launch? On Discord Yes, join a server hosting the Army Assault game mode and you’re good to go. 21. How many ships do you have in the game? On Our Forum We have four sea vessels in the game so far excluding the rowboat. The 2-Gun Schooner and the 12-Gun Brig-Sloop have been revealed already and we plan to extend this roster during Early Access. Look forward to what we’ll be showing in our development roadmap! We’ll also be taking this opportunity to reveal yet another naval vessel ready and playable for the first day we release on Early Access. You can have a look at the 8-Gun Schooner based on the HMS Berbice down below. 22. Do you consider the naval combat as a core part of the game? Do you have any plans for bigger ships? On Our Forum Yes, it is a core part of the game! The fight at sea played a huge role during the Napoleonic era. Naval combat goes beyond riding floating platforms blasting each other, players will have to cooperate to operate these vessels while taking things like wind direction and ship destruction into account. We do plan on adding larger ships to complement our current selection and the frigate class of ship seems to be a good place to start from. Work on this front has also been ongoing! We’ve been thinking about leaving this as a small surprise for our development roadmap but we couldn’t wait to show it off. Armed with enough guns on her broadsides to bring a quick end to other naval vessels, here’s a first-hand look at the French frigate ‘La Proserpine’. Frigate 'La Proserpine' (Work In Progress) 23. How do you plan on supporting the competitive scene of the game? On Our Forum By the implementation of direct features and the hosting of official competitive events. The latter will start a few weeks after we release on Early Access. This will provide a precedent for regiments and crews to compete against each other. We’re also in contact with some casters and YouTubers who have already offered to give us a helping hand along the way. Here’s a shot from the “Sunday Napoleonic Battle” event we’ve been hosting during our closed testing for the game. We’re looking forward to continuing doing this! 24. Will there be weather in the game? On Our Forum Yes, we have recently revealed the dynamic weather system on our social media. You can see the weather transition from clear skies, to rain, storm, snow and fog in the game. All of this is also configurable by server administrators through a selection of presets during the match. Here are a few shots of the weather system on both land and sea. Early Access will be used for its intended purpose! To allow the community to get involved with the game as it develops. If you made it through all of that you deserve a medal. This brings us to the end of this Q&A but you can look forward to further releases as we make our way towards our Early Access release on the 21st of September. You’re more than welcome to get in touch with us on our forums or discord. Feel free to join in the discussion on our forums here and as always, may good health be yours. Once again thank you for all of your support from all of us on the Holdfast: NaW team, - Peter, Andrew, Julian, Andreas, Nico, Cameron & Tassilo Anvil Game Studios
Excluding the revenant elite specialization, the release of Shiro Tagachi marks the end of the core legend reveals. With the previous three fulfilling distinct roles of defence, support and conditions it was inevitable that a damage orientated legend was needed. As will be revealed in an official blog post later today, Shiro will be a dark and sinister legend who focuses on slashing attacks and mobility. Best of all, revenant’s will be able to dual-wield swords to match Shiro’s iconic blades. In his blog post, Roy Cronacher details that the principal behind Shiro is pure destruction with the sword skills providing a mixture of rapid attacks that match the assassin theme of this famous Guild Wars legend. There are three skills detailed by Roy: 1. Unrelenting Assault unleashes a fierce attack on nearby foes, allowing the revenant to shadowstep to enemies in the vicinity to deliver strikes. The revenant will also gain might each time they strike a foe. If you’re wondering, this is the skill that Rytlock uses in the infamous trailer for Heart of Thorns. 2. Precision Strike attacks nearby foes, sending out blades that damage and chill them. 3. Rift Slash attacks foes and creats a rift on them that explodes for additional damage after a short period of time. Any foes struck by Rift Slash are affected and this skill in particular is the third in the auto attack chain. As well as the above weapon skills, there are a couple that have been teased. As seen in the image below, Enchanted Daggers is your heal skill and strikes your target as you attack, siphoning health from damaged foes. The jagged daggers float and follow the revenant and will attack as you do. Alongside Enchanted Daggers, Jade Wind allows the revenant - similarly to Shiro in Guild Wars - to turn foes into jade for a short period of time. When downed, you’ll also be able to select a trait that triggers the release the Jade Wind. There’s no word on how long players are turned into jade for or if it will break when they receive damage (similarly to Moa) but it certainly sounds a great skill. Finally, Phase Traversal allows the revenant to travel through the Mists to a target and make several unblockable attacks. Shiro Stance Although we don’t know exactly how powerful Shiro will be in comparison to the other legends, I think it’s fair to say that the profession is likely to receive a significant jump in their damage output. Dual-wielding swords always looks incredible and it sounds as though the design team have put significant thought into making Shiro a mobile and deadly legend that’s capable of dealing significant damage but also getting out alive. If you want to see the new revenant legend in action, you can watch it this Friday when Roy Cronacher joins host Rubi Bayer on Points of Interest at 12 p.m. PDT on the official Guild Wars 2 Twitch channel (http://www.twitch.tv/guildwars2). In addition, if you want to play the revenant and all the core legends during one of the upcoming beta events you can pre-purchase Heart of Thorns over on the official website.
It may still stink, but ingest a couple of these 24K capsules, and your shit will look as handsome as a pile of gold. Tobias Wong and J.A.R.K. (Ju$t Another Rich Kid) created the Gold Pills as part of their INDULGENCE line, and as a bit of swallowable commentary on society's obsession with wealth and consumption. Just down one of the gold leaf-filled tubes (preferably with a shot of espresso and a couple prunes) and transform your insides into a rich and luminous palace of major systems and organs, all churning in perfect synchronicity towards a singular goal: making your shit sparkle. If you're wondering what to do with the golden shit post-defecation, unfortunately the answer is still, "Flush it." I guess you could try to use it to buy things--for example, Beanie Babies and Facebook stock, which some have suggested are currently worth shit--but Wong and J.A.R.K. make no mention of whether or not that will work. Rather I think the message here is that anyone who can afford to spend $425 on a few pills filled with 24K shards of gold, and goes ahead and does it, isn't just the type of person who pisses away money, but the type who shits it away too. Muchas danke to Incredible Things.
WASHINGTON -- Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is joining American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, an influential Republican Super PAC and an affiliated non-profit group, to help them reach their newly doubled fundraising goal of $240 million to spend on the 2012 presidential election. The two groups were founded in 2010 by Republican strategists Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie after the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision opened the door to unlimited corporate, union, and individual spending in elections. The decision also allowed certain nonprofits, which are not required to disclose their funding sources, to run direct electoral advertisements calling for the election or defeat of candidates. Both groups can receive unlimited contributions, but Crossroads GPS, which is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, does not have to disclose its donors. "Both Governor Barbour and Karl Rove are prodigious fundraisers and brilliant strategists, and we are honored to have them both engaged with us," Steven Law, president of both groups, said in a statement. "We are reaching high in our fundraising goals because we believe this is going to be a destiny-shaping election for our country." Barbour, who passed on running for the Republican presidential nomination in April, is a well-known fundraiser from his time as chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 1993 to 1997 and the Republican Governors Association (RGA) from 2009 through 2010. Barbour pulled in a record-setting $115 million for the RGA during the 2010 cycle after he took over in mid-2009 from Mark Sanford, then the Governor of South Carolina, who resigned as chair amid a sex scandal. American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS spent a combined $38 million in 2010, which amounted to the fourth largest total spent by an outside group, ahead of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and behind only the other three congressional party committees.
An inquiry into administering the sacraments by the ordained Elder of a local church. It is my desire in this short paper to demonstrate that only an ordained minister of the Gospel has the divine right and prerogative of administering the sacraments. Only an Elder is able and lawfully authorized to exercise the duties of an Elder. These Elders are called and ordained of a particular church. This all may seem obvious. Yet, it has been my experience, that even among good men and women of the faith in the modern church, this may be quite new. I will traverse both historical orthodoxy as well as Scriptural foundations in order to prove this one simple point. We turn out attention to the Bible. In Ephesians 4:11-13 it states, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Christ has given gifts according to His own counsel to His church. This should be evident and a very simple point to first consider. It is not to an organization, or a group of people simply calling themselves Christian, but to the visible church that these different offices have been given. It is not my intention to point out the historical intricacies of the meaning of the word “church,” but some points are important. The Church is not simply the invisible church, the elect of all ages, “the called out ones.” And churches are not formed the moment two or three Christians sit down together to talk about Christ. Those who appeal to the “two or three gathered in my name” passage in Matthew 18 wrest the text from its context concerning the “pragmaton” or “law” aspects (where we get pragmatic from). When Christ says “anything in my name” the overtones there in the Greek use of the word concern matters of the law, which fits nicely in a passage about church discipline. When two or three are gathered at church for disciplinary purposes, the apostles of the early church, or the elders of any church, have the divine right of authority to bind and loose, to forbid or allow entrance into the church by means of discipline. This you may find on your own in personal study to a greater length. My point is that the church here is the fixed expression of the church in the world, the local church or meeting house of a given body, not simply the basic tenor of “those called out”. There is an immense difference between simply being a Christian, called out of the world by God, and being a Christian who is a member of the church, a visible expression of the invisible church. Obviously, this has huge implications concerning the manner in which a community of believers covenant together in both doctrine, and practicum. A good summation of these concepts is found in the confession, “I. The catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. (Eph. 1:10, 22-23; 5:23, 27, 32; Col. 1:18). II. The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; (1 Cor. 1:2; 12:12-13; Psa. 2:8; Rev. 7:9; Rom. 15:9-12) and of their children:(1 Cor. 7:14; Acts 2:39; Gen. 17:7-12; Ezek. 16:20-21; Rom. 11:16; see Gal. 3:7, 9, 14; Rom. 4:12, 16, 24) and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ,( Matt. 13:47; Isa. 9:7; Luke 1:32-33; Acts 2:30-36; Col. 1:13) the house and family of God,( Eph. 2:19; 3:15) out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation (Acts 2:47). III. Unto this catholic visible church Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and doth, by his own presence and Spirit, according to his promise, make them effectual thereunto. (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11-13; Matt. 28:19-20; Isa. 59:12). IV. This catholic church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible. (Rom. 11:3-5; Acts 2:41, 47; 9:31; 18:8-10) And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them. (Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor. 5:6-7; Rev. ch. 2-3). V. The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error;( 1 Cor. 13:12; Rev. ch. 2-3; Matt. 13:24-30, 47) and some have so degenerated, as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan ( Matt. 23:37-39; Rom. 11:18-22). Nevertheless, there shall be always a church on earth, to worship God according to his will.( Matt. 16:18; Psa. 45:16-7; 72:17; Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:17). VI. There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ. (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22) Nor can the pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof. (Matt. 23:8-10; 1 Peter 5:2-4) but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.”[1] Now upon this point that we are dealing with the church as a body of believers Christ’s Spirit applies the work of the cross in gifting men for ministry. The gifts associated here are actually men themselves. (Did you know your pastor was a gift of God?) The Apostle names four kinds of men here: apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers. Now, I am aware of the Greek exegetical differences in translating the final kind of men as “pastors” and “teachers”, or “pastor/teacher.” I have no desire to contend that point. I am satisfied that the text in its original intent is speaking of the same person and I believe the Greek bears that out.[2] Even if you disagree, that is fine. That should not change the meaning of the passage and the point which we are coming to. Let us understand at this point that the officers of the church, in all their capacities, are gifts given to the church, and function within the church. There is a running testimony of Reformed thinkers concerning the nature of the first three offices stated as temporary offices. Apostles, prophets and evangelists have been seen through the writings of the Magisterial Reformers as well as the good Puritans as temporary in nature. In other words, the offices of Apostles, prophets and evangelists are not offices that function today. They were specific offices for specific periods in the birth of the church – extraordinary offices that had accompanying signs and wonders, miracles, which have now ceased. John Calvin says in “treating of Ecclesiastical office-bearers in particular: Some of them, as Apostles, Prophets, and Evangelists, [are] temporary. Others, as Pastors and Teachers, [are] perpetual and indispensable.”[3] Even the Westminster Assembly, one of the most doctrinally sound assemblies to convene in the history of the church, had this to say as whole body or consensus of ministers and theologians: “On the 9th of January, the whole question of ordination was fairly stated by Dr. Temple, chairman of one of the committees, in the following series of interrogatory propositions: — “1. What ordination is? 2. Whether necessarily to be continued? 3. Who to ordain? 4. What persons to be ordained, and how qualified? 5. The manner how?” What did the Assembly say in conclusion to these things? “To these were appended the following answers for the Assembly’s consideration: — “1. Ordination is the solemn setting apart of a person to some public office in the Church. 2. It is necessarily to be continued in the Church. 3. The apostles ordained, evangelists did, preaching presbyters did: because apostles and evangelists are officers extraordinary, and not to continue in the Church; and since, in Scripture, we find ordination in no other hands, we humbly conceive that the preaching presbyters are only to ordain.”[4] John Owen makes this comment, “The officers of the church in general are of two sorts, “bishops and deacons,” Philippians 1:1; and their work is distributed into “prophecy and ministry,” Romans 12: 6,7. The bishops or elders are of two sorts: — 1. Such as have authority to teach and administer the sacraments, which is commonly called the power of order; and also of ruling, which is called a power of jurisdiction, corruptly: and, 2. Some have only power for rule; of which sort there are some in all the churches in the world. Those of the first sort are distinguished into pastors and teachers.”[5] For Owen, the Apostle, Prophet and Evangelist were extraordinary offices, and the pastor/teacher was the ordinary office, or general office. He takes this up to a great extent in his writings, but this may suffice for the point at hand. Hendricksen alludes to this same idea when he says that Timothy and Philip, the two described in Acts as evangelists, though both have other functions, are specifically ordained for a specific function before God.[6] Compare both the function of the evangelist with Timothy and Philip: Timothy served as a traveling apostolic vicar and as an evangelist. Philip served as a deacon and traveling evangelist. The evangelist seems to incur the idea of a traveling missionary. However, as Hendricksen says, “the church today is not able to produce an apostle like Paul nor a prophet like Agabus. It is not in need of a Timothy to serve as an apostolic delegate, nor of a Philip, addressed by an angel and “caught away” by the Spirit. In common with the early church, however, it does have ministers, elders, and deacons.”[7] Even if there are some who believe that the evangelist is a modern day office, and disagree with the above summary statements about the extraordinary office of an evangelist for purposes of starting the early church, the fact still remains that evangelists are men who are equipped in the church for work outside the church and did not have a license of their own to follow their own whims and wills. We should note that Evangelists are mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, our text, in Acts 21:8 of Philip and 2 Timothy 4:5 of Timothy.[8] For instance, the Anabaptists utilized such passages as Acts 8:38 to prove that anyone could baptize those they met “on the road” by profession of faith. Acts 8:38 states, “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” However, such proof texting or selective citing should be condemned. For instance, to trace the legacy of Philip we should look through the last couple of chapters in Acts. Philip is to be associated with the Philip of Acts 6:5-6, “And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.” Here Philip is seen as one chosen by the church, and had the laying on of hands as a result of the apostle’s confirmation of their ministry. With Philip, then, we have a distinct office fulfilled by this man. The problem with Philip being a “rogue” evangelist, untied to the church is a fallacy. Acts 8:6 states, “And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.” Miracles were signs, or confirmations, made by God in the presence of the preached word by the Apostolic witness of the message surrounding Jesus Christ.[9] Christ is interested in having authoritative leadership (Matt 18:18–20 ; 28:20 ; Mark 6:7 ; John 20:21–23 ).[10] Philip preaches (Acts 8:5), baptizes (Acts 8:12), did miracles and signs (Acts 8:13), was directed specifically by immediate special revelation by the angel of the Lord (Acts 8:26), and was caught away or translated by God (Acts 8:39-40). He is called one of the seven, an obvious reference to Acts 6, in Acts 21:8, “And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.” As Hendricksen points out, “Philip preached Christ, Luke writes, to the Samaritans. They were no longer excluded from the Good News (Matthew 10:5), which is God’s universal message to all people.”[11] This is no regular or general laymen and the Anabaptists are in fault for using this passage to condone their unauthorized acts of baptizing without being ordained and sent by the church. Another passage that is used is John the Baptist. Certainly this aspect of the ministry of God’s revelation to the church is crucial but often misunderstood. John 1:6 says that John the Baptist was “sent from God” to prepare the way of the Lord. The Greek construction here is interesting in that the phrase describes John coming from alongside of God to bear witness to the truth. This does not make John preexistent, but it does make his ministry closely related to the covenant concepts that God administers through the Bible. God is sending a special covenant member to His people to call them, again, back to repentance. He was specially sent of God – a special kind of prophet. John’s baptism is known as the “baptism” of repentance. John’s baptism is frequently omitted in discussions of Christian baptism, but this should not be the case, since John the Baptist is a pivotal figure in the overlap between the old and new covenants. It is important to remember, in this regard, that circumcision is not only a sign of blessing, but also “a sign of Christ’s redemptive judgment with its benedictions and maledictions alike.” If this were true, this would mean that we must expand any discussion of baptism to also include the idea that baptism also is a sign of blessing and of curse. Meredith Kline asks this rhetorical question in light of this, “must we enlarge our theology of baptism so as to see it in a more comprehensive symbol of the eschatological judgment that consummates in the covenant of which baptism is the sign?”[12] The answer to this is “yes.” John is bringing an ultimatum to God’s unfaithful people. The Messiah is coming, and how will the people receive him? Sinfully, they crucify him. The eschatological judgment John preached in the wilderness, and baptizes as a baptism of repentance, speaks to this issue. But is John the rogue “Baptizer” in the wilderness for any or all to imitate? Hardly. Not only does the prophetic office of John negate the laymen for imitating him, but also his peculiar call to repentance as the baptism of ordeal takes shape would quickly disqualify anyone except John the Baptist from fulfilling his role as the last prophet of God. John is like God’s lawyer, sent from the side of God’s judgment seat to bring the lawsuit of God against the unfaithful people before the coming of the Messiah. He is subpoenaing the people of God to repent in light of the coming King who will exact the curses of the covenant if they do not keep covenant. His role is the second most significant role in the Bible in my estimation. No one has the right to copy his Baptism, and John, most of all, knew his role and office as being sent directly by supernatural revelation. John was not paying games here. The axe is not laid at the base of the tree, rather, it is laid at the roots themselves. Each tree that demonstrates their covenant unfaithfulness will be cut down. Who do you know today that would take up a role such as this and mimic it? It would also be worthy to note that in the administration of baptism some believe this simply to be a “doorway” into the professing kingdom. It is much more than that. The sign of “water” through the prophets of the Old Testament, and in the case of John’s Baptism, as well as the other passages concerning water (Creation and Chaos, Noahic flood, ritual Levitical and Neophyte washings), and into and through the New Testament, all surround an eschatological judgment motif. Baptism is not just recognizing a profession of faith, or recognizing a child’s covenantal status, as if we should simply smile and administer the water. We take pictures of this as if it is simply a celebration without remembering the soberness of the event. This is like when parents decorate their baby’s room with Noah’s ark paraphernalia, two by two smiling animals entering jolly ol’ Noah’s ark, forgetting that the ark was a means to salvation in the midst of eschatological judgment on the wickedness of men. The entire world perished in that cleansing rite. And Peter relates the flood, and Noah’s salvation, as an analogy to baptism. Baptism is the sign of the covenant which carries in it both blessing and curses. It is an eschatological judgment sign that knocks everyone off the fence of indifference who partakes in it or administers it, and sets them and the participants into the context of blessing or curse; one or the other. The minister should see this as exceedingly sobering, as well as those who administer it unlawfully as something to shun. After looking at the above briefly, what, then, constitutes the manner in which the sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, may be administered? Who may administer the sacraments in good conscience before the Lord as a representative or ambassador of His gracious provisions? Except for various cultic influences or heretical sects through the history of the church, the answer to this question is more basic than one may imagine. And the conformity, even across denominational lines, is also striking in answering this question. We should define, briefly, those who have the authority to administer the sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and of Baptism. The Belgic Confession in Article 31 on “The Ministers, Elders and Deacons” says this; “We believe that the ministers of God’s Word, the elders, and the deacons ought to be chosen to their respective offices by a lawful election by the Church, with calling upon the name of the Lord, and in that order which the Word of God teaches. Therefore every one must take heed not to intrude himself by improper means, but is bound to wait till it shall please God to call him; that he may have testimony of his calling, and be certain and assured that it is of the Lord.” Here we see that elders and deacons are to be chosen to their respective offices. They must take heed not to intrude on the office, but in due time, as God, through the church, they may be called to function in those offices. These officers are to be defined and installed by biblical standards. 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 demonstrate the non-negotiable character of the minister of the Gospel, and the deacon. Most of what is listed in those two areas relate to the character of the men, though we know from those passage and others that elders are to be “apt to teach” and are the “heralds” of the Word of God (2 Tim. 2:24). By authoritative extension, elders or pastors are to baptize (Matthew 28:19), administer the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:1ff), and give themselves wholly to ministry of the Word and prayer (Acts 6:4). In the ordination of the heralds of the Gospel message, we find they are installed or ordained by means of the church during a special time of ordination to the office. Paul, in 1 Tim. 5:22, directs Timothy, an Evangelist/Pastor, “Lay hands suddenly on no man.” With the prototype deacons of Acts 6:6, the Apostles “when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.” In Acts 14:23 we find the Apostle involved in the ordination of elders, “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” So we are fully aware that for the early church there was a special ordination of men to the ministry to which the Lord did, in due time, through the church and those in authority, to ordain them to their work. This was even the case with the Apostle Paul in Acts 13:2, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” And so they did. Martin Luther wrote at length on the ordination of the minister. Luther writes, “To ordain is not to consecrate. Therefore, if we know a pious man we single him out and through the power of the Word which we possess we give him authority to preach the Word and to administer the Sacraments. This is to ordain.”[13] Luther’s conception of ordination is not a liturgical one but consists essentially in the regular call to the preaching office (Predigtampt), — to preach the Word and to administer the Sacraments, — and in the transmission of this office to the candidate. Out of this, out of this alone, the congregational ceremony develops. Four elements make up this “ordination”: — 1. The examination of the candidate as to his worthiness and fitness; 2. election to the office; 3. confirmation and commendation in the presence of the (calling) congregation; 4. the Church’s intercession for the chosen candidate.[14] He says, “First, — An examination having been made, either on this or on a preceding day, if they are found worthy, after being admonished through preaching, prayer shall be made by the Church for them and for the whole ministry, to wit, that God would deign to send laborers into His harvest, and preserve them faithful and constant in sound doctrine against the gates of hell, etc.” Luther also states that a mark of the church, or an outward demonstration of Christ’s visible Church, was the calling of real ministers to tend the flock. “The Church is known outwardly by the fact that it consecrates or calls ministers, or has offices which they occupy. For we must have bishops, pastors, or preachers, to give, administer and use, publicly and privately, the four things, or precious possessions, that have been mentioned, for the sake of and in the name of the Church, or rather because of their institution by Christ, as St. Paul says, in Ephesians 4:11, Accepit dona in hominibus, “and gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and governors, etc.” The whole group cannot do these things, but must commit them, or allow them to be committed, to someone. What would happen if everyone wanted to speak or administer the sacraments and no one would yield to another? This duty must be committed to one person, and he alone must be allowed to preach, baptize, absolve, and administer the sacraments; all the rest must be content with this and agree to it. Wherever you see this, be assured that God’s people, the Christian, holy people, is present.”[15] Calvin also explains this in a more comprehensive and direct manner. He says, “As to the Apostles so also to Pastors the preaching of the Word and the administration of the sacraments has been committed.” The relationship or extension of passages such as Matthew 28:19 apply to all those in authority, or deigned to authority by Christ for his church. For instance, Matthew 28:19 is often used in reference to “all Christians.” We should all go out and preach the Gospel. Should we all go and baptize though? Oftentimes this passage is wrest from its context. Careful exegetical work, or simply a sharp eye while reading the text, demonstrates that Jesus Christ made no reference whatsoever to all Christians. The fuller context reads, “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”[16] (Matthew 28:16-20) Davies and Allison state, “The eleven – the brethren of v. 10 whose forgiveness for their flight and denial is implicit – reflects Matthew’s precision: in accord with 27:3-10 Judas has been subtracted.”[17] The Greek text here bears out the relationship of the command to teach and baptize to the eleven – not to all Christians.[18] Jesus is instructing the Apostles to teach and baptize. This has no reference to all Christians inclusively, but does have reference to the extension of those who hold the office of the church. It should be evident that in this text we should conclude that it is “…Christ’s stipulation that the pastorate fulfill its Great Commission to preach and administer the sacraments.”[19] This the Reformers saw in common. Calvin explains, “When our Lord sent forth the apostles, he gave them a commission (as has been lately said) to preach the Gospel, and baptize those who believed for the remission of sins. He had previously commanded that they should distribute the sacred symbols of his body and blood after his example (Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:19). Such is the sacred, inviolable, and perpetual law, enjoined on those who succeed to the place of the apostles, — they receive a commission to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments.”[20] Calvin also states, “Paul speaks not of himself only but of all pastors, when he says, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1). Again, in another passage, he describes a bishop as one “holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers” (Titus 1:9).”[21] The administration of the sacraments, according to Calvin’s understanding of a comprehensive systematic, is given to the ordained minister. “Our present purpose, however, is not to enumerate the separate qualities of a good pastor, but only to indicate what those profess who call themselves pastors — viz. that in presiding over the Church they have not an indolent dignity, but must train the people to true piety by the doctrine of Christ, administer the sacred mysteries, preserve and exercise right discipline.”[22] These ministers, according to Calvin, should conform and be viewed in light of the non-negotiable requirements of the Bible. “What persons should be elected bishops is treated at length by Paul in two passages (Titus 1:7; 1 Timothy 3:1). The substance is, that none are to be chosen save those who are of sound doctrine and holy lives, and not notorious for any defect which might destroy their authority and bring disgrace on the ministry.”[23] The difference between the Apostle, and the extension of this ordinary office ordaining men of non-negotiable qualities is seen in this statement, “As theirs was an extraordinary ministry, in order to render it conspicuous by some more distinguished mark, those who were to discharge it behoved to be called and appointed by the mouth of the Lord himself. It was not, therefore, by any human election, but at the sole command of God and Christ, that they prepared themselves for the work.”[24] It was not that the Apostles ordained themselves, or that subsequent offices are given the right to themselves. Nor are men, therefore, allowed to take office administration upon themselves. Rather, they are given the right, or bestowed with the right, of administration of the sacraments. This authority is stated by Calvin where he quotes Cyprian. “Rightly, therefore, does Cyprian contend for it as of divine authority, that the priest be chosen in presence of the people, before the eyes of all, and be approved as worthy and fit by public judgment and testimony, (Cyprian, Lib. i. Ep. 3). Indeed, we see that by the command of the Lord, the practice in electing the Levitical priests was to bring them forward in view of the people before consecration. Nor is Matthias enrolled among the number of the apostles, nor are the seven deacons elected in any other way, than at the sight and approval of the people (Acts 6:2). “Those examples,” says Cyprian, “show that the ordination of a priest behoved not to take place, unless under the consciousness of the people assisting, so that that ordination was just and legitimate which was vouched by the testimony of all.” We see, then, that ministers are legitimately called according to the word of God, when those who may have seemed fit are elected on the consent and approbation of the people. Other pastors, however, ought to preside over the election, lest any error should be committed by the general body either through levity, or bad passion, or tumult.”[25] It is no wonder, then, that in the formation of Calvin’s Catechism that Calvin places the order of his questions successively on this particular subject of ordained ministers next to the sacraments. These are questions 307-310, and their answers: 307. Is it necessary, then, that there should be pastors? Yes; and that we should hear them, receiving the teaching of the Lord in humility by their mouth. Therefore whoever despises them and refuses to hear them, rejects Jesus Christ, and separates himself from the fellowship of the faithful (Matt. 10:40; Luke 10:16). 308. But is it enough to have been instructed by them once, or ought he to continue to do this? It is little to have begun, unless you go on to persevere. We must continue to be disciples of Christ right to the end. But He has ordained the ministers of the Church to teach in His Name. 309. Is there no other means than the Word by which God communicates Himself to us? To the preaching of His Word He has conjoined the Sacraments. 310. What is a Sacrament? An outward attestation of the grace of God which, by a visible sign, represents spiritual things to imprint the promises of God more firmly in our hearts, and to make us more sure of them. It is without a doubt that the Reformers, Dutch Theologians and English Puritans, in expounding and exegeting this topic from the Bible, say this is an integral part of the administration or hierarchy of the commandments of Christ for His church. In Germany, under the pen of Melancthon, we read this document signed by the electors and dukes of the country, “OF Ecclesiastical Order: they teach that no one should publicly teach in the Church or administer the Sacraments unless he be regularly called.”[26] Calling constitutes the ability to administer the sacraments. Article 29 of the Belgic Confession says, “The marks by which the true Church is known are these: If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if it maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is exercised in chastening of sin; in short, if all things are managed according to the pure Word of God, all things contrary thereto rejected, and Jesus Christ acknowledged as the only Head of the Church. Hereby the true Church may certainly be known, from which no man has a right to separate himself.”[27] Most of the orthodox confessions of the Church refer to this pure administration as done by the minister of the Gospel and him alone. The Belgic Confession, Article 30 says this, “We believe that this true Church must be governed by that spiritual polity which our Lord has taught us in His Word; namely, that there must be ministers or pastors to preach the Word of God and to administer the sacraments; also elders and deacons, who, together with the pastors, form the council of the Church; that by these means the true religion may be preserved, and the true doctrine everywhere propagated, likewise transgressors chastened and restrained by spiritual means; also that the poor and distressed may be relieved and comforted, according to their necessities. By these means everything will be carried on in the Church with good order and decency, when faithful men are chosen, according to the rule prescribed by St. Paul in his Epistle to Timothy.” The Westminster Confession of Faith is even more graphic. “For the better attaining of these ends, the officers of the Church are to proceed by admonition; suspension from the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for a season; and by excommunication from the Church; according to the nature of the crime, and demerit of the person. (I Thess. 5:12; II Thess. 3:6, 14, 15; I Cor. 5:4, 5, 13; Matt. 18:17; Tit. 3:10.)”[28] It also states, “There are only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord: neither of which may be dispensed by any but by a minister of the Word lawfully ordained. (Matt. 28:19; I Cor. 11:20, 23, I Cor. 4:1; Heb. 5:4.)”[29] It is seen, then, that the puritan witness to the Reformation standard holds true. The minister of the Word, and him alone, is able to administer the sacraments to the body of Christ. Even in the midst of Particular Baptist movement we find the same standard which resides in the Reformed standards, “A particular church, gathered and completely organized according to the mind of Christ, consists of officers and members; and the officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church (so called and gathered), for the peculiar administration of ordinances, and execution of power or duty, which he intrusts them with, or calls them to, to be continued to the end of the world, are bishops or elders, and deacons. (Acts 20:17, 28; Philippians 1:1)”[30] The Particular Baptists also saw the importance of the ordained minister and his relation to the administration of the sacraments, even though they structured their church government in a different fashion than most of Puritanism. Within Puritanism, we could look through the tomes of Puritan writings on this subject and come away overwhelmed. Let us suffice with examining, for a moment, the teachings of John Owen, a very able representative of Puritan writing and Christian orthodoxy. As stated earlier, Owen saw that the role of pastor/teacher is consigned to the ordinary office of the church, not the extraordinary office. It is only temporary in terms of the end of the age, and the consummation of all things. As Jeremiah 31 says, when the consummation of all things takes place, in heaven, there will be no more need for teachers. In heaven, all will know the Lord, from the least to the greatest. However, now, during the inauguration of the Kingdom, teachers in their ordinary office are needed. Apostles, prophets and evangelists are offices of a temporary nature already done away with the passing of the theocracy of the prophets and the Apostolic age. Owen then says, “Let the bishops attend the particular flocks over which they are appointed, preaching the word, administering the holy ordinances of the gospel in and to their own flock, there will not be contending about them.”[31] It is the minister who administers the sacraments to his flock. These ministers are not self-authorized, but appointed by the church. Ordination in Scripture compriseth the whole authoritative translation of a man from among the number of his brethren into the state of an officer in the church.”[32] In this distinction, Owen writes a lengthy treatise in explaining the differences between the Pastors of the Church and the people of the Church. His intent is to demonstrate how both the people and the pastor have specific roles to fulfill in God’s post redemptive economy. “Farther; who are the subject of the keys, in whom all that secondary ecclesiastical power which is committed to men doth reside, after the determinations of so many learned men by clear Scripture light, shall not by me be called in question. All these, though conducing to the business in hand, would require a large discussion; and such a scholastical handling as would make it an inconsutilous piece of this popular discourse; my intent being only to show, — seeing there are, as all acknowledge, some under the New Testament, as well as the Old, peculiarly set apart by God’s own appointment for the administration of Christ’s ordinances, especially teaching of others by preaching of the gospel, in the way of office and duty, — what remaineth for the rest of God’s people to do, for their own and others’ edification.”[33] Though Christians are called priests as well as Pastors, there is a distinction. “All faithful ministers of the gospel, inasmuch as they are engrafted into Christ and are true believers, may, as all other true Christians, be called priests; but this inasmuch as they are members of Christ, not ministers of the gospel. It respecteth their persons, not their function, or not them as such.”[34] There is a distinction then between the sacrifices that the Christian priest brings, and the duty of the Pastors over a particular church. Christian priests have no warrant from the word to impose themselves on the duties that God has ordained for the minister. And there are only three biblical manners in which a minister of the Word, (Apostle, prophets, evangelists or pastors/teachers) may be called to that office; Owen says “1. By immediate revelation; 2. By a concurrence of Scripture rules directory for such occasions; 3. By some outward acts of Providence, necessitating him thereunto.”[35] Prophets were often called of God by immediate revelation from God; Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc. For the minister of the Gospel, such a calling rests not in the self-empowerment of the individual, but rather the internal calling of God on the minister’s heart, the providence of God through the church, and through the non-negotiable qualifications of the Word. Such an office, Owen insists, is of the highest import and not just anyone is allowed to take the office. What we find is that the church is recognizing the power already invested in the special candidate for the task of overseeing the Chosen People of God. “Wherefore, where the Lord Christ doth not communicate of these abilities in such a measure as by virtue of them church-order may be observed, church-power exercised, and all church-ordinances administered according to his mind, unto the edification of the church, it is no more in the power of men to constitute officers than to erect and create an office in the church, Ephesians 4:11-15; 1 Corinthians 12:4-10, etc.; Romans 12:6-8. This wisdom is a spiritual gift, 1 Corinthians 12:8, whereby the officers of the church are enabled to make a due application of all the rules and laws of Christ, unto the edification of the church and all the members of it.[36] Unto the attaining of this wisdom are required, — 1) Fervent prayer for it, James 1:5. 2) Diligent study of the Scripture, to find out and understand the rules given by Christ unto this purpose, Ezra 7:10; 2 Timothy 2:1, 15. 3) Humble waiting on God for the revelation of all that it is to be exercised about, Ezekiel 43:11. 4) A conscientious exercise of the skill which they have received; talents traded with duly will increase. 5) A continual sense of the account which is to be given of the discharge of this great trust, being called to rule in the house of God, Hebrews 13:17.”[37] Accountability is a key aspect in the manner or discharge of the pastoral office. That is part of the reason that there should be setup an elder form of government where “elders” are ordained in every church; a plurality (Exodus 4:9; Acts 15:6; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; Hebrews 11:2; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1). Some denominations discourage ordination. It may help some to more readily define what it means to ordain a person to the ministry, so that people are not empowering themselves to the work that should be done by the minister. This would apply to missionaries sent out to do church work, laymen who desire to take up teaching or preaching roles in a church, or outside of the church, and the like. What is ordination? Strong gives us a good outline; “Ordination is the setting apart of a person divinely called to a work of special ministration in the church. It does not involve the communication of power; it is simply recognition of powers previously conferred by God and a consequent formal authorization, on the part of the church, to exercise the gifts already bestowed. This recognition and authorization should not only be expressed by the vote in which the candidate is approved by the church or the council which represents it but should also be accompanied by a special service of admonition, prayer and the laying on of hands (Acts 6:5, 6; 13:2, 3; 14:23; 1 Timothy 4:14; 5:22). Licensure simply commends a man to the churches as fitted to preach. Ordination recognizes him as set apart to the work of preaching and administering ordinances, in some particular church or in some designated field of labor, as representative of the church.”[38] What is important here is that such actions are done as a “representative of the church.” John Gill also confirms this, even though his outlook is based along the lines of a baptistic form of church government, “The election and call of [ministers], with their acceptance, is ordination. The essence of ordination lies in the voluntary choice and call of the people, and in the voluntary acceptance of that call by the person chosen and called; for this affair must be by mutual consent and agreement, which joins them together as pastor and people. And this is done among themselves; and public ordination, so called, is no other than a declaration of that. Election and ordination are spoken of as the same; the latter is expressed and explained by the former. It is said of Christ, that he “ordained twelve”, Mark 3:14 that is, he chose them to the office of apostleship, as he 1733 himself explains it, John 6:70 see Acts 1:2. Paul and Barnabas are said to “ordain elders in every church”, Acts 14:23 or to choose them; that is, they gave orders and directions to every church, as to the choice of elders over them; for sometimes persons are said to do that which they give orders and directions for doing, as Moses and Solomon, with respect to building the tabernacle and temple, though done by others; and Moses particularly is said to choose the judges, Exodus 18:25 the choice being made under his direction and guidance. The word that is used in Acts 14:23 is translated chosen, 2 Corinthians 8:19 where the apostle speaks of a brother, ceirotouhyeiv, “who was chosen of the churches to travel with us”; and is so rendered when ascribed to God, Acts 10:41.”[39] When such men are ordained, what is their function? Gill says, “Pastors of churches feed souls by the administration of ordinances; these are the goodness and fatness of the house of God, with which the saints are richly fed, and abundantly filled and satisfied; these are the provisions of Zion, which the Lord blesses; these are breasts of consolation, out of which gracious souls suck, and are delighted and refreshed; these are green pastures, into which the shepherds of Israel lead their flocks and feed them.”[40] The administration of the sacraments are an integral part of the ministry of the Gospel Pastor. Richard Baxter makes this sarcastic comment about those who simply believe that coming into a pastoral position after ordination is just preaching and does not include social interaction and catechizing, “They commonly think, that a minister hath no more to do with them, but to preach to them, and administer the sacraments to them, and visit them in sickness; and that, if they hear him, and receive the sacraments from him, they owe him no further obedience, nor can he require any more at their hands.”[41] Even though this is a rebuke, Baxter still equates preaching and the administration of the sacraments to the minister. Throughout church history men have always been ordained to Gospel work, and to the administration of the sacraments. Schaff notes, “No one can be a pastor who is not called, examined, ordained, or installed. In the examination, the candidate must give satisfactory evidence of his knowledge of the Scriptures, his soundness in doctrine, purity of motives, and integrity of character. If he proves worthy of the office, he receives a testimony to that effect from the Council to be presented to the congregation. If he fails in the examination, he must wait for another call and submit to another examination. The best mode of installation is by prayer and laying on of hands, according to the practice of the Apostles and the early Church; but it should be done without superstition.”[42] Those who would take up the right of an ordained minister, by a true church, are rebelling against the given authority and structure of the church: God – Christ – [General Assembly of Elders – Presbytery of a given locale – Elders (or Session)][43] – Deacons – Congregation. Even the Methodist Arminian preacher John Wesley said, “All Presbyterian Churches, it is well known, that of Scotland in particular, license men to preach before they are ordained, throughout that whole kingdom; and it is never understood that this appointment to preach gives them any right to administer the sacraments. Likewise in our own Church, persons may be authorized to preach, yea, may be Doctors of Divinity, (as was Dr. Alwood at Oxford, when I resided there,) who are not ordained at all, and consequently have no right to administer the Lord’s Supper. Yea, even in the Church of Rome itself, if a lay-brother believes he is called to go a mission, as it is termed, he is sent out, though neither Priest nor Deacon, to execute that office, and not the other.”[44] If we have a right understanding of what a minister is, then the possibility of unorthodox actions concerning the duties of minister may be kept in control. “A number of descriptive words shed light on biblical pastoral ministry. These include “ruler” (1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 3:4–5; 5:17), “ambassador” (2 Cor. 5:20), “steward” (1 Cor. 4:1), “defender” (Phil. 1:7), “minister” (1 Cor 4:1); “servant” (2 Cor. 4:5), and “example” (1 Tim. 4:12, 1 Pet. 5:3). The NT also tells the pastor to preach (1 Cor. 1:17), feed (1 Pet. 5:2), build up the church (Eph. 4:12), edify (2 Cor. 13:10), pray (Col. 1:9), watch for souls (Heb. 13:17), war (1 Tim. 1:18), convince (Titus 1:9), comfort (2 Cor. 1:4–6), rebuke (Titus 1:13), warn (Acts 20:31), admonish (2 Thess. 3:15), and exhort (Titus 1:9; 2:15).”[45] We should be keenly aware that it is the minister and his role that fulfills the administration of the Gospel sacraments. A theology of “calling” may help protect the church from several extremes. One of these extremes is the view that a call is a private matter with little or no relationship or accountability to the church. Another view of calling separates the “professional” clergy from the laity. An adequate theology is also needed to help place proper focus on the servant quality of leadership consistent with Christ’s call to discipleship. A biblical call is quite divorced from cultural ideas of power. The case of Simon Magus who attempted to gain ecclesiastical preferment (Acts 8:5–24) stands out as a serious error to avoid. The English word “simony,” the buying or selling of church office or preferment, comes from this incident in Acts.[46] It should also be noted that the sacraments are to be guarded by the minister. “The body is not without order; again, the kingdom of God is not a Rousseauian paradise. In most churches, only ordained ministers may administer the Supper, and even if this is an unnecessary remnant of clericalism, it is still true that in all properly functioning churches of Christ someone is designated as guardian of the table. Flagrant and impenitent sinners are to be cut off from the fellowship of the feast. In this way, the eucharist not only manifests and exercises proper relationships among the members of the body but also reveals the fundamental contours of the world as a whole. And not only “reveals”: since the exercise of church discipline centers on the table, the feast establishes boundaries, creating an in-group and an out-group. Those who participate in the feast are members of the body, to be treated as brothers and sisters, while those outside may be enemies of the church, apostates cut off from Christ, or the unevangelized. The feast draws the ever-shifting lines between the church and the world.”[47] Ministers themselves should be quite zealous to see the church adhere to the proper doctrinal standards surrounding belief and practice. To allow anyone to administer the sacraments would be to give up the dictates of Christ’s commission to the authority of the church, and to give up the historical witness of confessionalism to the truth of it. “A minister stands in the pulpit not as an individual but as an ordained minister from a particular communion. “The public,” Dabney wrote, “hears [the minister’s] church in him.” Therefore, officers had a duty to keep those out of the ministry who did not consent to the church’s teaching.”[48] In this office, it is the duty of the minister to fulfill his calling. As Goodykoontz states, “The powers of the ministry are seen in preaching, in administering the sacraments, and in ruling.”[49] This office is not something new. Ordination and its Gospel “powers” is not something new at all. It is the Biblical norm for minister to fulfill their ordinary office in this way, and there is a distinction between the laity and the minister in this respect. “More to the point, from the earliest centuries the church has seen it as a matter of good order that even higher standards be required of those who regularly conduct public worship, preach and administer the sacraments than are required of other elders and deacons. A setting apart of a presbyter, a presiding elder, from among the presbyters, who was responsible for the ministry of the word and sacraments, yet was still subject to the presbyters as a whole can be found among the oldest extra-biblical documents, including those dating from the first and second centuries. “The things which you have heard from me,” Paul tells Timothy, “these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” ( 2 Tim 2:2 ). [50] I think it is evident from the Biblical text as well as the cross section of material presented that ministers of the Gospel are those sole heirs of the authority of the apostles in the sense that they are to administer the sacraments under Christ’s direction. Theologians, pastors, and our confessions prove the point well. Christians, those who are not ministers of the Gospel but are involved in the church, have not been given the authority to administer the sacraments. This task has fallen to the ordained minister. It is not a task to take lightly and many often misunderstand the gravity of the office of minister who think that Christians who gather together at any time, whether with or without a minister present, could in good conscience administer the sacraments as they see fit. This happenstance is often the case when poor theology substitutes itself for orthodoxy. We must never be those who take matters into our own hands or who decide for ourselves what the constituted means of the church are or how they should be administered. I would venture to say that those who administer the sacraments in this way have never, at any time, sat with a respectable minister of the Gospel to express their views and learn as to whether their views are orthodox or not. We should take heed lest we wrest the sacraments from its proper context, or cause others to stumble in our mistakes. For instance, if a Christian man were to administer the Lord’s Supper in a bible study bereft of a minister, or himself being a minister, he would be teaching others in the study that such an act is acceptable and with biblical warrant. Doesn’t Jesus Christ command us to “all” partake of the cup? Shouldn’t we desire to have the “all” of our church present when such a act of unified fellowship takes place? Does not Paul instruct the Corinthians that when they “come together” they are to act in a certain accord with doctrinal and practical unity? How would this be done if the body of Christ is left out of the supper’s administration, or if it was distributed in this manner? And what if a Christian woman decided to baptize her next door neighbor in her pool because the neighbor made a profession of faith? Would such and act be lawfully administered? What would the neophyte think after the act, or even after a true minister explained to them that their baptism was not warranted in such an instance? That would bring reproach upon the Baptizer and the neophyte. It may even be a means to cause them to stumble. Just practically in the life of the church the self-empowered administer of the sacraments has no place in the authority structure of Christ’s people. Even the nature of the covenant church teaches us this. May the Lord help us to see the necessity of a good minister, and the nobility of that office. And so I end with a notable quote from Thomas Murphy, “The nature of the gospel ministry is such that its duties cannot be too thoughtfully regarded. It is an office which was established by Christ himself, the great Head of the Church. Its commission is held from the authority of heaven, and it studies are connected with the kingdom of God. Would it have been ordained by this special appointment of our Lord for any other than the most important ends? What dignity it receives from the consideration that it has not come from the contrivance of human wisdom, but that is emanated directly from Jehovah! Do we know of any other office, held by mortals, that can be compared it in grandeur.”[51] ——————————————————————————– [1] Article 25, Of the Church, The Westminster Confession of Faith. The last line of the confession in this section concerning the Antichrist is often under what ministers may take as an “exception” clause. However, this may not necessarily be the case. [2] The conjunction used is kai not de. [3] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, Chapter 3. [4] Herrington, History of the Westminster Assembly, Page 144. Emphasis Mine. [5] John Owen, Works, Volume 16, Page 64. [6] William Hendricksen, NT Commentary – Ephesians, Pages 196-197. [7] Ibid. [8] F.F. Bruce, NICNT – The Epistle to the Colossians, To Philemon, and to the Ephesians, Page 396. [9] If you are unclear on the topic of “miracle” then checking 2 Corinthians 9 and Hebrews 2 should make it apparent that the sign or wonder of the miracle always surrounds the preached Apostolic message. [10] Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 144, Vol. 144, Page 328, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1987;2002. [11] Simon Kistemaker, NT Commentary – Acts, Baker Book House, Page 292. [12] Meredith Kline, By Oath Consigned, Page 50. [13] Martin Luther, The Works of Luther, Volume 15, Page 721. [14] Ibid. [15] Martin Luther, The Works of Luther, Volume 5, Pages 213-214 [16] Emphasis Mine. [17] W.D. Davies and Dale C. Allison Jr., The International Critical Commentary – Matthew, Volume 3, Page 680. [18] This does not mean that Christians are not to, by implication, go and share the Gospel with their neighbors or friends. However, one should realize that teaching and baptizing in this instance is not disjointed but conjoined. Christians should not just come to church, but “go” as well to share the Gospel with friends, relatives, neighbors, work associates, etc. They are not Apostles, nor are they heralds, the office kept for those ordained to it, but they are Christians. [19] Westminster Theological Seminary. Westminster Theological Journal Volume 61, Vol. 61, Page 246, Westminster Theological Seminary, 1999;2002. [20] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 4.3.2. [21] Ibid. [22] Ibid. [23] Ibid. 4.3.12. [24] Ibid 4.3.13. [25] Ibid 4.3.15. [26] The Augsburg Confession, Article 14. [27] Emphasis Mine. [28] Article 30, paragraph 4, The Westminster Confession of Faith. [29] Article 27, paragraph 4, The Westminster Confession of Faith. [30] Article 28, paragraph 8, The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. [31] John Owen, Works, Volume 13, Page 289. [32] John Owen, Works, Volume 13, Page 227. [33] John Owen, Works, Volume 13, The Duty of Pastors distinguished from his people, Page 32. [34] Ibid, Page 34. [35] Ibid, Page 45. [36] Owen is a cessationist, though he does believe that wisdom is still imparted to special offices of the church, elders and deacons, for the purpose of their office and their giftedness. [37] John Owen, Works, Volume 16, Page 59. [38] Augustus, H. Strong, Systematic Theology, Volume 3, Page 259. [39] John Gill, A Body of Practical Divinity, Book 2, Chapter 3, Emphasis Mine. [40] Ibid, 1742. [41] Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor, Banner of Truth Trust, Page 129. [42] Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Volume 8, Page 402. [43] All of these are the collective elders of the church. [44] John Wesley, Works of John Wesley, Volume 7, Page 297. [45] Master’s Seminary Journal Volume 6, Vol. 6, Page 150, Master’s Seminary, 1995;2002. [46] Edward L. Hayesa, A Call to the Ministry, Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 157, Vol. 157, Page 91, DTS, 2000;2002. [47] Peter J. Leithart ,The Way Things Really Ought to Be: Eucharist, Eschatology, and Culture, Westminster Theological Seminary. Westminster Theological Journal Volume 59, Vol. 59, Page 171, Westminster Theological Seminary, 1997;2002. [48] D. G. Hart, The Tie That Divides: Presbyterian Ecumenism, Fundamentalism, And The History Of Twentieth-Century American Protestantism, Westminster Theological Seminary. Westminster Theological Journal Volume 60, Vol. 60, Page 99, Westminster Theological Seminary, 1998;2002. [49] Westminster Theological Seminary. Westminster Theological Journal Volume 27, Vol. 27, Page 91, Westminster Theological Seminary, 1965;2002. [50]Terry L. Johnson Liturgical Studies: The Pastor’s Public Ministry: Part One, Westminster Theological Seminary. Westminster Theological Journal Volume 60, Vol. 60, Page 132, Westminster Theological Seminary, 1998;2002. [51] Thomas Murphy, Pastoral Theology, Old Paths Publications, Pages 24-25.
