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It's looking more and more likely that we're going to have another El Niño year starting this summer — one that could possibly rival 1997's infamously bad event. But just what does that mean? As this map demonstrates, it can mean very different things around the globe. Advertisement The map is the work of NOAA and is by no means a prediction or promise of how this year's El Niño might fall, or even if there will be one at all. What it does do, however, is give an overview of how researchers have observed El Niño altering precipitation patterns around the world since 1950. As you can see, some areas are likely to be prone to the heavy rains, storms, and flooding that we often associate with El Niño. But other areas could experience unusual dryness, perhaps even drought. Image: NOAA |
Despite two centuries of thorough debunking, the practice of homeopathy has grown into a $1.2 billion industry in the United States. Even more, since the medications are not considered drugs, the FDA does not police the remedies, meaning makers of the concoctions can claim curative powers for their diluted water without backing it up with evidence. But last week the Federal Trade Commission published a new "Enforcement Policy Statement" to shake up these loose regulatory measures. "The policy statement explains that the FTC will hold efficacy and safety claims for [over the counter] homeopathic drugs to the same standard as other products making similar claims," according to an FTC release about the announcement, which was made on the heels of a workshop last year to evaluate the marketing of homeopathic remedies to consumers. Wes Siegner, an attorney who specializes in FTC and FDA regulation tells Alan Levinovitz at Slate that the regulation isn’t really a new law, instead “it’s an official heads up that if you want to avoid litigation you need to play by the rules.” The rules require that either the homeopathic medicines back up their health claims with scientific evidence or they must add some pretty embarrassing information to bottles. First, they must communicate that there is no documented scientific evidence that the remedies work. Second, there needs to be a disclaimer that the theory of homeopathy is based on ideas dreamt up in the 1800s and are not accepted by modern medicine. The alternative medicine known as homeopathy was born in 1814 as the brainchild of German physician Samuel Hahnemann. The practice has two principles. First, like treats like. For instance, if a patient had a fever, Hahnemann would treat him or her with a drug that induced fever; if allergies were the problem, he would use onions that produced allergy-like symptoms. The other pillar of the practice was dilution. Hahnemann has previously suggested diluting some medicines by as much as one part in 100,000,000. He insisted that by shaking the medicine vigorously while diluting, it retained its power, which he called ‘dematerialized spiritual force’— the more a tincture was diluted, the more its supposed power. The new announcement was met with praise from many. “This is a real victory for reason, science and the health of the American people,” Michael De Dora, public policy director for The Center for Inquiry, an organization the monitors fringe science, says in a press release. “The FTC has made the right decision to hold manufacturers accountable for the absolutely baseless assertions they make about homeopathic products.” Steven Salzberg at Forbes reports that in its policy statement, the FTC eggs on the FDA to crack down on homeopathy and subject the compounds to the same rules other OTC drugs face, though there is no indication whether the FDA has any interest in pursuing the matter. Still, not everyone believes the crackdown will do much to slow the sales of homeopathy. In fact, Levinovitz reports that disclaimers do little to dissuade consumers from buying sham products. And people interested in homeopathy are already skeptics of mainstream, medicine, he writes. A claim that doctors disapprove might actually be a selling point. “Similarly, the appeal to antiquity means that mentioning homeopathy’s ancient origin will actually serve to bolster its plausibility,” he writes. “After all, goes the fallacious thinking, if it weren’t true and didn’t work how could it have stuck around for over two centuries?” |
History has always been popular in intellectual circles; be it in the form of reenactments, board games, or never-ending debates taking place at the shops of old book dealers; we are infatuated with our past, and many of us seek to get as close as we can too it. Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy game, but that doesn’t stop people from trying to make things more accurate. As soon as it got into the hands of the consumers, we started to change things. We wanted to see if it could support a more realistic setting, and it could (as well as a historical game really can). While the masses were cool with imaginary worlds, those who had (or would have) sought out historical gaming began to tinker; their goal was to envision what it would be like to be soldiers in the age of Rome, or perhaps a knight in a French Court; not only could the system support it, but it actually provided an even greater challenge to play. Not only can you run an entire campaign in medieval worlds, but with enough know how and tinkering, anything was possible. From the prehistoric dawn of men, to the imagined dusk of our planet, our AD&D books allowed unlimited potential. There have always been those guys who were experts of a time period, and could easily twist and shape the settings to fit a specific mold, but what about the rest of us? Those that don’t have the time to completely overhaul and customize the basic rules into something useful, or have the knowledge base to get a decent enough grasp on the world in question; can they still experience it? Well, one can always buy in. From the earliest days of the hobby other people started to publish their changes, to the irritation and chagrin of the games founders. I’m sure that you all know what resulted from that! So, I won’t go into it. The first OFFICIAL book to support historical play was the title, Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-gods & Heroes , which would become Legends& Lore . It had just enough info to get the common man started, and considering the fact that this book, which wasn’t associated with any other product in the TSR arsenal, has always done so well, why not do some expanding? RuneQuest provided an excellent world; but that didn’t put any coins into TSR’s pockets, besides, since the Federal Government said that they couldn’t shut them down, clearly the only thing that they could do was undercut them, right? The idea was to create an inexpensive gateway to historical ideas, and the first cultural entry into the 2e arena was a big one, Vikings! Of course this has been done before, Chaosism’s game, provided an excellent world; but that didn’t put any coins into TSR’s pockets, besides, since the Federal Government said that they couldn’t shut them down, clearly the only thing that they could do was undercut them, right? In May of 1991, Product 9322, Viking Campaign Sourcebook kicked off the Historical Reference Series, it was written by none other than Dave Cook, the biggest name in TSR at the time, and it would had been really interesting to see what he could had come up with, however as much as people love this book, it has some serious issues. The point behind HR1 wasn’t to provide a new setting. By this time TSR had lots of them to choose from! The purpose of this book was to be a cheap digest which expanded upon the ideas found in Legends & Lore ; that is it. TSR was making a ton of money not selling settings, or campaign ideas, but ADVENTURES! That was the primary focus, and we consumers at the time were totally enabling this behavior; I remember standing at the D&D shelf and debating if I should buy this book or a totally forgettable module that I would probably never end up running anyway . . . unfortunately, I, like many of my compatriots, bought the module instead, but I don’t think that that really would had mattered. The Green HR series wasn’t meant to be anything other than a small print run and move on to the next project as fast as you can. Unfortunately, the small print run has translated into the collectors market, and as a user of these games I’m not paying the collectors prices to get $15 of information. It was designed cheap and it sold for cheap. I never did own it, but I was able to borrow a copy of it to do this review, so let’s look at what this title has to offer, shall we? CHAPTER 1: Introduction Right off the bat a glaring problem is exposed. Cook wrote this introduction before the editor got done with making the cuts to create exactly 15 dollars of content. How do I know this? Well, it is simple: Cook tells us that he’ll show us how to incorporate this book into other commercial settings, but he never does; that chapter or paragraph was cut, and instead of correcting this error, it went right to the printer and nobody ever looked back. One can say that it was just a simple typo, but I don’t think there should be any typos in this chapter. If the writer says that it provides something that it doesn’t, even something as pointless as how to incorporate it into Forgotten Realms, it is sloppy and disrespects the readers who forked over their money for this thing. I know that at the time that this book was published, it took me almost 3 hours of work at my crummy job to earn the $15 necessary to buy this book. The chapter does start the process of telling you about the real Vikings by addressing misconceptions that many people have, and another oddity of this book is that it isn’t all that historically accurate; it says that it is, but what it really is is a chance to play in the fantasy world of Vikings, which is cool! But one is not going to get a very good grasp on the real world of the Vikings from a gaming digest, no matter what the author implies, but it is cheaper than RuneQuest and faster to read, right? Moving on. CHAPTER 2: A Mini-Course of Viking History This is a very helpful chapter, it is full of specifics, and it gives laymen a very fast history lesson that is fun to read. It also points out that this is a game, not a historical reference, regardless of what was written on the cover (Sorry, I’m being grouchy, but it is irritating). The timeline takes you from 800-1100, and crams as much material in as they could possibly get. It at least allows you to have a fun game with a historic feel, and provides research points to expand on your knowledge base, which is cool! Starting something like this from the small entry found in the Legends & Lore book would be extremely difficult, so this chapter functions. CHAPTER 3: Of Characters & Combat I’m not totally on board with this chapter, but I understand it being included. I think that it is easier to allow the Viking age to provide its own very high level of challenge, but we can always do this by cutting back, if the user wants more information than he is just out of luck. I see this chapter as catering to power-gamers, but that is just me. I can always ignore things. In this book, players can get their human characters gifts by rolling against a table that is full of weirdness, some of it providing good roleplaying opportunities, and others being either pointless, ruins the character, or gives the DM even more paperwork to do. One of the oddities of the book is the race restrictions, they say you can’t play an elf (okay), nor a dwarf (huh?), but you can play something called a Trollborn, which is totally historically accurate and not aimed at power-gaming at all. I don’t get it, but then again I’m no fun. There were many unnecessary cuts done to available classes, and the inclusion of a Berserker class which they say is exciting and totally unique to this book, makes me wonder how long this thing sat on the shelf. Well, I suppose that since the rules for this class allow the player to shapeshift into wolves and bears, and have followers that make no moral checks; this is somewhat different than the previous versions that had actually been play-tested. There is some good stuff in this chapter too, I like the lists of names that it provides, this is something that I always do myself because I suck at coming up with names on the fly. I also like how they included a list of Languages that the player can know, or can be used during play. Little things like that impress me more than Trollborn Sorcerers. It also gives some suggestions for the DM on how to settle in on a specific location and time period which is helpful too. CHAPTER 4: Rune Magic nd Edition spells and replacing the system with this one. I do like me some alternative magic systems! My concern is that this hasn’t been play-tested, but considering that we like to fiddle anyway, this probably isn’t that big of a deal. This is a really good idea for the original cover price! Not all that historically accurate, but considering that there are some This is an interesting chapter; it suggests ignoring the 2Edition spells and replacing the system with this one. I do like me some alternative magic systems! My concern is that this hasn’t been play-tested, but considering that we like to fiddle anyway, this probably isn’t that big of a deal. This is a really good idea for the original cover price! Not all that historically accurate, but considering that there are some really good books and webpages on the subject of runes, it forms a decent base for the DM to create his own system. CHAPTER 5: . . . And Monsters This chapter is actually pretty good, sure most of it is modified monsters from the MM, but sometimes this book goes the extra mile and gives you a good list of Giant Names, or points out how Dwarfs and Elves differ from those that we are used to running. Not a bad chapter! They even hid a nice map of the area in this section, not sure why, but thanks! CHAPTER 6: Equipment & Treasure This is cool, it gives us the ability to eliminate coin completely, and easily convert it over to the PHB gaming terms. There is something cool about changing the name of the coins, I’ll do it for a little bit, and then typically the novelty wears off and we are back to using GP again. I do like the novelty though! As far as the equipment is concerned, they copied most of the PHB equipment and just wrote N/A for the cost; which totally makes more sense than just offering its own equipment lists specifically written for this book. Many players enjoy having things dangled in front of their faces and being told that they can’t have it, it helps with the illusion by drawing attention to the weaknesses of this specific system which I’m sure that you will find very helpful when you are trying to convince your friends to play it. Now, to be fair, it does give you brand new items which you can buy: 10 of them. And one of them is a comb. Excuse my French, but WHAT? Is the comb considered the greatest technological invention of the Viking era? “Comb: Combs were valuable trade items and gifts, simply because they were hard to make. The teeth were carved from a thin piece of wood, whalebone or other material. This sheet was then mounted between two other pieces of wood, ivory, amber, antler, or other ornamental material to make the handle. Combs were often elaborately decorated with silver or gold fittims. These were treasures in their own right.” Right! Moving on: Not only do you get this fascinating piece of equipment, but there is a list of Art Objects, which must had been written later, or the writer of the book thought that perhaps that comb didn’t belonged here; after all, how can a Viking fight when he’s got hair in his eyes? As far as magical treasure is concerned, once again it lists everything that the player CAN’T have, instead of focusing on what they can. It does add some decent magical items that are unique to this title, and are really cool. Why you can find a Ring of Money, but not a Helm of Underwater Action is beyond me. CHAPTER 7: The Viking Culture This is one of those classic 2e chapters that you either love or you hate. It follows a year in the life of a guy named Ivan, and through his eyes you learn something about the Culture, which probably was the real reason that you bought this book. Once you see how he lived, it goes into explaining the Social Ranking system, the way of the warrior, addressing female characters (a true bonus to playing a Viking type character), houses and farms, little maps of typical buildings, and much more: this chapter is the true workhorse! And was a tremendous value at the time that it was published! Ignore everything else, and just read this chapter and you’ll probably be happier. CHAPTER 8: A Brief Gazetteer Another good chapter, this one describes the world as the Viking knew it to be. This is the actual setting of the game, and is wonderfully done. It is easy to reference and allows a layman with no previous knowledge to run the illusion of an authentic campaign. Also included were full color maps which increased the value of this title considerably, even by today’s standards this is nice. OVERVIEW The last two chapters, while valuable, still don’t justify the current market price for this title. As a product of its time it was very valuable, but you have to remember that it came out before the internet, owning this book saved you a trip to the library! It still provides something that is easy to reference. As a stand-alone item, this simple book did the work of an entire box set, it is just too bad that it was poorly designed, and terribly edited. The biggest failure of this title, believe it or not, is one that I haven’t even gotten to yet, as it isn’t something that was put in, but something that was clearly left out. You see a boat on the cover; the boat was essential to life for these people, and you get a cute little drawing of some Viking ships, but guess what. You are still expected to use the horrible rules found in the DMG which do not function. Wouldn’t this have been a great place to put some easy to use mechanics which allows better ship travel? Clearly this was a lost opportunity which I feel that this book must be held accountable for. |
Last week, the government set out key elements of its strategy for achieving Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. It seeks a soft landing to a hard Brexit. It wants a time-limited transition period after March 2019, when Britain is due to leave the bloc. During that period, the government hopes for a “close association with the EU customs union”. When it ends, Britain will leave the customs union but seek “a new customs arrangement” that preserves “the freest and most frictionless trade possible” and Britain will then seek a free trade agreement. These proposals are beset with ambiguity and difficulty, although the idea of a transitional agreement has been welcomed by business. Brexiters fear – and some Remainers hope – that at the end of the transitional period it will be found to have been so comfortable that it will be extended. In that case, Britain would, to a significant degree, remain in the EU, but as a de facto satellite rather than a participating member. Remainers put too much faith in the transitional agreement. Business seeks certainty so that new investment can be undertaken without fear that market conditions will radically alter. A transitional agreement cannot provide this. It merely offers a stay of execution. A company seeking to decide whether to invest is not helped by being told that the period of uncertainty, instead of being 18 months, will be prolonged for a further two years. But business also seeks a business-friendly final agreement. That also seems problematic. If Britain seeks merely a free trade agreement, it would be natural for her to join the European Free Trade Association, which Britain left when she joined the EU in 1973. But that does nothing for services nor for the non-tariff barriers that constitute so important an element in modern international trade. That is why, of the four Efta members, three – Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – are also members of the European Economic Area, which involves, in return for access to the internal market, accepting the principle of free movement, together with many of the laws of the EU. The fourth member of Efta – Switzerland – is not a member of the EEA, but has a series of about 120 cumbrous bilateral agreements with Brussels so as to secure access to the internal market. These agreements require the transposition of European Union law into Swiss domestic law, so that Switzerland too accepts many of the laws of the bloc. Turkey, which perhaps enjoys the kind of “close association” with the EU customs union that the government has in mind, has a customs agreement with Brussels. But, when the bloc signs a free trade agreement with a third country, Turkey’s markets are opened to that third country and so those same countries have no incentive to sign separate trade deals with her. The third country’s markets, however, are not necessarily opened to Turkey – because she is not a member of the EU and Turkey has no vote on the union’s trade or commercial policy. She has to submit to regulation without representation. Turkey does not even receive, in return, frictionless trade, as anyone who has seen the queues of lorries at the Bulgarian border – some 1,000 trucks a day, gridlocked, with their drivers cursing the seemingly endless paperwork – can testify. Turkey, therefore, is not a model for Britain, but a warning. The British government, however, favours a bespoke free trade agreement, one specifically tailored to British needs. What the negotiators hope for is an agreement offering some of the advantages of the customs union and the internal market without the obligations of EU membership. In Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s novel The Leopard, the hero’s nephew, Tancredi, declares that everything needs to change so that everything can stay the same. The negotiators would like Britain’s obligations to the EU to change while the benefits stay the same. It is not clear why Brussels should agree to such an arrangement, which will seem to the member states to be a form of reward to a member state that is leaving because it no longer wishes to pay the subscription or accept the obligations attached to membership. The EU does not have a frictionless customs border with any country outside the single market or customs union. Indeed, Michel Barnier, the EU commission’s chief negotiator, confirmed last week that such an arrangement was not logically possible and the bloc has not so far allowed any country to obtain the benefits of the internal market or the customs union without imposing obligations in the form of obedience to EU laws. Theresa May, it is often forgotten, was a Remainer in 2016 and inherited a crisis not of her making. She has now secured a document around which the various elements in her cabinet can