10.0.6 brings a 3200% speed increase when rendering effects on a Final Cut Pro X timeline This week's Final Cut Pro X upgrade to 10.0.6 brought some excellent new features and some much requested old features back. But under the hood there have been more changes, one of them turbo boosting rendering on the timeline by a massive 3200%! We would say that it would be hard to find anybody in the industry that didn't think 10.0.6 was a pretty good update to FCPX. But guess what, some people were slamming it before anybody had downloaded it. It really does make us wonder why if people are so happy with other NLEs, why should they keep moaning about FCPX when they don't even use it? We won't go on about the new features within FCPX, but we will point out one HUGE improvement that has gone rather unoticed over the last couple of days. You may or may not have been aware that up until 10.0.6 there were large differences between render times of effects on the timeline and the same effects on export. This was because on export, the Mac used all the resources it could to get that movie out and that included the GPU or Graphics Processing Unit. Rendering on the timeline was a different matter and that was done by the CPUs in the background. In the 10.0.6 update, the GPU is now used for rendering on the timeline which has led to a massive improvement in rendering times. So why should we be interested in this? The majority of effects, generators, titles and transitions are written using Motion which is a heavy user of the GPU. Some of the effects within FCPX are coded, they are the ones that you cannot open when right clicked. So we thought that we would do a little test. We took the office iMac which is under a year old and did a like for like comparison of render times of an effect before and after the move from 10.0.5 to 10.0.6. So same machine, latest OSX, same project, same effect. We decided to use a plugin called Box Roll from the XEffects 3D Transitions pack and turn all the 3D features like distance blur and reflections up to the max. The project was 1080p 25fps ProRes 422 and the effect we put at a duration of 5 Seconds. We were amazed by the results. 10.0.5 Ouch! And here is 10.0.6 That is a huge 3200% improvement in timeline rendering times! It will also mean less dropped frames on playback as the GPU will have a go at playing complex effects. This is a great improvement for all FCPX users and will definately speed up the editing process and allow the use of GPU intensive effects to be able to be played without stuttering. We also noticed that the thumbnail previews in the transitions browser were much more responsive. If anybody else has figures on other effetcs showing the stunning improvement then we would love to post them as an update. Just to clear one point up, we forced the effect render from a menu command, not just leaving background rendering to finish it. Will be interetsting if background rendering is as quick. Nice one Apple, 3200 thank yous!
The Washington Nationals struggled during their final game in the opening season series against the New York Mets. Behind a dominant six inning performance from New York pitcher Matt Harvey, the Mets took two of the first three games of the season. Nationals’ pitcher Stephen Strasburg did not have a strong outing in the series finale Thursday afternoon, giving up six runs on nine hits in five innings of work. Three of the six runs were earned; Strasburg also struck out five and walked three batters. While Washington certainly would like to jump out to a booming 3-0 start, sometimes one has to be realistic. With outfielders Jayson Werth and Denard Span on the DL beside third-baseman Anthony Rendon, Washington faithful should be patient in the early-goings. Those early-goings for Washington could be rocky, but the pay-off come summertime will be worth the wait. Rendon has begun lateral movement workouts in his rehab stint away from the team and plans to begin groundball work next week. Werth began his rehab assignment in high-A with the Potomac Nationals following his shoulder surgery in the offseason. He played seven innings with Potomac and, while unlikely, is eligible to come off the disabled list Saturday. Core surgery in the beginning of March left Span heading back to Viera, Fla., ready for simulated action at Nats camp. The simulation length will increase from three to five to seven innings as Span progresses. As it stands the center fielder is ahead of schedule in his rehab and the Nationals are impressed at his progress. As Washington takes aim at the Philadelphia Phillies, they can look to build on the positives they’ve seen thus far. Right fielder Bryce Harper has been getting it done at the plate and in the field through three games. On two separate occasions during the rain-delayed game Wednesday evening he made his mark… tracking down a deep fly ball in the corner, and then cutting off a line drive in the gap before it got to the warning track to hold Mets third baseman David Wright to a single. Washington heads to Philadelphia to face the Phillies Friday in a three game series. They will see Philadelphia seven times in the next 10 games.
With the Seattle Seahawks season over, Seattle can turn their attention towards the 2017 season. The Seahawks offensive line was abysmal, and every Seattle fan and their mother are praying that the unit improves next season. The Seahawks line did not look as bad in the playoffs, albeit a small sample size, as it did in the regular season, however. The group created some huge holes for Thomas Rawls at times. The pass protection, however, has never surpassed underwhelming. It is time to find a core player for the Seahawks to build off of up front through the draft, and here are some of their top options. 1. OT Cam Robinson, Alabama Scroll to continue with content Ad Regarded by most as the top offensive line prospect in the country, Robinson would be a dream selection if Seattle could get their hands on him. Astonishingly quick for his build, Robinson owns all the talents of a potential day one starter in the National Football League. Standing six-foot-six, 310 pounds, the three-year Alabama starter controls the point of attack and shows outstanding technique in pass-protection, two of the major factors the Seahawks offensive line is missing. Multiple mock drafts have him actually falling back to Seattle at the 26thpick, but as we get closer to the draft his stock seems to still be on the rise. 2. OG Dan Feeney, Indiana Story continues A four-year starter at Indiana, Feeney’s experience is certainly no concern. Measuring six-foot-four, 305 pounds, the guard brings excellent quickness for his build and a physicality coaches at the N.F.L. level want to see. Effective against pass rush, but he will have to adjust to N.F.L. quarterbacks hanging onto the ball longer. Feeney is certainly a viable replacement for Mark Glowinski. If Feeney was selected Germain Ifedi would probably see reps at left guard, allowing Feeney to fill in the right guard position. Unfortunately, he does have an injury background that includes a history of concussions, so a thorough medical examination is likely necessary. 3. OG/OT Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky Lamp could be the potential perfect fit for what Seattle wants to do up front. Often regarded as one of the top guard prospects in the draft, Lamp has spent his last two college seasons at tackle. With Tom Cable’s history of plug-and-play offensive lineman, he may be exactly what Cable is looking for. At six-foot-four, 300 pounds, Lamp is built like a wall and brings one of the best pass protection techniques in the country. A combination of aggressiveness and ability to stay lower than the defender has been the focal point of the young blockers excellence. Certainly a mid-first-rounder or later, Lamp could end up in the Emerald City. 4. OT Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin Ramczyk is thought of by some draft experts as their top lineman in the 2017 Draft, but experience remains his biggest negative. From a Division III player at UW-Stevens Point, to All-American offensive tackle at Wisconsin, Ramczyk has a long way to go still to be N.F.L. ready. Ramczyk redshirted in 2015 after transferring, and 2016 was his only Division I experience. However, this seems to be his only weakness. Showing exceptional balance, agility and power at the point of attack, it looks like he has been playing a high level much longer than a single season. Great technique in pass protection shows his knack for the art of blocking is surely there, and it will likely require the N.F.L. preseason to truly gauge how effective Ramczyk will be early on in his career. It is worth noting, though, he underwent hip surgery just three days after Wisconsin’s 24-16 victory over Western Michigan in the Cotton Bowl. It remains to be seen how this will affect him in the long-run 5. OG Dorian Johnson, Pittsburgh Another prospect that could move around the line if needed, Johnson played left tackle, right guard and left guard while at Pitt. To put it simply, this guy is a near must-have if your Seattle’s coaching staff. Standing six-foot-five inches and weighing 315 pounds, he is one of the most N.F.L.-ready offensive lineman to enter the draft in a long while. Little-to-none of that weight is excess, as Johnson is relatively lean and downright ripped. Throw exceptional technique and patience and Johnson may be the perfect blocker. He has shown great ability as a pulling guard, which is another huge need for the Seahawks up front. Johnson has potential as a day one starter and Seattle has a golden opportunity to select him later than they probably should be able to. AROUND COVER32 Confidence Rankings: Which of the final four teams do we trust the most? Draft:: Five players to watch from the East/West Shrine Game Playoff Pickems:: Who will be playing on Super Bowl Sunday? 6. OT/OG Zach Banner, USC Any player that can move about the offensive line is immediately much more attractive to a Seattle franchise looking for any help they can get. Banner is a six-foot-eight, 360-pound giant of a human. Obviously, with all that weight, he must clog up holes instead of make them right? Wrong. Banner shows elite movement for his size and a coachable technique. Another great point-of-attack blocker, his biggest negative is he has been known to make mental mistakes and can often lose his balance in pass protection. This, of course, has hindered his productivity at times. However, as stated before, his ability to possibly move inside makes him an intriguing option, especially to Seattle’s needs. 7. OT Dion Dawkins, Temple A player who will have a lot of work to do prior to his first season in the N.F.L., Dawkins could be very good with the correct coaching. This comes as result of him being able to slack off on technique due to his refrigerator-like frame. At six-foot-five, 320 pounds, he is among the heaviest blockers in this year’s draft. He consistently won at the point of attack and exceptional power is among his greatest strengths. Not quite a day one starter, he is lower on this list than he is on most peoples, as Seattle is in desperate need of a foundation. However, Dawkins might have one of the biggest upsides among lineman in the draft. 8. OT Garrett Bolles, Utah Arm length may be the deciding factor in keeping Bolles from being drafted but he has enough other positives to allow him to be intriguing. Coming from a rough-around-the-edges background, the 24-year old still has plenty of potential at the professional level. Another power player, Bolles maintains balance and agility that keeps him effective on the outside as a tackle. Often lackadaisical on the basics, though, some coaching will be needed to fix some bad habits. Not necessarily a day one starter, but Bolles has a definite shot at developing into a legit top player. 9. OG Nico Siragusa, San Diego State Earning two all-Mountain West first team selections and a third-team AP All-American selection at SDSU, Siragusa certainly could play either guard position at the pro-level. This would be a perk especially for Seattle as they would probably enjoy leaving Germain Ifedi where he is and just replace Glowinski. At six-foot-five and 300 pounds, he is another typical mammoth-like blocker who has elite power. Luckily, power prospects are exactly what the Seahawks need, and this draft is filled with them. Great at blocking for the run, Siragusa was among the SDSU front that opened holes for one of the NCAA’s most prolific rushers, Donnel Pumphrey. 10. OT Adam Bisnowaty, Pittsburgh A conventional offensive tackle, Bisnowaty possesses all the necessary attributes to be successful in the N.F.L. Being much more agile and quick than he looks, he also owns very long arms and a great body structure. Able to contain pass rushers and defeat run-stuffing defenders, Bisnowaty has almost everything you want in a rookie, with some remaining coachables. His balance is one obvious issue, but that can be improved and made a non-issue with the correct training. He does have an injury background, so his medical evaluation as we near the draft must be watched very closely. The post Top 10 Offensive Lineman Seattle Seahawks Could Draft appeared first on Cover32.
Republicans are battling behind the scenes over an amendment that would ban the Pentagon from funding the gender reassignment surgeries and other transgender-related healthcare of service members. Members of the House Armed Services Committee rejected the proposal, which was put forward by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) as an amendment to a Pentagon spending bill. But supporters of the provision are now working to attach it to another piece of appropriations legislation that is headed to the House floor in the coming days. The revival of the amendment comes over the objections of some House Republicans — particularly in the moderate GOP’s Tuesday Group — and Defense Secretary James Mattis. Hartzler put forward the provision on care for transgender troops as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA); it failed by a 214-209 vote. Two-dozen Republicans came together with 190 Democrats to vote against the package, but things could shift if it comes up again: six GOP members abstained or didn’t vote on the NDAA amendments. Many Republicans were shocked that the package failed, an aide said, and lobbyists who had worked on the issue also told The Hill that the outcome was far from certain — even in the moments before the vote. “We had been working this issue for weeks. At each point, we just had hurdles we had to get over,” said one lobbyist advocating against the Hartzler amendment, who asked for anonymity in order to speak about the process. “Going into that vote that morning that day, my anxiety level was so high because we were so close and it was going to be so tight.” Mattis called Hartzler at least once, including the day of the NDAA vote, to urge her to withdraw the amendment. Two sources told The Hill that the Defense secretary also spoke with Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanBrexit and exit: A transatlantic comparison Five takeaways from McCabe’s allegations against Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Sanders set to shake up 2020 race MORE (R-Wis.) last week. And now the lobbying process is beginning all over again, as the House prepares to vote on the legislation to fund the Defense Department. The Hill spoke with seven Capitol Hill staffers and lobbyists about the issue, all of whom asked to remain off the record to protect their clients, employers or associates. Some Republican lawmakers are angry with leaders for allowing the initial amendment to go to a vote last week, and are now fighting to keep it off the table again. “There are many members who voted in favor of the amendment the first time but are advocating that the amendment not be made in order the second time,” said a Republican aide, mentioning an effort to push leaders. Conservative members are also reportedly pushing hard in favor of the measure. The House Rules Committee, which is tightly controlled by GOP leadership, will meet Monday and Tuesday to decide which amendments make it into the Defense Department’s appropriations bill, including discussion on the Hartzler amendment. The Family Research Council, Heritage Action and Alliance Defending Freedom have been among those urging members to support the amendment. Hartzler and the amendment’s supporters ague that paying for transgender-related healthcare is too high a cost for the government — putting the projected figure above $1 billion over the next decade. “The job of Congress is to ensure that our military is the most effective, efficient and well-funded fighting force in the world. With the challenges we are facing across the globe, we are asking the American people to invest their hard-earned money in national defense," Hartzler said in a statement. "Each dollar needs to be spent to address threats facing us." Critics say Hartzler's figure is "fake," pointing two studies from the New England Journal of Medicine and the RAND Corporation that show projected costs of between roughly $2.4 million and $8.4 million. Last year, the Obama administration ended the prohibition on transgender people serving openly in the military, but set a transition to occur in stages. The Defense Department is currently reviewing whether to accept new soldiers who identify as transgender. Opponents of the amendment are pushing back on a number of fronts, including on the basis of LGBT rights and the belief that the Pentagon should be setting military priorities. “The job of our Armed Forces is to defend our country, and the DoD should be given more leeway than other parts of the executive branch with respect to personnel decisions,” wrote Rep. Justin Amash Justin AmashHouse to push back at Trump on border Ex-GOP lawmakers urge Republicans to block Trump's emergency declaration This week: Congress, Trump set for showdown on emergency declaration MORE (R-Mich.) in a Facebook post explaining his “no” vote on the Hartzler amendment. “Those who serve in our Armed Forces deserve the best medical care. …. With respect to transgender persons, we should focus on the best science, not the political or philosophical opinions of partisans,” he said. The Paul Singer-funded Republican LGBT advocacy group American Unity Fund — joined by the Palm Center and OutServe, two organizations that focus on LGBT individuals serving in the military, and Human Rights Campaign — led the charge on marshaling forces on Capitol Hill and the Pentagon against the amendment. "The politics of these issues should have evolved to a point where leadership isn’t putting members in this position unnecessarily. You have a lot of prominent Republicans who have come a long way on this," said a Republican lobbyist who advocated against the amendment. While public views on LGBT issues like same-sex marriage have shifted in recent years, transgender advocates say winning support from some Republicans would be an important milestone. “To have a couple dozen house Republicans and a unified Democratic caucus take that vote to protect the transgender community, I think that’s a watershed moment” for transgender issues, said another Republican lobbyist who worked the issue. “People are sick of toxic social issues. They’re sick of people playing political games and bully them to use must-pass legislation — in the NDAA or spending bills — to get these victories they otherwise wouldn’t have,” the lobbyist added. It harkens back to an amendment last year, sponsored by Republican Rep. Steve Russell from Oklahoma, which would have provided a “religious liberty” exemption to an Obama executive order prohibiting government contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), a leader of the Tuesday Group, was among a group of bipartisan lawmakers who launched a failed attempt to override it. The Russell amendment was ultimately removed from the NDAA in the Senate. “After the Russell amendment, there is a heightened awareness regarding issues affecting the LGBT community,” said the Republican staffer. “People are paying much greater attention to those issues and amendments that affect those issues.” — Updated on July 25
As the world has turned to the Internet to have conversations, cities are trying to catch up. To that end, Surrey decided to leapfrog ahead Wednesday with a new online forum that will be the first of its kind in Western Canada, part of growing efforts by civic governments to talk to their citizens. Mayor Dianne Watts announced the city is kicking off a partnership with interactive market researcher Vision Critical aimed at getting thousands of Surrey residents and business owners to become part of a group ready to weigh in on everything from off-leash dog parks to new condo developments. Story continues below advertisement "We want to make sure the community has another avenue for input and discussion on relevant topics and ideas that are important today," said Ms. Watts, who announced the project during her annual state of the city address. The one-year pilot will cost $50,000. Later, she added that the issue of how to get public input is particularly crucial for Surrey because it is such a young community, where a lot of people are too busy with families to spend hours at public meetings. But mayors of both young and old cities are pondering the online world these days. "These are popping up around the world," said Susanna Haas Lyons, a Vancouver public-engagement specialist. "It's helping to meet the needs of people who don't have a lot of time but do want to participate." Although Ms. Watts said in her speech that the initiative, which will be called City Speaks: Your Surrey, Your Say, is the first in Canada, Ms. Lyons said the region of Halton in Ontario has tried something similar. A spokeswoman for Vision Critical said this kind of public dialogue is in a pioneering stage. "This is about trying to get new people into the conversation," said Shachi Kurl, whose company has tried this with one other city, in Australia. Story continues below advertisement Story continues below advertisement Cities have found themselves struggling to talk to the public in recent years, as citizen groups start Facebook campaigns or create their own websites to oppose city initiatives. Although cities have a much stronger tradition of public consultation than provincial and federal governments, they've relied on public meetings and open houses. That has evolved into an exercise for various groups in seeing who can get the most supporters out to those meetings, send the most e-mails to the mayor and council or "vote" the most often in online polls. Experts say an online forum that allows people to participate in a lengthy conversation on their own time, in their own homes, can help mitigate that. The "long-term, continuing nature of consultation means it's harder for NIMBYs or other motivated interest groups to 'stack' an online consultation," said Ms. Kurl. "It's more than a matter of showing up to a meeting." She noted that polls show only 31 per cent of people say they're willing to show up to a council meeting to voice their opinion on an issue, but 59 per cent said they'd participate in an online consultation. Story continues below advertisement Surrey recently went through a tumultuous debate over a casino. Part of the argument that erupted was whether the number of people at the meetings or the number of names on an "online petition" were really representative of the whole community. Other cities have used online technology to survey residents about specific issues but have not developed a pool of people who can be surveyed about many things over time, as Surrey is attempting. Ms. Lyons said that, while an online forum like Surrey's can be a powerful tool for both residents and city staff and politicians, it has its limitations. "You need to sign up and give information to a government entity. You will have some people with a higher degree of comfort with that and lower privacy thresholds and others that don't have that. There can be some demographic splitting there."
Share. Will be introduced sometime after July 1, 2015. Will be introduced sometime after July 1, 2015. The Australian Federal Government confirmed today that it will introduce the “Netflix Tax,” meaning Australian consumers will have to shell out an extra 10 percent for goods purchased from digital services like Netflix, Google, Steam and Amazon. Treasurer Joe Hockey revealed during a press conference today that the 10 percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be charged to all digital products and services bought online, such as games, movies and books. Australians currently don’t pay GST on physical online purchases under AU$1,000, and Hockey said that won't change after the adjustment. "What we’re doing is going to digital providers overseas and saying ‘can you apply the GST to the products you provide into Australia?’," Hockey said according to IT News. "They are agreeable to it. It’s not their profits [being taxed]. It’s a tax collected and they remit it back to the country where that occurs." Exit Theatre Mode The extra tax charged by the online companies will be given back to the Government. Hockey believes once the GST expands to encompass digital services sometime after July 1, it will raise $350 million over four years. Full details will be revealed when the Federal Budget hits 7:30 p.m. AEST Tuesday, May 12. Netflix US has previously stated that it will add the GST to its service when the federal government passes it. The redrafting of the Tax Act won’t change the price of iTunes downloads as Australian consumers already pay GST on purchases from Apple's online store. Jenna Pitcher is a freelance journalist writing for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter.
Websites that detect ad-blockers to stop their users from reading webpages could be illegal under European law. Alexander Hanff, a privacy campaigner and programmer, says he has received a letter from the European Commission confirming that browser-side web scripts that pick out advert blockers access people's personal data (ie: the plugin stored on their computer). Thus, just like you need to give permission to EU websites to access and store your cookies, ad-blocker detectors must ask for permission before probing your browser. Since so many people are bugging me for them here are photos of the relevant pages of letter. pic.twitter.com/vcTG0qdhIC — Alexander Hanff (@alexanderhanff) April 20, 2016 Therefore, under EU law in force since May 2011, people must give their consent before an anti-ad-blocker script can run and hide content on a page. Of course, while waiting for that consent from a visitor, the site could refuse to show anything, but then the publisher will scare off all readers, even the ones who turn out to be not running anti-ad plugins. If the page is viewable while waiting for the consent, then blocking ad-blockers is pointless. Hanff has now said he will be using the commission's letter as the basis for a series of legal challenges against firms that use anti-ad-blocking software. Next week he'll also be setting up a website for people to identify websites that use the code, so that a list of potential defendants can been identified. That's bad news for outlets that have decided to block anti-ad plugins. ®
Rhino poacher killed in Kruger shoot-out Johannesburg - A suspected rhino poacher was killed in a shoot-out at the Crocodile Bridge Ranger section of the Kruger National Park on Thursday, SA National Parks (SANParks) said. An investigation by SANParks rangers, police and the military into the killing of a rhino cow and her calf earlier in the day led to three men, said spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli in a statement. "A shoot-out ensued, which led to one suspect being fatally wounded and the other two [being] arrested." Four fresh rhino horns, a hunting rifle and an axe were recovered from the men. The total number of rhinos poached in the Kruger National Park since January this year now stands at 130. Another SANParks spokesperson, Paul Daphne, appealed to the public to report suspected poaching. "It is unfortunate that we could not save the rhino cow and calf in time, but we are convinced that with the increased measures we have in place, the poachers are feeling the pressure..." he said. Thakhuli said the two alleged poachers would appear in court soon.
Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs! For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription: We hope you have enjoyed your trial! To continue reading, we recommend our Read Now Pay Later membership. Simply add a form of payment and pay only 27¢ per article. Introductory pricing schedule for 12 month: $0.99/month plus tax for first 3 months, $5.99/month for months 4 - 6, $10.99/month for months 7 - 9, $13.99/month for months 10 - 12. Standard All Access Digital rate of $16.99/month begins after first year. Introductory pricing schedule for 12 month: $0.99/month plus tax for first 3 months, $5.99/month for months 4 - 6, $10.99/month for months 7 - 9, $13.99/month for months 10 - 12. Standard All Access Digital rate of $16.99/month begins after first year. Introductory pricing schedule for 12 month: $0.99/month plus tax for first 3 months, $5.99/month for months 4 - 6, $10.99/month for months 7 - 9, $13.99/month for months 10 - 12. Standard All Access Digital rate of $16.99/month begins after first year. Introductory pricing schedule for 12 month: $0.99/month plus tax for first 3 months, $5.99/month for months 4 - 6, $10.99/month for months 7 - 9, $13.99/month for months 10 - 12. Standard All Access Digital rate of $16.99/month begins after first year. Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs! For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription: We hope you have enjoyed your trial! To continue reading, we recommend our Read Now Pay Later membership. Simply add a form of payment and pay only 27¢ per article. Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs! For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription: We hope you have enjoyed your trial! To continue reading, we recommend our Read Now Pay Later membership. Simply add a form of payment and pay only 27¢ per article. Investments in research and technologies in electrical generation and storage are highlighted in the plan to begin the movement toward carbon reductions. These are critical in two respects: appropriate technology varies depending on regional differences, and consequent economic benefits are substantial. This highlights a clear Canadian energy policy involving investments in clean energy, support for emerging clean-technology companies and a Canada Green Investment Bond to support both large and community-scale renewable-energy projects. Federal agencies could provide their facilities as test beds for prototype testing. Climate change is correctly addressed as a technical problem on a world scale that can be corrected with appropriate technology. Climate scientists' calculations indicate the atmosphere currently holds about 400 parts per million (ppm): the ratio of carbon dioxide molecules compared to all other atmospheric molecules. Reducing this ratio to 350 ppm is the agreed-upon goal to neutralize human impacts. There is much to commend, particularly the reliance on facts and research driving the plan. What a breath of fresh air after a decade of these being ignored. The plan weaves several major issues into a cohesive whole, including climate change, economic productivity, protection of special ecological systems and a revamp of Canada's decimated environmental-assessment capacity. Clearly, this vision derives from a team of experts, thinking long-term and focused on Canada's future economic and environmental viability. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/7/2015 (1333 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/7/2015 (1333 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has released the Liberal party's policy statement outlining a comprehensible forward-looking plan for "Canada's Environment and Economy". There is much to commend, particularly the reliance on facts and research driving the plan. What a breath of fresh air after a decade of these being ignored. The plan weaves several major issues into a cohesive whole, including climate change, economic productivity, protection of special ecological systems and a revamp of Canada's decimated environmental-assessment capacity. Clearly, this vision derives from a team of experts, thinking long-term and focused on Canada's future economic and environmental viability. Climate change is correctly addressed as a technical problem on a world scale that can be corrected with appropriate technology. Climate scientists' calculations indicate the atmosphere currently holds about 400 parts per million (ppm): the ratio of carbon dioxide molecules compared to all other atmospheric molecules. Reducing this ratio to 350 ppm is the agreed-upon goal to neutralize human impacts. Investments in research and technologies in electrical generation and storage are highlighted in the plan to begin the movement toward carbon reductions. These are critical in two respects: appropriate technology varies depending on regional differences, and consequent economic benefits are substantial. This highlights a clear Canadian energy policy involving investments in clean energy, support for emerging clean-technology companies and a Canada Green Investment Bond to support both large and community-scale renewable-energy projects. Federal agencies could provide their facilities as test beds for prototype testing. The plan shows how science can be used to understand environmental problems and the consequences of options to solve them. These are linked with economic theory and analysis and explain how environmental solutions also solve economic dilemmas. Investments in green technologies will improve productivity, instead of the current policy of spending public funds on petroleum-development subsidies, a cost that exacerbates climate change. Prime Minister Stephen Harper argues the economy takes priority, implying addressing climate change cannot be an economic generator, but a luxury to be considered — when? This assumes climate change does not seriously impact Canada's economic foundations, now or in the future. Harper recently accepted an international political agreement to eliminate greenhouse gases by 2100. This is simply ridiculous. Before 2050, greenhouse gases must be significantly reduced to prevent global warming becoming self-generating. While Harper is busy collecting data from the provinces to add them up for political advantage, the comprehensive Liberal plan involves working with provincial and territorial governments to address the actual fundamentals of climate change. Trudeau's plan recognizes each province and territory has different resources, different energy sources and, therefore, different effects from climate change. It acknowledges effective solutions must account for these. One size does not fit all. Given the disrespect climate change impacts have for provincial boundaries, intergovernmental co-operation is essential. The Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Agency, a former federal agency for addressing Prairie drought, is cited as an example of an integrating model. The Liberal proposal recognizes at times a federal emergency agency may need to pick up some of the overload, perhaps by equipping Canada's military to be world-class leaders in responding to weather-related emergencies. Hopefully, new funding for the Experimental Lakes Area will evolve over time to the establishment of "ecological research stations" in all 15 major ecological systems in Canada. These would provide significant data and research to improve knowledge of the complexities within each ecological system and better insights into local climate change and how they might be mitigated. A specific mechanism isn't spelled out to achieve all this. However, within a national framework, federal agreements will be needed with each province and territory to facilitate working together to identify, for each jurisdiction, specific circumstances, objectives and programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate impacts. Where necessary, adjacent provincial governments should be included in such co-operative arrangements. This approach is not without precedent. The Liberal plan is a beginning and basis to build a way forward to improve productivity while dealing with Canada's responsibilities for climate change and long-term ecological vitality. Jim Collinson consults on the complexities among energy, environment and economy, and was assistant deputy minister for the Department of Regional Economic Expansion (Western and Northern Canada) and Parks Canada.
Joe Utichi contributes to Deadline’s UK coverage. The current series of BBC Three hit Being Human, about a trio of supernatural roommates, will be its last. The characters will face the Devil himself in the program’s “apocalyptic end”, the BBC said. The show, which started airing its fifth series February 3, was created by Toby Whithouse and began life as a stand-alone pilot starring Andrea Riseborough, Russell Tovey and Guy Flanagan. Only Tovey carried over to the series, which has featured revolving main players like Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner and Sinead Keenan. Season 5’s cast of Michael Socha, Damien Molony, Kate Bracken and Steven Robertson will see the show out. A U.S. adaptation is currently airing an all-new third season on Syfy; the original has been a hit on BBC America since debuting in 2009.
Gary He/Associated Press Rush Limbaugh, the pre-eminent conservative talk-radio host, will remain at a Honolulu hospital Thursday, the guest host of his show said. Mr. Limbaugh was rushed to the hospital Wednesday afternoon after complaining of chest pains. “Those pains were the kind of pains that makes one feel like he as a heart attack coming on, but it has not been confirmed that it is a heart attack,” Mr. Limbaugh’s guest host, Walter E. Williams, told listeners Thursday afternoon. “Today, Thursday, he’ll have a complete examination and we’ll know more. We’ll keep everyone informed when there’s information to share.” Mr. Williams said “Rush continues to rest very comfortably in the hospital in Honolulu,” adding, “He had a comfortable night. He’s getting good medical attention.” “The Rush Limbaugh Show” is being led by substitute hosts this week while Mr. Limbaugh is on vacation; he was scheduled to return on Monday, Jan. 4. Rush Limbaugh’s Web site this morning confirmed that the talk show host had been taken to a hospital, saying in a posting: Rush was admitted to a Honolulu hospital today and is resting comfortably after suffering chest pains. Rush appreciates your prayers and well wishes. He will keep you updated via RushLimbaugh.com and on Thursday’s radio program. His syndicator, Premiere Radio Networks, had no further comment. The statement was issued after a Honolulu television station, KITV, reported on Mr. Limbaugh’s hospitalization Wednesday. The station said that paramedics responded to a call at 2:41 p.m. from the Kahala Hotel and Resort, and then took Mr. Limbaugh to the Queen’s Medical Center, where he was listed in serious condition. A hospital spokesman, N. Makana Shook, would not not comment on the report when called by The New York Times Wednesday night, and Mr. Limbaugh’s associates could not be reached for comment. The KITV report said that Mr. Limbaugh has been in the islands during the holidays, and had been seen golfing at a local country club next to the Kahala resort. Mr. Limbaugh is the country’s leading purveyor of political talk radio, reaching millions of listeners on about 600 stations. “Limbaugh is a master of the airwaves,” Michael Harrison, the editor of the radio industry publication Talkers Magazine, said last year. “He is the best talent on the air in modern broadcasting.”
Images are important. We often use images to think about others, to understand them and to interact with them. But images can be wrong. Some Christians, when imagining themselves to be generous, have an image of Atheists as “searchers”. They envision us as fumbling in the dark until we discover their brand of Truth. Or perhaps they use the image of the proverbial blind men who can only barely perceive the elephant [God]. Thus they see their role as being there to gently fill in our lack of vision. These Christians get their “seeker” image from one of their favorite Bible verses where Jesus says: ‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; Search, and you will find; Knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. — Luke 11: 9-10 (NRSV) You see, using this image of us as searching for the truth, Christians can then feel they are part of God’s mission to help us — they are there to offer our blind eyes a glimpse of Jesus. To them, it is much more generous to see us as blind seekers rather than to just envision us as doomed blasphemous unbelievers. For if we are “seekers” or “searchers”, we are not yet full blown dangerous hell-fated heretics. To rid themselves of that image, they are compelled to sanitize us with the “Seeker Image”. For if they didn’t, they would have to contend with this haunting Bible verse that commands them to shun us: Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person. — 2 John 1:9-11 (NRSV) Thus if they are truly Bible-loving Christians and they want to keep relating with us unbelievers, they must first sanitize us. They sanitize us by imaging us poor atheists as still “searching”. They then think of themselves as being in relationship to us so as to gently guide us toward the light — toward truth. Or perhaps to just be kind to us while God works with us. Either way, once they have sanitized us as being a “searcher” instead of just a pure outright blasphemer, they feel safe to continue relating to us. These images help ease their cognitive dissonance. This sanitization is further needed because of another conscience-haunting Bible verse: Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship is there between light and darkness? — 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NRSV) So, 2 John tells them to shun guests or strangers who don’t believe, while 2 Corinthians tells them to not even partner up with deniers of Christ. So, how can a Bible-loving Christian deal with us hell-bound unbelievers? They must do something to cure their cognitive dissonance. Well, one method is to use the imagery in the Luke verse above (also in Matthew 7:7). They can use Luke and Matthew to help see us as seekers who may someday find Jesus. Doing this, they sanitize us and then can sweep those other nasty verses under their spiritual carpet and alleviate their mental distress. But don’t let them sanitize you ! Get the image of a “searcher” out of their heads. Tell them you are an explorer ! Images are important. Don’t indulge them by letting them envision you as a blind seeker. This blind seeker image is fed by this story of Jesus healing a blind man just like you. He [the former blind man] answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ — John 9:11 (NRSV) I am an Explorer ! Instead of letting Christians sanitize you and thus letting them easing their consciences, keep that cognitive dissonance burning in their minds. Tell them you are not a seeker. Tell them you don’t need Jesus to rub mud in your eyes. Tell them you are not searching for either Jesus or God. Tell them you are not searching for the final truth of the universe so as to comfort your soul. Let Christians know you are not burdened with spiritual confusion nor seeking the one answer. You are not a seeker. Instead, tell them you are an EXPLORER ! Instead of buying into their view that there is some final goal in life, tell them that “The path IS the goal”. You may appear as a seeker to them because you keep looking into all the various religious thoughts out there. But let them know you do it more as an anthropologist, a sociologist, ra psychologist, a scientist, an artist or a musician — not as a seeker. Give them the image of yourself as an excited explorer.
OH MY GOSH. My yarn exchange match REALLY outdid themselves. I am so, so happy! I opened the box and and was first greeted by a BIG bag of M&M's (YUM) and a box of tea. Serious sleuthing must have happened to figure out that I am a tea lover, so way to go, SS! I can't wait to try the chai (perhaps while casting on...?). Then I removed the top-secret bubble wrap to reveal...holy crap!! SO MUCH YARN! And SO PRETTY! I am not exaggerating or being facetious when I say I squealed with delight. AND they sent me patterns for suggestions for what to make with the yarn! I cannot wait to make my first pair of socks with the gorgeous rainbow yarn...and to make Henry's rabbit (which I have been wanting to make forever, but I don't even think it's in my Ravelry queue, so my SS must be psychic) with Brava. I have always wanted to try Brava, so I'm super excited! And the shawl pattern is gorgeous and will go perfectly with the autumn-y colored yarn. I have never seen (let alone used) such gorgeous yarn before. Ok, seriously, SS. I don't know how you did it, but you read my mind on everything. You are amazing. I just wish I knew your reddit username! Please reveal yourself! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are amazing!
The Hunt for Engineers: Expensify and the surprisingly difficult challenge of finding the right people As many of our regular readers have probably noticed, we’ve been mentioning here and there for quite some time that we are in the market for new employees. And as we’ve said before, we’re taking a drastically slower route toward hiring than many startups do. But we’re being extra picky about who we hire, because we’re trying to preserve two things that are very important to us: the integrity of our product, and the corporate culture we’ve very carefully crafted In other words, not just any Computer Science major will do. In fact, we don’t even care if you have a college degree. We don’t care if you’re a U.S. citizen. What we do care about? a great work ethic, almost to the point that some of your friends might call you masochistic. We work long, hard hours doing what we love, and if you’re the kind of person who wants to clock out at 5:00 or spend half the day surfing LOLCats, this isn’t the place for you. a great character: fair, honest, with a decent sense of humor, and absolutely zero drama. Please, we get enough drama from watching Dexter. talented and fast at picking new things up: you should be technologically multilingual, with the kind of intellectual flexibility that would make Neo’s bullet-avoiding backbend in The Matrix look like your grandma doing the limbo on a geriatric cruise. This doesn’t just apply to programming, though we demand a high level of talent and capability in that arena, for sure: what else are you good at? Can you speak in front of a group? Explain multiple step processes to your luddite relatives? Make a mean seven-layer dip? In essence, what else are you bringing to the table? ambition: you’ve got to have it. We don’t want Expensify to be your final resting place; that’s just not how this industry works. We want people who are mobile, constantly looking for a next great project, working on side projects of their own, and with big plans for the future. And we want to help you get there, too. Generally, we’ve found that our best applicants also have the following in common: programming experience from way before their college years a zest for adventure – everyone on staff is a world traveler, and have what one of our engineers referred to as a “willingness to get into trouble” curriculum vitae that extend far beyond the classroom and the office: your most impressive work was probably done for the fun of it, anywhere from a junior high school bedroom to an exotic beach somewhere (our preferred location) The point we’re trying to make is: the expectations are high, but the rewards are higher, and if you think you’ve got what it takes, we’d love to hear from you. We’ll sponsor a visa, buy your lunches, and propel your career to the next level – if you’re the right fit.
Lowest-graded player at every position in NFL Week 6 By Bryson Vesnaver • Oct 18, 2016 Stick a fork in Week 6 of the NFL season, it’s done and over with. Quite a bit happened this past week, and as always, we saw some not-so-stellar play amidst the standout performances. While many like to push particularly poor games under the rug, here we bring those bad days into the light. What follows are the worst players at every position from the past week of football: Quarterback: Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders, 35.8 After a hot start to the season, Derek Carr had his first poor game of the year against the Chiefs. While his stat-line doesn’t look horrible (22-for-34 for 225, a touchdown, and an interception) it doesn’t quite tell the whole story. His pick was a really bad throw, and he had another dangerous pass attempt that should have been intercepted. Carr also dropped a snap and had another fumble in the game. Running back: Matt Forte, New York Jets, 42.7 Matt Forte was less than stellar in his Monday Night Football appearance, as he gained just 19 yards on nine carries and failed to force a single missed tackle. In the passing game, he caught one of three targets for 3 yards; he dropped the other two. Wide receiver: Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos, 38.5 Demaryius Thomas had a Thursday night game to forget, as he caught just five passes on 10 targets. He gained just 37 yards—a mere 13 of those coming after the catch. Thomas also had a dropped pass and a key fumble as Denver was driving down the field late in the game. Wide receiver: Marquise Goodwin, Buffalo Bills, 38.8 It wasn’t a great afternoon for Marquise Goodwin, as he caught just two passes on four targets for 22 yards. Goodwin also had an offensive pass-interference penalty, and made a mistake that cost him a catch on another target. Slot receiver: Seth Roberts, Oakland Raiders, 47.6 Seth Roberts wasn’t horrible in his game for the Raiders, but much like the entire Oakland offense, he wasn’t good, either. Roberts caught just three passes on six targets for 29 yards against the Chiefs; all of those yards came after the catch. He also recorded a dropped pass. Tight end: Ryan Griffin, Houston Texans, 37.6 Ryan Griffin wasn’t much help when it came to run blocking against the Colts, and he struggled in the passing game, too. Griffin caught three passes for just 31 yards and dropped the other two targets he saw. Left tackle: Ryan Clady, New York Jets, 34.2 Ryan Clady actually graded positively in run blocking, which goes to show how poorly he played when pass blocking last night. He didn’t allow a sack, but did allow two QB hits and six hurries, as well as two other passing plays where he was beaten cleanly. Clady also took a holding penalty. Left guard: Zane Beadles, San Francisco 49ers, 39.1 Beadles allowed two hits and two hurries when pass blocking, but struggled even more in the run game. He allowed three run stops and had multiple other plays in which he lost his block and let it affect the rusher. Center: Cameron Erving, Cleveland Browns, 36.7 Cameron Erving was equally poor at both pass and run blocking on Sunday. He allowed a hit and three hurries, as well as a few other plays in which he was beaten. In the run game, he was unable to open pretty much any holes for Clevelands’ RBs, a group that gained just 37 yards on 14 carries. Right guard: Germain Ifedi, Seattle Seahawks, 37.3 Another guard to struggle in the run game, rookie Germain Ifedi surrendered three tackles and another in which the tackle was missed by his man. He had a handful of other lost blocks, and in the passing game, allowed a QB hit and two hurries. Right tackle: Donald Stephenson, Denver Broncos, 33.4 It was a stat-line to forget for Donald Stephenson on Thursday night, with two tackles surrendered in the run game, two quarterback hits, six hurries, twice beaten on pass plays with no pressure recorded, and two false start penalties. Not exactly a game for the ages. Week 6 defense Edge defender: Emmanuel Ogbah, Cleveland Browns, 38.1 While rookie Emmanuel Ogbah did record a sack in this game, it was a late-pursuit sack. In fact, it was his only pressure in the passing game, and in the run game he fared no better. Ogbah failed to make a single run stop, and only had one other tackle. Interior defender: Vince Wilfork, Houston Texans, 36.2 The up-and-down season of Vince Wilfork continues with his worst game so far. Despite playing 47 snaps against the Colts, he failed to make any kind of impact. His stat-line looks like a baker’s dozen of donuts, as he had zeros across the board in pressures, stops, and tackles. Interior defender: Corey Liuget, San Diego Chargers, 36.3 Corey Liuget was almost as invisible as Wilfork, were it not for the Charger’s batted pass against the Broncos. That was literally the only difference, as Liuget made no other major contributions for San Diego. Edge defender: Erik Walden, Indianapolis Colts, 39.0 Walden had just two late hurries in the pass-rushing game, and made just one run stop all evening for the Colts. He was also the man in coverage on Texans RB Lamar Miller’s touchdown catch-and-run. Linebacker: Karlos Dansby, Cincinnati Bengals, 30.1 Dansby’s low grade comes from his poor coverage game, where he graded at 24.2 thanks to surrendering all five targets he saw for 95 yards and two touchdowns. He missed two tackles on those receptions, as 52 of those yards came after the catch. Linebacker: Michael Wilhoite, San Francisco 49ers, 32.1 This grade was solely because of Wilhoite’s unfortunate struggles in the run game. He posted a 22.3 run-defense grade, which is extremely low. He missed two tackles and was otherwise sealed off at the second level at an alarming rate, offering almost no fight in getting off blocks. Cornerback: Ladarius Gunter, Green Bay Packers, 24.8 Ladarius Gunter won’t look back fondly on this game. He allowed six receptions on eight targets for 119 yards and two touchdowns, as he was torched by the Cowboys’ offense. Gunter didn’t offer much in the run game, either, losing the edge a handful of times. Cornerback: Buster Skrine, New York Jets, 26.8 Buster Skrine was picked on often by the Cardinals, and responded by breaking the rules. He had three defensive-holding penalties and a pass-interference penalty, and still surrendered seven receptions for 69 yards on 10 targets. Slot cornerback: Tavon Young, Baltimore Ravens, 45.9 It was a good week for slot corners not named Tavon Young; how unfortunate for the Raven. Young was targeted 11 times and allowed seven of those to be caught for 123 yards and two touchdowns. He did have a nice interception, though. Safety: Eric Reid, San Francisco 49ers, 36.6 Eric Reid found most of his struggles stemming from the run game, where he missed two tackles. He was frequently sealed out of plays when trying to help out, and also surrendered two catches for 50 yards and a touchdown when in coverage. Safety: Kemal Ishmael, Atlanta Falcons, 37.3 Kemal Ishmael saw most of his low grade result from his poor coverage. He was the lone coverage man on seven targets, and allowed five of those throws to be caught for 69 yards. Ishmael also recorded a missed tackle. Week 6 special teams Punter: Riley Dixon, Denver Broncos Dixon had five punts on the day and averaged just 38.6 net yards per attempt. Four of the five were returned, and only two of them landed inside the 20-yard line. Kicker: Cairo Santos, Kansas City Chiefs Cairo Santos missed both an extra point and a 38-yard field goal on Sunday. Kick returners: Kenny Wiggins and Travis Benjamin, San Diego Chargers This is Worst Team of the Week history, as two players from the same team make it for the same position. Wiggins and Benjamin each had just one return, and they both muffed their opportunity.