unite. But, inevitably, the real choices are obscured. For unless Britain is prepared to accept EU laws that she has no role in formulating, there seems no middle way between accepting the logic of Brexit, which means leaving the internal market and the customs union or remaining. The Brexiters, however, hope for benefits outside the EU. For many Conservatives, the logic of Brexit was a resurrection of Thatcherism. They wanted Britain to become a free trade global hub, purged of tariffs, subsidies and regulations, a European Singapore. But whatever the merits of that solution, the election has clearly shown that there is no majority for it in the country. Other benefits sought by Brexiters may be slow in arriving. Trade deals with third countries will take time to negotiate, as Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, discovered when he stepped into a controversy over chlorinated chicken while in Washington; and, whatever the merits of the American system of separation of powers, it does not make for speedy congressional ratification of treaties. Meanwhile, the cheque for the £350m a week for the National Health Service promised in the referendum seems to have been lost in the post. The election showed that Brexit continues to divide the British people. Some have argued that the country is united around it since 87% of voters – the total percentage of votes cast for the two major parties – supported parties favouring Brexit. But that is absurd. For, clearly, many Remainers voted Conservative or Labour and there is evidence that the swing to Labour was caused in part by Remainers seeking revenge. The truth is that both Conservatives and Labour are divided on Brexit. The majority of MPs and the majority in the cabinet voted Remain. For this reason, whatever the outcome of the negotiations, the government might find it difficult to secure parliamentary support for the deal. Indeed, it might have to rely on Labour votes to achieve it. The angst that this would cause could lead to serious ructions in the Conservative party. In March 2019, therefore, Tories may well come to the view that there is a stronger case for another referendum than they currently believe. In the New Statesman, George Eaton argues that to hold another referendum would show disrespect to those who voted last year by 52% to 48% for Brexit. However, Nigel Farage told the Daily Mirror on 16 May last year – 38 days before the referendum – that “in a 52-48 referendum this would be unfinished business by a long way”. The BBC quoted him as saying that “there could be an unstoppable demand for a rerun of the EU referendum if Remain wins by a narrow margin”. “Win or lose this battle,” Farage declared, “we will win this war.” Brexiters can hardly deny to their opponents the same democratic right that they claim for themselves, unless they secretly fear that the British public has, in fact, had second thoughts. The sovereignty of the people, after all, did not come to a sudden end on 5 June 2016. Finality, Disraeli said, is not the language of politics. By March 2019, the outlines of the deal should be reasonably clear, since the withdrawal agreement is required to take into account “the framework of its future relationship with the union”. That framework will need to be approved by parliament. But it can be legitimised only by the people through a referendum, which would either endorse it or show that voters no longer wished to leave the European Union. Vernon Bogdanor is professor of government, King’s College, London |
Terrorist or hipster — what does a beard mean? Posted The way someone looks — the size of their nose or the abundance of body or facial hair — is an amusing topic of dinner discussions in my Lebanese–Australian family. The topic that has dominated lately has been the "look" of my two brothers. With big dark eyes, prominent noses, tattooed muscles and distinctive beards, their appearance has become an anxiety issue for my parents. In the hope of reforming their style choices, my parents have repeatedly told them to "shave your beards off, you look like terrorists!" Their justification was all around them in the Western media: young Arabs with a beard equalled terrorist. Early last year my parents' plea prompted my project You Look Like a …, where I photographed young bearded men of Arabic appearance. My criteria were that they had to appear Arabic (regardless of their ethnic background) and that they wore beards not as a religious, cultural or political commitment but rather as a style choice. Of the 11 men, eight are of Arabic heritage, one of Italian heritage, one of South American ancestry and one Anglo-Celtic. My question was: can a young Arabic man (or a man who simply has a dark beard and dark "look") enjoy the same style choices and physical freedoms as his fairer Anglo counterparts? I am inclined to argue that they cannot. In the West the beard itself arouses suspicion. Naturally, the first participants in the project were my two brothers, Kristan and Matthew. Matthew's portrait in particular piqued my interest. The beard that made him look like a terrorist (in my parents' terms) was also the beard that made him look like an urban hipster. The contemporary male hipster is defined by his abundant designer beard, in the manner of a (well-groomed) lumberjack or Ned Kelly. I'm intrigued by the entanglement of the hipster with the bearded jihadi who features with ever-increasing regularity in Western newspapers, television and Hollywood film. These two figures have become entwined in the faces of my brothers and other young, Arabic-appearing men. The 11 men in my project reported cases of "soft" racism through jokes such as, "What are you blowing up today?" or "ISIS has stopped recruiting". The eight of Arabic heritage all reported being stopped for "random" bag searches at the airport every time they travelled. Nine of the men described their choice to wear a beard as one dictated by the latest male grooming trends. The remaining two simply hadn't shaved and acknowledged their "Arabic-ness" was exaggerated with as little as a three-day growth. Another participant, George, reported a similar story to my brothers, with his parents imploring him to shave it off. I consciously embraced the association of hispter/jihadi in this project. The portraits deliberately exaggerate what the men's faces have in common — the beard and a dark appearance. There's little else to look at in the portraits. Each individual is photographed against a stark white background, wearing a uniform black t-shirt. Each man has averted his gaze from the camera, challenging the trope of identification photos that require subjects to stare into the lens. Interestingly, if you live in the Arab world as one of my brothers does, dark skin, thick eyebrows, dark eyes and a beard constitute the desirable norm. However, in Australia it's far from typical. While being Australian guarantees all the subjects in my portraits the rights of Australian citizenship, they cannot escape the heritage of their appearance. My brothers accept the irony of the situation, in true hipster fashion. Rather than assimilate, hide and blend in, they wear their "otherness", empowered by the knowledge that their style choice is represented in the faces of other young Arabic-appearing men — not just in Newtown and Fitzroy, but the world over. Cherine Fahd is a photo-based artist and senior lecturer in photography at the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, UTS. Her research and practice concentrates on photographic explorations of concealment, portraiture and the performance of identity. Originally published in The Conversation Topics: photography, arts-and-entertainment, multiculturalism, religion-and-beliefs, community-and-society, australia |
Palad Khik (Thai: ปลัดขิก, pronounced [pàˈlàt ˈkʰìk], RTGS: palatkhik) is a kind of Thai amulet that is shaped like a penis. The phrase "palad khik" means "honorable surrogate penis". These amulets range from a few inches to several feet long in length. The smaller versions are usually worn on the body while the larger versions are displayed in shops and other establishments.[1] Origin [ edit ] Palad Khik originated in India and relate to the Hindu god Shiva, who is usually represented by Shiva Linga. They were brought to Southeast Asia via the Cham people and remained in the region ever since. [2] The Chinese concept called Yang is similar, where Shiva is represented abstractly in the form of Linga (male genitalia). Sometimes the linga are accompanied by Yoni (female genitalia). Together, the linga and yoni symbolize unity and the powers of creation and destruction.[3] The Palad Khik, as a phallic representation of Shiva, is also an animistic symbol of fertility. It is not uncommon in Thailand to see a penis amulet hanging on a convenience store or a restaurant, or even being sold by old women on the street. Although outsiders may regard these as offensive, ordinary Thais are deeply superstitious and lucky charms and talismans are still regarded as important. [4] Palad Khik can be made from wood, metal, bone, horn or ivory, and they are created by monks who specialize in them. Engraving the sacred inscriptions is an important ritual and can take many days to complete. Cast metal palad khiks do not always have these inscriptions, but they may have animal symbols.[5] Palad khik amulets must be empowered by the repetition of incantations, which Thais call 'Kata Bucha', derived from the Devanagari 'ghata poojah'. The incantations depend on the creator's lineage in each school of traditional non-Buddhist animist magic. Kata Bucha Palad Khik would commonly be a four syllable heart Mantra (Kata Hua Jai), such as 'Ganha Neha' and 'Na Ma Pa Ta', or, 'Ja Pa Ga Sa' [6] Variations of use and purpose [ edit ] Palad Khiks are usually worn by males on a cord around their waist under the clothes and off-center from the real penis. It is not unusual for a male to wear many palad khiks at the same time, in the hope to attract women, increase gambling luck and protection from dangerous objects such as bullets and knives.[7] At times, women in Thailand also carry it in their purses to protect them from rape and mugging. Shop owners display them in their shops or in the cash register area to protect their business and also bring good luck and sales.[8] A notable feature of this type of amulet is it can be worn in places considered as lowly or unclean such as bars, gambling casinos and brothels. Normally, you cannot bring a Buddhist amulet inside such establishments.[9] See also [ edit ] Notes [ edit ] References [ edit ] |