(left, Mossad cutout conveniently leaves his calling card) With France taking measures decisively sympathetic to Islam, why would Muslim zealots suddenly choose THIS MOMENT to murder a dozen French citizens, an act that would certainly turn French public opinion against Muslims and in favor of Israel? (Latest- Even BBC admits attack may have been fake) ---------- Jewish Insider Reveals How Mossad Staged It " Wake up, my fellow Christians. You are under insidious attack by the Illuminati: a secret oligarchy of Jews and Freemasons. Don't be deceived by the media which they own." "IT IS FROM US THAT THE ALL-ENGULFING TERROR PROCEEDS. WE HAVE IN OUR SERVICE PERSONS OF ALL OPINIONS, OF ALL DOCTRINES,... MONARCHISTS, DEMAGOGUES, SOCIALISTS, COMMUNISTS, AND UTOPIAN DREAMERS OF EVERY KIND. We have harnessed them all to the task: EACH ONE OF THEM ON HIS OWN ACCOUNT IS BORING AWAY AT THE LAST REMNANTS OF AUTHORITY, IS STRIVING TO OVERTHROW ALL ESTABLISHED FORM OF ORDER. By these acts all States are in torture; they exhort to tranquility, are ready to sacrifice everything for peace: BUT WE WILL NOT GIVE THEM PEACE UNTIL THEY OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGE OUR INTERNATIONAL SUPER-GOVERNMENT, AND WITH SUBMISSIVENESS." Protocol 9. Vs. 4. (Circa 1897.) by James Perloff (henrymakow.com) It seems like they're spinning out PSYOPS these days faster than the writers of plots for a daily soap opera. Ottawa and Sydney are already old news. The three latest headlines have probably been: the Charlie Hebdo shootings in France, the downed AirAsia plane, and "North Korea hacks Sony." While no conclusive explanations have yet been reached, these three seemingly distinct events all have something in common: running afoul of Israel. On December 2nd, the France Parliament passed a resolution asking that France recognize a Palestinian state. And just a week ago, Israel informed France that it was "deeply disappointed" with France's vote on a UN resolution that would have required Israeli forces to withdraw to their pre-1967 borders by 2017. (Left. Teaching everyone to identify as Jews) With France taking measures decisively sympathetic to Islam, why would Muslim zealots suddenly choose THIS MOMENT to murder a dozen French citizens, an act that would turn French public opinion against Muslims and in favor of Israel? We are told the motive for the atrocity was publication of cartoons satirizing Islam and Muhammad. What Muslim would consider cartoons more important than Palestinian rights, which Muslims have spent decades earnestly striving and bleeding for? Clearly, the beneficiary of the Charlie Hebdo incident is neither France nor Islam, but Israel. 9-11 This was equally true of 9/11. Though allegedly carried out by Middle Eastern Muslims, they did not benefit - the U.S. has been making war on them ever since, and the Middle East has descended into chaos. Americans did not benefit - they have suffered the casualties and enormous costs of multiple wars, to say nothing of a growing police state at home. 9/11's SOLE BENEFICIARY is Israel - her enemies neutralized one by one, courtesy America. We will not repeat here the widely discussed Israeli connections to 9/11. However, let's at least quote Francesco Cossiga, former President and Prime Minister of Italy: "All of the democratic areas of America and of Europe . . . now know full well that the disastrous attack [9/11] was planned and executed by the American CIA and Mossad with the help of the Zionist world, to falsely incriminate Arabic countries and to persuade the Western Powers to intervene in Iraq and Afghanistan." The Charlie Hebdo shootings show some of the same "MO" as 9/11. A key 9/11 clue was alleged hijacker Satam al-Saqami's visa, found intact and unburned near the World Trade Center. Supposedly it somehow survived the explosion unscathed and made it to the ground. Then, of course, there were the Koran and flight training manual found in a car at Boston's Logan Airport. And the terrorists who visited a Daytona Beach strip club the night before the attacks, and bragged that America was about to see "bloodshed," conveniently leaving behind a Koran, a business card and other forms of ID. Likewise, in the recent Paris shootings, police have identified the alleged perpetrators by means of an ID card which one of them CONVENIENTLY left in the getaway car. Analysts have pointed out that the attack was carried out with military precision and skill. If you watch the footage of the getaway (shot by Amchai Stein, deputy editor of Israel's IBA Channel 1, who "just happened" to be on the scene), the perps wore hoods over their faces: they clearly did not want their identities known. Why, then, after all this precision, did they carelessly leave identification in the car? Could it be that the masked shooters were NOT the same men whom the ID card has sent the police chasing after? (Perhaps the Mossad believes all French detectives are Inspector Clouseaus, but more likely they rely on compliant Freemasons within Law Enforcement who will obey their Masonic oaths of absolute obedience and secrecy in exchange for promotions and other material rewards.) A detailed, ongoing debunking of the Charlie Hebdo shootings may be found at: http://www.jimstonefreelance.com/. AIR ASIA CRASH Next, AirAsia. In a single year, 2014, Malaysia lost three airliners: MH370, MH17, and AirAsia 8501. All three were lost under very controversial circumstances. Malaysia is also one of just four countries in the Far East that doesn't recognize Israel. More significantly, in late 2013, the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission, chaired by Mahathir Mohamad (Malaysia's former prime minister), declared Israel guilty of war crimes and atrocities. The other three Far Eastern countries that don't recognize Israel? Well, there's Indonesia, and Brunei (a small country on the island of Borneo, which is otherwise divided between Malaysia and Indonesia). 155 of Air Asia 8501's passengers were Indonesians. Are France and Malaysia the victims of sophisticated Israeli vengeance? If such an idea seems farfetched, is it no more absurd than the government/MSM claim that MH370 simply "disappeared." If such brutality by Israel seems unthinkable, remember its slaughter of Gaza's civilians only last summer. NORTH KOREA And the fourth country of the Far East that doesn't recognize Israel? It's North Korea, who is now being punished with economic sanctions after its crackerjack team of computer geeks ran circles around the hayseeds in charge of Sony's security. And why shouldn't we believe the claims of government and mainstream media about that? After all, if Muslims will commit mass murder over a cartoon, wouldn't North Koreans hack us over a movie? Wake up, my fellow Christians. You are under insidious attack by the Illuminati: a secret oligarchy of Jews and Freemasons. Don't be deceived by the media which they own. The political Israel of today is not the Israel of the Bible. It is a Luciferian counterfeit, engineered by the same Rothschild bankster cabal that has financed communism and world government. Ultimately, they want their beast to rule his totalitarian world from a throne in Jerusalem, pretending to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). --------------------------
Sign us up for this reboot. Black Panther costars Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira recently took their friendship to the next level by throwing a joint Coming to America-themed birthday party. The friends, who are starring in director Ryan Coogler’s upcoming Marvel film, joined forces to celebrate their respective birthdays in style — Zamunda style. In honor of the classic Eddie Murphy film about an African prince who gives up everything to move to America, Nyong’o dressed up as the Lady-in-Waiting, while the Walking Dead star was the Queen-to-Be. Many members of the Black Panther cast attended, including T’Challa himself Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), and Winston Duke (Person of Interest). Singer and Hidden Figures star Janelle Monáe also made an appearance. This isn’t the first time Nyong’o, an Oscar winner for 12 Years a Slave, and Gurira have worked together. Last year, Nyong’o starred in Eclipsed, a Broadway play written by Gurira. See the birthday festivities below.
The Road to Area 51 .. Built in Burbank, the OXCART needed cumbersome transport to Area 51, with road signs removed, road banks leveled and trees axed. After decades of denying the facility's existance, five former insiders speak out by Annie Jacobson for the LA Times April 2009 Area 51. It's the most famous military institution in the world that doesn't officially exist. If it did, it would be found about 100 miles outside Las Vegas in Nevada's high desert, tucked between an Air Force base and an abandoned nuclear testing ground. Then again, maybe not-- the U.S. government refuses to say. You can't drive anywhere close to it, and until recently, the airspace overhead was restricted--all the way to outer space. Any mention of Area 51 gets redacted from official documents, even those that have been declassified for decades. It has become the holy grail for conspiracy theorists, with UFOlogists positing that the Pentagon reverse engineers flying saucers and keeps extraterrestrial beings stored in freezers. Urban legend has it that Area 51 is connected by underground tunnels and trains to other secret facilities around the country. In 2001, Katie Couric told Today Show audiences that 7 percent of Americans doubt the moon landing happened--that it was staged in the Nevada desert. Millions of X-Files fans believe the truth may be "out there," but more likely it's concealed inside Area 51's Strangelove-esque hangars--buildings that, though confirmed by Google Earth, the government refuses to acknowledge. The problem is the myths of Area 51 are hard to dispute if no one can speak on the record about what actually happened there. Well, now, for the first time, someone is ready to talk--in fact, five men are, and their stories rival the most outrageous of rumors. Colonel Hugh "Slip" Slater, 87, was commander of the Area 51 base in the 1960s. Edward Lovick, 90, featured in "What Plane?" in LA's March issue, spent three decades radar testing some of the world's most famous aircraft (including the U-2, the A-12 OXCART and the F-117). Kenneth Collins, 80, a CIA experimental test pilot, was given the silver star. Thornton "T.D." Barnes, 72, was an Area 51 special-projects engineer. And Harry Martin, 77, was one of the men in charge of the base's half-million-gallon monthly supply of spy-plane fuels. Here are a few of their best stories--for the record: On May 24, 1963, Collins flew out of Area 51's restricted airspace in a top-secret spy plane code-named OXCART, built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. He was flying over Utah when the aircraft pitched, flipped and headed toward a crash. He ejected into a field of weeds. Almost 46 years later, in late fall of 2008, sitting in a coffee shop in the San Fernando Valley, Collins remembers that day with the kind of clarity the threat of a national security breach evokes: "Three guys came driving toward me in a pickup. I saw they had the aircraft canopy in the back. They offered to take me to my plane." Until that moment, no civilian without a top-secret security clearance had ever laid eyes on the airplane Collins was flying. "I told them not to go near the aircraft. I said it had a nuclear weapon on-board." The story fit right into the Cold War backdrop of the day, as many atomic tests took place in Nevada. Spooked, the men drove Collins to the local highway patrol. The CIA disguised the accident as involving a generic Air Force plane, the F-105, which is how the event is still listed in official records. As for the guys who picked him up, they were tracked down and told to sign national security nondisclosures. As part of Collins' own debriefing, the CIA asked the decorated pilot to take truth serum. "They wanted to see if there was anything I'd for-gotten about the events leading up to the crash." The Sodium Pento-thal experience went without a hitch--except for the reaction of his wife, Jane. "Late Sunday, three CIA agents brought me home. One drove my car; the other two carried me inside and laid me down on the couch. I was loopy from the drugs. They handed Jane the car keys and left without saying a word." The only conclusion she could draw was that her husband had gone out and gotten drunk. "Boy, was she mad," says Collins with a chuckle. "We couldn't have told you any of this a year ago," Slater says. "Now we can't tell it to you fast enough." At the time of Collins' accident, CIA pilots had been flying spy planes in and out of Area 51 for eight years, with the express mission of providing the intelligence to prevent nuclear war. Aerial reconnaissance was a major part of the CIA's preemptive efforts, while the rest of America built bomb shelters and hoped for the best. "It wasn't always called Area 51," says Lovick, the physicist who developed stealth technology. His boss, legendary aircraft designer Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson, called the place Paradise Ranch to entice men to leave their families and "rough it" out in the Nevada desert in the name of science and the fight against the evil empire. "Test pilot Tony LeVier found the place by flying over it," says Lovick. "It was a lake bed called Groom Lake, selected for testing because it was flat and far from anything. It was kept secret because the CIA tested U-2s there." When Frances Gary Powers was shot down over Sverdlovsk, Russia, in 1960, the U-2 program lost its cover. But the CIA already had Lovick and some 200 scientists, engineers and pilots working at Area 51 on the A-12 OXCART, which would outfox Soviet radar using height, stealth and speed. Col. Slater was in the outfit of six pilots who flew OXCART missions during the Vietnam War. Over a Cuban meat and cheese sandwich at the Bahama Breeze restaurant off the Las Vegas Strip, he says, "I was recruited for the Area after working with the CIA's classified Black Cat Squadron, which flew U-2 missions over denied territory in Mainland China. After that, I was told, 'You should come out to Nevada and work on something interesting we're doing out there.' " Even though Slater considers himself a fighter pilot at heart--he flew 84 missions in World War II--the opportunity to work at Area 51 was impossible to pass up. "When I learned about this Mach-3 aircraft called OXCART, it was completely intriguing to me--this idea of flying three times the speed of sound! No one knew a thing about the program. I asked my wife, Barbara, if she wanted to move to Las Vegas, and she said yes. And I said, 'You won't see me but on the weekends,' and she said, 'That's fine!' " At this recollection, Slater laughs heartily. Barbara, dining with us, laughs as well. The two, married for 63 years, are rarely apart today. "We couldn't have told you any of this a year ago," Slater says. "Now we can't tell it to you fast enough." That is because in 2007, the CIA began declassifying the 50-year-old OXCART program. Today, there's a scramble for eyewitnesses to fill in the information gaps. Only a few of the original players are left. Two more of them join me and the Slaters for lunch: Barnes, formerly an Area 51 special-projects engineer, with his wife, Doris; and Martin, one of those overseeing the OXCART's specially mixed jet fuel (regular fuel explodes at extreme height, temperature and speed), with his wife, Mary. Because the men were sworn to secrecy for so many decades, their wives still get a kick out of hearing the secret tales. Barnes was married at 17 (Doris was 16). To support his wife, he became an electronics wizard, buying broken television sets, fixing them up and reselling them for five times the original price. He went from living in bitter poverty on a Texas Panhandle ranch with no electricity to buying his new bride a dream home before he was old enough to vote. As a soldier in the Korean War, Barnes demonstrated an uncanny aptitude for radar and Nike missile systems, which made him a prime target for recruitment by the CIA--which indeed happened when he was 22. By 30, he was handling nuclear secrets. "The agency located each guy at the top of a certain field and put us together for the programs at Area 51," says Barnes. As a security precaution, he couldn't reveal his birth name--he went by the moniker Thunder. Coworkers traveled in separate cars, helicopters and airplanes. Barnes and his group kept to themselves, even in the mess hall. "Our special-projects group was the most classified team since the Manhattan Project," he says. Harry Martin's specialty was fuel. Handpicked by the CIA from the Air Force, he underwent rigorous psychological and physical tests to see if he was up for the job. When he passed, the CIA moved his family to Nevada. Because OXCART had to refuel frequently, the CIA kept supplies at secret facilities around the globe. Martin often traveled to these bases for quality-control checks. He tells of preparing for a top-secret mission from Area 51 to Thule, Greenland. "My wife took one look at me in these arctic boots and this big hooded coat, and she knew not to ask where I was going." So, what of those urban legends--the UFOs studied in secret, the underground tunnels connecting clandestine facilities? For decades, the men at Area 51 thought they'd take their secrets to the grave. At the height of the Cold War, they cultivated anonymity while pursuing some of the country's most covert projects. Conspiracy theories were left to popular imagination. But in talking with Collins, Lovick, Slater, Barnes and Martin, it is clear that much of the folklore was spun from threads of fact. .. As for the myths of reverse engineering of flying saucers, Barnes offers some insight: "We did reverse engineer a lot of foreign technology, including the Soviet MiG fighter jet out at the Area"--even though the MiG wasn't shaped like a flying saucer. As for the underground-tunnel talk, that, too, was born of truth. Barnes worked on a nuclear-rocket program called Project NERVA, inside underground chambers at Jackass Flats, in Area 51's backyard. "Three test-cell facilities were connected by railroad, but everything else was underground," he says. And the quintessential Area 51 conspiracy--that the Pentagon keeps captured alien spacecraft there, which they fly around in restricted airspace? Turns out that one's pretty easy to debunk. The shape of OXCART was unprece-dented, with its wide, disk-like fuselage designed to carry vast quantities of fuel. Commercial pilots cruising over Nevada at dusk would look up and see the bottom of OXCART whiz by at 2,000-plus mph. The aircraft's tita-nium body, moving as fast as a bullet, would reflect the sun's rays in a way that could make anyone think, UFO. In all, 2,850 OXCART test flights were flown out of Area 51 while Slater was in charge. "That's a lot of UFO sightings!" Slater adds. Commercial pilots would report them to the FAA, and "when they'd land in California, they'd be met by FBI agents who'd make them sign nondisclosure forms." But not everyone kept quiet, hence the birth of Area 51's UFO lore. The sightings incited uproar in Nevada and the surrounding areas and forced the Air Force to open Project BLUE BOOK to log each claim. Since only a few Air Force officials were cleared for OXCART (even though it was a joint CIA/USAF project), many UFO sightings raised internal military alarms. Some generals believed the Russians might be sending stealth craft over American skies to incite paranoia and create widespread panic of alien invasion. Today, BLUE BOOK findings are housed in 37 cubic feet of case files at the National Archives--74,000 pages of reports. A keyword search brings up no mention of the top-secret OXCART or Area 51. Project BLUE BOOK was shut down in 1969--more than a year after OXCART was retired. But what continues at America's most clandestine military facility could take another 40 years to disclose. ANNIE JACOBSEN is an investigative reporter who sat for more than 500 interviews after she broke the story on terrorists probing commercial airliners. When she isn't digging into intelligence issues for the likes of the National Review, she's snapping together Legos with her two boys. SOURCE: Annie Jacobson for the LA Times
Google RAISR Keeps Your Image Sharp And Saves Your Bandwidth Close We typically look at a high-resolution image and associate that with a high bandwidth which we then worry because we already know that it will inevitably suffer from a sluggish loading speed. Let's not forget the data costs that you have to pay. Google has looked into that particular consumer concern and churned out a new method of image processing. In November 2016, the tech giant showcased what is known as RAISR which is short for Rapid and Accurate Image Super Resolution. This smart tech can predict how a low-resolution photo can be magnified by filling in the gaps between pixels. The result is a photo in high definition that essentially used up a tiny portion of data usage. RAISR works by using machine learning and train on pairs of low res and hi res images to look for filters that can recreate details that are close in quality to the original. The filters are trained for about an hour according to small patches of images. Previous known methods like Upsampling produce a large image with more pixels and higher image quality from a low-quality image. The methods are fast but is thought to be ineffective in bringing out vivid details. So far, the new tech has been tested and improved on Google+. According to a blog post from John Nack, the Product Manager for Google+, RAISR is now processing more than a billion photos a week, even with its limited release. Apparently, Google was able to use up to 75 per cent less bandwidth per large image displayed on Google's native social media platform. It should be in no time when RAISR will be found in most Google services and devices. "In the coming weeks we plan to roll this technology out more broadly," said Nack. "-and we're excited to see what further time and data savings we can offer." TAG google, raisr, google Sign Up for the ITECHPOST Newsletter Get the Most Popular iTechPost Stories in a Weekly Newsletter © 2019 ITECHPOST, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A little bit of abstraction, a little bit of concrete advice. Usually when reading articles of that type (this type), I think it’s wise to discard the abstraction and see if you can walk away carrying only the practical advice, and form your own abstractions later as needed. No hard feelings. I find the abstract stuff fun to write and fun to think about, hopefully it’s a fun read too. (Three Degrees of) Freedom in Deck Selection On the topic of deck selection, friend of the website Adam Barnello recently advised, “I’m a subscriber to the idea that there is very rarely a de facto ‘best deck’ in any environment, but rather a spectrum of decks that are highly competitive; and the individual who is piloting the deck has a significant contribution to the value of the deck itself. In other words, pick the deck that’s best for you out of the group of decks that comprise the best in the field.” Adam is not the first to express the idea, and many of my readers I suspect independently developed an understanding of this concept if they hadn’t already encountered it. He’s right that the idea that there is a single best deck (i.e. there are 75 cards that you can say everyone who did not play made a mistake) is probably wrong and even if it’s true in some abstract sense, it is very probably wrong in practice. Three variables interact when a Pro goes to select their deck: Metagame evaluation (similar to a Keynesian Beauty Contest but a little different since your strategy doesn’t terminate with playing the most popular decks, but rather goes one step further to play the deck that’s best against the most popular decks), which interacts with The Power level of decks, which interacts with Your ability with the decks (inclusive of the experience you have with the decks and your ability at actually tuning the construction of the decks, as well as and the time you have available to improve). Between metagame evaluation, power level, and your ability, there are three degrees of freedom. No one or two variables alone gives a Pro enough information to select their deck. But there is a caveat for the non-top-Pro player: Your ability is also a threshold/gating variable that screens you off from playing decks you aren’t good enough to use. This makes it possible to know only one fact like “The only deck I know how to play is Goblins” and conclude that you should play Goblins. This works, but it doesn’t work well. It helps you select your deck in the same way a “what cards do I own?” algorithm helps you. It might be the best you can do, but if you’re reading these articles I hope you can do better. The real danger of saying, “play the deck that’s best for you” is that this mindset encourages the aspiring Pro to not learn how to incorporate metagame evaluation and raw power level evaluation into their model for which deck to play. “Do the best exercise for you.” Sure, but don’t do only that. Don’t forget there are other things you could be doing. Don’t skip leg day. (By the way, if you’re not an aspiring Pro, that’s fine of course, but then serious strategic advice about deck selection is not for you. I know part of Adam’s reasoning is that he wants to have fun, not just win. But for some of us, winning is first on our minds as we prepare, and fun always seems to show up to the same tournaments that winning does. If you’ve noticed that close kinship in your own Magic experience between winning and having fun, keep reading). Dyson (Power in a Vacuum) Is there truly an “in-a-vacuum” power level, raw power level, for a deck? Maybe (theoretically, with an alien supercomputer and/or a long timeline, you could build every possible 60-card deck [apologies to JWay] and simulate a round robin-tournament and emerge with a best deck). But probably not in the real world with no equilibrium for deck choices that resembles the arbitrary “every possible 60-card deck” field. In those real-life scenarios, you have to know something about the metagame to know a deck’s power level. But still, “some decks are more powerful than others” is a better heuristic than “we don’t know which decks are powerful.” The reason is, at the tournament, there will be a metagame that emerged from ordered and predictable processes, even if you don’t know it. The map is not the territory. More specifically, your lack of a map does not mean the terrain is featureless. Some decks have a goal of dealing 20 damage quickly, and are usually (in typical metagames we should expect to face) better at it than other decks with similar goals. Some decks play control, but use cards like Cryptic Command that just tend to be very powerful in the Magic games we usually end up playing. Other decks have less “raw power” because they play a card like Soldier of the Pantheon that is neutralized fairly easily, is often a bad topdeck, is outclassed by something like Wild Nacatl if we’re talking about Modern, and rarely leads to a synergistic deck that can make up for these shortcomings. Does it mean playing these “weaker” decks is wrong? As I’ve already said, no it does not. There are other variables. In sum, no there is not really a “raw power level,” but as soon as you assume some contours of the likely metagame, those assumptions have implications such that we can reasonably talk about Deck A being more powerful than Deck B (if we agree on the assumptions) in Format Y. If the format has existed for months or years, finding those broad background assumptions about the metagame and agreeing on them is pretty easy—it happens without even knowing it. Thus, we can say that in Modern, Tribal Zoo is a more powerful deck than White Weenie. The Trade-offs The more you know about which decks your opponents will likely show up with (metagame evaluation—a skill but also a property of the circumstances like new format vs. old format, recent reliable large events are available or they aren’t), the more you can trade off raw power for rogue choices, well-positioned tier 2 decks, or a deck you just love to play. The better you are with a deck, the less you have to know about the metagame to select it (remember also that we bundled practice and tuning into “your ability” with the deck). The more raw power the deck has, the less you have to know about the metagame to select it. Our raw power calculus basically assumes this to be true—it’s how you concluded the deck had raw power. Sounds somewhat circular, but in practice this means that when you are down to two decks, one you regard as “more powerful” and another you think is “better specifically against Decks A, B, and C” you better be pretty sure people are showing up in large numbers with Decks A, B, and C before you pick that latter option. The True Master Has No Preferences, Only Abilities If a roman gladiator is more deadly with a spear than a sword, what should he do with his preference for the sword? He should ignore it. Reaching his opponent’s vital organs with the weapon he doesn’t prefer is always preferable to failing to reach the opponent’s vital organs with his favorite weapon. Being optimistic and comfortable before a fight but dead after is a tempting trap. So too with Goblin Guides and Mana Leaks instead of swords and spears. Now, if you don’t know whether your gladiator is best with a spear or a sword, you might ask him which he prefers, since the belief and reality correlate positively to some degree. But if you do already know which he is best with, that knowledge removes the need to ask for his preferences before arming him. Your goal as a Magic player is to know your strengths, and listen to your preferences only while you are trying to learn your strengths, but no further. This part is important but counter-intuitive: what matters is not how close to the deck’s ceiling you are, but how close to the format’s ceiling you are with the deck. Avoid latching on to local maxima when the global maximum is somewhere else. The problem is, your preferences will naturally tend to track against one or more local maxima, the deck’s ceiling, not the global maximum, the format’s ceiling. This is how people end up playing with Mana Leak when Goblin Guide is best. They’ll understand this intuitively but discard that dissonant intuition with stuff like, “well, if other people make the same choice (mistake) I did, I feel like I’ll have an edge in the mirror.” Maybe, maybe not, but you’ve already failed. “But,” said the careful reader and Pro Tour history addict, “Guillame Wafo-Tapa is in the Hall of Fame!” Even if Wafo could play Burn, and Burn was the best deck for the field, he would still be wise to play control given that he is Guillame Wafo-Tapa… Wait a second. Did you catch that? We’re granting allowances to Wafo that I don’t think we’d be willing to grant ourselves if everything written above is true. For all we knew, Wafo was skipping leg day his whole life, but he found enough tournaments where only upper-body strength mattered that he made the Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame. I will strongly encourage you, again, to not skip leg day. If you’ve only got time to learn one deck at a time, switch decks every so often to get that core skill set with multiple archetypes. Maybe Wafo’s run of good fortune where the local control maximum was close to the global format maximum will or has come to an end and Wafo won’t quite win as much at Magic. No big deal, he’s having fun. But remember, I’m writing this for the gladiators. When your opponents figure out how to defend the sword, or Weapons of the Coast stops selling awesome swords, you will be killed. Maybe the Wafo that follows this article ends up Matt Sperling, a grinder who isn’t the best at any one thing and doesn’t have a HoF resume. But more likely he ends up Wrapter (Josh Utter-Leyton), a versatile HoF-level Pro who you really don’t want to face even on the weeks control isn’t that good. I suspect it’s the latter because all the Magic decks are hard. They’re all hard, trust me. He’s demonstrated skill with some, he’s capable of being good with the others. Wafo in our alternate universe (and maybe in our actual universe, there’s no way for me to know for sure) could still play control when it’s good but he could also play Wild Nacatl when Wild Nacatl is good, or Tempered Steel if Tempered Steel is good (Wrapter has done both). The Beauty of the Beauty Contest What you think is the best deck ultimately depends on what you think others will think is the best deck, based on what they think you and others will think is the best deck. The last step of determining how to attack the metagame once you’ve estimated it does involve taking stock of your abilities, but in my experience you will be better served in the medium and long term by reducing the weight you place on the abilities aspect of the decision, which will, by happy accident, get you the exposure to other deck types that you need to develop a well-rounded game. You don’t just want to win the PPTQ that’s in front of you, you want to win the PTQ or Top 8 the GP. And you don’t just want to qualify for the Pro Tour, you want to Top 25 that Pro Tour. And eventually, years later, you want (who are we kidding, I WANT) to become one of the best ever. If you don’t, I’m sure there’s a nice Commander article somewhere on this website you can check out. -Matt Sperling Mtg_law_etc on Twitter.
Aberdeen has come second on a list of least affordable cities in Scotland to buy a house in a new report. The average house price in cities has risen by almost 3% from £181,061 in 2016 to £186,002 in 2017, compared to 1% across the whole of Scotland. As a result, average home affordability has worsened for the fourth year in a row, from 5.2 to 5.3 times gross average earnings. Edinburgh topped the list with Aberdeen, Perth, Dundee and Inverness making up the top five. Graham Blair, mortgage director at Bank of Scotland, which conducted the report, said: “Homebuyers in Scotland’s cities have seen affordability levels worsen for the fourth consecutive year as average city house prices have continued to rise more steeply than average wage growth. “However, the average price-to-earnings ratio in Scotland’s cities is 5.3 – lower than the UK cities average of 6.9. “It’s little surprise that Edinburgh retains its title as Scotland’s least affordable city, with Aberdeen close behind.”
First win for the Polo R WRC at the Volkswagen home event hoping to be achieved at the third attempt Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen favourites as first, second and fourth in the WRC standings First asphalt event of 2015 is final “elusive win” for Volkswagen in the WRC Ogier/Ingrassia have first “match point” for the third title win in a row Victorious everywhere except for Germany so far – if Volkswagen get their way, between 20 and 23 August 2015, Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) or Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N) will close a small but crucial gap in the resumé of the Polo R WRC. The Rally Germany, the ninth event in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), is the only rally to date that the 318 hp World Rally Car is yet to win. Even though Volkswagen weren’t exactly blessed with luck at their home event around Trier in 2013 and 2014, retiring early with different drivers in the lead at each of the rallies, the team is taking its usual meticulous and highly motivated approach to the task in hand. However, the business of getting a home win is anything but easy: The Rally Germany is the first real asphalt event of the WRC in 2015, and is regarded as the “beast” that really does cause dramas. “One thing’s for certain: Our record at our home event reflects neither our ambitious goals nor our previous performance in Germany,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. “There is no other WRC event at which our desire to win is so great and so unfulfilled. We could have got the win under our own steam in 2013 and 2014, but retired with Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala in the lead respectively. But even though luck hasn’t exactly been on our side at home, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be fighting for first place again in 2015. With Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala we have two winners on asphalt lining up, and Andreas Mikkelsen is more than ready for his first ever race victory, and is pacy on all surfaces. And the team behind the three of them is also a winning bunch: They won’t be making any compromises at the Rally Germany, each of them will be putting in that extra bit of hard work and perfection.” No fear of the “beast” Rally Germany Volkswagen will take on the “beast” Rally Germany with the same respect as they have for every WRC event, but by no means with fear. Unlike in the previous years, Volkswagen will not be using newly built chassis for Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala, instead they will be using tried and tested chassis that were in action at the “Monte”, in Mexico, Portugal and Poland. And there is another difference from last year: Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila are proven asphalt winners – at the Rally France in 2014 they celebrated the first Finnish success on this surface in 14 years, eleven months and 23 days, and also got the win at the fastest asphalt race of all time. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene also took this opportunity to prove that they are absolute all-rounders – coming second, after finishing in this position on ice and snow in Sweden and on gravel at the Rally Poland. To build on these successes at the first pure asphalt event since then, Volkswagen has prepared meticulously for the special conditions at the Rally Germany during testing on Corsica and in Germany, and has devised basic tuning for the second generation Polo R WRC for all three driver pairings. Four passes of Panzerplatte and real classics to finish – the 2015 route The WRC drivers and co-drivers will be familiar with much of the 2015 edition of the Rally Germany. None of the special stages are completely new to the participants. The notorious Panzerplatte on the military training area of Baumholder – with its unyielding “menhirs” – is on the itinerary four times on Saturday with two different stages. The area, which is only open to civilians during the Rally Germany, has caused all sorts of dramas in the past due to its particularly slippery asphalt combined with those menhirs that are intended to stop tanks. The world’s elite will take on the drift of these special stages with the respect they deserve – at 2.87 and 45.61 kilometres in 2015, they are the longest and the shortest stage of the Rally Germany. However, the highlight is the two special stages on Sunday. “Stein & Wein” and “Drohntal” are characterised by the serpentine road along the vineyards, symbolic of the Rally Germany. The second pass of the Drohntal stage will be the closing “Power Stage” on which bonus points are awarded for the top three driver/co-driver duos.
1 of 58 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × A look at President Trump’s first six months in office View Photos Scenes from the Republican’s beginning months in the White House. Caption Scenes from the Republican’s beginning months in the White House. Jan. 25, 2017 Trump signs an executive order for border security and immigration enforcement improvements at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington. Chip Somodevilla/Pool photo via Bloomberg News Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. The Trump campaign website got an upgrade this week. According to a news release from the president's reelection campaign (yes, already), it's now a one-stop shop for “fact-based information” that the mainstream media doesn't want you to know about. On donaldjtrump.com, you can check out never-before-seen rally photos, buy merchandise and get the real, unfiltered scoop on what your president is up to. Sounds pretty handy. One problem: The website revamp also appears to have vanished every single news release and public statement issued during President Trump's first campaign. Gone is Trump's call in 2015 for a ban on Muslim visitors, which The Washington Post's Fred Barbash wrote about in detail. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals examined a ruling that blocks the administration from temporarily barring new visas for citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. (C-SPAN) But gone also is his famous statement on “COMPELLING MEXICO TO PAY FOR THE WALL”; and the less-famous one comparing refugees to car payments; and the write-up of “TRUMP'S 'VERY GOOD' ECONOMIC SPEECH.” You'll notice we're still linking to these items. Whatever the reasons for their disappearance from the website, the statements are all preserved in the Internet's unofficial archives. So naturally, people are now sifting through them, assembling highlight reels of the campaign's greatest literature — even if it no longer officially exists. Here's our attempt. Disclaimer: This can't possibly be a complete or even representative sampling of Trump's many, many deleted campaign statements, of which nearly a dozen were once issued in a single day. Here's what appears to be the very first of them: a March 18, 2015, announcement of Trump's presidential exploratory committee. It quotes his senior political adviser, Corey Lewandowski: “Mr. Trump has the vision and leadership skills to bring our country back to greatness.” Lewandowski, you may recall, went on to become Trump's campaign manager — then abruptly resigned after a string of accusations that he roughed up reporters and made inappropriate comments to women. The early Trump campaign communicated with a bombast that alternately repelled and captivated the electorate. “The American Dream is dead — but if I win, I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before.” — Trump, announcing his candidacy in June 2015. Even something as perfunctory as filing a financial disclosure statement became, in the campaign's wording, a feat of paperwork “not designed for a man of Mr. Trump's massive wealth.” “First people said I would never run, and I did,” Trump said in that statement. “Then, they said I would never file my statement of candidacy with the FEC, and I did. Next, they said I would never file my personal financial disclosure forms. I filed them early.” The next logical step in that sequence, however, continues to vex Trump as president: He never released his tax returns. President Trump on April 16 issued two tweets in which he criticized protesters who marched the day before to demand that he release his tax returns. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) “I've studied this issue in greater detail than almost anybody.” — Trump, condemning the Iran nuclear deal in a campaign statement March 21, 2016 By the end of 2015, despite experts discounting his chances, Trump was making policy promises in his statements. “Bring China to the bargaining table by immediately declaring it a currency manipulator,” for example. Trump didn't actually follow through on that declaration. He didn't need to, he told a reporter last month: “As soon as I got elected, they stopped.” “To be endorsed by a Gold Star mother is such a wonderful honor.” — Trump, quoted in a February 2016 statement “His wife, if you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say.” — Trump, quoted in a July 2016 release, after two Gold Star parents condemned his attacks on Muslims While his ultimate rival was Hillary Clinton, Trump campaigned nearly as often against the current White House. “What President Obama gets wrong about deal making is that he constantly applies pressure to our friends and rewards our enemies,” he said in a March 2016 speech, the transcript of which was released in full as a campaign statement, now deleted. After he assumed the Oval Office from Barack Obama nearly a year later, transcripts leaked from phone calls in which Trump reportedly berated some of the United States's closest allies. President Trump has extended an invitation to the White House to Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, despite the bloody drug war Duterte is carrying out in his country. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) Trump has since been accused of cozying up to strongmen and U.S. rivals around the world, including Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who was invited to the White House last month after prosecuting a murderous drug war. “Trump's New Deal for Black America” — title of a campaign statement released a week before Election Day As Trump kept winning primary elections, the political establishment he loved to denigrate began to take his rhetoric more seriously. Last May, Trump's campaign released a list of 11 candidates he might name to the Supreme Court should he win. Months later, he added 10 more — “an unprecedented move for American presidential candidates,” the Atlantic wrote. They hadn't seen anything yet. Once in office, according to the New York Times, Trump orchestrated “an 'Apprentice'-style finale” in which his top two choices headed toward the White House on the same night, only for the president to reveal Judge Neil M. Gorsuch as the next Supreme Court justice. In the waning days of his campaign, the typical Trump statement had evolved from occasionally typo-strewn bombast into multi-pointed plans for what he'd do in office. Many of these promises came true. Like withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership — foretold in an August campaign statement, and accomplished in his first week as president. Another bullet point in that same statement proved thornier: “Repeal and replace Obamacare (will be outlined in-depth in a future speech).” But by March, when the White House finally released what Trump called a “beautiful” health care plan, many analysts found it vague. And Congress failed to even vote on it. Trump got a redo this month. A partial repeal of Obamacare passed through the House, though many Republicans openly acknowledged that they hadn’t read the bill. Which recalls another Trump quote you can no longer find on his campaign website: a November statement in which he complains about the passage of the Affordable Care Act and that “no one even read the 2,700-page bill.” The Trump campaign did not respond to questions about why statements released before January appear to have been removed from its website. You can read them all on the Internet Archive. There's also a faster-loading cut-and-paste archive at the American Presidency Project. This article has been updated. More reading: The violent rally Trump can’t move past Meet the activist who calls Trump an anti-Semite using Anne Frank’s name A complete guide to every reference in Melissa McCarthy’s epic Sean Spicer sketch on ‘SNL’
(Photo: via Shutterstock ) A world without democracy, ruled by a technocratic elite serving the interests of US and global capital – protecting “investor rights” against national laws and regulations – is now being created in secret negotiations over free-trade treaties, one of which, the TransPacific Parnership (TPP), may be sewn up this fall. Can popular will stop it? For four decades now, we have seen corporate-led neoliberal globalization transforming nation-states into globalized states that serve the interests of transnational capital above the interests of national populations. This tendency has been strong in states both of the global North and of the global South. Everywhere sovereignty is being compromised. The ideal political system most suitable for such globalized states is polyarchy, since it legitimates relatively autonomous elite rule. However, even in such a managed “democracy,” there are moments when elites can be made accountable to national populations through the struggles of social movements. Occupy Wall Street was the beginning of such a social movement. As philosopher Milton Fisk has argued in The State and Justice: An Essay in Political Theory, in the class-divided societies of capitalist countries, the function of the state is to maintain the social order. This means the political elite promotes the interests of the economically dominant class. This is due to what István Mészáros calls “the metabolic reproductive process” of capitalist society. However, to maintain governability, it is sometimes necessary to limit the benefits going to capital and to increase the benefits going to the popular classes. How far the elite moves in the direction of social justice depends on the level of the subject classes’ political activity. The elite’s default position is to favor the interests of capital, if only because the interests of the dominated classes depend on them. A state is a democratic nation-state insofar as it represents the interests of the peoples it governs. That nation includes both the dominant class of capitalists and the dependent popular classes. The constellation of class forces within the nation at any given time directs the nation-state. The state mediates class relations, as, for instance, in constructing the class compromise of the capital-labor accord represented in the Fordist regime of production, a model of economic expansion named after Henry Ford. Popular Sovereignty Gone with Globalization However, with globalization, transnational corporate capital has leaped over the territorial and legal boundaries of the nation, and the state is following it. In so doing, the nation-state is morphing into a globalized state that serves the interests of transnational capital rather than any “own” national population. Contrary to what some have claimed, globalization has not weakened the state. In some respects, it has even strengthened it, particularly the executive branch. But globalization has weakened the state’s connection with its own citizens as the state follows capital into a new global economic system. Following William I. Robinson’s seminal critique of US “democracy promotion” programs, Promoting Polyarchy: Globalization, US Intervention and Hegemony, we argue that polyarchy is the ideal political form for globalized states. Contested elections are an effective way to periodically renew the perceived legitimacy of elite rule. That is the genius of the US political system that has made it so stable. However, in times of extreme systemic crisis, as in the Great Depression of the 1930s, electoral politics was supplemented by the more genuine democracy of social movements. It was this popular pressure from outside the formal established political process that saved capitalism from itself by forcing the elite to accept changes otherwise resisted by capital. It was democracy that saved capitalism. Normally, the state is able to function as a kind of Central Committee for the capitalist class, attending to the systemic needs of the capitalist system as a whole. This at least was the case during the era of national capitalism. The unrestrained individual interests of capitalists could destroy the system. States regulate and moderate in the interests of capital as a whole. Popular pressures often pushed states in this direction. Each capitalist, for example, seeks to pay low wages so as to increase profits and wishes his competitors will pay high wages so there will be consumers to buy his commodities. Popular pressure and state action are needed to sustain capitalism. Karl Polanyi pointed out in his classic 1944 work, The Great Transformation, that “capitalism would be an unsustainable and chaotic social order if the state played the minimalist role specified in the libertarian fantasy.” According to Eric Olin Wright in, Envisioning Real Utopias (p.124), it is just such a minimalist role that neoliberalism demands. Neoliberalism is the default position of capitalism in the absence of countervailing pressure on capital from popular forces pressing for greater social justice. That pressure usually acts through the instrumentality of the state as the rule-making body for society. As we have said, the function of the state is to maintain the social order, which means the capitalist relations, but it must sometimes modify these in the face of popular pressure to maintain governability. In those circumstances, a liberal sector of the political elite may modify neoliberalism in the direction of a social liberalism of the sort seen in the New Deal. Absent that, the state reverts to neoliberal policies that support the supremacy of capital. The contradictions of unbridled neoliberalism are the contradictions of unrestrained capitalism. It is a system that tends toward self-destruction. Capitalism IS crisis, says David Harvey, The Enigma of Capital: and the Crises of Capitalism. To survive, it needs the restraining hand of the state, frequently brought into play by demands of the popular classes. Capital Escapes Regulatory Reach of Nation-States With the globalization of capital in its corporate form, capital is escaping the regulatory reach of nation-states. Transnational capital is constructing its own governance structure (World Trade Organization and multilateral free trade agreements) with the assistance of globalized states. Just as neoliberal structural adjustment programs required what the World Bank called “macroeconomic management by an insulated technocratic elite” for their implementation (World Development Report 1997: The State in a Changing World, p. 152.), now a global governance structure is being built on the same political principle, a corporate elite insulated from popular pressures, beholden to transnational corporations only. What is emerging is an unbridled neoliberal regime in which states are only the administrative agents that protect capital against the popular classes. As Renato Ruggiero, director-general of the WTO put it in 1995, “We are no longer writing the rules of interaction among separate national economies. We are writing the constitution of a single global economy.” This is what has been institutionalized in trade dispute adjudication panels established under the WTO and through free-trade treaties like NAFTA and the pending TransPacific Partnership (TPP). These are secret panels that protect “investor rights” against national laws and regulations that adversely affect corporate profits, no matter how democratically those laws and regulations may have been established. The rationale for investor rights is protection of capital against nationalization. This rationale has been extended to so-called “regulatory takings” as well, which are considered as tantamount to out and out expropriation even though what is usually “taken” is a hypothetical opportunity. Consequently, state actions that protect public health and the environment, such as the Quebec moratorium on fracking in the St. Lawrence River valley, are seen as a “taking” of profits due to the US-chartered corporation that holds a permit for this mining activity that has undetermined adverse effects on the environment. So the corporation is now suing the state for compensation. A NAFTA panel is now considering whether to award the corporation $250 million of taxpayer money to keep them from endangering the health of the people of Quebec. Closed Courts Determine When “Rights” to Profit Violated Such “investor-to-state” cases are litigated in special arbitration bodies of the World Bank and the United Nations, which are closed to public participation, observation and input. They have the power to award unlimited amounts of taxpayer dollars to corporations whose rights to make a profit they judge have been violated. By latest count, some 450 investor-to-state cases have been filed against 89 governments by transnational corporations, which have been awarded $700 million to date. The protection of profits over people has become a standard feature of so-called free trade agreements. Actually, they are more about ensuring corporate profits than trade in any normal sense of the word. It is the protection of free movement of capital across borders more than the free movement of goods that is at stake. It was the Nixon administration that included investor rights in its trade negotiations under the fast track authorization it initiated. It has since become a standard feature of all trade agreements. The 11 countries in TPP already have free-trade agreements. So why this new one? It has the enhanced investor rights transnational corporations have long dreamed of. It is likely that this will also be the case with the new initiative with the European Union proposed by the Obama administration. At least that agreement is being advertised with a more honest name: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). It is likely to privilege transnational corporations in the same way as TPP. Since rejection of the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas at the hemispheric summit in 2005 by the countries of Latin America and the collapse of the Doha round of WTO negotiations in 2008, transnational capital has sought to embed protection of Trade Related Intellectual Property (TRIP) and other investor rights in new free trade agreements. TPP is the latest such power grab by transnational corporations. TPP has been described as “NAFTA on steroids” by those who have seen some of its leaked provisions. Negotiations began under the Bush administration and the Obama administration is continuing them in secret in hope of completing the agreement by this October. The discussions include trade representatives of the United States and Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. Japan has just joined. But the public, members of Congress, journalists, and civil society are excluded. Not even Congressional committees have been able to see the draft text, but 600 corporate advisors have. They are writing the rules for trade in their own interests without any democratic input from the people whose lives will be profoundly affected. If adopted, TPP will deny citizens their democratic rights to shape public policies on a host of domestic issues, conceding those decisions to the large corporations. Some sections have been leaked. And what they reveal is “an agreement that actually formalizes the priority of corporate power over government,” according to Lori Wallach of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch. Only 5 of the 29 chapters have to do with trade. Wallach says the rest of the draft: “include[s] new rights for the big pharmaceutical companies to expand, to raise medical prices, expand monopoly patents; [there are] limits on Internet freedom, penalties for inadvertent noncommercial copying, [like] sending something to a friend. There are the same rules that promote off-shoring of jobs that were in NAFTA that are more robust [and] that literally give privileges and protections if you leave. There is a ban on “buy American” and “buy local” or “green” or sweat-free procurement. There are limits on domestic financial stability regulations. There are limits on imported food safety standards and product standards. There are limits on how we can regulate energy towards a more green future – all of these things are what they call “Behind the Borders” agenda. And the operating clause of TPP is: “Each country shall ensure the conformity of its domestic laws, regulations and administrative procedures with these agreements.” That’s to say, that we’re told to conform all of our domestics laws – including all the important public interest laws fought for so hard by people around the country – for these corporate dictates, and it’s strongly enforceable. If we do not conform our laws, another country can challenge us and impose trade sanctions until we do, but this one is even privately enforceable by the corporations themselves. What is being constructed secretly, bit by bit, is a global governance structure in which corporations are the citizens and globalized states are the local administrative structures that enforce corporate dictates and maintain order. This is a world without popular sovereignty and without democracy. It is a world ruled by an insulated technocratic elite serving the interests of global capital. What are progressives to do in the face of all of this? Those with a cosmopolitan consciousness may dream of a future democratic global governance structure. But that is a long-term project, and we are faced with a more immediate prospect of the consolidation of a very undemocratic global governance structure serving the interests of transnational corporations under a neoliberal regime that will roll back all of the hard-won progressive gains of the last century. Our immediate task is then to block this corporate end-run around domestic policy making processes. Who can do this? In the United States, working class consciousness is very low, and unions are weak. The left is also weak. Nevertheless, there is a growing anticapitalist, or at least anticorporate, sentiment in the popular classes. Rather expansively, Occupy Wall Street called this the 99%. The challenge Occupy presented to itself was to mobilize a broad multiclass popular movement against the plutocracy. I view this as a call for a social movement based on shared national interests that have been betrayed by transnational capital and the political elite beholden to it. In the final chapter of Recreating Democracy in a Globalized State, I argue that in a polyarchic political system like the United States’, it takes social movements to bend the political elite away from its corporate-friendly agenda. With sufficient street heat, to maintain governability, it will need to adopt in some measure the form of justice demanded by the popular classes. This is our democratic moment. We can defeat TPP. Polls show an overwhelming opposition to free trade.* In fact, across the political spectrum, from the left, to the Tea Party, and the John Birch Society on the Right and everywhere in between, the one thing there is agreement on in the current highly polarized political climate is opposition to free-trade treaties. That, combined with the partisan gridlock in Washington, tells me we can win this one. This may be our last best chance to stop the consolidation of the corporate global governance structure. It makes crystal clear the contradiction between the national interest, i.e. the interest of the people of the nation, and the interest of global capital. There is no longer the convergence between the interests of capital and those of the popular classes that there was in the era of national capital. The divergence of interests that globalization has brought us enables us to build a broad social movement based on shared national interests, drawing on a national identity that can be a powerful motivator of collective action. We should follow Mao Zedong’s strategic principle: Unite the many to defeat the few. As I said at the beginning, capitalism has needed a guiding hand from the state to protect it from its own self-destructive tendencies. And it has been popular struggles that have often compelled the state in that direction. But now that capitalism has become a global system, there is no state able to do that. In fact, the global governance structure being constructed by transnational capital is dedicated to the very neoliberal ideology that now threatens to be its nemesis. If we can stop that, not only can we save ourselves and the possibility for democratic politics, as ironic as it may be, we might even save capitalism from itself. * A major NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll from September of 2010 revealed that “the impact of trade and outsourcing is one of the only issues on which Americans of different classes, occupations and political persuasions agree, with 86 percent saying that outsourcing jobs by US companies to poor countries was “a top cause of our economic woes,” and 69 percent thinking that “free-trade agreements between the United States and other countries cost the United States jobs.” Only 17 percent of Americans in 2010 felt that “free-trade agreements” benefit the United States – compared to 28 percent in 2007.