In short, the end of the world is coming, as predicted by Agnes Nutter, Witch. The Antichrist is among us, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are preparing to ride, and a duke of hell is trying to stop it all with his best friend, an angel. Thousands of years have gone into planning this event, and still the most crucial parts manage to go wrong. The Antichrist is accidentally placed in afamily (instead of a Satanist family), and his raging Hellhound turns out to be a small mongrel dog named Dog (and is starting to like it that way). It would all be a bit easier if people could decipher the nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter before they came true."We hear the world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. Unfortunately, Sister Mary Loquacious of the Chattering Order has misplaced the Antichrist. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride motorcycles. And the representatives from Heaven and Hell have decided they actuallythe human race..." - Good Omens (back cover)Good Omens, the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, WitchTerry Pratchett and Neil GaimanCorgi Books (1990)9.8 / 10There are many characters in this book, all of which establish relationships with the reader so that you are always looking for ways to get more personal with them. Starting with Crowley (because you have to start somewhere) and Aziraphale, they are a Duke of Hell and an Angel respectively. Their unique relationship is fun to see develop; they are natural enemies, but turn out to be best friends because they only have each other over the centuries they spend on Earth. Strictly they are still on opposing sides, but are on an "agree to disagree" based relationship and get along very well."But after we win life will be better!" croaked the angel."But it won't be as interesting."The Antichrist, at least by birth, not by upbringing, turned out to be a normal boy called Adam in a small town with his own little gang of friends. The Hellhound is a little mongrel named Dog. If anyone had the slightest idea about the coming of Armageddon, and enough people did, it wasn't Adam. He has more important things to do, like starting the English Inquisition."Fancy me holding the Antichrist," said Sister Mary. "And bathing the Antichrist. And counting his little toesy-wosies..."There are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, led by Death, familiar to those who've read a few Discworld novels, ride motorcycles. They have gained a few extra members, tag-alongs from the last biker bar they stopped at, but unfortunately it will only be the original Four that complete the ride."DON'T THINK OF IT AS DYING, said Death. JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH." (You will always know Death in Terry Pratchett's books as the one who SPEAKS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS)The descendant of Agnes Nutter, Anathema, is trying to interpret the prophesies and find the Antichrist with Newton, the descendant of the witch-hunter who initiated the burning of Agnes Nutter. Agnes knew all of this, naturally, and made sure none of the people who were there watching her burn at the stake survived."That's how it goes, you think you're on top of the world, and suddenly they spring Armageddon on you."I think Good Omens is a good read for readers of all ages. It's packed with big and little jokes, puns, and parodies relating to other literature and life mostly. I have great respect for an English teacher who makes this book a required one for his or her class, either in high school or university. It enriches the reader in culture, history, psychology and so much more. It's been long enough where we hear the same side of the same story, Good Omens is the bestof the end of the world, you shouldn't pass this one up. |
Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, and Paul Ryan do not all want to shut down the government over border wall funding. But one of them does. Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Nicholas Kamm, Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images. President Trump, having secured no “wall money” in the latest congressional funding fight in April, vowed to try again before federal appropriations expire at the end of September. At his Phoenix rally on Tuesday night, the president promised the crowd that, even “if we have to close down our government, we’re building that wall.” As if a lapse in appropriations automatically converts into wall funding, as opposed to a tedious federal standoff that damages the unified governing party. The reaction on the Hill to Trump’s threat has been a chorus of bless his heart. Both House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, recognizing that the wall is not a priority outside of Trump’s base, are comfortable with their leverage. “If the President pursues this path, against the wishes of both Republicans and Democrats, as well as the majority of the American people,” Schumer said in a terse statement, “he will be heading towards a government shutdown which nobody will like and which won’t accomplish anything.” Pelosi, meanwhile, promised that “Democrats will stand fast against the immoral, ineffective border wall and the rest of Republicans’ unacceptable poison pill riders.” Senate and House Republicans claim that they’re trying to help Trump get his wall money, but they’re hesitant to commit to how far they’re willing to go. Earlier this month, Paul Ryan produced a techno-soundtracked web video (hell yeah) about how “it’s time” to build the wall, and the House passed $1.6 billion in wall and other border security funding in the spending package it approved before recess. But that spending package was little more than a show vote the House made to give its members something to talk about on recess. The real spending deal, as always, will be made between Democratic and Republican appropriators in private negotiations, and appropriators have little patience for ideological quests. When asked for his response Wednesday to Trump’s threat, our techno-pumping, wall-loving, bad-ass House speaker said that “I don’t think a government shutdown is necessary and I don’t think most people want to see a government shutdown, ourselves included.” Meanwhile, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn said Wednesday that he viewed Trump’s threat as him “laying down the tough line,” i.e., a negotiation tactic. “Obviously, we need to get the border secured, and we’ve come up with a plan to do that. And we need to pass that legislation, I think, and then we can go back and appropriate the money to complete the bill on the incremental basis.” Translation: There is not much appetite within the Senate Republican caucus for shutting down the government over the wall. Neither Trump nor Hill Democrats seem interested in budging in their positions, and both Hill Democrats and Hill Republicans seem to think that a government shutdown over the wall would fare poorly for Hill Republicans. Worsening Republicans’ conundrum, the shutdown will be extra bad when Trump tells his base to blame the mess on the GOP Congress. It’s almost like Republican lawmakers just can’t win with this guy in office. The real discussions between Democrats and Republicans, once Congress returns after Labor Day, will be about finding some compromise that allows Trump to save face and Democrats to declare victory. That could mean funding certain Democratic policy priorities, like the Affordable Care Act’s cost-sharing reduction payments, while giving the president additional funds for replacement fencing or other border security technology. If Trump demands a concrete wall, it is hard to see Democrats agreeing to it or Republicans going to bat for it. If Trump’s ultimatum is that it’s either a wall or shutdown, we could see the standoff end with the first major legislative break—i.e., not just the occasional Twitter bickering—between congressional Republicans and the president. Given the president’s tendency to hold a grudge, such a break could set the tone for the rest of his term. House and Senate Republican leaders, recognizing that a shutdown could be punishing for their majorities, might decide to send Trump a bipartisan bill to the president’s desk that dodges hot-button issues altogether. That would put ownership of a prolonged shutdown squarely on the president’s shoulders if he chose to veto it. For all of the punditry trying to ascertain if there’s been a true break between Hill Republicans and the president over his difficult last few weeks, divining meaning from cryptic statements won’t be necessary much longer. It will materialize legislatively. |
Trying Not To Try The Big Idea: Why The World's Most Attractive Trait Is... Effortlessness I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that, back in my graduate school days, I used to try to meet women by sitting in a café “working,” with the classical Chinese texts that I was supposed to be translating ostentatiously scattered around my table. A young white guy, sitting in a café, with his motorcycle helmet also not so subtly perched nearby, reading this densely-printed Chinese book — you’d think at least one of the many attractive women passing by would be intrigued. Not a single one was. The problem was probably that, as immersed as I attempted to seem in my exotic books, I was no doubt throwing off all sorts of micro-signals of insincerity: eyes constantly wandering from my “work,” turning slightly every time someone new came in the door. I began to suspect what was going wrong, so I also tried really hard not to look around at the various attractive women in my environment, to get really get interested in my work, again with only limited success. The most ironic aspect of all this was that the Chinese material that I was studying in this café had to do with two important concepts in early Chinese thought, wu-wei (pronounced oooo-way) and de (pronounced duh), that explain why my strategy for meeting women was doomed to failure. Wu-wei literally translates as “no trying” or “no doing,” but is better rendered as something like “effortless action.” People in wu-wei are completely unselfconscious and feel as if they are doing nothing, while at the same time they might be creating a brilliant work of art or smoothly negotiating a complex social situation. If you are in wu-wei you have de, typically translated as “virtue,” “power,” or “charismatic power.” De is an outward signal that one is in wu-wei, and comes in handy in a variety of ways. For rulers and others involved in political life, it has a powerful, seemingly magical effect on those around them. They don’t have to issue threats or offer rewards, because people simply want to obey them. In ordinary life, de causes people to like you, trust you, and be relaxed around you. Even wild animals leave you alone. Although, to my knowledge, no early Chinese thinker directly addressed the issue of dating, the applications are clear. Anyone who has ever been single for a significant amount of time, for example, is familiar with the “never rains but it pours” phenomenon: you can sometimes go for long periods of being alone, desperately trying to meet someone but having no luck. Then something happens, you meet somebody, have a great time, and suddenly it’s raining women or men (or both, if you’re so inclined). Attractive people smile at you on the street, strike up conversations with you in cafes. It's not that you've changed your look or had a sudden pheromone transplant. It's about de. You are more attractive to others when you’re wu-wei. The problem is that it’s hard to know what to do with this knowledge. How do you make yourself not want something that you actually do want? This paradox suggests that there are some basic problems with any strategy that aims to teach you how to fake wu-wei in order to get its benefits. Right around the time I was trying, unsuccessfully, to look cool and uninterested in San Francisco cafes (the mid-1990s) a book came out called The Rules: Time-tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right, with lots of advice aimed at women about how to attract interest by pretending not to be interested. In other words, it was a manual for how to create artificial de. Despite the enormous amount of money it’s made for the authors, as well as the cottage industry that’s sprung up to train people in “the Rules,” it’s not at all clear that it works very well. Similar guidelines that have been created for men — like Neil Strauss, author of The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists — are of similarly uncertain usefulness. The strain of actively trying not to try eventually shows, and it is enormously unattractive to others. You can’t fake de. Human beings are certainly good liars, but we’re also Super Cheater Detectors, and for very good evolutionary reasons. Many goals in life — happiness, creativity, love — cannot be obtained through direct trying. They need to arrive unbidden, as natural, organic outcomes of a life well lived. This means that, when it comes to dating, it’s best to refrain from trying too hard. If the early Chinese Daoists and Confucians are not authoritative enough for you, you can also ponder the words of the great sage and musician Jonathan Richman. In a classic Modern Lovers track, he addresses obnoxious “bellbottom bummers” — stylish, shallow men who try hard to pick up women, but end up getting rudely blown off. He urges these hipsters remember the example of Pablo Picasso: “He could walk down the street and girls could not resist his stare / Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole.” As an historical claim, this is debatable (Picasso was not the nicest guy in the world, and probably got called all sorts of colourful things by women.) As a description of the power of de, however, it can’t be beat. True de, true attractiveness, comes out of sincere absorption into something you care about — artistic creation, scholarly absorption, even a genuine connection with your drinking buddies — not calculated clothing choices or pick-up lines. What you choose to embrace doesn’t matter, as long as it’s something that you’re genuinely not doing for strategic reasons. As Laozi, one of the early Daoists, says, “Do nothing, and nothing will be left undone.” Edward Slingerland is the author of Trying Not To Try: The Art of Effortlessness and the Power of Spontaneity (Cannongate Books). He is also an internationally renowned expert in early Chinese thought and Professor of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia. |
Share the News Generally speaking, Port Covington stole the most attention this year among Baltimore’s potentially transformative development projects. However, the expansion of the 1.7-mile Howard Street Tunnel was not far behind, and it still remains the project that could arguably have the greatest effect on Baltimore’s economic role relative to the rest of the country. That’s because the 121-year-old tunnel serves as a gateway for incoming and outgoing freight containers carried by rail from the Port of Baltimore to states inland and up and down the eastern seaboard. Unfortunately, because of two feet of missing space, the tunnel is unable to fit double-stacked cargo containers, an increasingly necessary capability with the advent of extra-large cargo ships now coming into the port from the Panama Canal. The cost to increase the clearance of the tunnel had once been estimated in the billions, but is now a fraction of that — $445 million, to be exact. Officials have said that instead of needing take off the entire roof of the tunnel, they could instead through lower the floor and create extra space on top. Rail freight giant CSX and the state have already ponied up $290 million of that money, but need the federal government to fill in the gap with a $155 million federal FASTLANE grant. Five months ago, the feds rejected an application for the same amount from the State of Maryland. The Department of Transportation decided to use its $800 million pool for 18 other projects deemed worthy of funding. But today, Gov. Hogan announced that the state has reapplied for the grant. “This is an essential project for the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, and the entire East Coast,” said Hogan in a statement. “Reconstructing the Howard Street Tunnel will create thousands of jobs, open up new trade lanes for the Port, and improve overall freight rail service across our nation.” The chances that the federal government will grant this money remain very unclear, particularly with a new incoming presidential administration. However, Gov. Hogan previously said the project scored well in the FASTLANE application process and just barely missed the cut. The DOT has also requested $50 million more in the federal budget from the grant program, which could free up some space for Baltimore. Furthermore, Mayor Catherine Pugh has already handed Donald Trump a letter requesting he lend the city a hand with money for the tunnel expansion, among other projects. The city has a strong case for why the Department of Transportation should pick the Howard Street Tunnel from its stack of applications for 2017. The port has made strides, being ranked the most efficient port in the country three times in the last two years and bringing in its first XL cargo ship this past year. According to an estimate from Hogan’s office, the port would be able to handle 80,000 more containers once the tunnel has been expanded. That would translate to increased freight output, more jobs and benefits for the freight industry extending to other parts of the country. |
This past February, we first reported that Trump Tower would be coming to Vancouver. Fast forward a few months as next week, a media conference is scheduled featuring a special visit by “The Donald” himself and an announcement that will clarify the rumours about the long-awaited new hotel/condo project at 1133 West Georgia Street. Next Wednesday, June 19, the Trump family (Mr. Donald J. Trump, Mr. Donald Trump, Jr., Ms. Ivanka Trump and Mr. Eric Trump) will be coming to Vancouver to celebrate the official launch of Holborn, TA Global and the Trump Organization’s new project. In attendance will be Mr. Joo Kim Tiah, President and CEO of Holborn, Mr. Donald J. Trump, Mr. Donald Trump, Jr., Ms. Ivanka Trump and Mr. Eric Trump. Finalized visuals and details of the project will be revealed during the news conference. As we stated previously in February 2013: It is important to note that Donald Trump is not investing in the tower, he is merely selling his Trump brand to the developer. The developers of the recently completed 65-storey Trump International Hotel and Tower in Toronto also took the same path. Like the Toronto tower, the hotel aspect of this new Vancouver skyscraper will likely be operated by the five-star Trump Hotel Collection chain. The site was originally planned to be branded as a Ritz-Carlton Vancouver, however, the financial crisis put a damper on this project. It has since been revived and with the Trump name behind it; the cursed site will soon finally see a tower sitting on it. This $500-million architectural gem is very much needed to break the ice in our sea of cookie-cutter condos. This city is in great need of and deserves better architecture and the semi-twisting tower is most certainly unique to Vancouver. The skyscraper was originally designed by the late Arthur Erickson and will stand at a height of 617 feet, making it the second tallest building in Vancouver after the Shangri-La Hotel across the street. Click here for architectural renderings of Trump Tower Vancouver. |
Oh, just an unsettling, clown-related update from Bushwick: a store called Broadway Electronics was robbed for $4,400 worth of merchandise earlier this week, in broad daylight and by three men in clown masks “wielding pistols.” “It’s a shocking thing,” the store’s owner said. “There were three guys with guns dressed as clowns. They even took stuff from the customers.” Apparently, it’s part of a string of bad luck for the business. “It’s crazy, that store has been robbed four or five times over the years,” an employee of the 99 cent store next door told the Daily News. One likely reason: its total lack of functioning surveillance cameras, which they may or may not be addressing (the store was temporarily closed “for renovation” as of Tuesday). Security cameras or no, nobody deserves to be robbed at gunpoint by a clown (or by anybody), and it would have been nice not to have my fondest memory of walking down Broadway—the time I saw a guy relaxing on a stoop at like 10pm in full clown regalia—not be permanently tainted. Anyway, probably good to keep an eye out for these guys. They’ll be easy to spot, at least. Follow Virginia K. Smith on Twitter @vksmith. |
(by CSPOA on Jan 16, 2013) Sheriffs have risen up all over our great nation to stand up against the unconstitutional gun control measures being taken. The following is a list of sheriffs and state sheriff’s associations from who have vowed to uphold and defend the Constitution against Obama’s unlawful gun control measures. I applaud these public servants for their courage and conviction. I would encourage other Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers to add their voices to the growing numbers of faithful protectors of our freedom. LIST OF COUNTY SHERIFFS 1. Sheriff Glenn E. Palmer – Grant County, Oregon 2. Sheriff Gil Gilbertson – Josephine County, Oregon 3. Sheriff Tim Mueller – Linn County, Oregon 4. Sheriff Adam Christianson – Stanislaus County, California 5. Sheriff Brad A. DeLay – Lawrence County, Missouri 6. Sheriff Charles M. Heiss – Johnson County, Missouri 7. Sheriff Steve Cox – Livingston County, Missouri 8. Sheriff Jon Lopey – Siskiyou County, California 9. Sheriff Craig Zanni – Coos County, Oregon 10. Sheriff John Hanlin – Douglas County, Oregon 11. Sheriff John Bishop – Curry County, Oregon 12. Sheriff Larry Blanton – Deschutes County, Oregon 13. Sheriff Jim Hensley – Crook County, Oregon 14. Sheriff Denny Peyman – Jackson County, Kentucky 15. Sheriff Roy Klingler – Madison County, Idaho 16. Sheriff Blake Dorning – Madison County, Alabama 17. Sheriff Justin Smith – Larimer County, Colorado 18. Sheriff Al Cannon – Charleston County, South Carolina 19. Sheriff Ana Franklin – Morgan County, Alabama 20. Sheriff Andy Hughes – Houston County, Alabama 21. Sheriff Stacy Nicholson – Gilmer County, Georgia 22. Sheriff Robin Cole – Pine County, Minnesota 23. Sheriff Bill Snyder – Martin County, Florida 24. Sheriff Ed Kilgpore – Humboldt County, Nevada 25. Sheriff Tom Bosenko – Shasta County, California 26. Sheriff John D’Agostini – El Dorado County, California 27. Sheriff David Hencraft – Tehama County, California 28. Sheriff Dean Growden – Lassen County, California 29. Sheriff Dean Wilson – Del Norte County, California 30. Sheriff Mike Poindexter – Modoc County, California 31. Sheriff Thomas Allman – Mendocino County, California 32. Sheriff Mike Downey – Humboldt County, California 33. Sheriff Larry Smith – Smith County, Texas 34. Sheriff Kieran Donahue – Canyon County, Idaho 35. Sheriff Margaret Mims – Fresno County, California 36. Sheriff Pat Garrett – Washington County, Oregon 37. Sheriff Dan Staton – Multnomah County, Oregon 38. Sheriff Scott Mascher – Yavapai County, Arizona 39. Sheriff Micahel A. Helmig – Boone County, Kentucky 40. Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg – Clermont County, Ohio 41. Sheriff Terry Maketa – El Paso County, Colorado 42. Sheriff John Cooke – Weld County, Colorado 43. Sheriff Scott Berry – Oconee County, Georgia 44. Sheriff Frank Denning – Johnson County, Missouri 45. Sheriff Stan Hilkey – Mesa County, Colorado 46. Sheriff Terry Box – Collin County, Texas 47. Sheriff Chuck Wright – Spartanburg County, South Carolina 48. Sheriff Greg Hagwood – Plumas County, California 49. Sheriff Frank McKeithen – Bay County, Florida 50. Sheriff Roger Garrison – Cherokee County, Georgia 51. Sheriff Tony Desmond – Schoharie County, New York 52. Sheriff Richard Devlin Jr. – Otsego County, New York 53. Sheriff Bruce Haney – Trinity County, California 54. Sheriff Wayne DeWitt – Berkeley County, South Carolina 55. Sheriff Bob ‘Big Block’ Colbert – Wagoner County, Oklahoma 56. Sheriff Joel W. Richardson – Randall County, Texas 57. Sheriff Mike Scott – Lee County, Florida 58. Sheriff Mike Winters – Jackson County, Oregon 59. Sheriff Brian Wolfe – Malheur County, Oregon |