Lecture Outline Bacterial Growth 1. Cell division (an asexual process): binary fission: diagram (see Fig. 6.1). Process has two functional pathways: DNA replication and segregation and cell septation. Cells have a way of regulating that septation does not occur until ~ 20 minutes are DNA replication has been completed. Cytokinesis, a term used to describe formation of two eukaryotic daughter cells, is now being used to describe cell division in prokaryotes. What are divisomes and what is the role of Fts proteins in cell divsion? What is known about how cells locate center of cell where septation will occur? generation time or doubling time: time it takes a cell to divide or for the culture to double its numbers. Each bacterial species, under optimal growth conditions, can divide only so fast (have a minimum generation time). The generation time is effected by the growth medium, and the physical/chemical environment of the cell (see below). Growth is exponential/logarithmic: can attain large numbers in a short interval of time (starting with a single cell, mass 1-2 X 10-12 grams, with a generation time of 30 min, if could keep growth exponential for 43 hrs would result in a mass of cells equal to the weight of the earth, 6 X 1027 grams!) 2. Methods to monitor growth. See sections 6.9-6.11 3. Ways to grow prokaryotes in laboratory: Batch culture (also known as a closed system)- a finite amount of nutrients is provide and culture is grown under a set of physical/chemical conditions (pH, aeration, etc.). As cells grow their environment changes (nutrients depleted, by-products of metabolism release to environment). Cells are dividing asynchronously. phases of growth- lag, log(exponential), stationary, death (Fig.6.10). How would the phases of growth differ between E . coli and B . megaterium ? During which phase would the generation time of the culture be determined? Continuous culture- chemostat (Fig. 6.11). How does a chemostat differ from a batch culture, and what does growing in a chemostat allow you to do that is difficult, if not impossible, to do in a batch culture? 4. Classifying organisms by their carbon, energy, and source of protons/electrons allows identification of 4 major nutritional groups using this information. See Table 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3 5. Types of Media. Minimal or a chemically defined: contains the bare essentials needed for growth (types and amount of chemicals known). A minimal medium for one species may not satisfy the minimal requirements for another species. complex or undefined: contains substances that bacterium could make for it self, but instead substances are transported in and used (exact composition of medium less certain). enrichment: contains a substance that enhances the growth of a prokaryote (Example, a medium containing oil which is not a suitable carbon source for most bacteria or serum or blood used to grow S . pyogenes or N . gonorrhoeae ). . or . ). selective: contains a substance that inhibits the growth of certain bacteria in a mixed culture, but not the bacterium of interest (Example, the addition of 7.5% NaCl to medium inhibits the growth of most bacteria, but not a salt tolerant bacterium like Stap. aureus ). ). differential media: contains a substance that is noticeably changed if a specific bacterial species is present (blood agar medium, get zone of red blood cell lysis, b - hemolysis, if Streph . pyogenes is present. hemolysis, if . is present. selective and a differential medium (EMB medium). EMB (Eosin-methylene blue agar) used to select for gram-negative enteric bacteria. The methylene blue inhibits gram-positive bacteria (mechanism unclear), eosin is a dye that responds to changes in pH, going from colorless to black under acidic conditions. Medium contains lactose and sucrose, but not glucose, as energy sources. Enteric bacteria like E. coli, Klebsiella, and Enterobacter acidify the medium and the colonies appear black with a greenish sheen. Colonies of lactose nonfermenters, such as Salmonella, Shigella, and Pseudomonas are translucent or pink. 6. Factors that effect growth. nutritional environment (medium): a prokaryote growing in a complex medium will have a shorter generation time than if it were growing in a minimal medium. Why? Temperature: Every bacterial species has an upper and a lower temperature over which growth can occur. Optimal temperature for growth is closer to upper temperature limit that bacterium can tolerate (Fig. 6.18). Groups- psychrophiles, psychrotolerant, mesophiles, thermophiles, and extreme thermophiles (Fig. 6.19). What factors account for thermostability? Oxygen (requirement for/sensitivity to): Groups- obligate aerobes, facultative aerobes (some text refer to this group as the faculative anarobes), microaerophiles, aerotolerant, and obligate anaerobes (Fig 6.27 and table 6.4). How can one explain the requirement for oxygen and sensitivity to toxic forms of oxygen? What are the various forms of toxic oxygen generated and how are they dealt with by organisms? See Fig. 6.29 and 6.30 Water availability- Water may be present in the cells' environment, but not available to them. How is this possible? How do extreme halophiles (high salt loving bacteria), osmophiles (grow in high osmolarity, i.e., high sugar, environments), and xerophiles (live in dry environments) cope with this problem in their environments? (high salt loving bacteria), (grow in high osmolarity, i.e., high sugar, environments), and (live in dry environments) cope with this problem in their environments? Acidity/alkalinity (pH) of medium: revised 9/24/09 Binary fission: Source of Carbon, Energy, and Protons/Electrons Carbon Source Autotrophs CO2 sole or principal biosynthetic carbon source. Heterotrophs Reduced, preformed, organic molecules. Energy Source Phototrophs Light Chemotrophs Oxidation of organic or inorganic compounds Proton and/or Electron source Lithotrophs Reduced inorganic molecules Organotrophs Organic molecules Major Nutritional Groups of Microorganisms Major Nutritional Type Source of Energy, Protons/Electrons and Carbon Representative Organisms Photolithotrophic autotrophy light energy Algae, cyanobacteria, and inorganic H+/e- donor purple and green bacteria CO 2 carbon source Photoorganotrophic heterotrophy light energy source Purple and green and non sulfur bacteria Organic H+/e- organic carbon source (CO 2 may also be used) Chemolithotrophic autotrophy Chemical energy (inorganic) Sulfur-oxidizing, hydrogen, Inorganic H+/e- donor nitrifying, iron bacteria, etc. CO 2 carbon source Chemoorganotrophic heterotrophs Chemical energy (organic) Protozoa, fungi, and the Organic H+/e- donor non photosynthetic bacteria Organic carbon source Methods to Determine Bacterial Growth: A. Determination of cell number: 1. Total cell count methods: a. Direct microscopic count- See fig. 6.14 Advantages- quick and easy disadvantages- can not distinguish between live and dead cells, and can not detect less than 106 bacteria/ml. b. Coulter count (electronic count): Advantages- very quick and easy Disadvantages- same as above plus can end up counting dust and debris. Apparatus very expensive. 2. Viable cell count method: See fig. 6.15 and 6.16 Rationale, a single cell will give rise to a colony of cells that is visible to eye. By determining the number of colonies on a plate and the volume of liquid they were in (amount plated), can determine number of cells/ml. However, when have more than 300 colonies on plate they become to numerous to count. This is addressed by making a series of dilutions (will be held for 1:10 and 1:100 dilutions. For example 0.1ml in 0.9ml of a sterile diluent is a 1:10 dilution or a 10-1 dilution). The amount plated can be 1ml or 0.1ml. To determine the number of bacteria in a sample, count the number of colonies (want between 30-300), multiply times one over the total dilution, times one over the amount plated: equation to use is: # of bacteria/ml = number of colonies counted X 1/dilution X 1/sample plated advantages- can count as few as 1 bacterium/ml, and only count live cells. disadvantages- requires time for growth, may need to make dilutions of preparation and make dilution calculations (examples). Also,cells that clump or remain in groups that do not seperate, i.e., chains, will give a number that underestimates the number of viable cells present. B. Determination of cell mass- 1. dry weight determination: advantages- only way to determine growth of filamentous bacteria. disadvantages- cumbersome and not very accurate. If cell numbers important must relate weight to cell numbers if possible. 2. Turbidity (measured by photometer or a spectrophotometer): What is the basis of this method to monitor cell growth? See fig. 6.17 advantages- rapid and easy disadvantages- does not give you cell numbers or increase in mass (must correlate turbidity, cloudiness, to cell numbers by the direct or viable cell count method), can not distinguish between live and dead cells, and must work within certain turbidity's (more than 107 and less than 108 bacteria/ml). C. Determination of cell constituents- measure increase in a specific cell material, i.e., DNA, RNA, Protein, or etc. Dilution Problems: Equation to use: no. of bacteria/ml in original sample = no. of colonies on plate X 1/total dilution X 1/ volume sample plated. 1. You are interested in determining the number of bacteria in saliva. You spit into a tube, and then do four 1:10 dilution's. From the last dilution tube you plate 1.0 ml onto an appropriate medium, and observe 100 colonies on the agar surface after overnight growth. How many bacteria are present in the original sample? 2. A friend of yours tells you that there should be no bacteria in hamburger meat, and having had micro you say not true. To show him/her you do the following: You take 1 gram of meat and blend it in 100 ml of sterile water. You then do the following dilution: 1:10, 1:100, 1:10, and a 1:100. You then take 0.1ml from the last dilution, and plate onto an appropriate medium, and find that after 18 hours of growth that there are 125 colonies on the plate. How many bacteria were present in the original sample, per ml of blended material and per gram of hamburger meat? Toxic forms of oxygen: Toxic Forms of oxygen (in order of decreasing toxicity Name Formula Generated by Destroyed Ozone O 3 irradiation of O 2 by UV or high voltage discharge fluorocarbons hydroxyl radical OH . H 2 O 2 + O 2 - (x-rays, gamma rays) Spontaneously, very unstable Superoxide O 2 - enzymatically (flavins and quinones) superoxide dismutase (SOD) Hydrogen peroxide H 2 O 2 enzymatically (flavoproteins) catalase or peroxidase singlet oxygen 1O 2 enzymatically or chemically (smog, light) reaction with carotenoid pigments ** Requirement/sensitive to toxic forms of oxygen and presence of SOD and/or catalase/peroxidase:
Loading Hello Everyone, Take a look at this beautiful oil painting of Chelsea and Lupa. Chelsea is a Saluki (on the right as you look at the painting) and Lupa is an Italian Greyhound. The beautiful dog portrait of a Saluki and an Italian Greyhound was hand-painted by us onto canvas at Dog Artists’ studio. It was based on a photograph that the owners had emailed to us. If you would like a quote to commission a portrait of your dogs onto canvas please email: hello@dogartists.co.uk and to view our price guide please follow the link – Dog Portrait Price Guide. We do deliver world-wide too! The photo the dog oil portrait was based on Dog Artists’ Resulting Oil Painting…….. Hope you all like the painting. If you have a question, please feel free to comment below or email us at hello@dogartists.co.uk Bye for now x Share this: Email Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Pinterest Reddit
When men’s rights activists (or MRAs, as they are known online) held their first conference in Detroit last summer, it was an opportunity for the mainstream media to examine why a group of disenfranchised men are blaming their problems on feminism and not, as writer Jeff Sharlet puts it, “late-stage American capitalism.” Sharlet wrote about the conference in a March 2015 GQ article titled, “Are You Man Enough For the Men’s Rights Movement?” It’s the latest in a series of articles coming out of the event, from Mariah Blake’s Mother Jones profile of Warren Farrell to BuzzFeed’s look at Paul Elam, the leader of the movement’s most popular website. If Sharlet — an associate professor of English at Dartmouth, the author and editor of six books (Sweet Heaven When I Die, Radiant Truths), and a frequent contributor to Harper’s, Rolling Stone, and GQ with a must-follow Instagram feed — has a beat, it’s approaching outsiders and outliers with empathy and fairness, never resorting to the easy answer and always finding the human thread. I spoke to him over the phone about covering the men’s rights movement. Flavorwire: Why did you want to write about MRAs? Jeff Sharlet: I like conservative groups, partially because they’re always so much more complicated than liberal mainstream media renderings of them. That’s why I like writing about Christian fundamentalist groups. They’re people with complicated ideas. MRAs are the first group I’ve ever covered who are less complicated than the liberal representation of them. You go and you spend time with them and they don’t talk about these issues. There was less there than met the eye. Five thousand words was about right. The temptation is this over-earnest voice, ignoring the wild violence of their rhetoric, or snark — what a bunch of jerks — it’s kind of a hard line to walk. What’s at the root of their grievances? Late-stage American capitalism. What’s powerful is that their diagnosis is sort of 90 percent correct, their diagnosis of the sickness that they feel. These guys are right, they are being sidelined, but they’re not being sidelined by women. They fail to see the way late-stage capitalism is reducing everybody. What do men’s rights activists embrace in pop culture? The sidebar to your piece mentioned Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and American Beauty. You can gather that they’re certainly pop-culture obsessed, looking for what they perceive as slights to men in pop culture, often embracing that which gets slighted, like “Blurred Lines.” I don’t like sidebars, but this one ended up becoming, for a while, one of the best exchanges. I was going back and forth with them about what [they] love. They said To Kill a Mockingbird was their favorite book. The connection is too small to explain in the sidebar: their idea is that “we are all Tom Robinson now,” the falsely accused man. To them, the people misunderstood that To Kill a Mockingbird is about race, when it’s about gender. That way of talking about “Blurred Lines,” books, and movies, and do you remember that movie Falling Down with Michael Douglas? Online there’s this great enthusiasm for it, one guy calls it “an MRA anthem,” but their leadership is savvy enough to know that “this would make us look bad.” Then they wanted to mention American Beauty, but American Beauty is no To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s the reactionary grievance of white men who feel their privilege under assault, in this mainstream art house movie — in reality, it’s an interesting thing, because Falling Down is a much better movie. It’s sympathetic to Michael Douglas and it’s not insisting on some transcendent truth to his violence.
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - Red Tomlin and Lyge Perry live on the same street in their Leesburg community, but the two friends are riding out Hurricane Irma in a concrete parking garage instead of their mobile homes or in a shelter. Leesburg is Florida’s most hurricane-safe city, according to HomeInsurance.com, due to its low flood score and its low amount of storm-related deaths and damage. The city occupies about 24 square miles of central Florida’s Lake County and is home to more than 21,000 residents. Two of those residents, Tomlin, 70, and Perry, 69, are waiting out the storm together from a Leesburg City Parking garage near the city's library. They've been friends for 55 years but this is the first time they're waiting out a storm together. They brought snacks and hope to go home Monday after the storm passes. Instead of heading to one of the area shelters the duo decided on an area with a little more open space. "Concrete structure, yeah, it’s not going anywhere and I don’t want to be around a bunch of people laying 3-inches from someone else,” Tomlin said. Perry said he thought the idea to hole up in the garage was a big secret, but others started filling the garage too. "Those shelters are going to smell Avon and armpits, honestly, and I have COPD I can’t tolerate it I need fresh air," Perry said. The friends plan to stay in the garage through the worst of Hurricane Irma Sunday and Monday. "I hope it’s not more than a day. I don’t have a lot longer to live," Perry joked. Copyright 2017 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.
I once had a long and involved argument with a friend about whether there was any difference between sorbet and sherbet. We couldn't even agree on whether there was a difference in the pronunciation of the words let alone whether they were used to reference two different desserts or the same one. I would like to say that I was the one who knew that there was a difference between sorbet and sherbet and that I won the argument, but when we delved into personal research to come up with our answer, we discovered that she was right. There was a difference between sorbet and sherbet. At least we had a lot of fun going around buying different sorbet / sherbet combinations trying to come up with the answer! Of course, it makes sense that she would know the subtle difference between the two. She's far more health-conscious than I am now and definitely more health-conscious than I was at the time. So she knew that although both sorbet and sherbet are considered an ice-cream-like treat, they are not as similar as some of us might think. The main difference is that sorbet is a fruit-based dessert and sherbet is more dairy-based, which is a significant difference for people who are leaning towards fruit sugars or leaning away from dairy. People who prefer sorbet are those people who want the fruit-based dessert. Sorbet uses fruit juice as its main liquid base. It doesn't have any sort of dairy in it, so it's preferred by people who are either allergic to dairy or opting not to eat dairy for health or other reasons. However, since sorbet doesn't have dairy products in it, it also doesn't have the texture of ice cream that people may be looking for when they go to buy this type of dessert. Those people who prefer sorbet because of the taste tend to like fruitier, tarter flavors and a texture that is more icy than creamy. In contrast, those people who really want ice cream but who are opting for something else because they want to cut back on the "bad for you" foods will probably be people who lean towards sherbet. Sherbet has a milk base (and it may also contain eggs) which gives it the creamy consistency of ice cream. People who like less intense fruit flavors may prefer fruity sherbet to fruit sorbet. And those who like the texture of their ice cream will definitely want to go with a sherbet. Whether you opt to go for a sherbet or a sorbet depends a lot on why you aren't just eating plain old ice cream. Maybe ice cream is too rich for your taste so you want something less creamy. Either will do but the sorbet will be the one you'll probably prefer. That's also the one you're probably going to want if you're looking to cut down on the fats on your diet. However, if it's sugars that you're trying to cut out, you might want sherbet. The best thing to do is probably to do what my friend and I did - eat as many different sorbet and sherbet types and flavors that you can and find the one that's right for you!
Winnipeg police have released photos of a person they want to talk to after two men were "brutally killed" in the city's downtown area, likely at the hands of the same person. Winnipeg police say the man in this photo is a person of interest after two homeless people were 'brutally killed' in downtown Winnipeg Saturday. (Winnipeg Police Service) The man was wearing an over-the-shoulder bag with green detailing. (Winnipeg Police Service) The body of a man in his 60s was found in the alley behind 329 Hargrave St. early Saturday at 12:45 a.m. The body of another man in his 40s was found close by at 6:30 p.m. in the alley behind 333 Portage Ave. One of the victims was homeless, while police said the other spent a lot of time on the streets. Both had mental health and/or addiction issues, police said. Investigators believe both deaths are related and that one suspect is responsible. Winnipeg police released the photos early Sunday afternoon. "This male is in the area during the times of the homicides and he may have had contact with the victims and he could have very valuable information for us," said Sgt. John O'Donovan. "There are a number of vulnerable persons on the streets of Winnipeg. When you're out and about, please pay particular attention to these people. They're often invisible, but make sure that they're safe and they're not being harassed by anybody." O'Donovan added police are also looking for two other people, a man and a woman, who were in the Hargrave Street area between 9:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday night. None of the persons of interest are considered suspects at this time. Killings a wake-up call Sel Burrows, a community organizer and head of a citizen watch group in the North Point Douglas area, said the killings should be considered a wake-up call for Winnipeggers. "Absolutely horrible," said Burrows, adding that the killings are "un-Canadian." "This is not what happens to vulnerable people in Canada." Burrows said many vulnerable people don't have cellphones or internet access, so he'll be doing everything he can to notify people in his community to be safe. Police are asking everyone who is homeless or spends time on the street to be careful, stay away from secluded areas and stick with others if possible. "Please, people of Winnipeg, if you're out and about and you see something that doesn't sit right with you, call the police. Use your cell phone. If it's safe to do so ... take photos and get them to us. We will follow up on every lead," said O'Donovan. "These vulnerable people are part of our community and it's all our responsibility to keep them safe." Previous Next Dan Maxson, director of operations at Siloam Mission, said he was saddened to hear someone is targeting street people, who rely on the shelter's services. "My immediate thoughts went back to the fact that there are going to be families that are going to be devastated by this," said Maxson. "That dismay, that this, again happened in our community: that was kind of my first thought." It's happened in other cities, but I didn't think Winnipeg would have this. - Dan Maxson, Siloam Mission But Maxson also said he wasn't overly surprised by the killings either. "This community is targeted for lots of reason," said Maxson. "This is the extreme end of the spectrum and it's really sad that it's come to this. It's happened in other cities, but I didn't think Winnipeg would have this." He praised the police service's response to the incidents, adding he hopes investigators catch the suspect before anyone else gets hurt. "Hats off to the police service for quickly jumping on that. They came by last night and gave a heads up to our shelter staff and we were able to pass that along to the shelter," said Maxsen."They've come by a couple times a day just to kind of check on things. The police service here has really stepped up their game and their interaction and they're working with the shelters." Previous Next A group of about 50 Winnipeggers gathered on Donald Street near Hargrave to hold a vigil for the two men Sunday night. Anyone who may know about these deaths is asked to call Winnipeg's homicide unit at (204) 986-6508 or Crime Stoppers at (204) 786-TIPS (8477).
On Thursday, the United States activated its missile defense system in Romania. The $800 million dollar system is the first of its kind in Europe, and aims to defend the US and Europe from, "rogue states," namely, Iran. Russia, however, insists that the US aim is to neutralize Moscow's nuclear arsenal long enough for the US to strike Russia. According to Putin, "This is not a defense system. This is part of U.S. nuclear strategic potential brought onto a periphery. In this case, Eastern Europe is such periphery." He also said that the missile shield was, "yet another step to rock international security and start a new arms race." Apparently, the Kemlin has viewed this project all along as a threat to its own national security, and says that steps are being taken to ensure Russia's safety, no matter what. Though Russia refuses to be drawn into another arms race, it is rearming and rebuilding its army and navy in a way that will, "uphold the current strategic balance of forces." The new missile shield system is capable of shooting down rockets meant to reach major European cities. This missile shiled is meant to stretch from Greenland to the Azores. It is expected to be ready by the end of 2018. Similar to Israel's Iron Dome, Romania's new missile shield relies on radars to detect the launch of a ballistic missile into space. Sensors then measure the rocket's trajectory and fire an interceptor missile, destroying the offending missile while it is in space, and before it re-enters the earth's atmosphere. The interceptor missiles can be fired from the ground or from ships. Chairman of the State Duma's defense committee, Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov, claimed that the missile defense site is a threat to Russia. “They are moving to the firing line. This is not just 100; it’s 200, 300, 1,000% aimed against us," Komoyedov said. It is not clear what Russia's response will be. It is speculated that Russia will place missiles capable of carrying missiles in Kaliningrad. The United States and NATO insist that this shield is not meant for use against Russia, but against countries in the Middle East.
A pair of 15-year-olds from a town near Pskov in northwest Russia who had gone on the run from their parents opened fire at a police car and then killed themselves, the Russian Investigative Committee has said. “Two armed 15-year-old teens barricaded themselves in a house in the Strugy Krasnye settlement. Law-enforcement officers had been negotiating with them for several hours, however, all in vain. Later on the teenagers stopped responding,” the investigators’ statement says. The Russian Special Police Force officers engaged in the storming of the house said that they didn’t open fire during the operation, the press service of the Russian National Guard told TASS. Upon entering the house officials found two bodies “with gunshot wounds.” Russian Special Police Force officers said that inside they also located an opened safe where with a sporting gun and ammunition. The boy and girl had “distinct signs of suicide,” they added. Reports suggest that the teenagers were called Denis and Katerina. They streamed the shooting at the police van live via Periscope and posted a video on Instagram where Katerina is heard explaining in Russian that she fell out with her mother who didn’t allow her to have a sleepover at her friend’s place. READ MORE: Teenage girls shock Russians by posting videos of their torture & killing of domestic animals “We had a sleepover at my friend’s place. I wasn’t allowed to go, but I went anyway. They found me at night… It was harsh and it all happened in front of Denis and his mother. I ran away again,” Katerina said on the video. The teens reportedly spent the next three days hiding from the parents at the house where the tragedy occurred on Monday. The suicide apparently had been planned beforehand with Denis speaking on the video about the best ways to spend the last day of his life while aiming at the police car. Katerina left a farewell note on what seems to be her page on Russian social network VK. “I loved all of you. But you didn’t notice how you ruined my mind and my life,” the note says. In another post Katerina elaborated that she wasn’t taken hostage and that suicide was her “conscious choice.” Following the incident, VK closed the comment section of the boy, while the page of the girl has restricted access due to privacy settings, the social network’s press secretary told RIA Novosti. In Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” tragedy, young star-crossed lovers commit suicide. The number of guns and ammo, a bottle of Black Russian and a pack of condoms, however, adds a modern twist to the tragedy.
The FBI continues to investigate. Two Tom Brady jerseys swiped from the New England Patriots locker room following past Super Bowl victories have been recovered, the NFL announced Monday morning. The FBI, league security and other authorities had initially been investigating the theft of Brady's jersey from this year's Super Bowl, in which the Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons. Through their efforts, another one of Brady's stolen jerseys from an additional Super Bowl victory was located. Both items were allegedly in the possession of an international media member, the NFL said in a statement. "Through the cooperation of the NFL and New England Patriots' security teams, the FBI and other law enforcement authorities, the Super Bowl LI jersey worn last month by MVP Tom Brady has been recovered," the NFL said in its statement. "Also retrieved during the ongoing investigation was the jersey Brady wore in the Patriots' victory in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015." According to ESPN, the jerseys were found in Mexico and easily valued in the six-figure range. "Due to the ongoing investigation, we would refer any additional questions to the FBI," according to the NFL.
WASHINGTON, June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new report released today analyzes literature on the economics of trophy hunting and reveals that African countries and rural communities derive very little benefit from trophy hunting revenue. The study, authored by Economists at Large—commissioned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International and Born Free USA/Born Free Foundation—comes amid consideration to grant the African lion protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). "The suggestion that trophy hunting plays a significant role in African economic development is misguided," said economist Rod Campbell, lead author of the study. "Revenues constitute only a fraction of a percent of GDP and almost none of that ever reaches rural communities." As a portion of any national economy, trophy hunting revenue never accounts for more than 0.27 percent of the GDP. Additionally, trophy hunting revenues account for only 1.8 percent of overall tourism in nine investigated countries that allow trophy hunting, and even pro-hunting sources find that only 3 percent of the money actually reaches the rural communities where hunting occurs. While trophy hunting supporters routinely claim that hunting generates $200 million annually in remote areas of Africa, the industry is actually economically insignificant and makes a minimal contribution to national income. "Local African communities are key stakeholders for conservation, and they need real incentives for conservation," said Jeff Flocken, North American regional director, International Fund for Animal Welfare. "Non-consumptive nature tourism–like wildlife viewing and photo safaris–is a much greater contributor than trophy hunting to both conservation and the economy in Africa. If trophy hunting and other threats continue depleting Africa's wildlife, then Africa's wildlife tourism will disappear. That is the real economic threat to the countries of Africa." Many species suffer at the hands of trophy hunters including the African lion. The number of African lions has declined by more than 50 percent in the past three decades, with 32,000 or fewer believed remaining today. The steepest declines in lion population numbers occur in African countries with the highest hunting intensity, illustrating the unsustainability of the practice. "Trophy hunting is driving the African lion closer to extinction," said Teresa Telecky, director, wildlife department, Humane Society International. "More than 560 wild lions are killed every year in Africa by international trophy hunters. An overwhelming 62 percent of trophies from these kills are imported into the United States. We must do all we can to put an end to this threat to the king of beasts." Listing the African lion as endangered under the ESA would generally prohibit the import of and commercial trade in lion parts, and thus would likely considerably reduce the number of lions taken by Americans each year. "The U.S. government has a serious responsibility to act promptly and try to prevent American hunters from killing wild lions, especially when the latest evidence shows that hunting is not economically beneficial. Listing the African lion under the Endangered Species Act will help lions at almost no cost to African communities. Government inaction could doom an already imperilled species to extinction through much of its range," said Adam Roberts, executive vice president, Born Free USA. A copy of the economic study is available for download. For more information about African lions, please visit www.helpafricanlions.org. About the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Founded in 1969, IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Photos and video available at www.ifawimages.com. About Born Free USA Born Free USA is a recognized leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and education, Born Free USA leads campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic "pets," trapping and fur, and the international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to America the mission of the U.K.-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free: to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation. (bornfreeusa.org; twitter.com/bornfreeusa; facebook.com/bornfreeusa.) About Born Free Foundation Born Free Foundation, based in England, is an international organization devoted to compassionate conservation and animal welfare. Born Free Foundation takes action worldwide to protect threatened species, stop individual animal suffering, and keep wildlife in the wild. Born Free helps hundreds of thousands of animals worldwide each year. (bornfree.org/uk) About The Humane Society of the United States The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty – on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to Wayne Pacelle's blog, A Humane Nation. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our "Humane TV" app. About Humane Society International Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world's largest animal protection organizations. For nearly 20 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide — on the Web at hsi.org. SOURCE International Fund for Animal Welfare
Photo via Ty Russell / SoonerSports.com It’s never too early to think about the winners of the Power Five conferences in College Football. In addition, the American Athletic Conference is turning some heads as a potentially powerful conference for next season. This year will prove to be an exciting year, as several of the potential winners aren’t last year’s champions. As such, it should prove to be an exciting year, as several of the last season’s winners are not expected to repeat. ACC: Florida State Usually, the ACC is one of the toughest conferences to predict, but it often ends with the Clemson Tigers or Florida State Seminoles representing the Atlantic Division. This year, however, Clemson will downgrade significantly at the quarterback position. With no clear replacement for quarterback Deshaun Watson, they won’t pose any threat offensive threat to the Seminoles. Quarterback Deondre Francois has developed significantly since starting on the team, and with the top-rated running back recruit in the nation Cam Akers and a crop of new receivers, the FSU offense will have the strength to take down any ACC team. SEC: Alabama The Crimson Tide return this year stronger than ever. With an outstanding recruiting class and developing quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Tide have already proved they’re national championship material. Alabama returns most of its defensive prowess as well, and the only teams in the SEC that even stand a chance against them are LSU, Georgia, and Florida. Big Ten: Ohio State The Big Ten, maybe the most competitive conference in the country, will end with Ohio State taking the crown narrowly with Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan all close behind. That being said, the Buckeyes will be one of the best teams in all of college football. They put together one of the best defenses in the country and return Heisman-hopeful quarterback J.T. Barrett. PAC-12: USC USC, a college football playoff favorite, is the heavy favorite in the PAC-12. Quarterback Sam Darnold is one of the biggest reasons for the team’s success after throwing for 3,086 yards and 31 touchdowns last season while not starting until the team’s fourth game. In addition to Heisman-contender Darnold, USC has the extremely talented five-star running back Stephen Carr to add a new dimension to the Trojan offense. USC’s main competition, Washington, will have a tough time catching the Trojans as the Huskies have a much tougher schedule and has to play Colorado, Washington State, Oregon, Stanford, and Utah. BIG-12: Oklahoma Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield will once again have an outstanding season with their new and skilled recruiting class. As such, they’ll take the BIG-12 throne once again. One thing to cause them worry—and one thing that will probably be a barrier between them and anything beyond the conference title—is the fact that Bob Stoops retired last week. Oklahoma’s only real threat is offense-heavy Oklahoma State, and at the end of the day, the Sooners should have an easy time getting past their contender in the conference championship game. American: University of South Florida The AAC has been one of the most exciting conferences to follow for the last few seasons. With breakout teams such as Houston, Navy, and Temple, the AAC is a surprisingly stacked conference. Temple will lose 16 of its starters and is projected to fall behind in USF’s division, leaving the Bulls an open trip to the conference championship. Houston, Navy, and Tulsa will all battle for the AAC West title, with no clear favorite. Quarterback Quinton Flowers has been gaining national attention for the last year or so as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. Flowers chalked up 2,812 passing yards and 1,530 rushing yards during his junior season. Under head coach Charlie Strong, the Bulls will continue to improve. Their roster remains strong from last year and they should find no serious conflict in their schedule besides games against Houston and Tulsa. Nicholai Babis is a sophomore International Studies major at Vassar College. He specializes in College Football. He is a lifelong Seminoles fan, as well as a Rays fan and a Tampa Bay Bucs fan. He grew up in Tampa, Florida. He is a co-owner of the JR report and works for Athletics at Vassar College. He is the college football contributor at the JR Report. Follow Nicholai on twitter @nibabis . Hit him up if you want to discuss CFB, NFL, golf, tennis, and more. Advertisements Like this: Like Loading...
#166 hala-madrid-guti 31.Jul.2010 \| 21:11 este tio es un suplente de puyol y pique, y a exo bien por irse #168 rycopan25 31.Jul.2010 \| 22:05 llego al barça sin hacer ruido y ha jugado 5 años a todo tren, grandisimo defensa con muy pocos errores y un poderio defensivo de mucho nivel! ojala te vaya bien haya donde vayas, gracias por todo marquez!!! GRANDE CULE !! #169 art5116 31.Jul.2010 \| 23:00 El moderador parece que le escuece que diga que a Gago en el partido del Bernabeu contra el Barça debió haber sido expulsado varias veces y se fue de rositas. Y le escuece que le recuerde que quizás el árbitro no lo hizo por culpa de la campaña mediática, y nunca mejor dicho, porque mediatizó a los árbitros contra el Barça de manera escandalosa toda la segunda mitad del campeonato, y aun así se ganó la liga con 3 puntos de ventaja. ¿Quizás el moderador se siente parte de esa campaña de desestabilización contra el Barça y que presionó y condicionó tanto a los trencillas como para no expulsar a un jugador como Gago que hizo más méritos que los leñeros holandeses de la final del mundial? #171 jugarfe 01.Ago.2010 \| 08:59 desde el # 1 al 169 como se ve el plumero ahora resulta que marquez es beckenbauer #172 nomquesaptothom 01.Ago.2010 \| 11:06 #171 desde el # 1 al 169 como se ve el plumero ahora resulta que marquez es beckenbauer Marquez ha tenido un rendimiento y comportamiento exquisito en estos 7 años que ha pasado en el Barça, se ha ganado el apoyo y respeto de toda la afición culé. La celebracion de la liga ya olía a despedida. Suerte en el futuro y Barcelona siempre sera tu casa!! #176 m.kaulitz 01.Ago.2010 \| 17:21 Grande Marquez, creo que ha llegado a un acuerdo con el NY Red Bull donde esta Henry. Suerte Forza Xerez #177 flecher 01.Ago.2010 \| 20:15 deseo q marquez le vaya de maravilla,se ha comportado comoun autentico profesional y ha sido correcto siempreen todo ,hasta en su despedida ,un caballero ,gracias por defender la camiseta del mejor equipo de la historia #178 alsansa 01.Ago.2010 \| 21:52 Si, ha sido buen jugador, no era Beckenbauer, pero dió algo de nivel a la defensa y al centro del campo azulgrana. La cuestión ahora es... ¿cuánto le cuesta este "despido" al Barcelona? Recordemos que él estaba dispuesto a seguir, pero Guardiola ha dicho que no sigue, supongo que por dos años se llevará una buena pasta. #169 El moderador parece que le escuece que diga que a Gago en el partido del Bernabeu contra el Barça debió haber sido expulsado varias veces y se fue de rositas. Y le escuece que le recuerde que quizás el árbitro no lo hizo por culpa de la campaña mediática, y nunca mejor dicho, porque mediatizó a los árbitros contra el Barça de manera escandalosa toda la segunda mitad del campeonato, y aun así se ganó la liga con 3 puntos de ventaja. ¿Quizás el moderador se siente parte de esa campaña de desestabilización contra el Barça y que presionó y condicionó tanto a los trencillas como para no expulsar a un jugador como Gago que hizo más méritos que los leñeros holandeses de la final del mundial? ¿Qué narices pinta aquí Gago, me lo explicas? #179 onekenobi 02.Ago.2010 \| 09:32 #178 Si, ha sido buen jugador, no era Beckenbauer, pero dió algo de nivel a la defensa y al centro del campo azulgrana. La cuestión ahora es... ¿cuánto le cuesta este "despido" al Barcelona? Recordemos que él estaba dispuesto a seguir, pero Guardiola ha dicho que no sigue, supongo que por dos años se llevará una buena pasta. # 169 ¿Qué narices pinta aquí Gago, me lo explicas? No cobran traspaso y rescinden el contrato de mutuo acuerdo. O sea que al Barça no le cuesta nada, pero tampoco saca beneficio.
1. The "Anti-Commandeering" Rule: In 1997, by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court, created an "anti-commandeering" rule, which bans Congress from ordering state officials to carry out federal duties. The case was brought by two county sheriffs, who did not want to do background checks for firearm sales as ordered by the Brady Act. The new rule led to holes in the database that would allow persons prone to violence, like the killer in the 2007 Virginia Tech mass shooting, to get firearms. Stevens notes that the "anti-commandeering" rule could also cripple other Congressional acts, from routine administration of federal programs to emergency responses to national catastrophes or acts of terror. His fix adds four words (in bold below) to the Constitution's Supremacy Clause: This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges and other public officials in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding. 2. Political Gerrymandering: Given that he has not heard one word in favor of political gerrymandering from any federal judge, Stevens believes that his amendment addressing it should sail through into law. He points out that, in addition to making legislative districts less representative and less competitive, political gerrymandering tends to give us candidates with more extreme positions. In 1986 the Supreme Court made it practically impossible to challenge gerrymanders by setting a lofty and cloudy standard: "[A] finding of unconstitutionality must [show] continued frustration of the will of a majority of the voters or effective denial to a minority of the voters of a fair chance to influence the political process." Stevens takes a simpler view: "Just as a controlling political party may not use public funds to pay its campaign expenses, it is also quite wrong to use public power for the sole purpose of enhancing the political strength of the majority party." He would ban that abuse of power with this new amendment: Districts represented by members of Congress, or by members of any state legislative body, shall be compact and composed of contiguous territory. The state shall have the burden of justifying any departures from this requirement by reference to neutral criteria such as natural, political, or historic boundaries or demographic changes. The interest in enhancing or preserving the political power of the party in control of the state government is not such a neutral criterion. 3. Campaign Finance: We have gone far down the road to corruption since 1907, when Congress passed a law banning all corporate contributions to political candidates, and many states enacted, outside of narrow lobbying rules, a total ban of corporate activity to influence public policy. In 2010, by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, produced the infamous Citizens United ruling giving corporations the unlimited right to finance campaign speech. And last year, by the same 5-4 vote, the Roberts Court struck down any limit on total donations a person could make to candidates, giving rich persons the right to spend millions in a single election. The strongest proposed amendment addressing this problem states that corporations are not persons and money is not speech. Stevens' amendment states neither, but he believes it would eliminate "the most serious consequences" of Citizens United: Neither the First Amendment nor any other provision of this Constitution shall be construed to prohibit the Congress or any state from imposing reasonable limits on the amount of money that candidates for public office, or their supporters, may spend in election campaigns. 4. Sovereign Immunity: The Eleventh Amendment, banning a citizen of one state from suing another state in federal court, was prompted by states that wanted to dodge their war debts. Their reasoning leaned on "sovereign immunity," a principle that holds the "sovereign," any of the individual states in this case, above the law, shielding it from court action. Stevens says that this doctrine "should never have been adopted in a democracy." He notes an argument against it from the famous Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes: "It is revolting to have no better reason for a rule of law than that it was so laid down in the time of Henry IV. It is still more revolting if the grounds upon which it was laid down have vanished long since and the rule simply persists from blind imitation of the past." Since the arrival of Rehnquist, the Supreme Court has made a series of rulings that stretched sovereign immunity and weakened state compliance with national law. For example, in 1974 a Rehnquist opinion let Illinois skate on paying damages for past non-compliance with a federal law for aiding aged, blind and disabled persons. And in 1999 the Rehnquist Court, citing an unwritten state sovereignty rule imagined to be in the "plan of the [Constitutional] Convention," forbade Congress to authorize suing a state for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. To Stevens, striking down the sovereign immunity doctrine is a matter of simple justice. A state-owned hospital, school, or police force should not have a defense to federal claims that a private one does not. To right this wrong Stevens adds an amendment: Neither the Tenth Amendment, the Eleventh Amendment, nor any other provision of this Constitution, shall be construed to provide any state, state agency, or state officer with an immunity from liability for violating any act of Congress, or any provision of this Constitution. 5. The Death Penalty: Stevens points out the main arguments for the death penalty: that it keeps the murderer from murdering again; that it deters murder; and that it gives revenge for society's outrage. But there are good counter-arguments: that a sentence of life without parole also keeps the murderer from murdering again; that it would as well deter murder; and that society has evolved away from vengeance, as shown by its concern that death sentence execution be painless. Another strong argument is that the death penalty is final, yet fallible. Especially with the rise of DNA testing technology, many cases of false convictions have come to light. Under Chief Justice John Roberts, two Supreme Court rulings, including one upholding a judge's instruction to a jury to choose death when the evidence for and against it is balanced, have made the death penalty a bit more likely. To Stevens, the "final, yet fallible" argument is reason enough to abolish the death penalty, which he would do by adding five words to the Eighth Amendment: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments such as the death penalty inflicted. 6. Gun Control: For more than two hundred years, federal judges have, according to Stevens, uniformly understood the Second Amendment to be limited in two ways. One, that it applies only for military purposes, and two, that, while it limited the power of the federal government, it did not limit the power of state or local governments to regulate ownership or use of firearms. Thus, in 1939 the Court ruled unanimously that Congress could ban possession of a sawed-off shotgun because that weapon had no reasonable relation to "a well regulated Militia." But the Roberts Court has twice ruled against governments trying to tamp down gun violence. In 2008, a 5-4 majority, citing the Second Amendment, threw out a Washington, D.C., law and created a new Constitutional right for a civilian in D.C. to keep an enabled handgun at home for self-defense. And in 2010, the same 5-4 Court, citing the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, threw out a Chicago handgun ban, and extended the Court's newly-created Constitutional right to the states. To restore the Second Amendment to its original meaning, and to return the power of regulating firearms to state and local governments, Stevens adds five words to the Second Amendment: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms when serving in the Militia, shall not be infringed. As time passes, I am confident that the soundness of each of my proposals will become more and more evident, and that ultimately each will be adopted. The purpose of this book is to expedite that process and to avoid future crises before they occur. List of Supreme Court Cases Referenced Putting Stevens' amendments through looks like a long row to hoe. But, as Bertrand Russell once said of his own proposal for political change, "[T]he difficulty ... does not diminish the desirability of such a change." And Stevens is undaunted: (From The Paragraph.) [Sources & Notes] * * * By Quinn Hungeski, TheParagraph.com, Copyright (CC BY-ND) 2015
“A Great science fiction detective story” – Ian Watson, author of The Universal Machine Days to Centenary: 170 Believe it or not there are still places on the Earth where there are no internet connections — such places certainly exist in the southern hemisphere, where I live — and over the holidays I was in just such a place, whichI hope explains the absence of new posts on any of my blogs for a little while. Now that I’m back: Happy Alan Turing Year! As I counted down to midnight on December 31, 2011 surrounded by family and friends, my thoughts were mostly with the people around me (and others who couldn’t be there), which is as it should be. But I was certainly aware, as well, that the Turing year was about to begin… was about to begin… and then suddenly had begun. For many people this will be a culminating moment. I imagine it must be such a moment for Andrew Hodges, who many years ago painstakingly pieced together a myriad of fragments from the life of a man who was too much forgotten and pieced them together into a biography that helped revive him in our collective memory. It was Hodges’ book that first exposed me to Turing in the 1980s. I recently bought my fourth — or is it fifth? — copy of Alan Turing: The Enigma, because I can’t resist giving the book away when I meet someone whom I think might enjoy it or benefit from it. Then, after a time of not having it on my shelf, I’m suddenly afflicted with the need to read it again and have to go out and buy another copy and each time I return to it I learn something new. For that iterative, cumulative experience, thank you Dr. Hodges, and Happy Alan Turing Year. And along with him, a very big thank you and Happy Alan Turing Year to the many good people (in part represented here) — most of whom will never have the profile that Dr. Hodges does — who have worked so hard to ensure that the Alan Turing Year happened at all, and who continue to work to ensure that the myriad of events that make up the celebration all over the world actually take place. You guys are awesome. And on the topic of people who make the Alan Turing Year happen, having acknowledged all the official folks, let’s not forget the Turing Elves, those unofficial individuals who — through works of art and DIY technical projects and a myriad of other endeavors that are as disparate and entertaining as the Elves themselves — help make every year Alan Turing Year. And just as it’s a culminating moment for Dr. Hodges, for the official ATY folks, and for the Elves, I can only imagine that it must also be such a moment for Turing’s surviving family members, who only learned many years after the event of Turing’s important role in the war, who finally saw him receive the apology he deserved from the government that persecuted him, and who may now at long last see him pardoned (see this post), which is the most complete vindication that the law can extend to him at this late date. This is the year the family Turing (whether they bear the name or not) get to finally enjoy the honour that should have been his and theirs a long, long time ago. It will also be a culminating moment for the members of an LGBT community that is by now so multi-generational, international, and diverse that it can hardly be called one community at all. It is a constellation of communities that has, since the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the late 1960s, evolved to have a strength and a public profile that once would have been unthinkable. Even now it remains a reality for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, the transgendered, and the queer, that each person’s personhood — their character, their intrinsic nature, their contribution to the world, their strengths and flaws, their very self — is too often overshadowed by the simple fact of their sexual orientation. It’s maddening to be reduced in that way and this recognition of Turing helps to minimize that kind of reduction. We’re not where we need to be yet, but when a man of Turing’s stature has gone as long as he has with as little recognition as he’s had almost exclusively because of his sexual orientation, international recognition of the kind that the Alan Turing Year provides is certainly a move in the right direction. And this should also be a culminating moment for any number of others who are ignored or dehumanized or belittled on account of factors that ought to have no bearing on one’s view of them or on their ability to participate fully in social and professional life, whether that factor is their race, their gender, their religion, a physical or psychological idiosyncrasy or affliction, or anything else which might impair us in our ability to see them as whole and invididual people while it does nothing at all to diminish them. The diminishment of any one of us diminishes us all and the long overdue recognition of Turing enriches us all. Which means that — while we must never allow ourselves to be distracted from Turing himself, his work, and the honours that he’s earned — this is nonetheless an Alan Turing Year for everyone. So, Happy Alan Turing Year to you. [Note: The image in this post was borrowed from here.] Advertisements
In October 2014, Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate students Sydney Do and Andrew Owens released an independent research report on Mars One — a not-for-profit organization that wants to create a long-lasting human colony on Mars. The findings were bleak, casting into doubt the credibility of the project. Initially Do and Owens were dismissed by the organization as "undergraduates." But Mars One continued to be buffeted by criticism; the group belatedly scheduled a debate with Do and Owens on August 13th at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. It has been nearly a year since Do and Owens released their report, and it was the first time Mars One CEO Bas Lansdorp has responded to them directly. For space enthusiasts, the showdown promised to be as epic as Ripley battling the queen xenomorph. Mars One captured space geeks’ attention by promising to send them to Mars in the mid-2020s. The organization’s stated goals are to send a lander with communications capabilities to Mars in 2020 as a "demonstration mission." Then, in 2022, to send an "intelligent" rover to the planet, which will drive around the Martian surface to find the best location for the Mars One settlement. A cargo mission will launch in 2024, carrying a second rover and the bulk of the supplies needed for the habitat; the rovers will then assemble the outpost before the first humans land in 2027. That first settlement mission will be followed by additional crews of four landing every two years. It was the first time Mars One CEO Bas Lansdorp has responded to them directly Do and Owens used the Mars One plans — at least, the ones they could find — to run feasibility tests on the mission. They presented their results last year at the 65th International Astronautical Congress in Toronto, Canada. The MIT researchers analyzed the living conditions on Mars, including food production, cabin pressure, and habitat construction. Mars One’s current plans would probably kill its astronauts within the first few months of the mission, they concluded. In response, Mars One attacked the MIT team’s credibility. "It’s not an MIT report, it’s a report by a couple of MIT students — bachelor students who don’t have their PhD degree yet," Lansdorp said in February during a radio interview. Mars One spokesperson Suzanne Flinkenflӧgel employed the same tactic during an interview with TechNewsWorld in late March. The study was written by a "couple of undergraduate students," she said. And the organization’s chief medical officer, Norbert Kraft, repeated the same message to a Verge reporter in early April. "You’re talking about the undergraduate study? It’s not PhD, they are undergraduates, I’m sorry. They’re undergraduate students who wrote a paper to go to a conference, and that’s what it is." "First of all, it’s really sad they’re mocking the work of students, because that just hurts our community and industry," Do told The Verge earlier this year. "But second of all, we’re not undergrads." Lying about the qualifications of your critics isn’t a good look, and Mars One eventually figured that out. Which is why Lansdorp decided to address Do and Owens personally in DC. The three of them came for the 18th Annual International Mars Society Convention to discuss the feasibility of Mars One in public debate. From left to right, Sydney Do, Barry Finger, the Mars Society moderator, Andrew Owens, and Bas Lansdorp pose for a photo after the debate. Do and Owens stepped up to the podium and began their presentation clad in black, single-breasted business suits. Do was clean-shaven, while Owens sported a manicured beard. The two spent 20 minutes clearly and carefully outlining their findings, using language a layperson can understand. First, they said, Mars One will have to significantly improve on current space landing systems. That’s contrary to the organization’s claims that the mission will be "built entirely upon existing technology." At the moment, engineers can drop something that weighs a metric ton (more than 2,200 pounds) on Mars without destroying it, but anything heavier is much more difficult. That’s because of Mars’ atmosphere: it’s thinner than Earth’s, so engineers can’t rely on wind resistance to slow things headed for the surface. Mars One’s plans require them to land at least 2.5 metric tons (5,500 pounds) of food for their 2024 cargo mission; this means the organization will need an entirely new method of landing. The main argument revolved around the sheer cost of sustaining a space colony indefinitely This was just a warm-up, though. Do and Owens’ main argument revolved around the sheer cost of sustaining a space colony indefinitely. Mars One has said that sending its first crew to Mars would cost about $6 billion. Each additional one-way trip to Mars — trips that would send more "settlers" to the Red Planet — would cost $4 billion. Those estimates include equipment costs and operational costs, the company says. Planning a one-way mission might seem drastic, but it’s "the only way we can get people on Mars within the next 20 years," according to the project’s website. Sending people back home after a few months, or years, would be too costly — and technology that would allow someone to return from Mars doesn’t exist yet. But the cost advantage of a one-way mission is questionable, as spare parts become a crucial issue, Do and Owens said. For instance, to keep the International Space Station operational, NASA must launch a steady stream of cargo missions to replenish the station's supplies. Hardware breaks frequently on the ISS; astronauts spend a lot of time doing repairs. A settlement on Mars — surrounded by lots of fine dust that can clog complex air filtration systems — will likely need a lot of spare parts, Do and Owens argued. But unlike the ISS, which is resupplied every few months, the Mars One settlement will receive supply shipments only once every 26 months. The MIT team argued the amount of spare parts needed for a growing colony will cost hundreds of billions of dollars — and those costs will only increase. The mission gets more expensive over time, "in an unsustainable manner," Do said in a March interview. "You have to resupply the colony indefinitely." Which means Mars One’s $6 billion estimate is probably low. Even NASA estimates that its human mission to Mars, which is planned for the 2030s, will cost between $80 to $100 billion. Mars (ESA/MPS for OSIRIS Team) There is technology that could help alleviate the resupply problem: 3D printing. But material for the printers will still need to be shipped from Earth. And while it’s possible that Martian soil could be used as stock in the printers, the technology required to use dirt as a source of "ink" for 3D printing tools probably won't be ready by the time Mars One plans to launch. Essentially, the conclusion of Do and Owens’ work is that the cost of the Mars One mission grows exponentially over time. Even if the astronauts somehow make it to Mars, the settlers will need a monumental amount of supplies or else they will die horribly. "Our belief based on the data is that, no they cannot do this," said Owens, rounding out their presentation. Bas Lansdorp decided the best counterargument was nostalgia Lansdorp then stepped up to rebut their argument. Tall and thin, with very little hair, the Mars One CEO was dressed casually, wearing a blue button-down, a beige blazer, and jeans. He spoke softly and slowly, with a thick Dutch accent, beginning his 20-minute presentation with an anecdote about the time he watched the Apollo 11 astronauts walk on the Moon. He asked if anyone in the room remembered what it felt like to see those men take their first steps on another body in space. "It was one of the few moments in history where the whole world came to a stand still for a positive reason," he said. The trip down memory lane lasted at least five minutes. Eventually, Lansdorp addressed the MIT study, which was, in theory, the reason he was there. He admitted that Mars One should have embraced the study’s findings instead of attacking them, as they were essentially free feedback from engineers with expertise. He then proceeded to backtrack on the mission's timeline, without giving specifics on what was being delayed, or until when. "Our plan is not etched in stone, and we’ve already announced delays," he said. "Reality catches up with your plan." If Mars One does delay again, it won’t be the first time. The organization had originally planned to land humans on Mars in 2023. They changed that date to 2025, before settling recently on 2027. Lansdorp presented only one slide for the evening: an infographic of all the vehicles used for the Apollo missions. It seemed as though, faced with the logistical problems the MIT duo has identified, he decided the best counterargument was nostalgia: Mars One is possible because of how NASA stepped up to President John F. Kennedy's challenge of sending humans to the Moon in the 1960s. If they can do it, so can we, he implied. It's a sentiment he repeated at least four times throughout the evening. The Martian surface and Mars One's vision for a Mars habitat. (NASA/Mars One) At no point did Lansdorp directly address the claims made by MIT. He provided no concrete details regarding the mission's rockets, landers, interplanetary vehicles, or habitats. He barely touched on any science. He left that to his partner Barry Finger, an engineer and director for Paragon Space Development Corporation. Paragon, a company that builds life support systems for extreme environments, conducted its own feasibility study of Mars One, released in July. Paragon’s report came to some similar conclusions as the MIT study: technology development and adaptation are still needed for the mission to work. But despite the evening’s premise, Finger didn’t address Do and Owens' claims. Instead, his presentation was a complicated history lesson of how Paragon has solved engineering problems in the past — essentially a technology-focused continuance of Lansdorp’s pep talk. It was not exactly a convincing rebuttal, filled with lots of technical jargon and presented so poorly that it was hard to follow along. And of course, past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results, as the finance world is so fond of reminding us. At no point did Lansdorp directly address the claims made by the MIT students Then it was time for the question-and-answer session. In response to one question, Lansdorp admitted that the $6 billion cost estimate may be unrealistic. He didn’t offer up an alternative cost estimate or suggest that Mars One would be seeking additional funding, though. He also repeated the claim that Mars One would require less funding because there would be no return mission — an argument the MIT students reminded him wasn’t correct. It turns out Mars One is currently hurting for cash. Lansdorp said the organization has only $700,000, garnered from its candidates' application fees and early investors. That isn’t enough money to pay Lockheed Martin to do a concept study — part of the organization’s initial plans. Mars One is currently asking for $15 million from investors to make that happen. Lansdorp, however, is confident that he "might actually get a phone call from a billionaire who says, 'I want to make this happen,'" he said. That seems to be the crux of the mission's financial plan: make a big splash in the media to attract big investors. Then, private space companies will offer up their services and figure out all the technical details for them. So Lansdorp has proposed a reality show. Mars One plans to launch a 24/7 TV show that will follow the final colonist candidates as they train and prepare for the mission ahead. Lansdorp said the broadcast rights and sponsorships for that show will greatly exceed those of the Olympic Games, which he claimed averaged around $8 billion for the 2010 and 2012 cycles. (The source link for this number is broken on the Mars One website.) Mars One CEO Bas Lansdorp addressed criticisms of the organization in a YouTube video. The evening devolved from there. "The rockets aren’t the problem; the transit is not the problem," said Lansdorp about the biggest challenges they have to face, as Do and Owens just stared at him with their brows furrowed. "Landing on Mars… I’ve talked with several engineers from NASA who say they can do that with the current method." Maybe so. But the space agency has stated publicly that NASA can’t land more than one metric ton with current landing technology. "Bashing NASA does not prove the feasibility of Mars One." At one point, Owens confronted Lansdorp about a claim that the CEO made on television, saying that the organization had conducted its own feasibility study and found that Mars One is possible with current technology. "There’s science conferences and then there’s TV," says Lansdorp sheepishly. "As the CEO of the company, I always have to balance between how I phrase things." That feasibility study never happened; Lansdorp went on TV and lied. Lansdorp was repeatedly asked for concrete details about the Mars One mission plan, but avoided answering with specifics. Instead he parroted the same talking point over and over again: NASA stepped up to Kennedy’s challenge, so Mars One can step up to this challenge. After Lansdorp said this for the fourth time, the MIT team just sat there shaking their heads. Then, Lansdorp grasped at another argument, stating that NASA has been promising us a mission to Mars for the past 45 years and it has yet to happen. The argument was met by applause from the audience. Owens grabbed the microphone from Lansdorp: "Bashing NASA does not prove the feasibility of Mars One." The statement was met by even greater applause. In fact, nothing Lansdorp said during the debate proved the feasibility of Mars One. In the end, Mars One was in about the same shape as the queen xenomorph, flailing uncontrollably after it got blown out of the air lock. Sean O'Kane and Arielle Duhaime-Ross contributed to this report.