BEIJING, March 3 (Reuters) - China’s Qingdao city customs uncovered last year soybean smuggling worth 5.46 billion yuan ($869.50 million), one of the biggest such cases in the country in years, a state-run newspaper reported. The official Legal Daily, in a report published on Monday, said a trading company was suspected of smuggling soybeans after customs officials assessed soy prices for potential risk, but it did not name the company involved. The case came to light after the customs unit in the eastern coastal city seized some 730 contracts, some of which were falsified, and got access to 80,000 emails, the paper said. The unit also arrested four people in the cities of Linyi, Dalian and Shenzhen, it reported. Customs officials could not be reached for comment. Qingdao Customs last year told Reuters they had detained three employees at a subsidiary of the Japanese trading giant Marubeni Corp on suspicion of smuggling. It was unclear if the Legal Daily report on the soybean smuggling related to the Marubeni investigation or to a separate case. China is the world’s largest buyer of soybean, importing more than 60 percent of the estimated global trade of 116 million tonnes in 2014/15, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed. Beijing launched a special campaign, dubbed as “Green Wind”, against smuggling of grains, sugar and cotton last year and uncovered 487 cases of tax evasion valued at 7.1 billion yuan ($1.16 billion) in the first nine months of 2014, the government said. |
React is a pretty neat library for building web UIs and reduces a lot of the code that goes in to binding data to the DOM. Plus JSX eliminates the need for html templates. But while going over the Todo example, I began to wonder how React compares to the awesome D3 library when it comes to building data driven UIs. Even though D3 is more of a visualization library, its use in web UIs like the openstreetmap ID editor make it an interesting user interface library. So here is the Todo app in React and D3 for comparison. React is definitely compact, but D3 is not that bad either. It’s hard to judge with this simple app which one is better for more complex UIs, but I’m leaning more towards D3. Mainly because data is available where it’s needed and combined with its visualization and animation capabilities, data can be brought to life. React Todo See the Pen React TodoApp by Liji Jinaraj (@karmadude) on CodePen. D3 Todo See the Pen D3 TodoApp by Liji Jinaraj (@karmadude) on CodePen. |
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting Tuesday that despite Hungary's crimes in the 20th century, the country will never again tolerate anti-Semitism. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Netanyahu said that Orban "promised" him unequivocally that the Hungarian government is on the side of the Jewish people. This promise comes after the Hungarian government conducted an aggressive campaign against Jewish billionaire and Holocaust survivor George Soros, who over the past few weeks attacked Hungary's policy against immigrants and refugees seeking to enter the country on their way to Germany. Photo: AP According to Orban, Hungary's collaboration with Nazi Germany during World War II was a "mistake" and a "sin" as it failed to protect its Jewish community. Orban said he told Netanyahu that he was aware of the "difficult history behind us." Some 550,000 Hungarian Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Orban and Netanyahu meet in Budapest (צילום: לע"מ) X "At an earlier time, the government of Hungary made a mistake, moreover, committed a sin when it did not protect its citizens of Jewish heritage," Orban said during a press briefing after his meeting with Netanyahu in Parliament. "Every Hungarian government has the duty to protect all of its citizens, regardless of their heritage." Orban continued, saying, "During World War II, Hungary did not comply with this moral and political requirement. This is a sin because at the time we decided that instead of protecting the Jewish community, we chose collaboration with the Nazis. Photo: AP "I made it clear to the prime minister that this can never happen again. In the future, the Hungarian government will protect all its citizens." Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister to visit Hungary since 1989, when Hungary was still under communist rule. Netanyahu said he thought about Hungary first in relation to the birth of modern Zionism, as Theodore Herzl, "our modern Moses," was born in Budapest in 1860. He thanked Orban for Hungary's repeated support for Israel. He cited French President Emmanuel Macron's recent statement drawing a parallel between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel. "Macron said there is a new anti-Semitism that is expressed in anti-Zionism, that is delegitimizing the one and only Jewish state," Netanyahu said. "In many ways, Hungary is at the forefront of the states that are opposed to this anti-Jewish policy and I welcome it and I express the appreciation of my government and the people, many people in Israel for this." Photo: AP Orban, meanwhile, repeated his opposition to mass migration mostly by Muslims, which he has said would lead to irreversible changes in European culture and its population. "I made it clear that Hungary has serious disputes in the European Union, as Hungary does not want a mixed population," Orban said. Hungary "does not want to change its current ethnic composition, it does not want to defer to any external, artificial influence." Photo: AFP "We'd like to remain as we are, even if, I have to admit, we are not perfect," Orban added. On Wednesday, Netanyahu and Orban will meet with leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia—Hungary's partners in the so-called Visegrad Group—and also visit representatives of Hungary's Jewish community. |
Thanks to the Snort package and OpenAppID, pfSense is now application-aware. This layer 7 functionality arrives through an upgraded version of the Snort package for pfSense software. Maintained by Bill Meeks, the Snort package has been available for many years and is one of our most popular packages. Thanks to his continued efforts, as well as those of Demair Ramos, OpenAppID is now part of the Snort package. What is OpenAppID? Introduced in 2014 by Snort author and Sourcefire founder Martin Roesch, OpenAppID is an application-focused detection language and processing module for Snort. Quoting the original blog post by Martin Roesch: “OpenAppID puts control in the hands of users, allowing them to control application usage in their network environments and eliminating the risk that comes with waiting for vendors to issue updates. Practically speaking, we’re making it possible for people to build their own open source Next-Generation Firewalls.” It is important to remember that OpenAppID provides application identification and not threat detection. We strongly recommend reading the entire blog post by Martin found here. OpenAppID consists of a set of LUA libraries for detecting applications, as well as the application detectors themselves. To enable OpenAppID in the Snort package for pfSense, Bill Meeks has integrated all the necessary AppID stubs and LUA scripts to enable OpenAppID to function. However, in order to employ these signatures, it is necessary to create text rules similar to any other custom Snort rule, with the difference being the “appid” keyword in the rule. The appid keyword can be embedded in any rule to match only on traffic already identified as a specific application. These rules reference the various application IDs provided by the VRT (Vulnerability Research Team) in your rules. In order to actually use OpenAppID you need to get the App ID stubs from VRT and then create text rules that reference the App ID’s. However, the actual application detection rules for analyzing traffic are not provided by Cisco or Snort. This is where, once again, our community shines. A pfSense user and community member named Demair Ramos created a large collection of text rules that use the AppIDs provided by VRT. Demair even hosted the rules he created on his university’s server in Brazil, but this server has limited bandwidth, and implements geo-blocking to preserve the same. Working with Bill, Demair and our developer Renato Botelho do Couto created a new ‘mirror’ of this rulebase on our infrastructure, and Bill has changed the Snort package for pfSense to use them, and pfSense-package-snort v3.2.9.5_4 or later has the updated changes. Using Snort and Application ID In pfSense, OpenAppID can successfully detect, and if configured to do so, block over 2600 different services like Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, and Reddit. The package can be installed from the pfSense Package Manager and configured via the existing Snort GUI. Those familiar with snort should find the interface for working with OpenAppID detectors and rules familiar and easy to use. We have recently updated our Snort guide for pfSense and added a brand new section covering Application ID, which can be found here. Our plan for OpenAppID is not limited to pfSense, we intend to enable it for our upcoming advanced platforms that use Cisco’s VPP and DPDK. More on this subject in the future. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our contributors Bill Meeks and Demair Ramos for making pfSense application aware, as well as thank Cisco’s Martin Roesch for his vision and work enabling true NGFW functionality for pfSense software. |
As the horrible news of Prince’s passing starts to sink in I have decided I need to write about it. This has nothing to do with our business, and yet it absolutely has plenty to do with our business. It absolutely has plenty to do with everything as people who know me are aware. Prince was my favorite solo artist of all time from the time I was 11 when my older brother introduced me to such classics as Dirty Mind and Controversy. Rules be damned, we have had Prince playing in the studio often and loudly, and we have always done it out of love – to evangelize his art, the gift of music he has always given us. To make it clear to everyone that even though his newer music wasn’t everywhere you went like it was back in the day, that it was still vital and incredible and that everyone should be listening to it. True song craft with real instruments and virtuoso performances on every album. Look at this tweet we got today…. Prince has had a huge impact on our lives. Music to me is like air – I can’t survive without it, and Prince was some of the purest air you could find. Some of My Memories of Prince…. Does everybody remember how mind-blowingly amazing the song Controversy was? I mean we all know it’s a great song, but if you’re old enough to remember when it came out then you remember how it changed the game. At least that’s how I remember it – there had never really been a song like it before – with that percussive “OOH” on the two of every measure. A hypnotic jam like I had never heard and I’m not sure there has been one like it since. “People call me rude, I wish we all were nude…” Of all the amazing slow jam ballads Prince recorded – and it’s a massive list, the two best are both on the self-titled second album. It’s Gonna Be Lonely and When We’re Dancing Close And Slow are my jams. Say what you want about Adore, Do Me Baby, International Lover, The Beautiful Ones etc. etc. etc. – I’m sticking to those two and they can take me right back to my bedroom on Glouster Circle when my bed was in the corner of the room and my record player was right at the head of my bed before I got my newer furniture. I would lay in bed and listen to those jams thinking about the day I would meet the perfect girl (I did by the way). I remember when my brother Jeff called me on February 27th, 1983 from Ann Arbor – I was 12 – and asked me if I wanted to go see Prince at Crisler Arena…. He drove home to Farmington Hills to get me and we sat 5TH ROW CENTER on the main floor for the 1999 tour with The Time and Vanity 6 opening. You’re pretty impressionable when you’re 12, and let’s just say that night was a surreal experience. I’ll never forget it and I am so lucky to have been there. If all we had were Prince’s B-Sides we’d be in pretty good shape by the way… The man accomplished more with B-Sides than most do with their proper releases. I mean are you kidding me? Erotic City, 17 Days, Irresistible Bitch…. That elastic bass line and sunny vibe of 17 Days takes me back to summer vacations in Virginia Beach. Oh and in addition to the B-Sides by the way “Sinead here’s a #1 song for you, and Bangles here’s a #2 song for you – it would have been a #1 but I took that spot for my own at the time – sorry…” Ahhh… Purple Rain….. and the “When Doves Cry” video! What can you say… I had the band photo from When Doves Cry as a poster on the wall of my room. What about the “extended” concert special footage MTV showed that one time from the Purple Rain tour? Pretty sure I have that on a VCR tape somewhere. Even just the mystery and mythology surrounding the man… it rubbed off on anyone associated with him. Even when Dez Dickerson made his appearance on stage in Purple Rain it was a big deal… like WHOA – it’s Dez!!! That Around The World In A Day cover – I remember the day I picked up that album at the Record Outlet on Orchard Lake Rd. Does anyone not think of Prince when it snows in April? Just asking… Parade was released right when I took a trip to visit my brother Dan at law school in D.C. – I can picture driving into D.C. from the airport listening to it. I remember the first time I heard Sign O’ The Times on the radio, and my buddy Jon and I a few years later singing all the words to “Forever In My Life” at the top of our lungs in college… Vanoy Hill told me he had a bootleg vinyl copy of The Black Album in high school…. he never produced said copy and I was NOT happy… worst tease ever. Was anyone on the hunt for that like I was? As a side note if this is going on too long I’m sorry but it is what it is. I need to do this. My best Prince bootleg is a cassette of a live show from the Europe tour of 1989 – the guy at the record store in the strip plaza next to our mall where our studio is now made the copy of it for me. I can’t for the life of me remember what the name of that store was. I have it ripped to my iTunes now – it was the Lovesexy tour. A fantastic recording including a medley he played by himself at the piano of When 2 R In Love > Venus De Milo > Starfish & Coffee > Raspberry Beret > Condition of the Heart > Strange Relationship > When 2 R In Love. Just gold…. Playing a few tracks from Graffiti Bridge for my Aunt Jeannie (RIP) in my bedroom… Jamming Diamonds & Pearls around Ann Arbor my senior year when I was delivering burgers and Chinese Food… including the CD single of Gett Off with all the different remixes… That hologram cover!!! Living back home in Farmington Hills with my parents after college and driving around town listening to the “Symbol” album… The album “Come” came out when I lived in Cleveland. Listening to it while I was falling in love with Ally long distance… Back home in Michigan with The Gold Experience – for some reason have a memory of listening to P Control in my Isuzu Rodeo driving into Birmingham on Maple Road…. Listening to Emancipation driving out to Ally’s parents boat in the summer and jamming it in Atlanta when I was down there for training for one of my hellish corporate jobs – oh the irony. The list goes on and on…. this has been therapeutic. Our son Tony picking up on the groove of “S&M Groove” from the Slaughterhouse album and loving it when he was probably about 6 (oy vey haha). Jamming Chelsea Rogers from the Planet Earth album every time one of our favorite all time seniors Chelsea Cage comes to the studio… Here are 25 of my top Prince songs off the cuff: 17 Days Dirty Mind 1999 I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man Push It Up Lady Cab Driver Erotic City The Beautiful Ones When Doves Cry Forever In My Life The Human Body Controversy Sexuality Sign O The Times Northside When We’re Dancing Close And Slow It’s Gonna Be Lonely Automatic Mad Sex Black Sweat Adore Eye Like Funky Music New World Hot Thing Joint 2 Joint I was not prepared for this. It didn’t register when I saw it come across my twitter feed. Way too many artists have been lost in the last year. They have all hurt but I’m not gonna lie, this one I’m having a much harder time with. I wish I could have told the guy how much I admired his talent, his passion, his gift – how much he meant to me. I hope he knows. Prince – thank you from the bottom of my heart. You will never be forgotten. I Wish U Heaven. Don’t sleep ’til the sunrise, listen 2 the falling rain Don’t worry ’bout tomorrow, don’t worry ’bout your pain Don’t cry unless you’re happy, don’t smile unless you’re blue Never let that lonely monster take control of U Be glad that U r free Free 2 change your mind Free 2 go most anywhere, anytime Be glad that U r free There’s many a man who’s not Be glad 4 what U had baby, what you’ve got Be glad 4 what you’ve got ********************************************** Frameable Faces Photography ********************************************** Frameable Faces Photography is a small biz retail mom & pop shop of Doug&Ally Cohen located in the Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield, Michigan, United States Of America! ************************************************ Ally & Doug can be reached at the studio at tel:248-790-7317 or emailed at mailto:info@frameablefaces.com ************************************************ Snapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/frameablefaces Facebook: http://facebook.com/frameablefaces Twitter: https://twitter.com/frameablefaces YouTube: https://youtube.com/frameablefaces Instagram: https://instagram.com/frameablefaces Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/frameablefaces ********************************************** Being “Frameable” is an attitude, a community, a way of life – a life you would want to celebrate and display on your walls for all to see! Tell us… ARE YOU FRAMEABLE? ********************************************** Join the Frameable Faces Community – sign up for our email newsletter for the best of the week in the Frameable Faces World! Click here! |
"It is a miracle!" Bob Budd says, laughing hard. He's referring to the fact that Red Brick Brewing Co., formerly Atlanta Brewing Company, is getting ready to celebrate its 21st birthday; that the local brewery has somehow persisted while others have shuttered. By all accounts, Red Brick should have shut down approximately 21 times in its 21 years. Budd, 67, is Red Brick's president. He's a warm and amiable man, the type people might say they'd like to have a beer with. He seems surprised to be having this conversation, cackling for a moment before composing himself. "I've run four businesses in my life," he says. "I've been in high-growth businesses all my life. I've been in manufacturing all my life. And one thing I've learned is: never do a turnaround. Never do a turnaround. Because for the first several years, you live on somebody else's reputation, and that's tough." Eight years ago, Atlanta Brewing Company did a turnaround. In 1992, a 36-year-old Guinness executive was growing tired of the corporate life. He enjoyed his work as a sales VP and senior brand manager at the company responsible for the iconic Irish dry stout, but saw a new opportunity developing. "I really liked the craft brewing movement I was seeing across the U.S.," Greg Kelly says of those days. "I felt Atlanta would be a great craft market at some point, but realized it would take a while to develop." With his $150,000 life savings, and with the support of 38 local investors who contributed an additional $1.2 million, Kelly went all in on Georgia's first craft brewery, Atlanta Brewing Company. Twenty-one years later, there are now 40 breweries and brewpubs in the Peach State, with at least 10 more on the way. Kelly hired the late Karl Strauss to consult on recipes. The legendary German-American beer maker worked with Pabst Brewing Company for 44 years before opening San Diego's first craft brewery, Karl Strauss Brewing Company. In late 1993, Kelly set up shop in a dilapidated factory space on Williams Street in downtown Atlanta, and named his first beer after the warehouse walls. When the New York Times visited about six months later, it described the beer in hilariously purple prose bested only by Kelly's hyperbole: "Against a curdled gray Georgian sky, Gregory Kelly hoisted a pint-glass of coppery liquid topped with a dense layer of creamy foam, rotated the glass and carefully sipped the mixture," the story began. "'The best beer in the world,' he declared, 'Red Brick Ale.'" The atmosphere in those early days was a mix of raucous party and young and foolish startup. Atlanta Brewing Company was setting the craft beer precedent in Georgia. Kelly had an abandoned malt mill, found in an English meadow, shipped over from the U.K. and refurbished to process ABC's grain. ABC would ship one of its beers, a Belgian brew called Malone's, from Belgium in a cold storage tank blanketed in nitrogen (a Guinness technique not widely used at the time), 5,000 gallons at a time. Once stateside, ABC bottled and kegged the beer at the brewery. Somehow, only one of the three batches they shipped arrived undrinkable. The brewery would also bring in 5,000-gallon truckloads of North Georgia mountain water — the same used by Chateau Elan, according to Kelly — that Kelly hoped would "raise the bar as high as possible to give us the credibility needed to become a respected craft brewery." Because ABC was Georgia's first brewery, it was also the first Georgia brewery to hold tours. Tours are now heavily regulated by the state, but back then, it was anything goes: $5 per person, all you could drink, no regulations. "We revolutionized the brewery tour and made it a really fun and entertaining activity," Kelly says. "Although this was legal, the regulators were not real happy about the popularity of the tours. We'd have up to 500 visitors, twice a week!" Vortex co-owner Hank Benoit was one of the first to taste Red Brick Ale. "He put it on draft in the original Midtown location when he only had five taps," Kelly says. "These were the most cherished tap handles in the city. If you were on draft at the original Vortex, your beer must be good." That early Vortex handle led to a collaboration between the brewery and the bar on the Bohemian Pilsner Laughing Skull, named for the iconic, towering facade of the Vortex's Little Five Points location. Laughing Skull