Long before the exodus from Syria to Europe reached its current peak, an untold number of mostly young male asylum-seekers embarked on the journey as a kind of advance party. One of them was Hussein Ahmad. Even before that, the route into Europe had already been well used by many, including Iraqis fleeing the carnage of their own civil war. Then, with few welcoming places left in the Mideast, Syrians started to take the route to find European refuge, hoping their families could later follow. Back then, before the entire world got a glimpse, it was an even longer and riskier journey. Still, Ahmad was desperate. Home was Raqqa, the seat of power for ISIS. The group had imprisoned him twice for not being observant enough. The third time they came to his house, he fled out the back door, and the next day was using a way out that would later be successfully used by his wife, Amal, and his two small children — and tens of thousands of other Syrians — to get to Germany. Last Friday, after a year and a half apart, the family tearfully reunited on Platform 25 of Munich's central train station. "I'm very, very happy my family reached me, thank God," he said, beaming. "I thank the German government." A handful of other men stood watching. With no sight of their own loved ones they walked away, clearly disappointed. At least two of them said they too had arrived months ago, using the same route. Chance of a lifetime Fathers, sons and husbands who made the journey many months ago are waiting in places like Germany and Sweden for families to follow. It's yet another major pull for many Syrians now making their way to, and across, Europe. Encouraged by news of the happy reunions and warm welcome in Germany in the past week, many more have left Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and beyond, to make the same journey. In my calls to colleagues in Baghdad and Beirut, there are suggestions the flow is about to surge. For those who have yearned for a better life in Europe, this is the chance of a lifetime. But the window for a happy conclusion to the story for those now en route may be closing. The Ahmads are lucky. Their reunion predated word that Germany was starting to strain under the influx it had invited, and they just missed by days the decision to temporarily impose controls at the border with Austria and to send 2,100 riot police to secure it. Their reunion also comes before tough new Hungarian laws come into effect this week, aimed at stemming the stream of asylum seekers walking across its border, and likely scuttling the plans of thousands trying to get to Germany. What happens to the refugees currently making their way across Europe when the flow is interrupted, as it inevitably will be, is unclear. Thousands could soon be stranded Today, EU member states will be discussing a proposal to more evenly spread the already arrived refugees among them. The idea for a mandatory refugee quota, presented at the European Parliament last week, suggests members resettle 160,000 between them. Besides the criticism that the number falls far short of what's necessary, working against this proposal will also be the significant differences of opinion among EU members. Most governments in Europe's East, as well as the U.K., balk at the idea of anyone telling them how many refugees to take in, if any at all. So do many of those countries' citizens, some of whom have erupted in protest to make their anti-refugee views known. All this means, at some point soon, there will be many more refugees languishing in Europe than apparently anyone is willing or able to cope with. The first major foreseeable bottleneck will be Hungary's inhospitable border with Serbia. Thousands could become stuck there as winter approaches — kept out by Hungary's new laws, a new fence, and also, if its parliament approves, the deployment of the Hungarian army. With rail services also more or less shut down now from Budapest to Munich, new routes will surely be sought out, which will affect more countries, and could be more dangerous. Smugglers who were sidelined when Germany and Austria threw open their borders could thrive again. That carries its own dangers, as we saw with the suffocation of more than 70 refugees in the back of a truck discovered in Austria. Thousands will likely find themselves stranded in or near countries that do not want them. Who will then care for the refugees several borders short of their destination and their loved ones? Read more about the refugee crisis:
Marienkapelle, outside of which the burnings are believed to have taken place. The, outside of which the burnings are believed to have taken place. The Würzburg witch trial, which took place in Germany in 1626–1631, is one of the biggest mass-trials and mass-executions seen in Europe during the Thirty Years War; 157 men, women and children in the city of Würzburg are confirmed to have been burned at the stake, mostly after first being beheaded; 219 are estimated to have been executed in the city proper, and an estimated 900 were killed in the entire Prince-Bishopric. The Würzburg witch trial is among the largest Witch trials in the Early Modern period: it was one of the four largest witch trials in Germany alongside the Trier witch trials, the Fulda witch trials, and the Bamberg witch trials.[1] History [ edit ] Background and context [ edit ] The first persecutions in Würzburg started with the consent of Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn, Prince bishop of Würzburg, and reached its climax during the reign of his nephew and successor Philipp Adolf von Ehrenberg. They started in the territory around the city in 1626 and evapourated in 1630. As so often with the mass trials of sorcery, the victims soon counted people from all society; also nobles, councilmen and mayors. This was during a witch hysteria that caused a series of witch trials in South Germany, such as in Bamberg, Eichstätt, Mainz and Ellwangen. In the 1620s, with the destruction of Protestantism in Bohemia and the Electorate of the Palatinate, the Catholic reconquest of Germany was resumed. In 1629, with the Edict of Restitution, its basis seemed complete. Those same years saw, in central Europe at least, the worst of all witch-persecutions, the climax of the European craze. Many of the witch-trials of the 1620s multiplied with the Catholic reconquest. In some areas the lord or bishop was the instigator, in others the Jesuits. Sometimes local witch-committees were set up to further the work. Among prince-bishops, Philipp Adolf von Ehrenberg of Würzburg was particularly active: in his reign of eight years (1623–31) he burnt 900 persons, including his own nephew, nineteen Catholic priests, and children of seven who were said to have had intercourse with demons. The years 1627–29 were dreadful years in Baden, recently reconquered for Catholicism by Tilly: there were 70 victims in Ortenau, 79 in Offenburg. In Eichstätt, a Bavarian prince-bishopric, a judge claimed the death of 274 witches in 1629. At Reichertshofen, in the district of Neuburg an der Donau, 50 were executed between November 1628 and August 1630. In the three prince-archbishoprics of the Rhineland the fires were also relit. At Coblenz, the seat of the Prince-Archbishop of Trier, 24 witches were burnt in 1629; at Sélestat at least 30—the beginning of a five-year persecution. In Mainz, too, the burnings were renewed. At Cologne the City Fathers had always been merciful, much to the annoyance of the prince-archbishop, but in 1627 he was able to put pressure on the city and it gave in. Naturally enough, the persecution raged most violently in Bonn, his own capital. There the chancellor and his wife and the archbishop's secretary's wife were executed, children of three and four years were accused of having devils for their paramours, and students and small boys of noble birth were sent to the bonfire. The craze of the 1620s was not confined to Germany: it raged also across the Rhine in Alsace, Lorraine and Franche-Comté. In the lands ruled by the abbey of Luxueil, in Franche-Comté, the years 1628–30 have been described as an "épidémie démoniaque." "Le mal va croissant chaque jour," declared the magistrates of Dôle, "et cette malheureuse engeance va pullulant de toutes parts." The witches, they said, "in the hour of death accuse an infinity of others in fifteen or sixteen other villages." The trials [ edit ] Already in 1616-1617, there had been a first wave of witch trials in the city, and an isolated witch trial in 1625, which gave way to the great hysteria in 1626. The great witch hysteria of Würzburg started in 1626, and stopped in 1631, though the documents of the executed are from the period 1627-29. In August, 1629, the Chancellor of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg thus wrote (in German) to a friend: As to the affair of the witches, which Your Grace thinks brought to an end before this, it has started up afresh, and no words can do justice to it. Ah, the woe and the misery of it--there are still four hundred in the city, high and low, of every rank and sex, nay, even clerics, so strongly accused that they may be arrested at any hour. It is true that, of the people of my Gracious Prince here, some out of all offices and faculties must be executed: clerics, electoral councilors and doctors, city officials, court assessors, several of whom Your Grace knows. There are law students to be arrested. The Prince-Bishop has over forty students who are soon to be pastors; among them thirteen or fourteen are said to be witches. A few days ago a Dean was arrested; two others who were summoned have fled. The notary of our Church consistory, a very learned man, was yesterday arrested and put to the torture. In a word, a third part of the city is surely involved. The richest, most attractive, most prominent, of the clergy are already executed. A week ago a maiden of nineteen was executed, of whom it is everywhere said that she was the fairest in the whole city, and was held by everybody a girl of singular modesty and purity. She will be followed by seven or eight others of the best and most attractive persons ... And thus many are put to death for renouncing God and being at the witch-dances, against whom nobody has ever else spoken a word. To conclude this wretched matter, there are children of three and four years, to the number of three hundred, who are said to have had intercourse with the Devil. I have seen put to death children of seven, promising students of ten, twelve, fourteen, and fifteen. Of the nobles--but I cannot and must not write more of this misery. There are persons of yet higher rank, whom you know, and would marvel to hear of, nay, would scarcely believe it; let justice be done . . . P. S.--Though there are many wonderful and terrible things happening, it is beyond doubt that, at a place called the Fraw-Rengberg, the Devil in person, with eight thousand of his followers, held an assembly and celebrated mass before them all, administering to his audience (that is, the witches) turnip-rinds and parings in place of the Holy Eucharist. There took place not only foul but most horrible and hideous blasphemies, whereof I shudder to write. It is also true that they all vowed not to be enrolled in the Book of Life, but all agreed to be inscribed by a notary who is well known to me and my colleagues. We hope, too, that the book in which they are enrolled will yet be found, and there is no little search being made for it. These witch trials seem to have been a phenomenon resulting from a great mass hysteria; people from all walks of life were arrested and charged, regardless of age, profession or sex, for reasons ranging from murder and satanism to humming a song with the Devil, or simply for being vagrants and unable to give a satisfactory explanation of why they were passing through town. Thirty-two of them appear to have been vagrants, and many others themselves believed they were witches and worshipped Satan.[citation needed] At least 157 people were executed in the city. The actual number was in fact larger, as Hauber, who preserved the list in Acta et Scripta Magica, adds that the list is far from complete and that there were a great many other burnings too many to specify. In the territory outside the city, several hundreds of people were burned also, and the total number is estimated to have been about 900. The End [ edit ] On 16 July 1631, Philip Adolf died, and when the city was taken by king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden the same year, the witch trial was put to an end. The executed are listed to have been 157 people until February 1629; after this, the executions are not documented. They are estimated to have been 219 in the city itself, but 900 total in the areas under the authority of the Prince Bishop. It has been called the greatest witch trial ever to have occurred in Franconia, though the famous Bamberg witch trials of 1626-1630 was a close second with 300 executions. Aftermath [ edit ] A Jesuit, Friedrich Spee, was more radically converted by his experience as a confessor of witches in the great persecution at Würzburg. That experience, which turned his hair prematurely white, convinced him that all confessions were worthless, being based solely on torture, and that not a single person whom he had led to the stake had been guilty. Since he could not utter his thoughts otherwise—for, as he wrote, he dreaded the fate of Tanner—he wrote a book which he intended to circulate in manuscript, anonymously. But a friend secretly conveyed it to the Protestant city of Hameln and it was there printed in 1631 under the title Cautio Criminalis. The executed [ edit ] Many of the executed are not mentioned by name. Below follows some names to give an example of the variety of people being burned: "Three play-actors". "Four innkeepers". "Three common councilmen of Wurszburg". "Fourteen vicars of the Cathedral". "The burgomasters lady" (The wife of the mayor). "The apothecarys wife and daughter". "Two choristers of the cathedral". Gobel Babelin, aged nineteen, "The prettiest girl in town". "The wife, the two little sons and the daughter of councillor Stolzenberg." Baunach, "The fattest burgher [merchant] in Wurzburg". Steinacher, "The richest burgher in Wurzburg". The seventh burning "A wandering boy, twelve years of age". "Four strange men and women, found sleeping in the market-place". The thirteenth/fourteenth burning " A little maiden nine years of age". " A maiden still less [than nine]". " Her [the girl's] sister, their mother and their aunt". " A pretty young woman of twenty-four". The eighteenth burning "Two boys of twelve". "A girl of fifteen". The nineteenth burning " The young heir of the house of Rotenhahn", aged nine. A boy of ten. A boy, twelve years old. See also [ edit ] References [ edit ]
Those voices in your head may be real. Researchers have developed technology that can project a beam of sound so narrow that only one person can hear it. "Directed" audio sounds like it's coming from right in front of you even when transmitted from a few hundred meters away. Inventors of the new "ventriloquist" technology say it could provide an added dimension to entertainment. The military, however, is investigating using it to confuse opponents or even inflict pain. The Audio Spotlight is one of two competing audio transmission systems that emit a one-foot square column of sound that can only be heard by people in its direct path. Joseph Pompei, a PhD student at the MIT Media Lab, decided to develop it while working at audio company Bose, which he joined at 16 as its youngest-ever engineer. Pompei, who used to play jazz trumpet in nightclubs in Chicago, became interested in how sound systems reproduce and distribute music. He thought it would be cool to "choreograph sound just like you would dancers on stage." Pompei imagined that instead of loudspeakers blaring the same cacophony of instruments to all parts of the room, it would be more interesting to selectively spotlight the soloist to the left side of the audience, while featuring the percussion up front, and then switching them around. "Sound in real life is occurring all around you. Regular speakers only go so far in reproducing an accurate environment," Pompei said. Pompei developed the first demonstration systems of the technology for installations at Sega's Joyopolis theme park in Tokyo and the Boston Museum of Science, and he's planning to start selling it commercially soon. He said museums like the system because visitors who stand in front of an exhibit can hear the appropriate audio track without being distracted by sound from other displays. The Audio Spotlight transmitters range from several inches in diameter to about 20 inches and generate a column of sound between one to three degrees wider than the transmitter. The technology could also be used to prevent fights over the car's radio tuner, Pompei said. He put several Audio Spotlights in a concept truck from Chrysler, which enabled passengers to hear their own radio stations – the kids in the back seat enjoyed heavy metal while the parents relaxed to elevator music. "It could make for much happier trips," he said. The Audio Spotlight converts ordinary audio into high-frequency ultrasonic signals that are outside the range of normal hearing. As these sound waves push out from the source, they interact with air pressure to create audible sounds. Pompei said the "non-linear" effect of air pressure modifies sound waves in a consistent fashion. He wrote algorithms that "reverse-engineered" the desired sound waves to determine the appropriate ultrasonic source signals. According to University of Texas professor David Blackstock, high-frequency signals are easier to focus, and control like a flashlight, than sounds that are within the human range of hearing, which disperse in all directions. Blackstock said ultrasonic signals "decay more slowly than lower-frequency waves" so they are easier to send farther. The Audio Spotlight emits sounds in the 60-kilohertz range, which, according to Blackstock, is well above the 20-KHz limit of human hearing. Blackstock said the first experiments to use ultrasonic sounds were conducted underwater in the 1960s, and Japanese researchers made advances in the 1980s but were unable to create a commercial application for the technology. Pompei said Audio Spotlights are currently being installed in Australia for the upcoming Fringe Festival. Pompei started Holosonic Research Labs to sell Audio Spotlights to corporations such as Kraft and Kodak, which are in the process of integrating them into information kiosks and retail displays. An alternative to Pompei's invention, which also may be commercially available soon, is American Technology's Hypersonic Sound System. The HSS system similarly converts audio into ultrasonic sound waves, and Blackstock was impressed by a demonstration. Blackstock said he heard a clear signal at about 100 meters, but then heard nothing by moving two steps out of the audio's path. "It's remarkable, a spectacular effect." American Technology president Terry Conrad said the company is going into its first mass production of chips that convert the audible sounds into ultrasonic waves in February. American Technology recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army to develop the technology for a decidedly non-commercial use: psychological warfare. According to American Technology CTO Jim Croft, the technology could be used to confuse opponents by making them think there was someone nearby. Small transmitters could be kept out of sight, and ghost sounds could be bounced off "rocks or any reflective surface" to fool people into believing they were not alone. American Technology is also working on a stronger version of the technology called Directed Stick Radiator, Croft said. This "acoustic assault rifle" is shaped like a gun, but instead of bullets, it dispenses high-decibel sounds that would cause discomfort or even pain. Croft said the company is developing prototypes of the debilitating weapon that could be mounted on a jeep and used for crowd control. "It could be a very effective first-level deterrent," he said. Pompei, conversely, is happy to make music, not war, with his system. He said U2's Bono is a fan of the Audio Spotlight and recently flew him to Los Angeles to measure the acoustics during a Staples Center performance. He would prefer that others adopt his invention to returning to the stage himself. "I make a much better scientist than musician."
Share. Burdened by the ghosts of its past. Burdened by the ghosts of its past. There's a lot of negativity stacked against Ghostbusters, a remake/reboot of the beloved franchise starring four women -- Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones -- instead of the four men that fans have become accustomed to. Like it's hard to walk into the film unbiased by the previous films it takes its name from, it's hard to walk into Ghostbusters unaffected by the fact so many people decided to hate this movie on premise alone. I wanted to love this new Ghostbusters, but unfortunately it is just fine, though not for the reasons many would expect. The Ghostbusters themselves are great; Wiig and McCarthy ground the film with a great friendship and the chemistry they established during their previous work with Feig together, each taking on a different sort of role than what they've become known for in their other comedy work. Jones is also fantastic, being the layman who blends so well with the other three scientists on her team and nailing her jokes every time. Exit Theatre Mode Even McKinnon, who wasn't as much of a scene-stealer as was expected after becoming immediately memeable from Ghostbusters' trailers, brings something different to a movie that hews in many ways back to the 1984 original. You can't help but root for these four, who are just trying to use hard science to prove the paranormal exists and make New York City a safer place. They're the heart of Ghostbusters, and in many ways they're the thing that keeps it chugging along. Ghostbusters, written by Feig and Katie Dippold, largely follows the structure of Ivan Reitman's first film. Wiig's Abby Yates and McCarthy's Erin Gilbert are former friends and paranormal investigators who are brought back together after a rift in their friendship when, with Erin's new nuclear engineer pal Jillian Holtzman (McKinnon), they encounter their first ghost. As more and more malevolent entities start popping up in New York, they perfect their equipment and gain a new ally (Jones's Patty Tolan) and discover someone is trying to summon the ghosts to bring about a paranormal apocalypse. Exit Theatre Mode The plot is nothing new, but also largely works. It's the friendship between the four Ghostbusters that keeps the film moving along, and though there are rifts that pull them apart, you always feel like they're on the same team. The story offers a new mythology for the ghost girls and it's fun seeing them work together. When they finally do come in to save the day, their journey to that point feels earned. Unfortunately, it's the pacing and editing that is the biggest problem with the movie. Ghostbusters is a comedy first, and for all that haters blasted the movie for starring four women, it's actually director Paul Feig who doesn't seem like he's the right fit for the series. In terms of Feig's brand of comedy, Ghostbusters is more Spy than Bridesmaids, but his humor never quite jibes appropriately with the tone of the film. It doesn't help that the pacing undercuts what could have otherwise been strong moments. Reveals meant to be impactful, like Abby's explanation of why she was called "ghost girl," aren't given the set up they need and are later relied on too heavily. It's clear this script and final cut went through multiple revisions, but could have still used another pass to create a more cohesive product. Exit Theatre Mode McKinnon's character Holtzmann is the biggest example of this. It's clear from the immediate reactions online to her nutso take on the nuclear engineer that people were excited for the comedy she was performing. But almost all of her scenes don't land properly, both because the movie doesn't make time for McKinnon to do her thing and also because this gimmick feels like it's meant for a different movie. There was a cohesion lacking across the board with the pacing, with long lulls without big comedy moments and a movie that felt long in its 116-minute running time. It's a shame, too, because much of the movie works on paper. The ongoing gag that repeatedly worked was Chris Hemsworth's character Kevin, their secretary who is sweet but dumb as bricks. Hemsworth commits to Kevin's idiocy and knows how to play perfectly off of the four leads, but even that joke doesn't work as well by the end of the movie. Exit Theatre Mode Ghostbusters can't decide whether it wants to be a completely new take on the property or a loving homage to the original, and because of that it's trapped between the two. As much as Feig and Dippold remix the formula, there are too many callbacks to the original, from the cameos (only one or two of which actually work) to the catchphrases to the iconic songs to even the new film's version of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. But when Ghostbusters is doing its own riffs on these elements anyway, the film becomes burdened by the ghosts of its past. It's frankly disappointing that the new Ghostbusters movie doesn't work as well as it had the potential to. The film is conscious of the criticisms and vitriol that has already been leveled against it and that is steeped into its DNA, all the way to the mid-credits ending. I wanted this to be a movie as worthy as a cult following as the film on which it's based, but for all that does work about Ghostbusters -- and, again, it's the leads that carry it as much as they can -- there's plenty that holds it back from being great. Exit Theatre Mode
A powerful new video from LGBTQ television network Logo provides a portrait of queer people navigating life in what has previously been called the most homophobic place on Earth: Jamaica. “This Is Who I Am: Stories of LGBTQ Survival from Jamaica” is a part of Logo’s “Global Ally” campaign, a large-scale, multi-platform initiative that seeks to share the stories of people across the spectrum of queer identity on a global level. Logo previously told HuffPost that “Global Ally” is not meant to exist merely as a story-telling project, but also as a nexus of connection and solidarity for queer and trans-identifying people living in less-LGBTQ friendly corners of the world. In partnership with Global Ally, “Where Love Is Illegal,” a photo-based storytelling campaign that elevates queer stories on a global level, went to Jamaica to capture the stories. “This Is Who I Am: Stories of LGBTQ Survival from Jamaica” premiered at Global Ally’s panel “Sharing the Way to Global LGBTI Equality” at SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas last week. “Logo’s Global Ally campaign is committed to being a megaphone for LGBTIQ people whose stories oftentimes go untold,” Pamela Post, SVP of Original Programming at Logo, told HuffPost. “Through the campaign, our audience can learn more about issues affecting the community not only here in the United States, but around the world, and can be a part of the global shift towards acceptance. We were proud to partner with Where Love is Illegal to shed light on the resilience of the LGBTIQ community in Jamaica.”
Students at the University of Maryland will have the chance to “engage fatness” next term as part of a “Fat Studies” course offered by the school's American Studies department. “Introduction to Fat Studies” will not engage “fatness” as a social or medical problem, according to a syllabus for the course posted online. Instead, the course will approach fatness as “an aspect of human diversity, experience, and identity.” The syllabus goes on to say that the course “will function as an introduction to the recent (and growing) field known as Fat Studies.” The field of Fat Studies, the syllabus claims, is “a field that is not concerned with the eradication of fatness, but with offering a sustained critique of anti-fat sentiment, discrimination, and policy.” One assignment for the course requires students to read three articles with the tag “Fatshion” from xoJane.com, a website “where women go to be their unabashed selves.” Another assignment requires students to “explore the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance site.” The NAAFA, according to its website, aims to “provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and support.” Other reading material for the course includes an article titled “My wedding was perfect – and I was fat as hell the whole time,” and the “Fat Liberation Manifesto,” which labels diet books, diet foods, and diet doctors as “special enemies.” The syllabus also includes a quote from self-described “fat activist” Marilyn Wann, claiming that Fat Studies “requires skepticism about weight-related beliefs that are popular, powerful, and prejudicial.” The instructor for the course is fourth-year Ph.D. student Cassy Griff, who claims to focus her work “on discourses of excess as they apply to fat and Latina/o bodies.” The course will be offered during the university’s Winter Term from January 4-22. According to the university website, students will receive a full three credits for taking the course. Griff did not respond to Campus Reform’s request for comment. Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @peterjhasson
So Who Hacked Clinton? The Truth Could Be More Shocking Than You Expected The U.S. Intelligence Community, led by the three most political actors in recent history, claims to have irrefutable “proof” that the Russian government was behind the hacking of Democratic Party computers and those affiliated with the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. However, Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and National Security Agency director Admiral Mike Rogers provided not one iota of evidence that it was Russian state players who hacked into the computers of the Democrats or the personal email accounts of Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta and other staffers. Podesta has a long track record of interest in extraterrestrial visitations of our planet and unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and the files the U.S. government possesses on these subjects. Consequently, Podesta, who has served as White House chief of staff for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, has drawn the interest of the most dedicated contingent among the computer hacker community: those who hope to discover the “mother lode” of secret files allegedly held by the U.S. government on alien visitations and UFOs. Podesta, along with his brother, Washington DC super-lobbyist Tony Podesta, are at the center of the power structure of the United States. So, when a well-connected individual like John Podesta claims an interest in government files on aliens and UFOs, the UFO hacker community takes a keen note. Podesta is at the center of his own UFO “podesteria.” A “podesteria” in medieval Italy was an administrative division of Italian city-states lime Venice and Genoa. Today, there is a “podesteria” in cyberspace that includes computer hackers and UFO investigators having varying degrees of expertise in discovering where the U.S. government is hiding its most critical secrets. It was this “podesteria” of hackers that penetrated the weak security of Podesta’s Google mail account and discovered, in addition to some intriguing email on the subject of extraterrestrials between Apollo 14 moon astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell and Podesta, other emails dealing with the 2016 election campaign. The bottom line with the hacking of Podesta’s email and that of others in his email chain, which included Mrs. Clinton’s top advisers Huma Abedin and Jennifer Palmieri, is that Russia had nothing to do with it. The U.S. intelligence community, hungry to go back to the era of the Cold War and bloated U.S. intelligence budgets, is inventing Russian involvement in a desperate move to divert attention away from the corruption of the Clinton family and Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Podesta is a magnet for the successors to WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange's old 1980s and 1990s “Cypherpunk” colleagues - young hackers who will do just about anything to expose what they see as a massive cover-up of the ET presence on Earth. The largest hacking of military computers in recent times was carried out by a young Scottish hacker named Gary McKinnon. Using the handle "Solo," McKinnon was charged with breaking into 97 U.S. military and NASA systems between February 2001 and March 2002. McKinnon said he was searching for files on the suppression of free energy systems (what astronaut Mitchell wanted to discuss with Podesta) and UFOs. Russia was not involved in the case with McKinnon then and it certainly is not involved in the issue regarding the hackers of Clinton’s campaign today. The United States tried to have McKinnon extradited to the United States but in 2012, British Home Secretary Theresa May, now the prime minister, surprisingly vacated the extradition order. British criminal charges against McKinnon were suddenly dropped. Among those who supported McKinnon in resisting extradition to the United States were Boris Johnson, the present Foreign Secretary, and David Cameron, the former prime minister. Earlier this year, Hillary Clinton attracted her own share of hacker attention when she told the Conway Daily Sun in New Hampshire that as president she would "get to the bottom" of the UFO cover-up. That served as another magnet for the global hacker community. And Bill Clinton has done his best to draw the interest of UFO hacker groups. In a 2005 speech in Hong Kong, Bill Clinton told the audience, "I did attempt to find out if there were any secret government documents that reveal things, and if there were, they were concealed from me, too. I wouldn’t be the first president that underlings have lied to or that career bureaucrats have waited out. But there may be some career person sitting around somewhere hiding these dark secrets, even from elected presidents. But, if so, they successfully eluded me, and I’m almost embarrassed to tell you I did try to find out.” Asked by the New Hampshire newspaper what her husband meant, Mrs. Clinton replied, "I think we may have been [visited already]. We don’t know for sure.” In 2014, Bill Clinton told television host Jimmy Kimmel: "If we were visited [by aliens] someday, I wouldn’t be surprised. I just hope that it’s not like [the movie] “Independence Day,” that it’s a conflict.” The CIA, NSA, and DNI know fully well that the UFO hacker community is very adept at ferreting out the private emails of those who they believe possess knowledge about their favorite subject. John Podesta also knows this. In 1998, when Podesta served as President Clinton’s chief of staff, 72 of 215Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requeststo NSAwere for UFOfiles. In addition, 15 percent of all FOIA requests to the CIA in 1998 were for UFO-related documents. After he left the White House, Podesta actually championed the cause of UFO researchers who wanted full disclosure of government UFO files pursuant to the FOIA! What part of the UFO research community gets through legal channels, often with disappointing results as a result of heavily-redacted declassified pages, another part achieves through computer hacking. In September of this year, two North Carolina men who were part of a hacker group called “Crackas With Attitude”were indicted for hacking into the Verizon personal email accounts of CIA director Brennan and DNI director Clapper. Three other members of the hacker group lived in Britain. A text message sent by one of the indicted North Carolina men reads: “I've been looking for evidence of aliens since Gary.” The reference was to Gary McKinnon, the British UFO hacker. While looking for references to aliens in Brennan’s emails, one of the hackers claimed he stumbled upon information that showed the CIA had engaged in torture: “I f***ing own this loser [meaning Brennan], I have just released emails of them admitting to torture.” This is a prime example of how UFO hackers, while looking for information on their favorite subject, stumbled across extraneous information that was, nevertheless, of interest. And this is exactly how the hackers who penetrated Podesta’s and the other Democrats’ email stumbled across other email of interest, in this case email of interest to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks and the Donald Trump campaign. Again, there is not one scrap of evidence of Russian government involvement. The corporate media is trying to lay blame for the hacking of Podesta's and other Clinton campaign officials' email on Russian President Vladimir Putin. That is because the Democrats do not want to be embarrassed by admitting that the real culprits are hackers who want to know more about Podesta's knowledge of the "little gray aliens." It is the fault of Podesta and Mr. and Mrs. Clinton that they have attracted, with their talk about aliens, every computer hacker and script kiddie on the planet hungry for any morsel held in government and private computers about ET. Just when most people believed the 2016 presidential election could not become any stranger, it has taken a nose dive into the “Twilight Zone.” As far as this writer’s knowledge of hackers, it was my job to monitor hacker operations throughout the 1980s and 1990s for the NSA, Department of State, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and U.S. Navy. It was clear then, as it is evident today, that computer hacking blamed on nefarious “state-supported” hackers was almost always the result of a teenager connected to a modem from his or her parents’ basement.
Earlier this year, Riksbank Deputy Governor Per Jansson expressed his displeasure with comments made in April of last year by everyone’s favorite Nobel laureate Paul Krugman. The dispute revolves around Sweden’s decision in 2010 to raise rates, a move Krugman says turned the country into a Japan-style deflationary deathtrap. To wit, from Krugman’s blog: "In 2010 Sweden’s economy was doing much better than those of most other advanced countries. But unemployment was still high, and inflation was low. Nonetheless, the Riksbank — Sweden’s equivalent of the Federal Reserve — decided to start raising interest rates." "There was some dissent within the Riksbank over this decision. Lars Svensson, a deputy governor at the time — and a former Princeton colleague of mine — vociferously opposed the rate hikes. Mr. Svensson, one of the world’s leading experts on Japanese-style deflationary traps, warned that raising interest rates in a still-depressed economy put Sweden at risk of a similar outcome. But he found himself isolated, and left the Riksbank in 2013." "Sure enough, Swedish unemployment stopped falling soon after the rate hikes began. Deflation took a little longer, but it eventually arrived. The rock star of the recovery has turned itself into Japan." Krugman went on to accuse the Riksbank of being a bunch of job-hating heretics who don’t believe that printing mountains of fiat currency solves economic problems and who are motivated by an overwhelming desire to perpetuate global inequality by enriching creditors at the expense of impoverished debtors. They are, Krugman said, sadomonetarists. For his part, Per Jansson wasn’t particularly pleased with Krugman’s assessment, suggesting that he “write fewer articles and have more of a look at the data and then come back again.” “I don’t know why he does that; it’s a mystery and it doesn’t make him come across as a guy who is very well informed,” Jansson added. Why did Sweden start raising rates in 2010? Well, as we noted in March, “the bank’s actions were not indicative of an institution suffering from some psychotic desire to drive up unemployment and inflict pain upon the masses, they were in fact based on ‘normal things’ like inflation and a housing bubble and the fact that the rate of household credit expansion was running some 50% ahead of overall economic growth.” In any event, Krugman needn’t have been concerned, because as you can see from the following, and as discussed here on Sunday evening, Sweden not only stopped hiking, but in fact plunged headlong into NIRPdom. So one would think, if Krugman is correct, that cutting rates by 235 bps since 2011 all the way down to -0.35% would have things humming along nicely in terms of “healthy” inflation. Only, that’s not what’s happened. This is: Meanwhile, the housing bubble and household credit expansion issues the Riksbank was so concerned about have predictably gotten far worse thanks to record low rates. To wit, from Bloomberg: The worsening housing shortage -- exacerbated by record immigration -- and surging house prices reveal that deeper financial instability risks lie ahead. The combination of already too-high household debt and negative rates "may ultimately be very costly for the economy,'" the central bank said last week in its monetary policy report. And as we saw earlier this month when the Riksbank remained on hold ahead of Mario Draghi, keeping a lid on krona strength (i.e. fighting to ensure that inflation doesn't crater) may turn out to be increasingly difficult going forward with the ECB widely expected to expand PSPP, meaning that ironically, once everyone goes full Keynes, it makes it ever more difficult for anyone to realize the benefits because one country's easing simply negates another's, necessitating still more easing by the first country, and around we go. Case in point, from Riksbank Governor Stefan Ingves: "...any rapid strengthening of krona would pose risk to inflation rise [so] Riksbank won’t be passive if ECB makes big changes in its policy." Worse still, not only is Sweden bumping up against diminishing returns in its easing efforts, but as we discussed at length in July, for a time things had actually begun to move in the wrong direction, as investors fretted about the lack of market depth created by the Riksbank's QE program. “The financial conditions -- the currency and the bond yields -- are moving in the wrong direction,” Roger Josefsson, chief economist at Danske Bank A/S told Bloomberg. So in other words, even as risks associated with NIRP (e.g. excessive debt buildup and a worsening housing bubble) have materalized, some of expected benefits (e.g. rising inflation) have not, which certainly begs the question if the risk/reward profile associated with NIRP and expanded QE is still attractive. Of course it's not all bad. Unemployment has fallen dramatically and GDP data from previous quarters was revised up in what Goldman called a "non-neglible way" on Friday. But the question one has to ask here is this: what, ultimately, has ZIRP and then NIRP and QE actually done for Sweden? The effect on inflation has clearly been muted (the Riksbank's protestations aside) and the effect on the housing market has been to inflate what looks like a rather formidable bubble. Meanwhile, the global currency wars mean the upward pressure on the krona is likely to persist no matter what the Riksbank does. If we assume that GDP and unemployment would have, at least to some extent, improved on their own, one could quite plausibly make the argument that all Sweden has done with monetary policy since 2010 is embed an enormous amount of risk into the economy without getting much back. Of course when that rather inconvenient suggestion is made, central bankers in the new normal almost always blame lawmakers or regulators or someone other than themselves and Sweden is apparently no different. Here, for instance, is what the bank had to say earlier this month: "Low interest rates contribute to the trends of rising house prices and increasing indebtedness in the Swedish household sector continuing. Current debt levels already pose a substantial risk to the Swedish economy. It is thus essential that the Riksdag (the Swedish parliament), the Government and other authorities implement measures to reduce this risk. If no measures are taken, this, in combination with the low level of interest rates, will further increase the risks, which may ultimately be very costly for the economy." As for Ingves, well, he's not optimistic (via FT): Sweden’s central bank governor has warned that new crisis-busting tools policymakers are embracing around the world to counter asset bubbles and other financial dangers are susceptible to political inaction and turf wars. Stefan Ingves, governor of the Riksbank, said so-called macroprudential policies — such as capital requirements and leverage limits — had so far failed in Sweden where house prices and personal debt levels have soared to record levels. “Macroprudential, particularly if markets are going up, up, up is about saying ‘no’. Apparently that’s hard to do,” Mr Ingves said. One could easily say the same thing about the Riksbank although, to be fair, the central bank would also be in control of macroprudential policy making if it had its way, but that doesn't exonerate NIRP. That is, we might replace one word from the quote above and get this: "sound money, particularly if markets are going up, up, up is about saying 'no' but apparently that's hard for central bankers to do." At least one banker in Stockholm agrees: “To have such a low interest rate at the same time as Sweden has rather good economic growth and rapid increases in house prices — it seems crazy,” said one senior banker. But Ingves has his story and he's sticking to it: “We deal with inflation, we keep an eye on the exchange rate, we do our best to reach our inflation target. But that means that somebody else has to deal with the problem we have in our housing market." On that note, we'll close with the following from Lars Jonung, professor emeritus at Lund University, who told newspaper Dagens Nyheter the following: “[The Riksbank] have lowered rates too much, absolutely. It creates meaningful financial risks and increases household debt. The danger is that it bursts just as it did in the US and Iceland.” * * * Bonus: As Krugman said last week in the Japanese context, countries "need to reach a point where everyone believes that they have pulled out of deflation. And then if that can be believed, then they may be able to stay out of trouble thereafter". Do you "believe" in "hockeynesian" success stories? The Riksbank apparently does...
Huntsville skate park shooting Huntsville police investigate a shooting Sunday, June 8, 2014, at the Huntsville Skate Park on Cleveland Avenue. (Contributed by WHNT News 19) HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- A man was shot at the Huntsville Skate Park on Cleveland Avenue Sunday night after he "threatened to shoot everyone" during an argument and fight that escalated to a shootout. Witnesses told police on the scene said a photographer was using the skatepark bowl as a backdrop for photos, but got in an argument with the father of two children, described as ages 8 and 10, who wanted to use the area to skate. The argument escalated into a physical fight, then one of the people involved in the fight went to a car and got a gun and "threatened to shoot everyone," according to a police report; the father then got his own gun and the two exchanged shots, according to witnesses on the scene. A police report released Monday morning states that the father involved in the argument shot the man who was making threats. The shooter was not listed as having been charged in the police report, and the name of the man who was shot and is listed as the offender for "menacing" with a gun in the police report was not released. Police Sgt. Marc Moon said the man who was shot was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The other man was taken to the police station for questioning. Another person who was alert and did not appear in distress waited in the back of an ambulance for about 30 minutes before being taken to the hospital around 9 p.m. There were several teens held at the scene for questioning. Police sent an alert about a confirmed shooting at the site at the intersection of Cleveland and Church streets, 7:52 p.m. The city-owned skate park is open from dawn to dusk. Police were still investigating at 9:25 p.m. Updated at 7:50 a.m. with details from police report. Updated at 8:54 p.m. and 9:25 p.m. with details from the scene.
There's been tons of speculation about what everyone will dress up as for Halloween. Will it be the kids from Stranger Things? A rainbow-haired unicorn? Or will you keep it classic as a witch or a hippie? Polyvore revealed data on the top searches for Halloween costumes this season, and it seems as though the general public has another idea in mind. As it turns out, the top spot goes to Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad. The choice totally makes sense: it incorporates the best parts of all of the costumes we love: It’s a little daring, with fishnets and hot pants, a little sporty with a bomber you’re sure to wear long after Halloween is over, and — to finish it off — you can die your hair a rainbow of colors (at least for one night!). Harley was followed by the below list of top ten contenders. So now the only question is: Who will you be? Courtesy of Polyvore Related: How to Dress Like the Kids of Stranger Things for Halloween
A Reuters/Ipsos online poll asked Americans to rate how much of a threat a list of countries, organisations and individuals posed to the United States Republicans see Obama as bigger threat than Putin and Assad, says poll A third of Republicans believe President Barack Obama poses an imminent threat to the United States, outranking concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A Reuters/Ipsos online poll this month asked 2,809 Americans to rate how much of a threat a list of countries, organisations and individuals posed to the United States on a scale of 1 to 5, with one being no threat and 5 being an imminent threat. The poll showed 34% of Republicans ranked Obama as an imminent threat, ahead of Putin (25%), who has been accused of aggression in the Ukraine, and Assad (23%). Western governments have alleged that Assad used chlorine gas and barrel bombs on his own citizens. Given the level of polarisation in American politics the results are not that surprising, said Barry Glassner, a sociologist and author of “The Culture of Fear: Why Americans are afraid of the wrong things.“ “There tends to be a lot of demonising of the person who is in the office,” Glassner said, adding that “fear mongering” by the Republican and Democratic parties would be a mainstay of the US 2016 presidential campaign. “The TV media here, and American politics, very much trade on fears,” he said. The Ipsos survey, done between March 16 and March 24, included 1,083 Democrats and 1,059 Republicans. Twenty-seven percent of Republicans saw the Democratic Party as an imminent threat to the United States, and 22% of Democrats deemed Republicans to be an imminent threat. People who were polled were most concerned about threats related to potential terror attacks. Islamic State militants were rated an imminent threat by 58% of respondents, and al Qaeda by 43%. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un was viewed as a threat by 34%, and Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by 27%. Cyber attacks were viewed as an imminent threat by 39%, and drug trafficking was seen as an imminent threat by a third of the respondents. Democrats were more concerned about climate change than Republicans, with 33% of Democrats rating global warming an imminent threat. Among Republicans, 27 percent said climate change was not a threat at all. The data was weighted to reflect the U.S. population and has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points for all adults (3.4 points for Democrats and 3.4 points for Republicans.)
A Blood Drive on Monday, September 4, hosted in the Hall of Champions at Kyle Field, from 10 a.m. –4 p.m. All who are able are encouraged to donate blood. on Monday, September 4, hosted in the Hall of Champions at Kyle Field, from 10 a.m. –4 p.m. All who are able are encouraged to donate blood. A Donation Rally is set for Saturday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. in Lot 100 (South side of Reed Arena) You can drop off clothing at Cox-McFerrin Wednesday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. is set for Saturday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. in Lot 100 (South side of Reed Arena) Financial Donations to the American Red Cross through the BTHO Harvey initiative. "Texas A&M University has always stood ready to help when called upon, and the events in Texas and the Gulf Coast present another opportunity for us to lend a hand," Texas A&M Director of Athleticssaid. "We want to provide a brief reprieve to all of those affected by this tragedy, as well as extend an expression of gratitude to all of the first-responders and volunteers that are working so hard to help the region return to normalcy."Game dates and kickoff times are already set for the two games: Nicholls State on Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. and Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 16 at 11 a.m.Guests utilizing these tickets are encouraged to park for free and ride via GET TO THE GRID game day shuttles. Other parking options are available here: https://transport.tamu.edu/Parking/events/grid.aspx Texas A&M Athletics also encouraged people interested in assisting with the relief effort to support the American Red Cross, as well as BTHO Harvey www.BTHOHarvey.org >, which is a student-led relief initiative at Texas A&M University.Here are three ways that people can help through BTHO Harvey:
Wednesday’s big news on Wall Street wasn’t that for yet another year its average wage and bonuses put finance employees in the top 1 percent. It was that the Federal Reserve’s third interest rate hike in a decade was fueling a stock rally — meaning there was more money for the already wealthy to grab. Advertisement: The Wall Street Journal’s website was filled with reports on the Fed’s action. Nowhere in its fixation on the changing investment landscape did it note that its frontline readers, the traders and brokers working in New York’s financial industry, were once again the poster boys for economic inequality in America. But this overwhelmingly white and male cadre are the most visible concentration of America’s economic elite, according to 2016 employment, wage and annual bonus data released on March 15 by the New York State Comptroller’s office. When analyzed by progressive economists, it showed how last year’s average bonuses alone—forget about the six-figure base salaries — could more than offset the demands by millions of low-wage workers nationwide to earn $15 an hour, which would translate into $31,200 in annual pay. “For Wall Street employees, annual bonuses come as an extra reward on top of their base salaries, which averaged $388,000 in 2015, the most recent year for which data are available,” the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), a progressive Washington think tank, noted in a report Wednesday. “The average Wall Street bonus increased by 1 percent last year to $138,210. Since 1985, the nominal value of the average Wall Street bonus has increased 890 percent, whereas the minimum wage has risen only 116 percent.” Taken together, that average salary and bonus equates to $526,000 in income. That stunning figure is just above the $518,000 threshold to be in the top 1 percent of New York State’s earners, according to a study released last June by the Economic Policy Institute, another progressive Washington think tank. As the Institute for Policy Studies noted, the $24 billion paid in bonuses to 172,400 Wall Street employees could have more than paid for raising wages to $15 a hour for 3.1 million restaurant servers and bartenders (a $17 billion cost), or 1.7 million home health and personal care aides (a $13 billion cost) or 3.2 million fast food prep and serving workers (a $23 billion cost). But that’s not how the exploitive American economy works, is it? These wage disparities are also followed by gender and racial disparities, IPS said, as women and people of color dominate the bottom rungs of the economic ladder while Wall Street’s mostly male white ranks fill the ever-prospering top. Advertisement: “The much faster increase in Wall Street bonuses [than minimum wages] has contributed to racial and gender inequality, since workers at the bottom of the wage scale are predominantly people of color and female, whereas those in the financial industry’s upper echelons are overwhelmingly white and male,” IPS noted. “The average Wall Street bonus increased by just 1 percent last year. But the nominal value of the average bonus has grown by 890 percent since 1985, from $13,970 to $138,210. Meanwhile, the [federal] minimum wage has risen only 116 percent, from $3.35 per hour to $7.25. Adjusted for inflation, the minimum wage was nearly 3 percent lower in 2016 than in 1985, whereas the average bonus was about 343 percent higher.” The big questions raised by these trends remain what should or could be done about this vast disparity. Progressive politicians like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have assailed elected officials who are determined to keep bending laws to reward their wealthiest constituents. One of Sanders’ latest examples came after President Donald Trump’s recent address to Congress, where he replied, “I did not hear President Trump tonight mention — mention the words ‘income and wealth inequality’ or the fact that we now have the widest gap between the very rich and everyone else since the 1920s . . . How could you give a speech to the nation and not talk about that enormously important issue?” How? The answer is simple. The defenders of the wealthiest Americans — such as the Wall Street Journal and The Economist—keep perpetuating the myth that successful capitalists are the best exemplars of human ingenuity and evolution. Thus, because they’re superior to more ordinary individuals, or have figured out how the financial world works, they deserve their outsized rewards. (That same logic, by the way, is why most incumbents in Congress will never reform the campaign finance system: they figured it out and won. What’s the problem?) In many respects this tension over redistributing wealth — upward, downward or more equally—is the unspoken backdrop to the Obamacare repeal effort now in Congress. Obamacare’s taxes, which the Republicans uniformly despise, is the law’s way of getting the richest Americans and health industry segments to help pay for insurance premium subsidies for lower wage households. The House GOP doesn’t want Americans who can afford it to contribute more toward the nation’s health; they want to let them keep more money for themselves. Advertisement: What’s missing in the GOP-led Obamacare debate, and also absent in many economic policy debates, is the basic idea that giving middle- and lower-income households more spending money, via higher wages, contributes more to overall economic growth than making the already rich richer. That point doesn’t get overlooked in IPS’s report on the latest Wall Street bonus data. “Shifting resources into the pockets of low-wage workers would give the American economy a much bigger bang for the buck than increases in Wall Street bonuses,” the report said. “To meet basic needs, the low-wage workers who prepare our food and take care of the elderly tend to spend nearly every dollar they earn, creating beneficial economic ripple effects. The wealthy, by contrast, can afford to squirrel away more of their earnings.” This observation keeps emerging every time new statistics surface confirming the growing gaps between America’s rich and everyone else. If the question is what to do about deepening inequality, to progressives the answer is clear: share the wealth. Advertisement: “Forty-four percent of U.S. workers still earn less than $15 per hour. This is the wage level needed to cover basic living costs in most areas of the country,” the IPS report said. Wall Street’s $23.9 billion in bonuses last year “amounts to 1.6 times the combined earnings of all 1,075,000 Americans who work full-time at the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.” Those bonuses are in addition to a $388,000 average base annual salary.
“There’s a metaphor to it,” CEO Pieter Gorsira explains, addressing his startup Lawnmower, and its, by bitcoin industry standards, unconventional name. If the name Lawnmower at first keeps users at a distance, however, the explanation does much to illuminate the novel concept the Boost VC startup is hoping will help it become a low-risk bitcoin investment solution. “Working backwards, it’s like we’re running the lawnmower over the grass and we’re clipping off a little bit of change. So, as you go along, we slice all these little blades of grass and collect change from these transactions,” Gorsira continued. Put more directly, Lawnmower uses an API developed by Spark Capital-backed Plaid to connect to users’ online banking accounts at Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank and US Bank. From there, Lawnmower watches its users’ accounts for transactions, rounding up the purchase of say a $3.50 latte to $4 and saving that 50 cents for later. Once users have accumulated at least $4 in total savings through small debit or credit purchases, Lawnmower purchases bitcoin on behalf of the user. The effect, according to Gorsira, is a solution to bitcoin’s volatility that also allows investors a chance to get exposed to its potential benefits. Gorsira told CoinDesk: “We’re trying to raise consumer awareness about bitcoin and give them an easy way to get in without huge commitment, so you can buy $3–$4 every couple days instead of buying bitcoin at $300 and worrying about where it’s going to go.” As for whether the name is the best way to communicate these goals, the three-person team (complemented by CTO Patrick Archambeau and CFO Alex Sunnarborg) behind the project is confident it will resonate with consumers, or at least, differentiate it from the competition. “Having ‘bit’ or ‘chain’ is like an Internet company having the letter E, like E-school.com,” Gorsira added. Competitive edge The idea that spare change can be converted into investments is not exactly a new one, with the concept already in use by startups like Acorns, an app that has raised $9m in funding to allow users to make small-scale investments. Gorsira acknowledges that he was worried that Lawnmower wouldn’t be first to market with the concept in the bitcoin space, expressing a fear that a company the size of Coinbase could develop a similar app “in a week”. Still, the team reports that Coinbase isn’t interested in a similar idea for its own, and that to some extent, the company supports the Lawnmower project. “All of the bitcoin is housed on Coinbase, so when you sign up you have to have a Coinbase account that you log in with,” Archambeau clarified. As for a long-term competitive advantage, Lawnmower’s team sees its product evolving similarly to Acorn’s in terms of the variety of investment options it offers. “We have a lot of different ideas like putting 20% of the savings into a different currency like litecoin, dogecoin or maybe having a slider that lets you invest 200% of your change into bitcoin,” Gorsira said. Beta launch Lawnmower officially opened a beta on 25th March, allowing a small group of users into the program for an initial glimpse. Sign-ups, Archambeau said, are still available. In part, the team wants to get some fresh air into the room in terms of the ideas that they’re able to generate for the project, so that they can best align the final launch product with informed feedback. “We need to see what people like or don’t like so we can start adding features. The point is to have users use it, break it and tell us if they like it. [It goes] beyond three people who live in the same room everyday. We get kind of hive-minded,” Gorsira quipped. As for signing up for the service, beta users will need to have iOS 8 to run the TestFlight application, though Lawnmower is built for iOS 6 and 7 compatibility. The installation process is simple provided users meet these qualifications, as the app quickly moves through a series of windows that encourage users to connect to their bank and answer security questions necessary to access the accounts. Fiat-to-bitcoin bridge Over time, Lawnmower sees value in creating a platform that it believes will have a unique set of users among bitcoin companies, especially given that it will in effect monitor the traditional financial behaviors of bitcoin users. “There’s no company in the bitcoin space that has those ties with fiat,” Gorsira said. “By linking your spending and saving if you will, having information on both the bitcoin and fiat side is a lot more powerful.” Gorsira described Lawnmower as a bridge between products like Mint and Coinbase, in that it appeals to both sets of distinct users, though he believes the company will likely seek to move beyond bitcoin. “People are starting to get used to conscious saving. So, [we want to] target those people who are less technical and encourage them to diversify some of their assets,” Gorsira continued, concluding: “We have a lot longer plans once we acquire a user base.” Images via Lawnmower
Suggestion credit: Graham - Atlanta, GA Robert Plant wrote the words to this acoustic song after reading a book on Scottish history. The lyrics are about the everlasting battle between night and day, which can also be interpreted as the battle between good and evil. >> This is the only song Zeppelin ever recorded with a guest vocalist. Robert Plant felt he needed another voice to tell the story that plays out in the song, so Sandy Denny from Fairport Convention was brought in. Her vocals represent the people as the town crier, while Plant's voice is the narrator. Fairport Convention was a British folk group Zeppelin shared a bill with in 1970. This collaboration with Sandy Denny marked the first time Robert Plant did a duet with a woman. In later years, he had tremendous success singing with Alison Krauss; their 2007 album Raising Sand won a Grammy award for Album of the Year. Sandy Denny was given a symbol on the album sleeve - three pyramids - to thank her. The four members of Led Zeppelin each designed their own symbols for the album. Denny died in 1978 from a brain hemorrhage resulting from a fall down the stairs. Jimmy Page wrote the music on a mandolin he borrowed from John Paul Jones. He explained to Guitar Player magazine in 1977: "On 'The Battle of Evermore,' a mandolin was lying around. It wasn't mine, it was Jonesey's. I just picked it up, got the chords, and it sort of started happening. I did it more or less straight off. But, you see, that's fingerpicking again, going back to the studio days and developing a certain amount of technique – at least enough to be adapted and used. My fingerpicking is a sort of cross between Pete Seeger, Earl Scruggs, and total incompetence." Led Zeppelin rarely played this live, but when they did, John Paul Jones sang Sandy Denny's part. Return Of The King, where the lyrics could describe the Battle of Pelennor ("The drums will shake the castle wall, The ring wraiths ride in black"). Plant is a huge Tolkien fan, and referred to his books in "Ramble On" and "Misty Mountain Hop." Suggestion credit: Ollie C - Hampshire, England Many J.R.R. Tolkien fans see the lyrics as a reference to his book, where the lyrics could describe the Battle of Pelennor ("The drums will shake the castle wall, The ring wraiths ride in black"). Plant is a huge Tolkien fan, and referred to his books in "Ramble On" and "Misty Mountain Hop." >> Lord Of The Rings things like Ringwraiths and most of the song can be interpreted to be about it if you choose. Suggestion credit: Caleb - Christchurch, New Zealand A lot of this fits the battle of the Pelennor fields: "At last the sun is shining, The clouds of blue roll by" - as Sauron's army and influence advanced the sky darkened and when he lost this battle it became light again. But a lot doesn't fit to that particular battle/book, including the part about the angels of Avalon, as Avalon was not from Tolkien's world but the legends of Merlin and King Arthur. The song is not completely about that battle but there are references tothings like Ringwraiths and most of the song can be interpreted to be about it if you choose. >> Suggestion credit: Geno - North Riverside, IL The word "Avalon" is Latin for "place with apples," and here is the part of the song Avalon is mentioned - "I'm waiting for the angels of Avalon, waiting for the eastern glow. The apples of the valley hold the seeds of happiness," so it may just mean "I'm waiting for the angels of place with apples." >>
Apple loves to hide little surprises, or “easter eggs,” within its software — such as the memorable quotes inside its OS X icons, or the temporary date (Jan 24, 1984 — when the first Macintosh was unveiled) given to apps downloaded from the Mac App Store. A new one has been discovered that’s sure to please Lord of the Rings fans. Typing a simple comment into Terminal reveals a Lord of the Rings timeline that Apple has hidden in OS X. Here’s how to access it. Open up the Terminal app on your mac, and enter: cat /usr/share/calendar/calendar.lotr There’s nothing funny about this command — it won’t change anything, and your Mac won’t explode on your desk. It’s just a bit of fun. Once you have hit return, you’ll be presented with a Lord of the Rings timeline. We hate to provide spoilers for those who want to try this out themselves, but for those on Windows, we’ve pasted the timeline below: #ifndef _calendar_lotr_ #define _calendar_lotr_ 01/05 Fellowship enters Moria 01/09 Fellowship reaches Lorien 01/17 Passing of Gandalf 02/07 Fellowship leaves Lorien 02/17 Death of Boromir 02/20 Meriadoc & Pippin meet Treebeard 02/22 Passing of King Ellesar 02/24 Ents destroy Isengard 02/26 Aragorn takes the Paths of the Dead 03/05 Frodo & Samwise encounter Shelob 03/08 Deaths of Denethor & Theoden 03/18 Destruction of the Ring 03/29 Flowering of the Mallorn 04/04 Gandalf visits Bilbo 04/17 An unexpected party 04/23 Crowning of King Ellesar 05/19 Arwen leaves Lorian to wed King Ellesar 06/11 Sauron attacks Osgiliath 06/13 Bilbo returns to Bag End 06/23 Wedding of Ellesar & Arwen 07/04 Gandalf imprisoned by Saruman 07/24 The ring comes to Bilbo 07/26 Bilbo rescued from Wargs by Eagles 08/03 Funeral of King Theoden 08/29 Saruman enters the Shire 09/10 Gandalf escapes from Orthanc 09/14 Frodo & Bilbo’s birthday 09/15 Black riders enter the Shire 09/18 Frodo and company rescued by Bombadil 09/28 Frodo wounded at Weathertop 10/05 Frodo crosses bridge of Mitheithel 10/16 Boromir reaches Rivendell 10/17 Council of Elrond 10/25 End of War of the Ring 11/16 Bilbo reaches the Lonely Mountain 12/05 Death of Smaug 12/16 Fellowship begins Quest #endif /* !_calendar_lotr_ */ Awesome, isn’t it? Via: The Mac Observer
We’re fast approaching that time of year again which means it’s time to whip out the credit cards and start your Christmas shopping. But what do you buy the football fan in your life? The chances are that a football related gift would go down a treat, but apart from the obvious club merchandise what else is there available? No matter whether you’re buying for your mum, dad, brother, sister, partner, best friend or any other football fan you know, here are some gift ideas that would be perfect to wrap up and put under the Christmas tree. 1) Football Manager 2015 Forget FIFA and Pro Evo, Football Manager is the best football gaming series available on the market. Fact! Every football fan claims that they can do better than the manager of their club, well now is there chance to prove it. Like in the previous Football Manager titles, Football Manager 2015 is the closest you can get to being a real life football manager, giving the player control over team selections, tactics, team-talks, transfers, training regimes, the list is endless. I guarantee that every football fan would be entertained for hours on end when they wake up with this game in their stocking come Christmas morning. 2) Football shirt styled kit bag These football kit bags are the perfect present for the football fan who likes to stand out from the crowd. Made from recycled football shirts means that they are both stylish and environmentally friendly and are perfect for going to football training, a trip to the gym or a weekend away. A whole host of different designs are available to suit all tastes. As well as kit bags, there are also messenger style bags, shopping bags and lady’s handbags so there really is a bag for everybody. 3) Desktop mini football table Everyone likes a game of table football no matter how young or old you are. Bring your living room to life this Christmas with this mini football game and even add that competitive edge with tournaments between family and friends. 4) The Nowhere Men An obvious choice for a football book would be the current bestselling autobiography, however I think The Nowhere Men would be a more unique gift and an equally gripping read. Offering a fantastic insight into the world of the UK scouting network and winner of The Times British Sports Book Award 2014, it will be bound to please anybody who likes to read. A teenage boy plays football in a suburban park. His name is Raheem Sterling. The call is made: “Get down here quick. This is something special”. The Nowhere Men gives credit to the faceless and nameless football scouts who often make key decisions worth millions of pounds. 5) Gillette Soccer Saturday DVD The boys at Soccer Saturday are what make Saturday afternoons so special for those who can’t make it to a match. This DVD compiles all the golden and hilariously funny moments from the past twenty years with unseen footage from Jeff Stelling, Chris ‘Unbelievable’ Kamara and the rest of the gang. The ultimate gift and stocking filler that will make all football fans laugh out loud. 6) Personalised Calendar-Football Star If you’re thinking of buying that special someone a calendar this Christmas then look no further. Every football fan dreams of making it as a player and this calendar makes that dream come true. Fully customisable with first and last names and shirt number and colour, your loved one will see their name appear on the scoreboard, in the cup final line up and on the back pages of the newspaper. 7) Retro football shirt Go back in time to the good old days with a retro styled football shirt. Grab a piece of history with Bobby Moore’s No6 England shirt just like the one he wore when he lifted the World Cup for England in 1966. Or maybe go for a shirt iconic in a club’s history. They’re really is a vast selection to choose from with domestic clubs, European and international clubs and even national teams available to choose from. Whatever you go the recipient will not be disappointed as each shirt is made to the highest quality. They’re not just football shirts, they’re pieces of history. 8) Subbuteo bottle opener When watching football on the TV there’s only one thing that could make it better: watching the game with an ice cold bottle of beer. The problem is how to open that bottle beer, well here’s your answer, the Subbuteo bottle opener. Inspired by the original 1960’s Subbuteo figure this novelty yet practical piece of barware is the perfect gift for all football mad fans. Please note I am not being endorsed by any company to promote their products, these are just items that I think would make good gifts for football fans. Also note that prices are correct at the time of publishing and may vary.
Victor Grossman in his library, with some of the books he published in East Germany. Photo by Uli Kohls. Photos courtesy of Victor Grossman. Between World War II and the fall of Communism, many fled Soviet-controlled East Germany and headed westward. The stories of these dissidents, defectors and hardworking citizens who were simply looking for a better life have been exhaustively documented. But much less is known about the histories of the few who headed against the tide, from west to east, repulsed by capitalism. Victor Grossman was one such person. Born Steve Wechsler in New York City in 1928, Victor’s political ideology was shaped by his experiences living in America during the Great Depression and the events of the Spanish Civil War. After earning an economics degree from Harvard, his communist ideals led him to earn a simple living as a factory worker. In 1950, in the beginning stages of the Korean War, Victor was drafted and while stationed in Germany, his left-wing past was uncovered by the military. Fearing a court-martial for his beliefs, he sought refuge in the Soviet bloc, changing his name to Victor Grossman and settling among like-minded comrades in the German Democratic Republic. For 30 years, Victor thrived in the GDR as a journalist and author. He published numerous books on US history and culture, lectured frequently and hosted a popular radio show that introduced East Germans to the antiestablishment folk songs of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan. Despite his criticisms of the GDR establishment, Victor still felt that he was seeing his ideal – “an antifascist state with economic security for everybody” – transformed into utopian reality. By the late 80s, however, it became apparent that the Soviet system could no longer sustain itself and would soon collapse under its own weight. Victor came to the bleak realisation that he would have to “start over from zero”. In 1994, he returned to the USA for the first time, where he was officially discharged from the army, 44 years after being enlisted. He remains today in Berlin and continues to write prolifically in German. In 2003 he published an English-language autobiography, Crossing the River: A Memoir of the American Left, the Cold War, and Life in East Germany. Regardless of what you think about his political convictions, Victor’s ideological steadfastness is impressive. In a way he seems to be a man out of time, which made me think that speaking with him could provide not just a window to the past, but a different context for viewing the present. Victor near his apartment on Karl-Marx-Allee. VICE: When did you first become disillusioned with capitalism? Was it a gradual progression or was it one event? Victor Grossman: The 1930s were a left-wing period. My first recollection from a newsreel was the big sit-down strike in Flint, Michigan, which broke General Motors. I remember that and [what was happening in] Spain, the soup lines and college graduates selling apples on the corner to make a living. My father was an art dealer. Who buys art in depression times? It was often tight, but we never went hungry. We were never really down and out, especially because we had a bungalow in New Jersey in an experimental single-tax community called Free Acres. It was very simple; it had running cold water and no electricity. And it was wonderful, just wonderful. We ran around barefoot all day. It was like Huckleberry Finn. A lot of people living there were bohemians from New York and left-wingers. Some of the nicest people in that place were left-wingers who really determined my thinking. You went to Harvard, but after graduation you started working in a factory. Why? When I graduated Harvard, the Communist party secretary from Boston came to us and said, “You’ve got a Harvard diploma, but our party is supposed to be a workers’ party, and we don’t have enough workers. Have any of you considered becoming workers?” I was one of three people who said yes. I was provided with an address in Buffalo. I hitchhiked there and walked to this black neighbourhood. I came to this rundown wooden house, and on the porch was a middle-aged black lady in a rocking chair. I said, “I’m looking for Hattie Lumpkin, do you know where I can find her?” She said, “That’s me.” She was the head of Buffalo’s Communist Party. Hattie’s place was Buffalo’s left-wing hub. The family her daughter had worked for had been leftists; they had asked her to sit at the table with them to eat. This was absolutely unheard of. She became a Communist. At first, Hattie had told her to get the hell out with her atheist ideas, but they argued and Hattie was convinced. Hattie’s place became my home away from home when I worked the awful graveyard shift at the factory. Victor’s Harvard yearbook photo, 1949. Did anyone at the factory find out that you were Ivy League-educated? I didn’t tell anybody. One of my co-workers, who was known as “the intellectual”, asked me if I’d ever thought of going to college. I had to be careful. Of course, people noticed I was a little different. Also, being Jewish was rare in the factory. Most of the workers were Polish, Italian or German – and almost all were Catholic. Then you were drafted into the army, which was a much more dangerous place for a Communist to be than a factory in upstate New York. The draft began again in 1948 with the Korean War. At the same time, the Internal Security Act was passed, a law that said that members of the Communist party or its front organisations had to register with the police as foreign agents. For every day that you didn’t register, it was up to five years in prison. I got my draft notice in October of 1950. I quit my job and went back to New York. When you got drafted, you had to sign a statement: “I am not and have never been a member of the above organisations.” There were over 100 organisations listed – a couple of fascist and Nazi organisations, but 80 to 90 percent of them were left-wing organisations, some dating back to the 20s and 30s. I was in about a dozen of them. I thought, Should I sign this damn thing? Would you have been excluded from the draft if you had admitted you were in those organisations? Yeah, possibly, but I would have been liable. The whole atmosphere was extremely tense. Anybody with a left-wing view was considered an agent and a traitor. Many years later, I talked to this guy I had been with at Harvard who said, “You should have refused to sign.” He refused and said that it was against his constitutional rights. Years later, of course, the Supreme Court ruled the whole thing unconstitutional. But I was scared. I figured it was two years, and maybe if I kept my mouth shut, I would make it through. I was sent to Bavaria and given a job as a company clerk. It was an easy job, but then I made a mistake. When you go into the army, they give you tests to see what you’re good at. They had one for Morse code, and I did well on it. So I was given an offer to leave Bad Tölz and go to Munich to do radio work. I knew they might check me over, but of course it was hard to say no. When I got to Munich, they didn’t put me on the radio work. I knew something was up, but I just had five or six months left and wanted to get through it. Then one day I got a letter telling me to report to a military judge because I was a member of six organisations. That’s when I panicked. I didn’t want to go to jail. Victor interpreting for Jane Fonda at the International Documentary Film Week. Leipzig, Germany, 1974. Photo by Elke Thionke. How did you cross over to East Germany? I took the train to Austria, crossed over the border, and got in to Linz in the late evening and headed for the Danube. I didn’t dare ask anyone how to get to the river. I just kept walking in the direction that seemed right. Finally, I saw the river – it was about a quarter mile across. I threw my jacket and shoes into the water, because I thought I wouldn’t make it otherwise. I put my important papers in a pouch and started swimming. The tide pulled me in the right direction. I expected Soviet soldiers to be waiting on the other side of the Iron Curtain, but it was totally empty. There was a road along the river. I waited until I was sure there was no one coming and started walking. I had no shoes and had torn my sleeves off to hide my military affiliation. In the afternoon, I was picked up by an Austrian cop. He took me to the police station. I said I wanted to speak to someone from Soviet command. They looked confused but called them anyway. A guy picked me up in a jeep. He asked me my name, where I came from, where I had been stationed, and delivered me to the Soviets. The first thing they said was, “What did you tell that guy that brought you here?” I told them. It turns out the guy who had brought me to the station reported me to the American side. The officers drove me to the headquarters of the Soviet army. When I arrived, they locked me in a cell for two weeks. When they let me out, they took me to Potsdam and put me up in a very fine room – a really elegant place with a bed, a big desk, sofa and opaque glass windows you couldn’t see out of. I was kept there for two months. A Russian cook would bring me meals, and a uniformed guard would walk me to the bathroom. There were other people there, too, but I wasn’t allowed to talk to any of them. One day a guy passed my room whistling, “Yankee Doodle Dandy”. It was almost certainly an American, I thought. After two months, I was taken to Bautzen – a town where the Soviets sent Western deserters. That’s where I spent my first two years. I got a job hauling lumber. After six months, the Soviets came to me and asked if I would be the cultural director for their clubhouse. I said yes. I ran chess, ping-pong and pool tournaments. I organised English classes, dances and movies. The Americans and the others looked at me as being on the side of the German Democratic Republic. It was very difficult. Eventually I applied to Leipzig to go to the university. I was interviewed and got in. You earned a journalism degree from Karl Marx University. What was it like to be a journalist in the GDR? Was there a lot of censorship and repression? I approved of the GDR but not blindly. There were dogmatic people and careerists and idiots at all levels. In the whole GDR period, you had two elements: the progressive and the stupid. I got used to it. In 1956, after Khrushchev gave his speech about Stalin, there was lots of discussion and disagreement. At the journalism school, we had a student newspaper full of critical articles. Then came the Hungarian events. The Soviets got very scared and started tightening the screws. The next issue was very tame. There were periods when everything was more open, but never 100 percent. In 1964, you had a whole series of very good and very critical novels. Then at the end of ’65, Khrushchev was gone, and Brezhnev tightened the screws against all kinds of people. They stopped 11 films, kept them out of circulation. Later things eased up again, but then came the Czechoslovakian events in 1968, and they were tightened again. The people I was most close to generally approved of socialism and the GDR as an antifascist state, with economic security for everybody. I saw all of the things you didn’t see in the States: medical care, free education, childcare, job security. At the same time, I could see that they were unable to sell the Soviet system to their own people properly. The leaders were a mixture of careerists and dogmatists who were ready to turn anyone who criticised them into an enemy. They alienated people unnecessarily. In the West, they were more clever. They learned to sell not just toothpaste but politics, too. They never learned how to do this in the GDR, where they were still back in the 1930s, with the old dogmatic stuff. There were some people who tried really hard to break out of this. They often became foreign correspondents. Victor with Hattie Lumpkin (far left) protesting nuclear weapons on a street in Buffalo, 1950. In the years since, you were granted access to your Stasi [the GDR’s state security service] and FBI files? Who kept better tabs? Yes, I’ve seen both, and I’m considering writing a book comparing them. In America, during the Second World War, if you heard something about the Nazis, you’d report it to the FBI. In the years that followed, if people heard about Communists, they reported them. The FBI had reports of things I said at a picnic. Now, it’s the Muslims. The Stasi also watched me, obviously. In my lectures I used to be very openly critical of things I didn’t like, which was not so common. So they kept track of that. After a while, I wised up to the fact that they were keeping their eye on me. This sort of thing was very widespread, more widespread in East Germany than in the States, but it happened in the States too, and certainly in West Germany. It basically happens in every country, especially if that country feels threatened. Having experienced McCarthyism, Stalinism, glasnost and now post-Soviet-era capitalism, how do they all compare? Is socialism still a viable ideological possibility for the future? I still believe there has to be a socialist answer. Capitalism just doesn’t work. The gap between the very wealthy and everyone else is increasing all the time. But when it comes to a really big crisis, there is no party leading the charge like the old Communist parties tried to do. At the same time, the danger is that when it comes to a crisis point, if there’s not a strong left, then it will just turn to the extreme right, as it did here in ’33. There is a growing neofascist movement in Germany right now. Does that worry you? I think that’s by design. A lot of our political leaders may not like these Nazis, but I think they’re keeping them in reserve, because of the view that it’s better to have them than the left. Like in Spain: better Franco than the Popular Front. In the former East Germany, they’re much stronger. There are whole areas where a foreigner or a person with dark skin can’t go, including parts of Berlin. I think the big danger is that it could turn to the right again. I know I won’t live to see any more major changes. But I get a kick every time I see something like what happened in Tahrir Square, or the Indignados in Spain or the Occupy movement. I hope we’ll see something like that in Germany. Want to learn more about Communism? Life in Communist Romania Was Rough Nathan Farb Made Communism Look Groovy Explaining China's National People's Congress
John Boyega Is Awakening 'Star Wars' Fans In Nigeria Enlarge this image toggle caption Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney Nigeria is falling in love with Star Wars. There are two reasons. There's a growing nerd culture in the country — young people who love science fiction and see it as a way to imagine our own futures as something better than our present. We also have an annual Comic Con in Lagos. And last year a friend and I started an online "speculative fiction" magazine, Omenana.com, which has helped promote a new generation of sci-fi writers and artists. The other reason: John Boyega. Boyega is the son of Nigerians who settled in Britain. He plays Finn, a disillusioned Stormtrooper in the new movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And he's proud of his heritage. "I'm grounded in who I am and I am a confident black man, a confident, Nigerian, black, chocolate man," he has posted on Instagram. Nigerians are already familiar with Boyega. He was in the U.K. sci-fi flick Attack the Block and played Ugwu the houseboy in the film adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie's novel Half of a Yellow Sun. YouTube But seeing him in Star Wars has been another kind of experience. Kemi Williams has been a Star Wars fan since she saw the first film when she was 12. Now she's 50 — and gratified that there were more relatable characters in the franchise for her children than there were for her. "It's significant to me because my son was sitting next to me, and it was a big deal for him to see a character who looks like him," she said. "When I was little I never had that." Growing up in the '60s and '70s, Williams felt the only place where she found stories she could relate to were in sci-fi shows like Star Trek and Blake's 7. The effect was limited, however, because it was "always white people putting these things out." Williams was happy that the new Star Wars film has a more diverse cast. She was especially impressed by Boyega's reaction to racist remarks about his casting. "What's important is that he's out and proud about being a black man," Williams said. "The fact that he's Yoruba has a resonance within Nigeria. He's one of us, and it's something we can relate to." Williams was one of several moviegoers I interviewed in Abuja, Nigeria's capital. Boyega's heritage is of less interest to younger Nigerian fans. Chiagoziem Okoronkwo, 30 and a personal trainer, notes that a number of actors of Nigerian heritage, such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Carmen Ejogo, David Oyelowo and Megalyn Echikunwoke, have risen to prominence in the past few years. But he's still excited about the character Boyega plays, which doesn't fall into familiar Hollywood stereotypes of black people. "Most black guys get typecast," he said. "If they're not the supersmart magical negro, they don't get cast. [Boyega's] role was a bit different." Ultimately, most moviegoers I spoke to agreed that Boyega's turn in the movie was most effective as a way to win new fans to the franchise in Nigeria — even if they didn't realize at first that he was of Nigerian heritage. "I even thought he was Ghanaian," admits Pelu Awufeso, a 41-year-old travel journalist and blogger. "Boyega is not an original Yoruba name." Awufeso, who had never been interested in the Star Wars franchise before the premiere of the film, went to see the movie only after previous plans fell through. He was won over by the film — and Boyega's performance. "I liked the creativity behind it. The sheer creativity in those characters alone deserves kudos," he said. "I was happy that a Nigerian was considered for the role. To see a young Nigerian lead made me feel that, yes, we are doing well." For an older fan like Kemi Williams, the true benefit of Boyega's casting is that it will bring in a wider audience in Nigeria and show them how science fiction can change the way people think. "The fact that [Boyega] is a Stormtrooper — who are assumed to be white males underneath their masks — opens up a lot of possibilities," she said. "It opens up people's minds."
Can somebody please reblog this and tag samsungnote7pussy? I need her and the people like her to read this. There have been almost 200 dead people for daring to stand in the streets and say “we don’t want this. 19 people died in election day, none older than 22. For daring to say that we want to be a democratic republic. Of those 200 only 4 were older than 30 My mother is facing unemployment, just because she didn’t vote. That means that I, a informal worker will have to maintain a three person house. But the fact that we’re brown is more important than the fact that we can’t eat anything but yucca and that two of us have anemia because of that. Oh yeah, and all that free healthcare that we can’t use because its fucking worthless and the doctors are not being paid! And of course the medicines that can’t be found anywhere. You know what is the real number of voters in the election? 200,000. That’s how many voters they had the last Time. But imbeciles like you will believe that 8 million number, because identity politics. Because the poor are well known for the knowledge of politics. El hijo de la maria, a literal thug and one of those representatives, proposed to “abolish the dollar” to be able to import stuff with bolivars. The representatives for education? Proposed to stop grading kids because it is “classicist and stressful”. Every single proposition is worse than the last. They’re going to ruin our country. Because they’re ignorant, retarded idiots without education that believe that the system has the fault for all their problems. With this new constitution I can be given 40 years in prison with forced labor, because I’m telling you this. A murderer gets 8 and no labor. And if you’re planning to tell me to check my sources, have in mind that all I need to do to confirm my sources is to go out my door. You’re defending a true fascist government. But the fact that there are women in a unconstitutional group to violate the constitution is more important that our lives. PD: ALSO, this is one of the most homophobic govs we’ve ever had. They have used us and promised to legalize marriage and help us. Instead they raid reunion places and rape the people they capture before sending them to die in jail. So you, your people and anyone who thinks like you. Please, shut up and go fuck yourself
Kansas City is getting super high-speed Internet thanks to Google, but the state with the fastest connection speeds may surprise you. It's not California, home to Silicon Valley, or New York, with all of its research institutions. It's tiny Delaware. Delaware had an average connection speed of 10.2 megabits per second in the first three months of 2012, according to Internet provider Akamai's quarterly State of the Internet study, released on Thursday. Delaware has "historically been a very strong performer in the years we've been covering," said David Belson, director of market intelligence at Akamai. "One key reason is that it's fairly small state, which likely makes it easier to bring higher speed connectivity to a larger percentage of the population." Delaware clocked in nearly 9% faster than the average speeds in New Hampshire, the state with the second-fastest Internet connections. Vermont, Utah and Rhode Island round out the top five U.S. states. At 3.6 Mbps, Arkansas is the state with the lowest average connection speed, Akamai (AKAM) found. If it's any consolation to the Natural State, it's still moving faster than Libya, which averages a sluggish 0.5 Mbps. Other laggards include Montenegro (2.8 Mbps) and Australia (3.5 Mbps). At an average speed of 6.7 Mbps, the United States ranks 12th in the world. Here's the good news: Connections are getting much faster. Each state's average speed increased by at least 9% compared with the fourth quarter of 2011. "There's continued investment being made by both the telecoms as well as by the government," Belson said. South Korea boasts the fastest Internet in the world, averaging a whopping 15.7 Mbps. That's actually down 1.5% from the last quarter of 2011. Runner-up Japan and Hong Kong, in the number-three spot, trail far behind South Korea, with speeds of 10.9 and 9.3 Mbps, respectively. Globally, the average Internet speed hit 2.6 Mbps, increasing 14% from last quarter.
Authorities say a northeast Florida woman who didn't like her neighbors had their mobile home demolished. According to an arrest report, Ana Maria Moreta Folch of St. Augustine told a heavy equipment operator that she owned the trailer and wanted it and its septic tank destroyed. The Florida Times-Union reports that St. Johns County Sheriff's deputies were called when the trailer's real owner arrived Monday and found the demolition underway. The arrest report says Moreta Folch wanted the trailer bulldozed because she thought its occupants were "unsavory" and she suspected that they had broken into her car. Weird News Photos: Man Shoves Snake in Pants Moreta Folch was charged with criminal mischief, a third-degree felony. She was released Wednesday on $10,000 bail. Jail records did not show whether she had an attorney. Copyright Associated Press
Join us on a guided walking tour through some of the most beautiful homes in Dayton. The Grafton Hill Historic District is rich with history, gorgeous architecture, and wonderful neighbors. Enjoy beautiful holiday decor and refreshments as you travel through some of our City’s most notable homes! The tour will take approximately 3 hours with refresments and warm beverages served at one of our homes featuring 3 decorated floors and 20 Christmas trees! Tickets available here or the day of the event as space allows. Please select one fo the following tour times: 12:00 PM, 12:40 PM, 4:00 PM & 4:40 PM* *Please arrive 15 minutes before your tour time, as tours will leave promptly at their start time. PARKING: Available throughout the neighborhood and at The Greater Love Fellowship parking lot located at 235 Superior Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45406. TOUR STARTING POINT: Please arrive 15 minutes before your tour time. All tours will leave on time. Please meet at the Tour Starting Point: 221 Belmonte Park E., Dayton, Ohio 45405 Special thanks to our community sponsors: Grandview Medical Center, Square One Salon and Spa, Mikesell's Snack Food Co., Houser Asphalt & Concrete, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Furst Florist, Reichard Buick GMC, Agnes and Orson Gifts & Goods, Dayton Art Institute, Ed Smith Flowers, St. Anne's Hill Historical Society & Vintage Scout Interiors/Debbie Basnett. FAQs What are my transport/parking options getting to the event? Parking is available throughout the neighborhood and at The Greater Love Fellowship parking lot located at 235 Superior Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45406 (Just one block from Tour Starting Point) Where can I contact the organizer with any questions? For more information or tickets offline, you can call 937-222-2000.
This is heartwarming. This Northern Fur Seal was released back into the wild after being rehabilitated at the Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre in British Columbia (located on Salt Spring Island). The seal, which was rehabilitated after washing ashore, was rehydrated and released on a beach near Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The young seal looks almost surprised to be let go. At first he seems to be afraid to leave, but takes off full speed for the ocean as soon as he's confident. Island Wildlife rescues seals all the time, in various conditions. While some seals require more serious attention, other less critical creatures get rehydrated and quickly released. You can see more images and videos, and learn more about the program, at sealrescue.org.
written by Jennifer Warnick Unique Microsoft hiring program opens more doors to people with autism Kyle Schwaneke’s bank account was approaching empty. He’d been unemployed for a year and a half, since the indie game studio he’d been working for shut its doors. His parents, looking for ways to help while he job hunted, had paid the remainder of his apartment lease, but he’d reached the end of that, too. “I interviewed at a bunch of companies, but really didn’t have any luck. Sometimes, I would send in my resume and hear nothing. Other times, I’d go to an interview, and I’d think I did well, and then hear back I hadn’t done well – but they also couldn’t give me any feedback about it,” Schwaneke said. “I eventually started applying at places like Target and Radio Shack for the chance to interview for a minimum wage retail job. I was pretty much out of options.” A promising young developer, Schwaneke graduated from a world-renowned university for computer interactive technologies. He also has Asperger's syndrome, a disorder on the autism spectrum. His situation is far from an anomaly. An estimated 80 percent of people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are unemployed, though many are fully capable of holding down a job, and some possess exceptional skills in areas such as science, mathematics or technology. The 80 percent unemployment rate becomes even more significant considering an estimated one percent of the world’s population has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. On April 1, about the same time Schwaneke was wondering whether he’d soon need to move back in with his parents, Microsoft’s Mary Ellen Smith stepped before the representatives of 193 countries at United Nations (U.N.) Headquarters in New York City. It was World Autism Day and Smith, corporate vice president of worldwide operations, announced that Microsoft was about to launch a pilot program to hire people with autism. In the months since the program began, Microsoft has hired 11 new employees who have autism and is actively seeking candidates for an ever-expanding list of opportunities, including roles in software engineering, data science, customer service and operations, and for teams like Windows, Xbox and HoloLens. The company plans to continue its growth of the program as well as its support for the autism community, Smith said. Xbox Software Engineer Kyle Schwaneke’s work at Microsoft has included bringing digital personal assistant Cortana to the gaming console. Xbox Software Engineer Kyle Schwaneke’s work at Microsoft has included bringing digital personal assistant Cortana to the gaming console. “These are people who may not be able to pass an initial interview or screen because their social skills might not be 100 percent in line with what’s expected in a typical interview, but what amazing talent are we missing as a result?” Smith said, after recounting her memorable day at the U.N. “There are unique minds being underused and overlooked.” Announcing the launch of Microsoft’s new pilot program to the United Nations was especially meaningful for Smith, whose 19-year-old son Shawn has autism. She recalled a heart-wrenching moment from when he was diagnosed 15 years ago. “I think they understand,” she overheard one doctor say to another on her way out of the medical center. It was the same two doctors who had just told Smith and her husband they needed to seriously limit their expectations for their toddler and what he could achieve, because he had autism. The young family drove the 15 miles home in complete silence. “We didn’t know what to say,” said Smith. “But we do now.” Like many parents who have children with autism, Smith has become a tireless advocate. Smith’s son Shawn, the 4-year-old boy who doctors warned would struggle with basic skills his entire life, is now a 19-year-old college student. He wants to be a marine biologist. “It took us time to learn how to bring out the best of what he has to offer. That’s the reason I’m so passionate about this,” Smith said. “My son has blown past all of whatever their definitions were of his capabilities, and so do a lot of kids. I think the more support someone is given, and the more we listen to what’s required to help them be successful, the more they’re going to blossom, grow and contribute. I’ve seen it time and time again.” Smith and the rest of the Microsoft team returned from the U.N. announcement to a surprising response. “We were inundated,” said Jenny Lay-Flurrie, chief accessibility officer at Microsoft and head of the company’s disAbility employee group. “We got more than a thousand emails and more than 700 resumes. We were getting flooded with phone calls and requests on LinkedIn, and being invited to speak in schools and given awards,” Lay-Flurrie said. “We were being thanked for thinking of doing something in the space. That was our bigger epiphany, it really was. While that’s beautiful, what it said to us is that there’s a bigger need here than we even realized.” Though Microsoft has been committed to enabling people with disabilities for a long time, news of the pilot program to hire people with autism generated tremendous internal support, Lay-Flurrie said. She heard from employees, managers, people with autism already working at Microsoft and parents who have children with autism, including Eric Brechner and Dean Betz, leaders in the Microsoft autism community, who jumped in to help advise and network as the pilot program was being designed. Lay-Flurrie said the consensus from everyone who reached out was, “It’s about time. What can we do to help?” “By adjusting our hiring practices, we are able to recruit from a new talent pool – a talent pool that is rich with mad skills,” Lay-Flurrie said. “We’re hiring these folks because they’re amazingly talented individuals who are going to help us do amazing things at Microsoft.” In that pile of resumes from people with “mad skills” was one from Schwaneke, who heard about the Microsoft pilot program from his mom. “Nothing else has worked, so why don’t we give this a shot,” he remembers thinking. By adjusting our hiring practices, we are able to recruit from a new talent pool – a talent pool that is rich with mad skills. We’re hiring these folks because they’re amazingly talented individuals who are going to help us do amazing things at Microsoft. Schwaneke was one of 10 people invited to participate in Microsoft’s first-ever interview process especially for candidates with autism. The jobs selected for potential hires with autism are full-time and offer a competitive salary, just like any other entry-level job listed on the Microsoft Careers website, but the interview process is unique. It’s not a do-or-die phone screen or a several-hour, in-person interview, but rather an academy of sorts – a combination workshop and interview to help put job candidates at ease (and therefore let them more fully demonstrate their skills). During the four-week interview process (which would eventually be shortened to two weeks for the second round of new hires), organizers said Schwaneke quickly emerged as a leader, someone with a strong skillset who remained cool and calm under pressure. Still, the interview process was difficult for him at times, especially the parts that involved working in groups. Schwaneke said he was sustained and encouraged by all the direct and positive feedback he received. Two weeks into the interview process, Schwaneke was thrilled to hear his work was being closely followed by at least a couple of hiring managers, including Zach Johnson, principal software engineering lead for Xbox. “Kyle’s approach to programming was creative, and he was pushing limits,” Johnson said. “It was very clear he was both well-educated and able to apply what he’d learned in school to try new things. He moved to the top of my list early on, and as the interview continued, I kept a close eye on him.” Philip Jarvis presents his work to hiring managers during the extended interview process. Jarvis was hired as a software developer for the team working on HoloLens and other projects. In June, after working with Schwaneke for four weeks in the interview “academy,” Johnson offered him a job as a software engineer. The day he found out he’d been offered a job, his parents were coming over to his apartment to celebrate his dad’s birthday. “During dinner I was able to drop the bomb on them,” he said. “We were all really excited. For me it was stability, and for them it was stability and also relief. We had been gearing up for the worst, financially.” Schwaneke now works as a software engineer on a small team bringing Cortana, Microsoft’s voice-activated digital personal assistant, to Xbox. “The team I’m on is incredibly supportive, and even though we have deadlines and things change, it’s a very relaxed work environment,” Schwaneke said. “I haven’t felt the extreme stress I felt at college or in other jobs.” The bespectacled, bearded Schwaneke is soft-spoken and lean, his shaggy hair usually topped with a ball cap from DigiPen, the university where he earned his bachelor’s degree in computer programming. He dresses in the comfy-casual style made ubiquitous by decades of developers before him – New Balance sneakers, a black hoodie embroidered with his gamer tag, and a T-shirt emblazoned with some sort of a stylized lobster, which he explains is actually a replica of a shirt worn by the hero Link in the game “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.” Schwaneke said his parents knew from the beginning their son was different, but were incredibly supportive at every step along the way. “It took me a while to start speaking. Then, when I did, I was speaking in full sentences saying very eloquent things,” he said. “My brain is just wired up very differently. I can remember instantly the lyrics to a song I like, but sometimes can’t remember something I did yesterday.” He was the kind of kid who brought cupcakes to kindergarten, but made each and every kid say thank you as he passed them out. “I was always the little police officer,” he said. “At first we thought I had obsessive-compulsive disorder, because I always had to carry around an even number of matchbox cars.” A shelf full of wooden puzzles sits outside Zach Johnson’s office door. A shelf full of wooden puzzles sits outside Zach Johnson’s office door. Eventually a psychologist proposed Schwaneke might have Asperger’s syndrome, and at that moment everything – his quirks, his fixations, his difficulties – started to make sense. Having a diagnosis made high school both harder and easier, he said. It was a tool in that it allowed him to work with a disabled-student coordinator to hand-pick his classes, but he continued to be ostracized by his fellow students for small tics – things he didn’t even know he was doing. “Even though the other students were a problem in high school – my peers were still teasing me for being different – I at least had the support of my parents and some very good and understanding teachers,” Schwaneke said. “I’m afraid to think of what would have happened if I hadn’t had that. I might have decided I didn’t like learning or didn’t like reading, and that would have been horrible.” High school is also where Schwaneke “instantly fell in love” with programming after taking his first computer science class. “That’s pretty much the point when I decided programming is where I needed to end up,” Schwaneke said. When he started his program at DigiPen, he finally felt surrounded by people with similar interests and outlooks. “For the first time, I felt like I was in place where I understood other people, and they understood me,” Schwaneke said. That feeling also applies to his new job at Microsoft. For the first time, I felt like I was in place where I understood other people, and they understood me. He now sits in a large, bright open space. A shelf at his side holds some of his favorite anime figurines, and on the corner of his desk there’s a garden of brightly colored sticky note origami shapes – technically, they are polyhedrons – adjacent to a handwritten note: “Want one? I can make you one or teach you how! Just ask!” “Because of this job, I went from essentially having to move back in with my parents to looking into the future and thinking, ‘OK, in a year or two years maybe I can put a down payment on a house.’ That’s a radical shift. My brain is still trying to catch up to that,” Schwaneke said, looking around his new digs in Microsoft’s Studio X. Johnson, an amiable Seth Rogen lookalike with a shelf full of wooden puzzles outside his office door, laughed. “I bet.” “The funny thing is,” Schwaneke continued, “the interview I had with Zach was probably the most successful interview I had in the year and a half I was looking.” Johnson considered this. “It was probably a balance of your comfort and my comfort.” He continues. “There were some really talented individuals in the program including Kyle, who has continued to demonstrate that in his work. It pains me to think of individuals who have those kind of coding skills but who aren’t using those skills because they don’t fit a standard interview process or because maybe a phone call was awkward. Kyle was sitting idle for more than a year, but instead could have been here helping us bring Cortana to every Xbox user in the world.” On a crisp, autumn Friday morning at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters – the kind where only street lamps and fiery leaves are visible through the fog – 12 eager, young computer scientists had already reduced the contents of a large, pink box of donuts to crumbs. It was the last morning of the fall interview process for candidates with autism, but to the unaware, it looked like any other gathering of employees on campus – the open laptops, the caffeinated drinks, the hoodies and Star Wars T-shirts, the banter about news headlines and pop culture. A man with a ponytail sat off to the side, wearing headphones and working, while another walked the perimeter of the room as he talked, which he later explained is how he concentrates best – while pacing. After building apps, or working in groups to make robots out of Legos, or presenting project work to hiring managers from around the company, the two-week interview process was about to culminate in a question-and-answer session with a panel of pioneers – the first five employees hired through Microsoft’s autism pilot program three months earlier. Kyle Schwaneke often busies his hands by folding brightly colored sticky notes into intricate origami shapes. Though it had only been about 90 days since Schwaneke and his fellow new hires were on the other side of the proverbial table, they were already paying it forward, sharing their experiences and advice with the group. The newly minted mentors projected confidence and ease as they described their day-to-day duties and teams; answered questions on topics ranging from company benefits to the Microsoft code library; and doled out encouragement. “A lot of you are going to be nervous about your first week and month,” Schwaneke said. “I’m not shy to ask questions of my teammates, and that’s what you want to do. You want to ask questions, you want people to ask questions of you, you want to get more involved. It’s a very supportive place here.” Along with encouragement, he offered some very practical advice aimed at the out-of-town job candidates. “Expect to lose power at least once each fall if you live near trees. There’s a lot of wind. We also get a lot of sun every summer,” Schwaneke said. He continued with a wry smile, “But don’t tell anyone – that’s a secret. It rains here all the time. It only rains. That’s all that happens.” This got chuckles from the room. A few chairs down was Katie Hart, hired at the same time as Schwaneke, who told the job candidates she’d been out of work for 10 months before getting the opportunity to interview at Microsoft. She said she appreciated the way the extended interview helped her prove herself, and loves her new role in Customer Service and Support. During her first month on the job, Hart worked with a cross-company team during Microsoft’s annual week-long summer hackathon to create Neuroversity, a game to help people with autism develop career skills. Cody Takayoshi, another hire from the first round of the pilot program, extolled the friendliness of his new team of fellow Xbox Live network testers. “There are lots of Nerf wars, so prepare yourself,” he deadpanned. Takayoshi also mentioned the importance of being patient during the first weeks at Microsoft. “For the first while, not having much work due was giving me a lot of panic. I was sitting around reading and studying all day thinking, ‘When are they going to realize this and fire me?’ As far as any struggles, there’s a lot of support. Almost too much support at times,” he said looking right at his employment coach Blake Konrady with a mischievous grin. Konrady, standing at the back of the room, smiled and shook his head as Schwaneke quickly clarified for those in the room who may not have picked up on Takayoshi’s Sahara-dry sarcasm: “If there are problems, just basically know there is a network there. You’re not going into this blind. If you need it, it’s there. If you don’t need it, it’s not intrusive.” Takayoshi, 22, explained later that he developed his sense of humor as a way of coping with the more awkward parts of himself. “Humor has always been there for me, especially as soon as I started learning more than ‘Guess what? Chicken butt’ jokes,” he said. “It lessens the tension in the room if everyone’s having a laugh. It breaks the ice. Sprinkle anything with jokes and you’ve got some stew going on.” He listens to a podcast by Ricky Gervais on his drive to and from Microsoft, and it’s not hard to imagine Takayoshi’s self-effacing, off-beat banter must be a bit like talking to the irreverent British comedian. He had recently taken some time off of college programming classes when his father told him about Microsoft’s pilot program. He thought, “What’s the worst they could do, hire me?” “I realized I needed get out of my comfort zone, because nothing life-changing ever happens in your parents’ basement,” Takayoshi said. Takayoshi said he was worried the extended interview would feel like “autism boot camp” but was pleasantly surprised, both by the interview process, and when he was offered a great job on a team he quickly came to love. They even eat and play foosball together at lunchtime. “It only took a couple of days to integrate. It was a pretty good fit,” he said. Teasing aside, Takayoshi and some of the other new employees say they appreciate the deep level of support and patience offered throughout the process, whether from their new teams and managers or from Konrady, who helps the new hires with autism inside and outside of work. “I’m somewhat of a life coach,” Konrady said, and it’s true. He works with Microsoft partner PROVAIL, and his role includes helping support candidates and new hires through all kinds of situations. Apart from logistics, he also provides moral support and advice on everything from work-life balance to ergonomics to professional appearance in the corporate environment. After working with Schwaneke and the other new employees in the pilot program’s first two rounds of hiring, Konrady said he has a newfound respect for companies that take the time to really get to know job candidates before making a decision. “We have individuals with talent who have been hidden, who have not been able to find their voices or show what they can do. These individuals are breaking down the stereotypes of what it means to be autistic,” Konrady said. “This is showing that one of the most influential companies in the world is taking this seriously – is saying that this is something our society should be aware of.” Microsoft has more job openings, and is actively recruiting candidates with autism to join the 11 new employees hired during the pilot program’s first eight months. “We started small by design so we can learn and make adjustments as we go,” Smith said. “We want to be deliberate in everything we do – to make sure it’s a great experience for the job candidates, the new employees, and the teams and managers at Microsoft. We also want to continue to expand our partnerships inside and outside of Microsoft, all while remaining focused on the business benefit as well.” The business benefits she has in mind? Diversifying the company’s workforce, which will in turn help the company gain a wider reach. “Our effort goes beyond autism,” Smith said. “We are passionate about hiring individuals of all disabilities and we believe with them, we can create, support and build great products and services. Our customers are diverse and we need to be as well.” Smith and Lay-Flurrie said it’s taken a village to help create and run the new pilot program. In addition to invaluable internal support, Microsoft turned to two external partners, PROVAIL and Specialisterne, both of which are well-versed in helping companies hire, train and support employees with neurodiversity (a term many now use to describe people who differ from the cognitive norm, including those with autism). Specialisterne helped connect Lay-Flurrie with other companies with autism employment programs for advice, businesses such as HP, Capitol One and SAP. Though Microsoft and SAP are technically competitors, Jose Velasco, the head of SAP’s Autism at Work program, was glad to assist. “Like all big companies, SAP and Microsoft compete in some areas and we partner in so many others,” Velasco said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to cooperate.” Few people understand the advantages of hiring people who think differently better than Thorkil Sonne. In late 2003, Sonne founded Specialisterne (Danish for “the specialists”) after being blown away by the unexpected intellectual abilities of his son Lars, who has autism. Sonne had the notion that with a little extra support and guidance, many people with autism – people like his son – could not only hold down a full-time job, but use their particular talents as a competitive advantage. Microsoft leveraged Sonne’s experience working with other companies to help craft its own pilot program for hiring people with autism. Sonne said it’s remarkable to see a major global technology company so dedicated to pursuing neurodiversity; he hopes other major technology companies will follow suit. “We started small by design so we can learn and make adjustments as we go. We want to be deliberate in everything we do – to make sure it’s a great experience for the job candidates, the new employees, and the teams and managers at Microsoft.” “I think we’re really moving the needle,” Sonne said. “We’re spreading the message that different can be good – different is important. You really have to look at the growing population of people who have a disability or disorder as your potential next resource for different, innovative ideas that can help you become more innovative. I think at Microsoft, they really get that. They’re used to people who are innovative and high performing, but who are not mainstream.” “There are unique minds being underused and overlooked,” said Mary Ellen Smith, corporate vice president for worldwide operations at Microsoft, who has an adult son with autism. Along with widening the corporate front door for potential talent, the pilot program offers new hires a more immersive onboarding process, making sure they feel supported in their new endeavor by offering a wide circle of services and support. One such service is a training session to help the teams and managers of the incoming new hires to better understand autism. For Schwaneke and his new manager Johnson, this “rolled into one of the few awkward points we’ve had,” Johnson said. “We had to decide whether or not we introduce Kyle to the team by saying he came through the autism pilot program,” Johnson said. “My biggest concern is that it was going to set everyone up with specific ideas and expectations. Kyle said he doesn’t mind people knowing, but he doesn’t want it to change the dynamic.”
Quality of life (QOL) is an overarching term for the quality of the various domains in life. It is a standard level that consists of the expectations of an individual or society for a good life. These expectations are guided by the values, goals and socio-cultural context in which an individual lives. It is a subjective, multidimensional concept that defines a standard level for emotional, physical, material and social well-being. It serves as a reference against which an individual or society can measure the different domains of one’s own life. The extent to which one's own life coincides with this desired standard level, put differently, the degree to which these domains give satisfaction and as such contribute to one's subjective well-being, is called life satisfaction. Overview [ edit ] Quality of life is the general well-being of individuals and societies, outlining negative and positive features of life. It observes life satisfaction, including everything from physical health, family, education, employment, wealth, safety, security to freedom, religious beliefs, and the environment.[1] QOL has a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, politics and employment. It is important not to mix up the concept of QOL with a more recent growing area of health related QOL (HRQOL[2]). An assessment of HRQOL is effectively an evaluation of QOL and its relationship with health. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of living, which is based primarily on income. Standard indicators of the quality of life include not only wealth and employment but also the built environment, physical and mental health, education, recreation and leisure time, and social belonging.[3][4] According to the World Health Organization (WHO), quality of life is defined as “the individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals.” In comparison to WHO's definitions, the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale defines quality of life as “life quality (in this case, physical pain) at a precise moment in time.”[5] According to ecological economist Robert Costanza: While Quality of Life (QOL) has long been an explicit or implicit policy goal, adequate definition and measurement have been elusive. Diverse "objective" and "subjective" indicators across a range of disciplines and scales, and recent work on subjective well-being (SWB) surveys and the psychology of happiness have spurred renewed interest.[6] One approach, called engaged theory, outlined in the journal of Applied Research in the Quality of Life, posits four domains in assessing quality of life: ecology, economics, politics and culture.[7] In the domain of culture, for example, it includes the following subdomains of quality of life: Belief and ideas Creativity and recreation Enquiry and learning Gender and generations Identity and engagement Memory and projection Well-being and health Also frequently related are concepts such as freedom, human rights, and happiness. However, since happiness is subjective and difficult to measure, other measures are generally given priority. It has also been shown that happiness, as much as it can be measured, does not necessarily increase correspondingly with the comfort that results from increasing income. As a result, standard of living should not be taken to be a measure of happiness.[3][8] Also sometimes considered related is the concept of human security, though the latter may be considered at a more basic level and for all people. Quantitative measurement [ edit ] Unlike per capita GDP or standard of living, both of which can be measured in financial terms, it is harder to make objective or long-term measurements of the quality of life experienced by nations or other groups of people. Researchers have begun in recent times to distinguish two aspects of personal well-being: Emotional well-being, in which respondents are asked about the quality of their everyday emotional experiences—the frequency and intensity of their experiences of, for example, joy, stress, sadness, anger, and affection— and life evaluation, in which respondents are asked to think about their life in general and evaluate it against a scale.[9] Such and other systems and scales of measurement have been in use for some time. Research has attempted to examine the relationship between quality of life and productivity.[10] There are many different methods of measuring quality of life in terms of health care, wealth and materialistic goods. However, it is much more difficult to measure meaningful expression of one's desires. One way to do so is to evaluate the scope of how individuals have fulfilled their own ideals. Quality of life can simply mean happiness, the subjective state of mind. By using that mentality, citizens of a developing country appreciate more since they are content with the basic necessities of health care, education and child protection.[11] Human Development Index [ edit ] Perhaps the most commonly used international measure of development is the Human Development Index (HDI), which combines measures of life expectancy, education, and standard of living, in an attempt to quantify the options available to individuals within a given society. The HDI is used by the United Nations Development Programme in their Human Development Report. World Happiness Report [ edit ] The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey on the state of global happiness. It ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels, reflecting growing global interest in using happiness and substantial well-being as an indicator of the quality of human development. Its growing purpose has allowed governments, communities and organizations to use appropriate data to record happiness in order to enable policies to provide better lives. The reports review the state of happiness in the world today and show how the science of happiness explains personal and national variations in happiness.[12] Also developed by the United Nations and published recently along with the HDI, this report combines both objective and subjective measures to rank countries by happiness, which is deemed as the ultimate outcome of a high quality of life. It uses surveys from Gallup, real GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on, perceived freedom to make life choices, freedom from corruption, and generosity to derive the final score. Happiness is already recognised as an important concept in global public policy. The World Happiness Report indicates that some regions have in recent years been experiencing progressive inequality of happiness. Without life, there is no happiness to be realised.[13] Other measures [ edit ] The Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) is a measure developed by sociologist Morris David Morris in the 1970s, based on basic literacy, infant mortality, and life expectancy. Although not as complex as other measures, and now essentially replaced by the Human Development Index, the PQLI is notable for Morris's attempt to show a "less fatalistic pessimistic picture" by focusing on three areas where global quality of life was generally improving at the time and ignoring gross national product and other possible indicators that were not improving.[14] The Happy Planet Index, introduced in 2006, is unique among quality of life measures in that, in addition to standard determinants of well-being, it uses each country's ecological footprint as an indicator. As a result, European and North American nations do not dominate this measure. The 2012 list is instead topped by Costa Rica, Vietnam and Colombia.[15] Gallup researchers trying to find the world's happiest countries found Denmark to be at the top of the list.[16] uSwitch publishes an annual quality of life index for European countries. France has topped the list for the last three years.[17] A 2010 study by two Princeton University professors looked at 1,000 randomly selected U.S. residents over an extended period. It concludes that their life evaluations – that is, their considered evaluations of their life against a stated scale of one to ten – rise steadily with income. On the other hand, their reported quality of emotional daily experiences (their reported experiences of joy, affection, stress, sadness, or anger) levels off after a certain income level (approximately $75,000 per year); income above $75,000 does not lead to more experiences of happiness nor to further relief of unhappiness or stress. Below this income level, respondents reported decreasing happiness and increasing sadness and stress, implying the pain of life's misfortunes, including disease, divorce, and being alone, is exacerbated by poverty.[18] Gross national happiness and other subjective measures of happiness are being used by the governments of Bhutan and the United Kingdom.[19] The World Happiness report, issued by Columbia University[20] is a meta-analysis of happiness globally and provides an overview of countries and grassroots activists using GNH. The OECD issued a guide for the use of subjective well-being metrics in 2013.[21] In the U.S., cities and communities are using a GNH metric at a grassroots level.[22] The Social Progress Index measures the extent to which countries provide for the social and environmental needs of their citizens. Fifty-two indicators in the areas of basic human needs, foundations of wellbeing, and opportunity show the relative performance of nations. The index uses outcome measures when there is sufficient data available or the closest possible proxies. Day-Reconstruction Method was another way of measuring happiness, in which researchers asked their subjects to recall various things they did on the previous day and describe their mood during each activity. Being simple and approachable, this method required memory and the experiments have confirmed that the answers that people give are similar to those who repeatedly recalled each subject. The method eventually declined as it called for more effort and thoughtful responses, which often included interpretations and outcomes that do not occur to people who are asked to record every action in their daily lives.[23] Livability [ edit ] The term quality of life is also used by politicians and economists to measure the livability of a given city or nation. Two widely known measures of livability are the Economist Intelligence Unit's Where-to-be-born Index and Mercer's Quality of Living Reports. These two measures calculate the livability of countries and cities around the world, respectively, through a combination of subjective life-satisfaction surveys and objective determinants of quality of life such as divorce rates, safety, and infrastructure. Such measures relate more broadly to the population of a city, state, or country, not to individual quality of life. Livability has a long history and tradition in urban design, and neighborhoods design standards such as LEED-ND are often used in an attempt to influence livability.[24] Crimes [ edit ] Some crimes against property (e.g., graffiti and vandalism) and some "victimless crimes" have been referred to as "quality-of-life crimes." American sociologist James Q. Wilson encapsulated this argument as the broken windows theory, which asserts that relatively minor problems left unattended (such as litter, graffiti, or public urination by homeless individuals) send a subliminal message that disorder in general is being tolerated, and as a result, more serious crimes will end up being committed (the analogy being that a broken window left broken shows an image of general dilapidation). Wilson's theories have been used to justify the implementation of zero tolerance policies by many prominent American mayors, most notably Oscar Goodman in Las Vegas, Richard Riordan in Los Angeles, Rudolph Giuliani in New York City and Gavin Newsom in San Francisco. Such policies refuse to tolerate even minor crimes; proponents argue that this will improve the quality of life of local residents. However, critics of zero tolerance policies believe that such policies neglect investigation on a case-by-case basis and may lead to unreasonably harsh penalties for crimes. Popsicle index [ edit ] The popsicle index is a quality-of-life measurement coined by Catherine Austin Fitts as the percentage of people in a community who believe that a child in their community can leave their home alone, go to the nearest possible location to buy a popsicle or other snack, and return home safely.[25][26][27] In healthcare [ edit ] Within the field of healthcare, quality of life is often regarded in terms of how a certain ailment affects a patient on an individual level. This may be a debilitating weakness that is not life-threatening; life-threatening illness that is not terminal; terminal illness; the predictable, natural decline in the health of an elder; an unforeseen mental/physical decline of a loved one; or chronic, end-stage disease processes. Researchers at the University of Toronto's Quality of Life Research Unit define quality of life as "The degree to which a person enjoys the important possibilities of his or her life" (UofT). Their Quality of Life Model is based on the categories "being", "belonging", and "becoming"; respectively who one is, how one is not connected to one's environment, and whether one achieves one's personal goals, hopes, and aspirations.[28][29] Experience sampling studies show substantial between-person variability in within-person associations between somatic symptoms and quality of life.[30] Hecht and Shiel measure quality of life as “the patient’s ability to enjoy normal life activities” since life quality is strongly related to wellbeing without suffering from sickness and treatment.[5] There are multiple assessments available that measure Health-Related Quality of Life, e.g., AQoL-8D, EQ5D - Euroqol, 15D, SF-36, SF-6D, HUI. In international development [ edit ] Quality of life is an important concept in the field of international development since it allows development to be analyzed on a measure broader than standard of living. Within development theory, however, there are varying ideas concerning what constitutes desirable change for a particular society, and the different ways that quality of life is defined by institutions therefore shapes how these organizations work for its improvement as a whole. Organisations such as the World Bank, for example, declare a goal of "working for a world free of poverty",[31] with poverty defined as a lack of basic human needs, such as food, water, shelter, freedom, access to education, healthcare, or employment.[32] In other words, poverty is defined as a low quality of life. Using this definition, the World Bank works towards improving quality of life through the stated goal of lowering poverty and helping people afford a better quality of life. Other organizations, however, may also work towards improved global quality of life using a slightly different definition and substantially different methods. Many NGOs do not focus at all on reducing poverty on a national or international scale, but rather attempt to improve quality of life for individuals or communities. One example would be sponsorship programs that provide material aid for specific individuals. Although many organizations of this type may still talk about fighting poverty, the methods are significantly different. Improving quality of life involves action not only by NGOs but also by governments. Global health has the potential to achieve greater political presence if governments were to incorporate aspects of human security into foreign policy. Stressing individuals’ basic rights to health, food, shelter, and freedom addresses prominent inter-sectoral problems negatively impacting today's society and may lead to greater action and resources. Integration of global health concerns into foreign policy may be hampered by approaches that are shaped by the overarching roles of defense and diplomacy.[33] See also [ edit ] Indices [ edit ] Journals [ edit ] References [ edit ] Further reading [ edit ]
In search of political cover (and not finding a lot of it these days), Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago City Council are patching together a plan to cushion the blow of a massive property tax increase. Chicagoans are confronting their second-installment property tax bills. Prepare for sticker shock. Maybe each envelope should include a shot of bourbon. The average homeowner's property tax bill is jumping by roughly 13 percent, though there can be wide swings in either direction. A homeowner whose property has a market value of $225,000 will see his or her bill increase by more than $400. Ouch. In areas of the city where property values have climbed steeply — Gold Coast, South Loop, Streeterville — some property owners could get socked with an additional $5,000 in taxes. Ouch and ouch. The city's failure to adequately pay into retiree pension funds, coupled with an Illinois Supreme Court ruling that locks in pension promises at their current levels, left the city few options. Last fall, Emanuel and the aldermen passed the largest property tax increase in the city's modern history. The biggest hit comes this year, followed by additional increases in following years. The total tax increase gradually climbs to $543 million a year by 2019. All of that money will go to the police and firefighter pension funds. City leaders still have to figure out how to shore up the pension funds for teachers, municipal workers and laborers. Again, the options are limited. The steep property tax increase is a political problem unto itself. But there's another one: When Emanuel proposed the tax increase, he vowed to protect homeowners whose properties are worth less than $250,000 by doubling their homestead exemption. You can kiss that promise goodbye. Emanuel's plan would have required the General Assembly to pass a bill and Gov. Bruce Rauner to sign it. Lawmakers didn't send it, and Rauner had indicated he would likely veto it anyway. He wanted Emanuel to include money-saving reforms to city government before raising taxes. So now the city is working on Plan B, a so-called rebate. Under four options being considered so far, low-income homeowners would qualify for one-time rebates averaging $100 to $254, according to an analysis from the mayor's office. That might sound like compassionate government, but it's a ruse. The rebates would just take from one pocket to stuff a few dollars in the other. Under the various proposals, the rebates would total $10 million to $50 million, plus the cost of administering the program, which would likely be outsourced. But the city can't just reduce its contribution to the pensions and rebate that money. It would have to find the money elsewhere in the budget, either by cutting operating costs or levying a new tax or fee to make up those dollars. All that to shell out what amounts to a consolation prize: a rebate of a few bucks to ameliorate that whopping tax increase. Tax rebates are gimmicky. Look, here's some money back! A responsible government doesn't collect taxes and then give back the change. And there isn't any change, anyway. In fact, there's likely another tax increase on the way. The state budget deal cut Thursday in Springfield threatens Chicagoans with another $250 million property tax increase, this one to help cover contributions to Chicago Public Schools pensions. City Hall and CPS (and other Illinois governments) wouldn't have to rescue pension funds with massive property tax increases if, during the past decade, they had reduced costs, negotiated more reasonable agreements with organized labor and gotten a handle on runaway pension obligations. They didn't. Taxpayers aren't fools. A token rebate isn't going to make them forgive and forget. Thanks for the booby prize, but we'll pass. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.
Success is a difficult thing to grab hold of. It’s often ill-defined. In my short career I’ve attempted to define success for myself. Though I speak from the point of view of a product manager, I find that this journey to define success is applicable across a wide range of experiences. Success means building my product As a product manager, it’s my job to lead a team to build great product. I have my vision of what needs to be built, with some input from my company’s leadership and other stakeholders, and I will win if I can execute that vision. When I first started, I imagined that my value was derived by the degree to which I could make my mark on a product. Unfortunately, the right product is often not the one I set out to build. I’m fascinated by the degree to which my initial hunch is proven incorrect. It’s come to make more sense to me though, what are the odds that the one idea I picked out of the ether would just happen to be the perfect solution? I slowly realized that this definition was flawed due to its foundation in ego. Such a definition of success can easily come about in big, bureaucratic organization that funds projects, rather than solutions to problems. Organizations where politics means not admitting failure is unforgivable, where pivots and “scope creep” constitute failure in the form of having to admit that your initial set of product requirements was not perfect. It was in these settings that I found myself evidence that my product was not going to be successful in its imagined final form, but was unable to change course due to a misinformed dedication towards executing on a stated vision. I realized I needed a new definition that was not inherently tied to a single product vision. or ego. Success means solving problems My loyalty is to solutions. I will find a problem that needs solving and build what needs to be built to most efficiently and effectively solve that problem. I’m going to help my team understand that we have a common goal, and encourage them to suggest ways that we can build product to achieve that goal. By doing this, I can put my team in a place where we are iteratively creating a vision for a product that best solves said problem. Important to success is measurability. Numbers can lie, but not as easily as people can. By defining your success in terms of data, you more closely bind the reality of success or failure to the degree to which you’re actually solving a given problem. Of course the truth can really suck sometimes, so you need to be flexible enough to realize that your product vision needs to be fluid — responsive to an evolving notion of the needs of users. Of course, the truth only reveals itself to those who seek it out. In order to properly solve a problem, you need to be willing to learn more about it. Reaching out to the people I’m building for — talking to users, is a wonderful way to understand more about how my solution might fill a need, provided that I’m willing to change my opinions based on the feedback that I get. I sometimes find myself feeling scared that such discussions will lead to a realization that my current vision is misguided, but that internal tension is what ultimately fuels great product. Success means changing the world for the better As a product manager, it’s my job to change the world, even if only for some small cohort of people out there. Success, therefore, is tightly tied to my ability to accomplish that core goal. Not only that, but I want to selectively solve problems that are real. I want to build solutions that actually make the world a better place. By tying my efforts to motives of altruism, I’ll be able to work harder and build a better product than I could if I were just attempting to make someone money, or if I were building something solely out of my motivation to build something. This poses an issue for me. There are a lot of companies out there that don’t necessarily focus on their affect on the outside world. Most teams extend their goals only as far as the way that their users use their product, instead of painting a picture of how their vision translates to improved outcomes for real people with real problems. And product success does not necessarily mean that you’re solving a problem worth solving — people were not looking for a new way to waste time and money before Clash of Clans came around and started earning $1B+/year siphoning both away. There are a lot of people out there who are dedicated to building products and companies that solve problems, but not all of those are changing the world for the better. As things stand, this constitutes my current definition of success. What’s yours?
Photo They are the dreams of dead men: a hat comb stove pipe screw and a flower stand, quietly archived in the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the last century. Until now. Martin Galese, a 31-year-old lawyer in New York, is resurrecting bits and pieces of bygone eras, thing by thing. Not unlike the fictional scientists of “Jurassic Park,” Mr. Galese scours the patent office’s archives for the “design DNA” of antique inventions, then reinterprets them as design files for today’s 3-D printers. He has posted more than a dozen of these forgotten inventions on his blog as well as the 3-D printing design library, Thingiverse, for anyone to make today. “If you look at the figures in older patents, the 19th century patents are really beautiful. They’re really works of art,” said Mr. Galese who finds these early engravings much more beguiling than modern software schematics he has worked with as a patent lawyer. One favorite is an 1875 pot scraper, with elegant lines and a humble utility that was trumpeted in the words of its inventor, who declared: “To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, URIAS CRAMER, of New Philadelphia, in the county of Tuscarawas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pot-Scrapers.” The scraper’s patent application breathlessly described how it could scour both curved and straight-sided pots of nearly any radius, and was illustrated with several carefully hand-cut images, which Mr. Galese reproduced as a 3-D model: But why go to all the trouble of reproducing the past in painstaking detail? Why rebuild every curve and vector wrought by Urias Cramer in cast iron in the 1870s? “You’re holding the 19th century by way of something that was produced in the 21st century,” said Mr. Galese, who finds in these objects a tangible link to the past. He’s also made a chopstick holder from the 1960s and a portable chess set from the 1940s. Today, he said, the patent system has a bad rap. Many people see it as a fount of endless intellectual property wars between tech firms, or fuel for thuggish, “patent trolls,” ready to exploit the system’s protections for cash. After working as an attorney in patent litigation cases, Mr. Galese said he wishes more people saw the patent archives as a rich repository, flush with freely available designs. He sometimes refers to the patent office’s archives as the “original Thingiverse,” comparing it to the rapidly growing online library of design files shared by 3-D printing hobbyists today. Others who have seen his 3-D printing files frequently ask why he keeps posting “patented” objects online, he said, not understanding that many former patents are now in the public domain. “People don’t think people appreciate that aspect of the patent system,” he said. Most patents issued today last 20 years, but in the past patent protections could be shorter, sometimes lasting 17 years, sometimes less. Out of the more than 8 million patents registered in the United States, only about 2 million are still in force, according to Dennis Crouch, a professor at the University of Missouri School of Law who conducted an analysis on the subject last year. That leaves nearly 6 million patents in the public domain, free for anyone to reuse, remix or re-purpose. While Mr. Galese has only produced a handful of these as 3-D designs, he is still looking in the patent office archives for simple, charming objects with some kind of link to the past, like the bookmark that not only holds your place, but holds a pen. Still, he’s never sure how close he gets to an exact reproduction, and worries about the unconscious influence of our modern world, awash in design. “There is so much more design in our world, so many more objects,” he said, chuckling at the comparison to the movie, “Jurassic Park,” in his work. “There’s always this question: did they bring back what was actually a dinosaur or something they thought was a dinosaur?”
Recently by Ron Paul: It Is Time To Leave Afghanistan Before the House of Representatives: Statement Opposing the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, December 15, 2009 I rise in strongest opposition to this new round of sanctions on Iran, which is another significant step toward a US war on that country. I find it shocking that legislation this serious and consequential is brought up in such a cavalier manner. Suspending the normal rules of the House to pass legislation is a process generally reserved for non-controversial business such as the naming of post offices. Are we to believe that this House takes matters of war and peace as lightly as naming post offices? This legislation seeks to bar from doing business in the United States any foreign entity that sells refined petroleum to Iran or otherwise enhances Iran’s ability to import refined petroleum such as financing, brokering, underwriting, or providing ships for such. Such sanctions also apply to any entity that provides goods or services that enhance Iran’s ability to maintain or expand its domestic production of refined petroleum. This casts the sanctions net worldwide, with enormous international economic implications. End the Fed Ron Paul Best Price: $1.99 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:50 EST - Details) Recently, the Financial Times reported that, [i]n recent months, Chinese companies have greatly expanded their presence in Iran’s oil sector. In the coming months, Sinopec, the state-owned Chinese oil company, is scheduled to complete the expansion of the Tabriz and Shazand refineries — adding 3.3 million gallons of gasoline per day. Are we to conclude, with this in mind, that China or its major state-owned corporations will be forbidden by this legislation from doing business with the United States? What of our other trading partners who currently do business in Iran’s petroleum sector or insure those who do so? Has anyone seen an estimate of how this sanctions act will affect the US economy if it is actually enforced? The Revolution: A Mani... Ron Paul Best Price: $1.27 Buy New $5.00 (as of 07:50 EST - Details) As we have learned with US sanctions on Iraq, and indeed with US sanctions on Cuba and elsewhere, it is citizens rather than governments who suffer most. The purpose of these sanctions is to change the regime in Iran, but past practice has demonstrated time and again that sanctions only strengthen regimes they target and marginalize any opposition. As would be the case were we in the US targeted for regime change by a foreign government, people in Iran will tend to put aside political and other differences to oppose that threatening external force. Thus this legislation will likely serve to strengthen the popularity of the current Iranian government. Any opposition continuing to function in Iran would be seen as operating in concert with the foreign entity seeking to overthrow the regime. This legislation seeks to bring Iran in line with international demands regarding its nuclear materials enrichment programs, but what is ironic is that Section 2 of HR 2194 itself violates the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to which both the United States and Iran are signatories. This section states that [i]t shall be the policy of the United States to prevent Iran from achieving the capability to make nuclear weapons, including by supporting international diplomatic efforts to halt Iran’s uranium enrichment program. Article V of the NPT states clearly that, [n]othing in this Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with articles I and II of this Treaty. As Iran has never been found in violation of the NPT — has never been found to have diverted nuclear materials for non-peaceful purposes — this legislation seeking to deny Iran the right to enrichment even for peaceful purposes itself violates the NPT. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that many of my colleagues opposing war on Iran will vote in favor of this legislation, seeing it as a step short of war to bring Iran into line with US demands. I would remind them that sanctions and the blockades that are required to enforce them are themselves acts of war according to international law. I urge my colleagues to reject this saber-rattling but ultimately counterproductive legislation. See the Ron Paul File December 17, 2009 The Best of Ron Paul
DAO.LINK Bridges Gap Between Business & Blockchain Despite best efforts from various startups, there is still a gap between blockchain and companies staying true to their physical presence. DAO.LINK, a new initiative by the Slock.it team, aims to bridge this gap in the coming years. Also read: ECB Reveals Plans for Blockchain E-Governance DAO.LINK Can Be a Powerful Ally Most companies who have only recently ventured into the world of e-commerce are hesitant to approach blockchain technology. Not necessarily because they don’t see the value of this concept, but more due to how there is no convenient way to get involved with this innovative solution. This is where DAO.LINK wants to come into the picture, as the initiative is focused on making brick-and-mortar enterprise interactions with blockchain-oriented organizations a lot easier. This will be of particular interest to creators of DAOs – Decentralized Autonomous Organizations – in the future as their business model is based around and built on top of the blockchain in its entirety. The interaction between such a DAO and the “real world” will take place through entities known as Contractors. Every single Contractor is to be hired based on various terms, including payment structure, milestones to be reached, and much more. The Slock.it team posted a very comprehensive blog post about this concept recently. Establishing a properly decentralized DAO is – for now at least – only possible on the Ethereum blockchain, due to the support for complex smart contracts. But while Ethereum has much appeal among investors and cryptocurrency enthusiasts, the same cannot be said for established real world businesses. In fact, most of them struggle to grasp the concept of blockchain altogether, let alone make the effort to get involved with DAOs. DAO.LINK is designed to make this process a lot easier for established brick-and-mortar businesses. Although many people see the DAO concept as the future of any business in the foreseeable future, there will be a lengthy transitional period before they can become a reality. This “on-boarding process” will be provided by DAO.LINK, while respecting the existing regulatory frameworks and operating within the confines of existing legislature. What makes this solution even more attractive is how DAO.LINK will remain true to the decentralized nature of blockchain technology. People should envision this project as a tool to set up a legal framework for companies to work with DAOs while contracting with these blockchain-based organizations to provide the necessary legal documentation. Partnership with BITY Such a vast project could not be undertaken by Slock.it themselves, as they collaborated with Ethereum and Bitcoin exchange platform BITY. This exchange is quite forward-thinking as well, despite being operated by a fully-licensed company in Switzerland and being audited by KPMG. BITY co-founder Gain Bochsler told the press: We live in a world organized around laws and regulations. This cannot be ignored, but in time, a day will come when technology and regulation find an equilibrium. Each big innovation creates a gap which needs to be filled. The DAO.LINK model helps bridge the gaps. The DAO.LINK initiative holds a lot of promise for the future, although there are still a few questions waiting to be answered. More information on this project will be revealed in the coming weeks. But until that happens, there is a lot to think about for businesses who have been waiting for a chance to get involved with blockchain-based companies in the near future. What are your thoughts on the DAO.LINK initiative? Will this bridge the gap between brick-and-mortar stores and DAOs? Let us know in the comments below! Source: Medium Images courtesy of BITY, Shutterstock
Lawyers at the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service, above, didn’t see much of an issue, at first, with the Obamacare wording that has sent a case to the Supreme Court. (J. David Ake/Associated Press) When the Supreme Court takes up the latest challenge to President Obama’s health-care law this week, how the justices interpret a six-word phrase in the bill could determine its fate. The law, adopted in 2010, says the federal government can pay subsidies to help people afford insurance bought through “an Exchange established by the State.” But two-thirds of the states have opted against setting up their own exchanges, and as a result, more Americans have been buying insurance through the federal insurance marketplace. Now, opponents of the law will make their case to the high court that Americans who are not using the state exchanges are ineligible for subsidies. And if they win, insurance premiums could skyrocket and many people might drop their coverage — possibly undermining the whole health-care program. And as the justices weigh whether the health-care law in fact has a fatal glitch, one of the key questions is this: Why did the Obama administration rule-writing officials in the Internal Revenue Service and its parent agency, the Treasury Department, ultimately interpret the language the way they did? It had never occurred to the Treasury Department official responsible for making the changes in the tax code required by the law that there was more than one way to read the phrase — until she happened across an article in a trade journal. Emily McMahon, deputy assistant treasury secretary for tax policy, read an article in Bloomberg BNA’s Daily Tax Report in January 2011 raising questions about whether federal subsidies could be paid for millions of Americans buying insurance under the Affordable Care Act, according to Treasury Department officials. The issue was whether the law allowed these payments if the coverage was bought in states that did not set up their own insurance marketplaces. So McMahon called a meeting with two of her top lawyers, one of them recalled, and asked whether there was “a glitch in the law we needed to worry about.” In the end, the Treasury and IRS officials who wrote the rules adopted the more expansive reading of the law — allowing subsidies for all marketplaces — because they concluded this was required for the new health-care initiative to succeed, according to current and former agency officials and documents they provided to congressional investigators. And, the officials reasoned, Congress would not have passed a law that it wanted to fail. “Nobody I talked to in government, including many people involved in the legislative process, thought this was a question,” recalled David Gamage, a tax law professor at the University of California at Berkeley hired to help the Treasury Department’s Office of Tax Policy implement the law. “Nobody thought the argument [limiting the subsidies] was persuasive.’’ While it was clear to the rules’ authors at Treasury and the IRS that the issue was a practical matter and not a political one, they met regularly with White House officials, who were closely monitoring the drafting of the regulations, two former officials said. And while the team of tax attorneys had no doubt that the subsidies should apply to all marketplaces, there was a significant debate inside Treasury and the IRS about how much of their reasoning should be spelled out in public. The agency was sensitive to the legal and political minefield it was navigating. The passage of the 955-page health-care law required officials to draft some of the biggest changes to the tax code in years. In weekly meetings in a fourth-floor conference room at IRS headquarters on the Mall, government lawyers deliberated over dozens of provisions of what would become Part 36B of the Internal Revenue Code, the rules governing the tax credits. At first, the team of Treasury and IRS lawyers considered the subsidy question a minor issue, in part because it was widely expected that states would set up their own marketplaces. “It didn’t occupy a lot of conversation, because it was not at all clear that a lot of states wouldn’t establish their own exchanges,” said Clarissa Potter, a deputy tax director at American International Group who was the IRS’s deputy chief counsel until May 2011. When she learned that opponents of Obamacare were targeting the federal subsidies, Potter recalled, “I remember thinking: ‘Jeez, really? Is this the best you can do?’ ” Among the officials drafting the regulations, the unanimous view was that the opponents didn’t have a case, according to Gamage, Potter and two others who were involved. Gamage circulated a memo concluding that while the law contained some “awkwardly written” phrases, the best reading of the statutory language was that all Americans who are eligible receive the subsidies. He said the language deems federal marketplaces as a subset of the exchanges established by a state. The team published a proposed rule in the Federal Register in August 2011, scheduled a public hearing for November and put the issue on the back burner, focusing on other tax issues in the law. A day before the public hearing, an op-ed piece titled “Another ObamaCare Glitch” by Case Western Reserve University law professor Jonathan Adler and Michael F. Cannon, a health policy expert at the libertarian Cato Institute, appeared in the Wall Street Journal. They wrote that the IRS had no legal authority to give tax subsidies to people enrolling in a federal exchange. This argument became the foundation for the legal challenge to the law that is now coming before the Supreme Court. Liz Fowler, a White House architect of the health-care law, read the opinion piece and forwarded it to nine lawyers at Treasury and the IRS. “You probably saw the WSJ article, but note that the hill is asking about a response,” she wrote. “Do you know if we are working on a response? Also might be aware that it could come up at tomorrow’s hearing — though I suppose you have thought about that possibility already.” Jason Levitis, a Treasury lawyer, replied that the proposed regulations had “worked this issue.” “If it comes up in the reg hearing tomorrow,” he wrote, “we will thank people for their comments and say we are taking them all into consideration.” The Treasury and IRS team writing the regulations recognized that the environment was becoming highly charged. “There was a sense that certain groups were going to sue,” Gamage said. “As increased pressure came from outside,” he said, the exchanges “moved up the issues list.” House Republicans were writing to the administration opposing the proposed rules and pressing Treasury to document how it wrote the regulations. Investigators with the House Oversight and Ways and Means committees were increasingly frustrated that some of their requests were turned down and others met with redacted documents. Treasury lawyers said they scoured the law’s legislative history, poring over committee reports and statements from lawmakers on the House and Senate floor that the tax credit applied to all Americans. “We dug into it,” said a former attorney on the Treasury-IRS team who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. “Certainly, it caused us to go back and look at our legal analysis.” Discussions intensified inside Treasury and the IRS over how to show that the government had considered the opponents’ views but not draw media attention to the debate over subsidies, former officials recalled. “The overriding concern was not generating negative news stories,” one former official said. Tax attorneys decided to be concise in drafting the regulation and issue a rule that was “not so minor that nothing is said, but minor enough that little is said,” the official recalled. The final regulation contained language saying that Treasury would not adopt suggestions from some commenters that the subsidies should be restricted to state exchanges. House Republicans were sharply critical, accusing the White House of urging the rule’s authors to ignore the text of the law. In a joint report, the House Oversight and Ways and Means committees charged the administration with failing to conduct a thorough review before writing the regulations. At a House hearing in 2013, Douglas Shulman, the IRS commissioner at the time, acknowledged that the law contained “some contradictory language” on exchanges. But he said the government “exercised the rule-writing authority that is delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury in every tax bill.” Alice Crites contributed to this report.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was apparently grinding away at his Conservative caucus yesterday morning about the need for Senate reform. An interesting strategy, his! First you pack the place with self-entitled cheats and porkchoppers like Mike "The Puffster" Duffy, then you argue that their misdeeds are proof the institution needs reform! If nothing else, this suggests Calgary Centre MP Joan Crockatt was sticking right to the party strategy handbook when she suggested in a now-notorious Tweet that her Conservative Party is more ethical than all those other parties because some of its unethical senators resigned from caucus when they got caught. Of course, this doesn't mean very much when they can be expected to go on reliably voting for the same things as they would as caucus members while try to insinuate their way back to insider status, at least until they reach 75. Crockatt's risible suggestion prompted general hilarity among the chattering classes nationwide -- and probably would have gone international had it not been for the antics of Toronto Mayor (and future Conservative senator?) Rob Ford, who was already occupying the Canadian Curiosity slot on foreign newscasts. (By the way, here's a note for the Globe and Mail's editors, if such a thing is still employed by our National Paywalled Website: Unlike Davy Crockett, the late U.S. Congressman of a similar name, it's Joan Crockatt, with an A.) Let it be said nevertheless that Crockatt might be well advised to follow the example of former avid Tweeter Pat Martin of the New Democratic Opposition and shut down her Twitter account for the duration, or at least hand it over to a reliable aide. Speaking of reliable aides, that brings us right back to the prime minister's current sea of troubles. I expect Harper's suggestion at a studiously public caucus meeting yesterday morning that any of his MPs who are just there for reasons of self interest should "leave this room" was mainly greeted with discreetly rolled eyes. "I know that like me and my family, you are scrupulous about paying personal expenses," Harper is said to have added, presumably with a poker face and to a largely silent room, before quickly jetting off to the much friendlier environs of Peru and Colombia, leaving Question period to underlings. Harper's problem is that, right now thanks to Senator Duffy and others, the public has taken a fairly jaundiced view of his government, and he knows it. And nowadays who can blame them for a little cynicism, when just a few layers of the onion are peeled back yet the PM refuses to acknowledge any responsibility or even knowledge of what was going on among his closest aides right in his own office? Instead, quite typically, Harper blamed the NDP and the Liberals for his self-inflicted troubles -- and privately, no doubt, the "liberal" media as well. You know, those well-known social democrats like PostMedia's Andrew Coyne and the editorial Board of the Globe and Mail, for whom l'affaire Puffster has been too much to swallow even with their usual tolerance for bad-tasting Tory potions. Despite Harper's not-entirely-successful attempts to "distance himself" form his stinky Senate appointments, the PM had very little to say before his hasty departure about the one issue that would have benefitted from the disinfectant properties of a little sunlight. To wit: the unethical and possibly illegal payment of $90,172 by the former chief of the prime minister's staff, Nigel Wright, to Senator Duffy. Wright fell on his sword on Sunday morning to protect his prime minister after his effort failed to bail out the Harper Government by quietly paying off Senator Duffy's improperly claimed away-from-home living expenses. Alas for Harper -- who has replaced Wright with a callow former National Citizens Coalition hack rather like himself who used to walk around wearing a picket sign reading, "Liberal, Tory, Same Old Story"– the issue just won't fade away. Indeed, the only way to make it go away forever is to fix the Senate. And unfortunately for the PM's "reform" talk, the only way to fix the Senate that will actually work is to abolish it. Contracts? Contracts? Who cares about contracts? Meanwhile, out here in Alberta, Premier Alison Redford has vowed to forestall the inevitable and force former Capital Health and Alberta Health Services CFO Allaudin Merali to go to court if he wants to try to get his half-million or so dollars in severance. Alert readers will recall how Merali's expense account became a cause célèbre and a huge embarrassment to the Redford Government in August 2012 when CBC investigative reporter Charles Rusnell published the results of a Freedom of Information search revealing "how he spent tens of thousands of dollars on lavish meals at high-end restaurants, bottles of wine, even a phone for his Mercedes Benz car." Merali left the employ of AHS soon thereafter. Yesterday, Calgary Sun political columnist Rick "The Dinger" Bell quoted Redford as saying, "If people think they are entitled to something in a contract and other people don't think they're entitled to it I guess they can hire lawyers and take legal routes and go to court." In other words, she said: "We are not going to voluntarily do anything with respect to his severance. … We are not going to simply sit back and take a look at what he may or may not feel he's entitled to without resisting that." There are just four problems with this plan: 1) Alberta Health Services signed a contract with the guy that says he's owed the money 2) Outrageous as his expenses may have seemed, all of them appear to have met the lax the rules for executive expenses in effect at the time he was a Capital Health Region employee 3) He was rehired and then fired by another employer, AHS, and there's no evidence his expenses at that organization broke any rules 4) Canada, even the part governed by Redford's Progressive Conservative Party, still has an independent and impartial judiciary In other words, while Redford's attitude is pretty typical of Alberta's Top Tory Dogs -- that is, the law is for you, not for us -- sooner or later we Alberta taxpayers are going to have to pony the money up to Merali. Yes, we can understand that by getting caught by the CBC successfully claiming expenses that offended ordinary voters, Merali embarrassed the government and incurred the premier's wrath. But we can also understand that Alberta taxpayers are not very well served by a legal fight against Merali's claim, which as far as can be seen is entirely legitimate and backed up by a long trail of paper. All Alberta's premier is doing with this posturing, it is said here, is pouring good money after bad. Unless, that is, she is slicing the facts extremely finely, since it will be AHS that has to pay up, and not technically "her" -- that is, on the principle of l’état c’est moi, the government of Alberta. On the other hand, if she is proposing to get involved in the affairs of AHS, that is not necessarily a bad thing either. She could start by telling AHD Board Chair Stephen Lockwood to stop defending bonus pay for the health agency's remaining executives on the grounds "it would be wrong from many perspectives to not compensate them as per their terms of employment." You know, completely unlike Merali. This post also appears on David Climenhaga's blog, Alberta Diary.
Recently I had a chance to catch up with Robert Grzesek, one of the founders of Carbide and also of the easy to use MeshCam CAM software. I wanted to get an update on the Nomad as well as some idea of what he’d learned from the whole Kickstarter process and manufacturing the Nomad. For those who haven’t seen it, Nomad is a very cool vision for a CNC Mill that was a very successful Kickstarter campaign recently. Be sure to check out our article on Nomad (that link just before this line) for more detail. They raised a total of $513,665 against a goal of $30,000, so this campaign definitely knocked the ball right out of the park. Here’s what I learned from my interview of Robert: Carbide had a phenomenally successfully Kickstarter campaign for your Nomad CNC Mill. What advice do you have for would be Kickstarters about how to maximize their success? I think you can distill it down into a few categories: product, preparation, and follow through. Product: First, we picked a product who’s time had come. I knew from my work on MeshCAM, and my partners knew from our product development work, that there was a need for a ready-to-run CNC machine that doesn’t have the massive learning curve of traditional machines. We spent something like 10 months working on the Nomad before launching our campaign. It was not an idea or a concept, it was an almost-ready-to-make product. I think a lot of people go wrong by showing a product too early so it requires the potential backers to make a greater leap to understand what the product will end up being. By putting the work in up-front, we were also able to commit to a much earlier shipping time than “normal” Kickstarter campaigns that might ask you to wait a year before you’ll see your product. This was very important given the amount of money we were asking people to spend. One of the other huge benefits though was my partner Apollo, who is an industrial designer. He was able to take the work that the engineers did and make it look like something that people wanted to buy. We knew design would be significant but, based on customer feedback, it turned out to be way more important than we expected. Preparation: There are lots of writeups out there for what you need to know to launch a Kickstarter campaign and Jorge, my other partner, read every one and made sure we did everything right. 1) If you meet something like 30% of your goal in the first 24 hours then you have an 80% chance of getting funded. (Don’t quote me on the numbers but it’s something like that) We presold 10 machines to local people before we ever went live (those 10 were for people who wanted machines- not our friends or moms). The pitch was, give us your phone number and we’ll call when we push the “launch” button. You’ll have limited time to jump on and get a machine incredibly cheap. In the end, every one bought even though a couple missed the window to get the cheap machine. Every Kickstarter campaign should be doing this. 2) Have a press list ready to go with all of the “need to haves” and all of your “want to haves” listed out with names, emails, and examples of things they’ve written about before. We approached a couple of them the day before launch to try and a story or post on day one. This was WAY harder than we thought. Traditional PR, where you write a release and then blast it out, is a complete waste of time from what we can tell. The only stories we got were from Jorge or I emailing people on a more personal level. The good news is that if you get a few stories or posts, then others will pickup and write their own. We got Engadget with no contact from us after a story on another site. 3) Watch the videos from a other projects like yours and copy the good ones. It’s amazing how many people have videos with no call to action, they just end. What are viewers supposed to do next? Others have horrible production value or look like they’re trying to make the video “all about them”, not the product or the potential backer. Finally, style the video to fit in to the Kickstarter ecosystem. Our video would be very different if we made what we wanted, but we decided to copy the types of shots and music that others use. People reacted very well to it so I think there’s a lot of merit to this. Follow-through: We spent the next 30 days answering every email, message, or comment. When we weren’t doing that, we were reaching out to new press contacts to try to get links. Managing a campaign if a full-time job for at least one person if you’re doing well. There were days with all three of us working on it. What did you learn during the course of the Kickstarter campaign that helped you refine your product vision and what would you do differently for your next Kickstarter? Kickstarter is amazing. There is a huge group of people out there monitoring Kickstarter looking for cool projects and I have no doubt that those additional backers more than covered all of the Kickstarter fees. Also, just being on Kickstarter seemed to make the project more legitimate in the eyes of the people we talked to. I do not think backers would have been as enthusiastic to preorder from our webpage instead of Kickstarter. We also got great support from our Kickstarter contact, who did his best to get us featured because he really believed in the product. We have nothing but positive things to say about them. What would we do differently next time? I’d be more open in the leadup to the campaign and make more of an attempt to build an email list. We did well without that but I think having more potential customers to contact at launch would be better. I’d also make more of an attempt to reach out to press before launch. Knowing how hard it is to get coverage from even a tiny blog, I’d start earlier and have a bigger list. In terms of how it changed the vision, our Kickstarter campaign was more successful than we ever anticipated and we attracted an even more diverse set of users than we expected. Because a lot of our backers had no CNC experience, we saw that they had really high expectations. We did not want to let them down under any circumstances after the trust they were putting into us. We ended up upgrading the machine a lot (at no additional cost). We built a good machine from the start but the one we’re shipping blows it away; I think it’s safe to say that no machine is our price range has anywhere near the capabilities or quality. How do you best describe the vision for Nomad and Carbide today? Everyone we talked to has an idea in their head for something they’d like to make. We’d like to provide to software and hardware to get it from their heads, into 3D. How are things going as you move towards shipping the first Nomad units to your Kickstarter supporters? The machine upgrades where a huge delay because we ended up having to redo almost every part of the machine in some way. We’re just getting all of the parts from our machine shop and starting to put the first couple of machines together now. They’re looking really nice so far. Here’s Jorge putting the first production frame together: Jorge assembling the first production Nomad frame at Carbide LLC’s shop… What have you learned about manufacturing that you’d pass along to others who want to make and sell products like Nomad? Any shortcuts? Things to avoid? Things that will help make the process a lot easier? -If I could go back, I’d look for ways to make parts on a waterjet or a laser. The idea of dropping a sheet of stock on a machine and having enough for a batch of machines in an hour is really appealing. -When your parts are running in a mill, watch them run at least one time. We kept getting delays until I had the shop foreman let me watch our parts run. The operator had slowed the machine down because “the drill bit was dull” and the owner was out of town. He turned a couple of minute job into a 20 minute job. There were lots of delays like this because the owner was stretched too thin and the operators would do random things. We’ve got that under control now. -When it comes to milling, modern 5 axis machines are great. We did a bunch of simplifications where we combined three 3-axis parts into a single 5-axis part and the results are great. For us, the total cost is about equal but we get a much better finished product and less labor. -Don’t send a PDF if the shop can take a Solidworks file. Way less goes wrong when they work from a solid. -After a few months, I turned over the whole CAD file to them because they wanted to understand how the parts went together. This was a big turning point for us- they felt more ownership of the project and they even found a couple of errors in the design. If you can get to this point quicker than we did, you will benefit. Robert, last time we talked you were planning to get a brand new Haas VMC and bring it in-house. Did you get the VMC? Any thoughts for new buyers of a machine like that? I have that Haas quote on my desk right now- a VF2-SS with a 4th axis. We can’t wait. We’re trying to find new shop space with enough power but the areas we’d like to work in have really limited inventory. It looks like we’ll make an offer on a new place this week, and if they accept the lease terms, the Haas will be ordered. It’s worth noting that the Haas will be a second production line and for R&D. We’d like to keep the current machine shop running so that we’re not dependent on any single location. Robert, what do people do who want a Nomad but missed out on the Kickstarter? Are you thinking about transitioning to taking new orders yet? We just put our heads down and worked for about a week after Kickstarter and then we started getting requests from people who wanted to preorder a machine but missed the Kickstarter deadline. Coincidentally, we happened to be approached by a company called Celery that does nothing but handle preorders post-Kickstarter. It turned out to be a good system so we put a preorder link on our website and it’s been active since. We received a significant number of orders through that system so it’s something that I’d recommend to anyone after a Kickstarter campaign. Nomad for yourself, go to Of course, if you’d like to get afor yourself, go to http://carbide3d.com to preorder. Here’s Apollo running a Nomad at their offices from the pre-Kickstarter days… Thanks Robert for the great interview! Postscript I continue to think the Nomad is a great idea because it brings Apple’s Vertical Integration ideas to the entry level CNC space by combining hardware, software, and key accessories like tool probe in one well-designed packages. I’m hoping to get to play with one myself at some point. Robert has also given some great advice for folks who are dreaming of their own Kickstarter projects. It’s rare that you can benefit from the insights of someone who has been as successful on Kickstarter.
Lotus will field Roy Nissany and Rene Binder in the series' first season since the exit of major backer Renault. "2016 will be a great year," said team boss Antonin Charouz. "The series has a new name but we are still motivated to fight for the title. "We chose two really committed drivers and I’m sure we will show our potential in the nine rounds on the schedule. We worked really hard during the winter, and we are ready to be back on-track more determined than ever." Nissany, the 21-year-old son of former Minardi F1 tester Chanoch, makes the switch over from French squad Tech 1, which fielded him in his rookie FR3.5 season last year. With Tech 1, the Israeli driver placed 13th in the standings, picking up a maiden podium at Spielberg. "I’m so proud and happy to join the Lotus squad," said Nissany. "I felt really comfortable with the car and all the crew during the winter test in Barcelona. I can’t wait to be back in that car, and it was a great experience. The team has been great as well so I really want to be back on track soon!" Binder, 24, spent the past three years in GP2, his best result a sixth-place finish in Monaco in 2013. The Austrian made his FR3.5 debut at Nurburgring last year with Pons Racing, scoring points with an eighth place in the second race of the weekend. “After three disappointing years in GP2, I am really motivated for great results," he said. "I think the team can help me to achieve this results and I totally trust them for the preparation of the car. We met a few weeks ago but we always had a great feeling. "I ran only one [round] last season, but I have to find the right chemistry with the Michelin tires and there are also a couple of tracks I’ve never raced before." Lotus 3.5's campaign in the series last year was spearheaded by Matthieu Vaxiviere, who finished runner-up and took three wins. The Frenchman is likewise back in the series in 2016 - with new squad Spirit of Race. 2016 Formula V8 3.5 line-up so far:
If you thought the 215TB of satellite imagery Bing Maps added last year was hefty, think again. In what is the largest installment of Bird's Eye shots yet, the mapping folks in Redmond piled on a whopping 270TB of high-res flyover images to their database yesterday. Some of the more notable (read: gorgeous) additions include overviews of Rome and Milan in Italy, Stavanger in Norway and Kaanapali in Hawaii. Aside from the new visuals, Bing also added a couple of improvements to its Venue Maps with an expanded points of interest list and a new "Report a problem" system so users can inform Bing if a location is marked incorrectly. So go on, head over to the source, select any of the amazing locales and take a little free trip to the other side of the world.
President-elect Donald Trump dumped his shares in the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) last summer as demonstrations against the project raised to a fevered pitch. Trump sold his shares in Energy Transfer Partners, the company working to construct the multi-billion dollar project, the president-elect’s spokeswoman Hope Hicks told the Washington Post. ETP recently agreed to a $20 billion merger with Sunoco in an all-stock transaction. The financial disclosure form filed in May of 2015 shows Trump dumped between $500,000 and $1 million into the company. The information was disclosed in Trump’s filing to the Federal Election Commission. Trump tossed another $500,000 in Phillips 66, which will have a 25 percent ownership in the project once completed. He reported making upward of $50,000 in interest, dividends and capital gains from the pipeline. The $3.8 billion line has come under withering scrutiny from anti-oil pipeline protesters and American Indian tribes. Standing Rock Sioux tribe, one of the tribes spearheading opposition, argues the pipeline’s construction would trample on tribal lands and destroy artifacts. They also believe it could potentially poison waterways, including rivers such as the Missouri River and Lake Oahe. Many of the same groups that opposed the Keystone XL pipeline have joined the fight against the DAPL, which would bring 470,000 barrels of Bakken crude oil per day from western North Dakota to southern Illinois. Trump’s decision to drop the stocks could help him avoid allegations that his role in the company constitutes a conflict of interest; he still must find a way to navigate similar conflicts of interest popping up among his possible future cabinet members. One of Trump’s possible cabinet members – former Texas Gov. Rick Perry — has served as a director of ETP since early 2015, and owns $100,000 worth of stock in the company, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission form filed in January. The Texas Republican also serves on the board of Sunoco Logistics Partners LP, which announced Monday it was purchasing ETP for a hefty $21 billion. Perry must determine whether to place his stock in a blind trust to avoid conflicts of interest going forward. President Barack Obama momentarily stopped pipeline construction in September, potentially leaving DAPL’s fate up to the Trump administration. ETP’s CEO Kelcey Warren’s decision to shovel more than $100,000 to elect Trump. Warren dumped another $66,000 into the Republican National Committee. Warren contributed $1.53 million in donations to super PACs and $252,300 to individual campaigns and the GOP, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Follow Chris on Twitter Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
[Henrik] has been working on a program to design electronic circuits using evolutionary algorithms. It’s still very much a work in progress, but he’s gotten to the point of generating a decent BJT inverter after 78 generations (9 minutes of compute time), as shown in the .gif above. To evolve these circuits, [Henrik] told a SPICE simulation to generate an inverter with a 5V power supply, 2N3904 and 2N3906 transistors, and whatever resistors were needed. The first dozen or so generations didn’t actually do anything, but after 2000 generations the algorithm produced a circuit nearly identical to the description of a CMOS inverter you’d find in a circuit textbook. Using evolution to guide electronic design is nothing new; an evolutionary algorithm and a a few bits of Verilog can turn an FPGA into a chip that can tell the difference between a 1kHz and 10kHz tone with extremely minimal hardware requirements. There’s also some very, very strange stuff that happened in this experiment; the evolutionary algorithm utilized things that are impossible for a human to program and relies on magnetic flux and quantum weirdness inside the FPGA. [Henrik] says his algorithm didn’t test for how much current goes through the transistors, so implementing this circuit outside of a simulation will destroy the transistors and emit a puff of blue smoke. If you’d like design your own circuits using evolution, [Henrik] put all the code in a git for your perusal. It’s damn cool as it stands now, and once [Henrik] includes checking current and voltage in each component his project may actually be useful.
April Baer/OPB Disjecta Contemporary Arts Center is losing its founder at the end of this year. It’s not a happy split. The organization’s board took the unusual step of asking founding director Bryan Suereth to leave. It’s referred to in a press release as a leadership transition. The founding of Disjecta was almost accidental. Suereth and some friends found a vacant building on Russell Street. Sean Healy was one of the first artists to exhibit there. “I remember one of the very first events [Bryan] and [curator and artist] Cris Moss put together,” Healy said. “Bryan and Cris and others were there tearing up carpeting to have a wood floor. There are things Bryan does behind the scenes no one knows about. The dude is tireless. He puts in insane hours.” Running a small arts non-profit can include a thousand other duties as assigned: mowing the grass, cleaning the bathrooms, and of course curation, bringing in artists from around and outside the U.S., arranging the use of Disjecta’s spacious building in Kenton by a variety of art and performance events, and staging shows like the Portland Biennial. This year’s edition encompassed 25 venues from Astoria to La Grande to Ashland. The biennial closed with several complaints from some artists of standing. While some had a good experience, others felt abandoned by guest curator Michelle Grabner and/or Disjecta, without support and promotion they needed to pull off their installations. But even before the Biennial, the board got into a broader conversation about the future. Chair Chris D’Arcy says a long-term development training left some board members feeling less than convinced Suereth was the right person to implement Disjecta’s growing ambitions. April Baer/OPB “The board really became more aware of, let’s say, the need for our organization to have more structure than it has right now,” Darcy said. She wouldn’t get into specifics, for personnel reasons, but said if Disjecta’s staff size is going to increase beyond three, it would need a different kind of manager. Suereth says his path, building Disjecta and steering it through three different facilities, has been a long road, traveled with little money. “I’m proud to have been around at a time when I provided support for the artists and thinkers and do-ers who created the essence of Portland,” Suereth says. “To this day, I believe Disjecta acts as a bulwark against the overwhelming crush of “new” Portland…in the sense that we maintain a connection to the original ethic that built our often imitated culture; bold ideas, risk-taking, anti-institutional swagger and, yes, weirdness.” As for the board’s stated wish for more structure, Suereth says he freely acknowledged different leadership might be needed to grow Disjecta and make it sustainable. But his version of the story shows a non-profit hampered by anemic board fundraising. He says he’d hoped to be around long enough to keep operations going, while the board found his replacement. The organization is up to date on its lease. With year-end giving, Disjecta expects to end the year modestly in the black. Which has led artists like Sean Healy to wonder, what was the rush to hustle Suereth out the door? “We’re all a little bit put on our heels by this,” Healy said. “We’ve grown up in this city together. To see this happen it kind of makes us realize the city is changing.” The situation puts board chair Chris D’Arcy in a strange position. She spent twenty years at the helm of the Oregon Arts Commission, steering grants and policy, only to be shown the door in 2014, over to a mix of personality conflicts and clashing priorities — not unlike what led to the transition at Disjecta. D’Arcy says believes Disjecta’s non-profit model is sustainable for now. It will, she says, keep on producing contemporary art events, and getting revenue from other groups’ use of its building. “We are different than the [Portland] Art Museum and PICA and TBA,” D’Arcy said. “We do not charge admission. That may or may not be the right solution long-term.” But D’Arcy says structurally, the organization has an effective model. But Suereth says anytime a drastic change is made, there’s an understanding that results will need to follow. “I certainly think the board is putting themselves in a very difficult position,” Suereth said. “Any transition must be collaborative, strategic and healthy to succeed. Funders are wary of uncertainty. I think most philanthropists gravitate toward more traditional arts: dance, theater, music.” The board, he said, “have an onus now solely on their shoulders. It is not easy to run and produce contemporary art in the state of Oregon.” Chris D’Arcy says she expects an interim executive director will be found to run Disjecta after Suereth’s departure, while the board searches for a permanent replacement. (It’s not entirely clear what bait will be effective in that search. According to recent tax forms, Sureth has been working for tens of thousands of dollars below the city average for non-profit managers.) For the rest of 2016, Disjecta will host events like a theater work re-interpreting the films of Rainer Fassbinder, a performance art piece about rape culture, and a new discussion series about art and identity, Right now, the gallery holds the second of four shows by a Puerto Rican curator in residence, Michelle Fiedler. Suereth says he’d like to help out with the third and fourth shows.
A gift in three parts, my Scottish 'Santa is quite the sleuth! The two biggest themes were video games and delicious food. She even made sure my adorkable mutt Pochi got in on the action! The first to arrive was a really cool poster with colored silhouettes of Nintendo's best-known characters. That will be getting framed and hung in the basement that I've recently converted into a retro gaming den. In fact, it would be there now if I'd had two seconds to sit down and gather myself since December began. =p The next day, a box arrived that was clearly for Pochi. In fact, he must have been able to smell it, because he started losing his mind as soon as I brought it inside. Upon opening, he found a squeaky toy (that is mercifully ultrasonic, so I can't hear it), two bags of natural treats, a large crunchy bone (which he absolutely demolished in minutes), and a rawhide twist! About this time, I logged into Reddit to discover that she'd given me three months of Reddit Gold! Whee! =) The grand finale finally made it to me on Christmas Eve! It was a large, hand-packed box of assorted goodness, with an envelope labelled "Open First". Not one to ignore directions, I opened it to discover her delightfully creative rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" with Zelda-themed substitutions! (Side note: Seriously... How often does a guy get serenaded with The Legend of Zelda? A girl after my own heart!) The card also mentions the hope that I have a sweet tooth. Eeeeyes ma'am. I certainly do. Anywho, this box contained dozens of little packages, and each of these things was individually wrapped. This must have taken her hours! I started taking pictures of everything as I unwrapped it, before I realized that would be a ridiculous quantity of pictures. Among the deluge of candy and confections (like, legit: I'm about to celebrate the first coming of Christ, and I already have enough sweets to last until the second) were three pairs of cute/funny printed socks (zombie, sneaker, and sandal), a bamboo puzzle game that looks like it will wreck my brain in short order, and a cool fish-shaped toy that curls up in your hand when exposed to your body heat. Finally, just when I thought it couldn't get any better, at the bottom was an incredible hand-drawn portrait of Link from Windwaker! I know that on the card she said she couldn't draw, but she's clearly just being modest. If I had attempted such a sketch, it would be a stick figure done with green crayon. =p Thank you, Littleone23! You made my first exchange amazing! =)
How are your taxpayer dollars being used to enforce the government shutdown? Police barricades line the World War II Memorial and cones are blocking the roads leading to Mount Rushmore. Over the weekend, the Amber Alert website was offline, but it has since been restored. Today on Your World, Judge Andrew Napolitano said that while President Obama isn’t deciding where cones should go, he is instructing the executive branch about the nature of things that should be closed. The judge told Neil Cavuto, “He has the discretion to take the money that the government has and spend it to deliver the greatest amount of services to the greatest number of people. Instead, he seems to be trying to cause the greatest discomfort to the largest number of people and blame it on those terrible Republicans.” Judge Napolitano likened the federal government’s doomsday warnings to the sequestration. “[The president] tried to make life miserable, and it went back to normal. He’s trying to do the same thing now. When the media catches him, like [Neil] did with the Amber Alert, suddenly they have the money to put it back.”
THE British government has issued a vehement rebuttal of a UN panel’s findings that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had been arbitrarily detained. Published last month, the United Nations working group’s non-binding legal opinion was instantly dismissed as “ridiculous” by London, which has now submitted its formal response, inviting the panel to reconsider its conclusions. Mr Assange faces a rape allegation in Sweden but has been inside Ecuador’s embassy in London for nearly four years in a bid to avoid extradition. The 44-year-old Australian fears that from Sweden he could be deported to the United States over WikiLeaks’ release of 500,000 secret military files. The UN panel said the detention Mr Assange was living under had violated his human, civil and political rights. “The working group’s opinion is deeply flawed and Mr Assange has never been the subject of arbitrary detention,” the Foreign Office said. “His human rights have been protected throughout.” Anti-secrecy campaigner Mr Assange initially spent 10 days in a London prison having been refused bail, but his detention was “absolutely in line with the relevant legislation and regulations”, the statement said. The former computer hacker’s series of failed court appeals against extradition to Sweden took 18 months and “cannot be considered excessive or unfair”, the rebuttal said. “During this period he was granted bail and so cannot be considered to have been detained.” The UN panel said Mr Assange should be able to claim compensation from Britain and Sweden. Mr Assange hailed the findings as a “victory”, but has continued to remain in the Ecuadorean embassy. The working group will consider Britain’s response on April 18 in Geneva. Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said: “The original conclusions of the UN working group are inaccurate and should be reviewed. “We want to ensure the working group is in possession of the full facts. Our request for a review of the opinion sets those facts out clearly. “Julian Assange has never been arbitrarily detained by the UK, and is in fact voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain in the Ecuadorean embassy. “The UK continues to have a legal obligation to extradite him to Sweden.” A hero to supporters and a dangerous egocentric to detractors, Mr Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006 and has been portrayed in two movies in recent years.
In Africa, the birthplace of humanity, ancient humans moved and mixed throughout the continent. But until now, it’s been a challenge to trace those patterns using genetics. Now scientists have analyzed the oldest known human DNA in Africa to shed light on how people migrated—opening up a new field for examining patterns of migration and interbreeding in the region. Related Content Ancient DNA Could Unravel the Mystery of Prehistoric European Migration Africa may be the continent where humans first arose, but compared to Europe, relatively little ancient DNA has been sequenced from there. This hasn't been for lack of trying, says Jessica Thompson, an archaeologist at Emory University who focuses on ancient Africa, but rather due to the differences in environment between the continents. DNA can be a resilient molecule, surviving hundreds of thousands of years under the right conditions. But it can also be very fragile, subject to degrading in the presence of heat or moisture. Both of these are found in abundance in much of Africa, making it far more difficult to extract usable DNA to sequence. In contrast, scientists have sequenced DNA from Neanderthals in Europe that date back to more than 400,000 years, thanks to a climate that is generally cooler, drier and therefore better suited for preserving DNA. "For an Africanist, it's frustrating, because we don't have access to the same kinds of data that people who are studying the prehistory of say ancient Europe has," Thompson says, "and I'll admit I've been kind of jealous about that." At an anthropology conference in 2015, Thompson was confronted again with this paucity of ancient DNA data from Africa. It dawned on her that there might be some places on the continent with conditions that would preserve DNA better—if researchers just knew where to look. "I was silly to think about Africa as this homogenous wet, hot place," she says now. In Thompson's field work in the southeastern country of Malawi, she recalled visiting sites that were at relatively high elevations that were noticeably cold, where skeletons had been found in the mid-20th century. Thompson’s efforts to track down these skeletons put her in touch with an already nascent effort by anthropologists and other researchers to fill the void of ancient African DNA by harnessing scientific advances. "We really have all just been kind of waiting and hoping that the day would come when we could access to technology that would enable us to get that same quality of data from Africa as we have in other parts of the world," Thompson says. That day may have finally arrived. Thompson found two ancient human samples in another lab, but analyzing them produced inconsistent results. So she decided to return to the Malawi sites where they were dug up to look for more clues. She ended up uncovering three more sets of human remains, which contained DNA dating back as far as 8,000 years ago; she collected other samples from scientific archives in Malawi. Other researchers also sqeuenced eight more ancient samples from southern, which Thompson’s group included in a study published today in the journal Cell. Time had degraded the samples, says Pontus Skoglund, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School who led the study. However, with persistence and advancing genetic technology, researchers were able to obtain at least 30,000 DNA base pairs from each sample—“more than enough to do powerful statistical analyses,” Skoglund says. The team compared these ancient sequences to hundreds of modern day genomes from Africa and around the world to place the ancestries of modern humans, and see who had moved around and who hadn’t. "What is most immediately obvious is this landscape of hunter-gatherer populations has now been changed quite radically," Skoglund says. Before the widespread use of agriculture and livestock, humans survived through hunting and gathering. The adoption of agriculture by some groups of people is known to have driven great migrations among humans throughout ancient history, Thompson says, but this study made clear the scale of how much this disrupted the distribution of humans in southern Africa. Modern-day people native to Malawi appear to be completely unrelated to the ancient humans who lived in their country a few thousand years ago—reflecting a much more dramatic migration than Thompson and others would have expected. Other samples confirmed how much movement within Africa has occurred in the last few thousand years, and included a Tanzanian herder who was found to have descendants spread from north to south on the continent. These movements mean that the lineage of modern humans in Africa appears to have mixed much more than previously thought, according to Thompson. "It appears to be one of the most complete population replacements ever documented," she says. "Human genetic history was complex, and ancient DNA studies from Africa are needed to understand the history there, and are eagerly awaited," said Chris Tyler-Smith, a geneticist at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, via email. "This is the first substantial study of ancient African DNA." Tyler-Smith, who wasn't involved in the research, said some of the conclusions were expected, such as the fact that populations of hunter-gatherers were replaced by agricultural populations. But other insights, such as how branched the tree of ancestry for modern-day west Africans is, surprised him. The completion of this sequencing, he says, opens the door to more and better sequencing down the road, and raises more questions about our ancestors. Eran Elhaik, a geneticist at the University of Sheffield, agrees. "This study opens a window to the past of one of the world's most genetically diverse regions that thus far has remained largely unexplored," he wrote by email. Many assumptions and reconstructions about how ancient humans settled down in Africa may have to be discarded now, he says. For Thompson and Skoglund, this paper overall highlights how many questions ancient human DNA could unlock in Africa. "I think it's important to bring this tool of ancient DNA that has been very useful for understanding the history of Europe to understand all parts of the world, especially African prehistory," Skoglund says. Thompson, who is planning to find and sequence more ancient DNA to paint an even clearer picture of where and how people lived in Africa long ago, says she expects much more research coming out of this tool in the near future. "I think it's going to be a doorway that's wide open now," Thompson says.
4-year-old Alyssa Brown visited Snow White’s wishing well atCalifornia’s Disneyland theme park with only one single wish in her mind. "Iwish with all my heart that my daddy would come home," she said inregards to her father who was serving in Afghanistan. Covering both hereyes over the well’s edge, Alyssa opened her eyes to see her father,Marine Lt. Scott Brown, down on one knee before her in Marine Dress uniform. It was a touchingmoment for everyone involved and it lived up to the fairy tale endingonly Disney can deliver.Watch the event unfold below,tissues optional….Grasping the success of such a magical well, Alyssa later told her parents shealready had her next wish ready. “My next wish is for a puppy!”, hermother said of her daughter’s wish. ‘No, we’ve got a brother instead.’Kids. You give ‘em an inch.Uploaders remarks:Welcome Home Marine LT Brown! Thank you for your service to this nation.
If I believed the Earth was slowly turning into cheddar cheese, I could invoke this theory to explain a lot of things. Why is the rat population in our major cities growing so quickly? Earth cheesification is providing more rat food. Why have there been so many earthquakes lately? The cheesification of the tectonic plates has made them less resistant to sudden shifts. Why are glaciers melting? The freezing point of cheddar cheese is lower than that of water; as the Earth at the poles undergoes cheesification, the unfrozen cheese is causing a slight warming of the ice sheets from below, resulting in unusual levels of melting. Then we would be at liberty to publish headlines such as this : “Research suggests warmer summers could be causing colder winters.” This conjecture, brought to you via the magical theory of global climate change, is reported as though it is the most plausible explanation of the peculiar fact that Canadian winters do not appear to be getting any warmer. If, however, we could devise a theory that might literally be able to repel absolutely any possible counter-evidence, then we would have accomplished something truly diabolical: an unfalsifiable theory. If we could indeed devise such a theory, then we could run wild explaining anything and everything, and absorb absolutely any eventuality, without ever needing to question our faith in the underlying hypothesis. I could go on like this for a long time, I suppose. At some point, however, you would confront me with some natural fact that I could not logically account for by means of my cheese theory. In other words, even the greatest faith in this underlying assumption could never withstand all possible evidence. Question you aren’t supposed to ask: Why is the non-warming of recent winters a peculiar fact in need of an explanation? After all, did anyone in the past harbor any presumption that winters ought to be getting warmer? Why should they? The difference, of course, is that in the age of global warming, everyone is supposed to know, beyond any doubt, that the Earth is indeed getting significantly warmer. Thus, every time someone casually observes that the weather is pretty chilly, or that there has been a lot of snow, all hearers in the room look at their hands awkwardly, smirk bemusedly, or display some other symptom of that feeling familiar to anyone who has had to face doubts about a deeply held religious belief: “But this just can’t be true, because if it is, then my world is about to crumble.” The world of anthropogenic global climate change crumbled a long time ago The world of anthropogenic global climate change crumbled a long time ago. That, in fact, is why we have a theory called “anthropogenic global climate change” in the first place. Thirty-five years ago, it was called global cooling. When the temperature records made minced meat of that “theory,” it was put on ice for a few years, as it were. Finally, on the principle that if you can’t beat Mother Nature, you must join her, the wizards who brought us global cooling conveniently revised their models to prove beyond any doubt that the newly discovered global warming trend was a man-made phenomenon. Then, around 1998, the temperature records began to flat-line. Carbon dioxide, the Enemy, was reaching ever-higher levels in the atmosphere; and yet it was no longer having the desired – er, I mean “anticipated” – effect of warming the planet as it should (oops, I mean “as the models predicted”). For several years, the global crusaders against carbon dioxide mocked, ridiculed, and/or ignored anyone who dared to ask why, if rising CO2 levels cause global warming, temperatures were not rising at accelerating rates, as CO2 levels continued to rise exponentially. Oh, but temperatures are indeed rising, the faithful said. In fact, each year, they produced annual temperature record analyses, garnered through the official scientific records center, the UN, showing that that year had been the warmest ever recorded. Then, a little later, some fine print would appear somewhere explaining how the report had slightly overestimated the warming for the year in question. Hedging their bets, the global warmers began offering arguments to account for the stalled warming trend, even while they continued to deny that the trend had stalled – a method equivalent to saying, “I didn’t kill my wife, but if I did, it was in self-defense.” Their main argument was a condescending appeal to the big picture that the skeptics were allegedly too narrow-minded to see: Global temperature change, they said, is a process that develops over a very long period of time. Therefore, they harrumphed, claiming that a broader trend has ceased because temperatures have not changed for a few years shows an unscientific short-sightedness. Of course, if one were to accept this bet-hedging argument, one could turn it back on the global warmers: Eighty years can hardly be called a “big picture,” in planetary terms. The Earth is believed to be more than four billion years old. If five years without warming is too short a period to call a trend, then why is eighty years of net warming a long enough period to call a trend? From the point of view of four billion years, eighty looks an awful lot like five, does it not? (To be precise, as a percentage of four billion, 5 is 0.000000125%, while 80 is 0.000002%.) So how sure can we be that the period during which this unnatural warming is alleged to have happened is a long enough period to indicate a “long-term trend”? Will they be forced back to frightening us about global cooling again in twenty years? Perhaps dimly recognizing this little problem, the global warming advocates – um, I mean “researchers” – finally hit upon the perfect modification of their theory, namely to say that it doesn’t matter what happens to the temperature; the cause, in any case, is man. Thus, along about the middle of this century’s first decade, we suddenly had John Kerry and Hillary Clinton exiting a Senate hearing and taking to the microphones to discuss “global climate change.” No one officially announced this name change, of course. It just sort of happened. And with it came the lovely new premise that what our CO2 emissions are causing is neither warming nor cooling, per se, but rather “change.” “What kind of change?” you ask. Invalid question. Just “change.” Change from what? From some previous year’s “climate”? From some objective standard of what would have happened “naturally,” had we icky humans not spewed the by-product of so much life-sustaining productivity into Gaia’s aura? It makes little difference; no need to fuss about what exactly the “changers” are claiming is changing, since the particular changes that might occur from here on out are of no consequence to the theory. Any change will do – including no change at all, which can also be interpreted as a change, if you tilt your head a bit to one side. The unanimous, settled scientists and their masters, the unanimous, settled proponents of global governance, have continued to act as though they still want you to accept that temperatures are rising every year, ice caps are shrinking, polar bears are drowning, and so on. “Global climate change” is, for most practical purposes, still “global warming.” This is necessary, since global regulation requires global panic, and it would be much more difficult to stir panic over the idea – which is, officially, the theory of the moment – that “temperatures, and their effects, may or may not change in one way or another over any given period of time.” Global warming is indispensable as a political tool, even if it can only be preserved through a fuzzy bait-and-switch operation with global climate change Global warming is indispensable as a political tool, even if it can only be preserved through a fuzzy bait-and-switch operation with global climate change. Nevertheless, the name change provided good backside protection. “Global climate change” takes a perfectly good bit of crackpot neo-religiosity and elevates it to the level of unfalsifiable pseudo-theory – unfalsifiable, as in nothing you could possibly present to the nutters by way of facts can ever be evidence to the contrary. Why not? Because there is no contrary. If cooling, warming, and stasis are all evidence of anthropogenic global climate change, then science has finally followed the rest of the modern world into that realm of inescapable self-incrimination dubbed the Kafkaesque. We are guilty of global climate change. There is no proof. There is not even anyone to talk to by way of defending ourselves. Having been inexplicably accused, we will simply be sent on a dreamlike quest through a never-ending maze of inhuman obfuscation until, gradually, we come to accept that the accusation against us must be true, or else it would not have been made. At this point, we must desire our own demise, as the only “just” resolution, given the undefined crimes of which we have convicted ourselves. At last, as the fight to defend global warming reached fever pitch over some e-mails seeming to discuss evidence-alteration – remember, this defense of warming took place years after the official line was that it didn’t matter whether the temperature was rising or not – one of the main players in the scandal, and one of the most prominent and respected defenders of the cause-without-any-definable-effect, stepped forward to concede that there has been no warming since 1995. When asked whether he thought natural causes could account for the warming from 1975-1998, and if so, to what extent, he answered, “This area is slightly outside my area of expertise. When considering changes over this period we need to consider all possible factors (so human and natural influences as well as natural internal variability of the climate system).” So let’s get this straight: Dr. Phil Jones, one of the world’s foremost authorities on global climate change, says that the question of the possibility and degree of natural climate influences is outside of his area of expertise. Translation: I don’t do climate change; I do man-made climate change. His expertise is in trying to show the existence of an influence on climate that no one prior to 1970 thought was possible, and he thinks that looking at other influences which everyone has always known were real is outside of his area. In other words, looking at known facts of nature would get in the way of his career-advancing conjectures, so, as a matter of professional policy, he doesn’t look at them. Notice that when Jones lists “all possible factors” of warming from 1975-1998, he lists “human influences” first, as though this were the obvious first place to look for an explanation of a variation in global temperatures over a 23-year period – as though no 23-year period has ever shown a variation in temperatures before. His default assumption is the furthest one from common sense, namely that humans did it. Likewise, in our latest contribution to unfalsifiability, in which cold winters have been interpreted as a symptom of global warming – in spite of the fact that until recently, the party line was to deny that winters are still cold at all – the research project undertaken to reach this conclusion is described this way: “Cohen and his co-authors began by asking themselves why winter temperatures in the northern hemisphere aren’t going up as quickly as in the spring, summer and fall.” Once again, the default assumption is anthropogenic global warming. The task the researchers set for themselves was to explain away falsifying evidence. For example, why were they not trying to explain how the cold winters might be causing warmer summers? Because the paradigm they are working in demands that all apparent exceptions to global warming be explained away. Thirty-five years ago, they would indeed have been making the opposite argument, in order to salvage global cooling. Recently, a former Korean student of mine made a typical unquestioning reference to global warming. Constitutionally averse to letting smart people say stupid things, I briefly offered some of the usual arguments against anthropogenic climate change. My student answered, diplomatically, that the issue seemed to be a “mystery,” but that as she was unable to verify my facts in her first language, and as so many intelligent people were working on this issue at the UN, she was obliged to stick to her position. In other words, she was assuming, as we are all meant to do, that the burden of proof is on the “denier.” I asked her this question: If I went to the police and told them you were a murderer, should they arrest you? Why not? Because we put the burden of proof on the accuser, which is to say, on the person proposing something that falls outside of normal assumptions. Why do we do the opposite with man-made global climate change?
Photo Technology doesn’t win political campaigns, but it certainly is a weapon — a force multiplier, in military terms. Both sides in the presidential contest mined click-stream data as never before to target messages to potential voters. But a real edge for the Obama campaign was in its use of online and mobile technology to support its much-praised ground game, finding potential supporters and urging them to vote, either in person or by phone, according to two senior members of the Obama technology team, Michael Slaby, chief integration and innovation officer for the Obama campaign, and Harper Reed, chief technology officer for the Obama campaign. A program called “Dashboard,” for example, allowed volunteers to join a local field team and get assignments remotely. The Web application — viewable on smartphones or tablets — showed the location of field workers, neighborhoods to be canvassed, and blocks where help was needed. “It allowed people to join a neighborhood team without ever going to a central office,” said Mr. Slaby. Another ground-game program was a tool for telephone canvassing from people’s homes instead of having to travel to a campaign office and work from a telephone bank. The call tool was a Web program that let people sign up to make calls and receive a list of phone numbers, names and a script to use, noted Mr. Reed. Often, the profiles of volunteer callers and the lists they received were matched. So the callers were people with similar life experiences to those being called, and thus more likely to be persuasive. Here is a YouTube video of a 91-year-old World War II veteran, who joined the Obama phone corps. In 2008, there were some remote callers in the Obama campaign. But this year, there were ten times as many, Mr. Slaby said. The sheer scale of the online outreach and data collection dwarfed the effort four years ago. For example, the Barack Obama Facebook site had 33 million “likes,” compared with 2 million for the previous campaign. A Facebook like, Mr. Slaby noted, is the “just the first rung on a ladder of engagement” but it is a starting point. Another truly important change was in the technology itself. “Cloud computing barely existed in 2008,” Mr. Slaby said. This time, the Obama campaign’s data center was mainly Amazon Web Services, the leading supplier of cloud services. The campaign’s engineers built about 200 different programs that ran on the Amazon service including Dashboard, the remote calling tool, the campaign Web site, donation processing and data analytics applications. Using mainly open-source software and the Amazon service, the Obama campaign could inexpensively write and tailor its own programs instead of using off-the-shelf commercial software. “It let us attack and engineer our own approach to problems, and build solutions for an environment that moves so rapidly you can’t plan,” Mr. Slaby said. “It made a huge difference this time.”
He is not part of Australia's squad for next month's Champions Trophy, but Peter Handscomb could hardly be doing any more to ensure he is the first man called upon if Australia need a replacement player. On Sunday at Headingley, Handscomb plundered 140 off 112 deliveries for Yorkshire, his maiden one-day century, and in doing so jumped to the top of the Royal London Cup run list. In five innings during the tournament, Handscomb has made 46, 86, 47*, 88 and 140, the kind of form that will appeal to Australia's selectors should any of their batsman be ruled out of the Champions Trophy, to be held in England, due to injury. Handscomb played the first five ODIs of his career during the southern summer, but after 82 on debut did not reach double figures again. "Any time you get dropped from a team there's going to be some disappointment, but I was able to see where the selectors were coming from," Handscomb told radio network RSN. "I only got my opportunity because Chris Lynn got injured during the summer and I was able to come in for him. He's now fit and ready to go for Champions Trophy, so it makes sense to bring him back in and I completely understand that selection. "Just being in the country, I'm here and ready to go if anything does happen. But the Champions Trophy squad is unbelievably strong. Hopefully for the boys nothing does happen and they can have a great Champions Trophy." Handscomb has enjoyed a remarkable start to his Test career: it took until his eighth innings before he was dismissed for less than 50, the longest such stretch from debut for any player in Test history. Although life became a little tougher on the tour of India, an unbeaten 72 in the second innings in Ranchi helped Australia grind out a draw and was described by captain Steven Smith as being "worth 150 in my eyes". Next summer, he faces the challenge of helping Australia regain the Ashes in a home series against England, and he is confident that his winter placement with Yorkshire will help him when the Australian season comes around. "It's very important. I've often found that when I have been able to play cricket matches over the Australian winter, I've been able to come back and hit the ground running during the Australian summer," Handscomb said. "It's good just to constantly play cricket and that time in the middle is so valuable and so much better than just hitting balls in the nets." And although Handscomb's form for the time being is outstanding, he is well aware that the relentless nature of the county season can mean that any dip in productivity can be difficult to remedy. "With the county season, it can be sort of one way or the other," he said. "If you can get yourself onto a bit of a roll, because there is so much cricket, you can find yourself feeling really good out in the middle and hopefully converting that into runs. But on the flip side, you don't get a lot of time to practice if you are out of form. If you're having a tough time out in the middle, you don't really get any time to work on it. "The job is to make runs every time you go out to bat. Once you start thinking that batting becomes easy, then that complacency sets in, and cricket's a bit of a fickle game like that, it can really take you down if you do start getting a bit complacent."

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