is still brewed, at least in name. It was retired in 2004 and reborn as an amber ale in 2009. It was the brewery's No. 1 seller until its Hoplanta India Pale Ale was released in November 2011. Laughing Skull is also the only craft beer on tap currently available at the Laughing Skull Lounge, a comedy club located in the back of the Vortex's Midtown location. ? ? Equipment was always broken or breaking at the brewery. John "JR" Roberts, who worked as a brewer from 1996 to 1998 before opening downtown Atlanta craft staple Max Lager's, jokes that one of the main things he learned during his time at Atlanta Brewing Company was how to fix things. He fondly recounts training his successor, a cocky former Naval officer who bragged about his engineering prowess — that "they'd put him in a dark room with a leaky pipe and he'd have to fix it in the dark." One day, that new guy asked for help from Roberts and ABC packaging manager, Ted Cole. He took them to a leaking fermentation tank and proceeded to try a number of solutions, each one making the leak worse. "Now, the new guy was getting panicked as beer was spraying," Roberts says. "'What do I do?' Without missing a beat, Ted said, 'You're the submarine commander; want me to turn the lights off?' Ted then picked up a glass, filled it from the leak, and walked off. Once I stopped laughing, I told him to transfer it to the freshly cleaned tank right next to the one that was leaking." Roberts is one of ABC's many notable alumni. A young Brian "Spike" Buckowski was ABC's cellarman during Roberts' tenure, eventually working his way up to brewer. John Cochran was brought in to take Buckowski's place after the promotion. The two would go on to much more notable roles after leaving ABC in 1999. ? ? "The experience Spike and I had at Atlanta Brewing led to our desire to start our own brewery," says Cochran, Terrapin Beer Company co-founder/president and newly minted Georgia Craft Brewers Guild president. "If it were not for Atlanta Brewing, we would not be where we are today." Other former employees have gone on to start their own breweries as well. Mark Broe left in 2010 to open the since-shuttered Eagle and Lion brewpub in Griffin, Ga. He now contract brews his English-style Yes Face ales at JailHouse Brewing Company in Hampton, Ga. Andrew Cattell moved down to Jacksonville, Fla. to brew for Intuition Ale Works. And Nick Fowler recently left for his just-launched Omaha Brewing Company in Columbus, Ga. "We couldn't brew all the beer we could sell," Kelly says of ABC's early days. "It was a great time for the company." In 1999, when Buckowski and Cochran left to form Terrapin, Griff Braddock, who had been training under them, stepped up. "We had a very lean crew in those days, and everyone wore many hats," Braddock says. "I know how to do everything in that brewery start to finish, and could still run that bottling line, if needed." During his brief stint at ABC, Braddock hired Dave McClure, who brewed for ABC for more than 10 years. "I don't think he had previous brewery experience," Braddock says. "But like many in the industry at the time, he was a passionate homebrewer who worked hard and wanted to learn the business. When an opportunity to take over as the third generation of a family business came up, Braddock quit and handed the reins to McClure. "I'm extremely grateful to Greg Kelly for the opportunity," Braddock says. "I owe a lot of my current business success to Greg Kelly and Atlanta Brewing. I felt guilty about leaving the brewery in a tough spot. I was able to work long hours training with Dave to bring him up to speed, but it probably wasn't enough. We were a bit short-handed while I was there and were even more so after I left." McClure moved to Atlanta from Boston to start a family. He was a baker before joining ABC, and first worked as an assistant brewer in 2002. "He was a homebrewer," current Red Brick Sales Manager Jason Topping says. "And a really good one. His Double Chocolate Oatmeal Porter is still the porter we brew to this day. It's a classic. It's one of Dave's first recipes." If his raw talent was unquestionable, his ability to play nice with others was debatable. McClure butted heads with many of his ABC co-workers. Some have had a hard time letting go. Others emerged from the fray with warmer memories. "Getting in a scuffle with McClure and having a beer named after it was pretty cool," Fowler says of the Black-Eye Rye, an India Black Ale brewed with rye that was Red Brick's one-off Brick Mason Series beer from 2013. "It says a lot about the attitude of the brewers that we can go through something like that, shrug it off, and make a badass beer based on a difficult situation." Fowler's Hannahatchee Creek IPA out of his Omaha Brewing Company now earns raves at local festivals. He has 17 taps in the Columbus area, and plans to enter Atlanta's market in late 2015. ? ? "If it weren't for Red Brick and the knowledge I gained working there, a lot of things would be different in my life," he says. "I wouldn't have met Omaha owner/CFO Robert Lee, I wouldn't have studied brewing in Chicago and Munich, and I certainly wouldn't be the one in charge of Omaha today." Amid distributor woes, low morale, and McClure's repeated co-worker conflicts, ABC's sales slowly and steadily plummeted in the late '90s and early aughts. "He went at odds with the ownership. He knew what he wanted to brew, ownership thought they knew what they wanted to, and sales was saying, 'Well, the market is dictating this,'" Topping says. "There was no cohesion within the group. That was the hardest part for all of us. If you don't have cohesion, you can't be that perfect business that continues to grow. Until you figure out what you are, you can't get anywhere." McClure left Red Brick in 2012 and joined Foothills Brewing in Winston-Salem, N.C. "I don't wanna get into the details of that," Budd says. "We realized we were just gonna keep frustrating Dave, because we wanted everybody to collaborate. And Dave didn't feel comfortable with that. It became pretty obvious to everyone, including Dave, that this wasn't going to work." McClure left Foothills Brewing and is now working with new Winston-Salem operation Hoots Roller Bar & Beer Company. "Thanks for thinking of me, but the only on-the-record comment I have about Red Brick is that I worked there from 2002 to 2012," Dave McClure stated in an email. "The rest of the story is up to the Red Brick spin masters." Breweries measure production numbers in units called barrels (BBL). Each barrel is equivalent to roughly 31 gallons of beer, and breweries reference their equipment with those numbers. A 30-BBL brew house, for example, can make 30 barrels, or roughly 930 gallons, of beer at a time. SweetWater, Georgia's biggest craft brewery — and the 19th biggest by production in the United States — made 144,000 barrels in 2013. Terrapin, Georgia's second largest, made 33,000 in 2013. From 1993 to 1997, ABC's annual production grew more than tenfold, from 500 BBL to 5,500 BBL. Soon after the 1994 New York Times piece, bigger companies started taking notice. "I got calls from Coors, Miller, Anheuser-Busch, and Brown-Forman, which is Jack Daniels," Kelly says. "All of them were starting to look at breweries to buy." Kelly wanted to go with Brown-Forman, but his investors wanted to go with Anheuser-Busch. The investors got their wish, but Kelly says Anheuser-Busch "ended up screwing us over in the end." Anheuser-Busch's plan, Kelly says, was to buy "regional powerhouse breweries" like Widmer Brothers Brewing and Redhook Brewery, breweries it eventually partnered with. But Anheuser-Busch was also talking to companies such as Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Samuel Adams, Old Dominion Brewing Company, and ABC — breweries, as it turned out, that would never make it into the company's portfolio. "We signed an agreement to take a loan from them in exchange for 10 percent of the company," Kelly says of the negotiations that took place circa 1996. "They could turn that into capital at a future time, and they also had an option to purchase another 10 percent." Anheuser-Busch said ABC could keep using its distributor, United. "We felt they were the best distributor in Georgia," Kelly says. "And maybe the best distributor in the country." But any new ABC beers would go with Anheuser-Busch's Georgia distributor, Atlanta Beverage Company. During the final negotiations, Anheuser-Busch backtracked, requiring that ABC switch completely to Atlanta Beverage. Kelly pushed back, but his investors — a minority stake of 38 percent — wanted the Anheuser-Busch deal. Feeling pressure to keep his investors happy, Kelly eventually acquiesced. When Anheuser-Busch couldn't close the deals with Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams, its craft-acquisition philosophy quickly changed. The beer behemoth started pushing Bud Light as hard as possible. ABC was forced to switch distributors again, this time to the much smaller and now-defunct Thunderhead Distribution. "It killed us," Kelly says of all the shuffling. "When we switched from United to the Anheuser-Busch distributors, we went through a big change. Sales dropped by probably 30 percent. But a year later, we were probably 40 to 50 percent up from the prior year. We were doing fantastic, but when A-B went exclusive, we went to Thunderhead, who wasn't in the Krogers and Publixes, so we lost all that distribution. We also lost a lot of draft accounts." Given Atlanta Brewing Company's distributor, ownership, and brewmaster dramas, it's no wonder the brewery's annual production shrank from 5,500 BBL to 1,500 BBL from 1998-2005. In 2005, ABC investor Bob Budd, who had recently sold his gourmet food company but "just couldn't see retiring," came on as a consultant at the brewery. Six months later he tendered a report "which was not good," he says. Based on his thoughtful consulting, Budd was asked to be ABC's new president. ? ? "The company had fallen on hard times," Budd says. "They had really lost their momentum, and were scrambling around, trying to stay alive. Most all of the wholesale business was gone. It was really just tours and tastings. But being an eternal optimist, I said yes." At the beginning of 2006, Budd took over. The Department of Transportation asserted eminent domain over the brewery's Williams Street location during the Atlantic Station development, which called for a widening of Williams Street and the construction of the 15th Street Bridge. "That shows my intelligence level," he says, laughing. "I bought a dying business in a condemned building." But he negotiated with the DOT for a settlement that allowed ABC to buy out its lease as well as Kelly. "Greg had been very frustrated and didn't feel like there was a way out," Budd says. "He had no say as to whether he could stay on as president, and eventually elected to be bought out. I'm sure it was frustrating. He started the company, it was a great idea, and the initial years of the company were wildly successful. But business requires a lot of discipline." ABC relocated to the company's current Westside space on Defoor Hills Road in May 2007. If the new building lacked a little of the reckless and rotting character of the Williams Street brewery, at least its bright red walls were welcoming for events, its gleaming stainless steel tanks ready to make beer. With the new space came new challenges, one of which was convincing the distributor that Atlanta Brewing Company was ready to compete again. "In the old brewery, General Wholesale didn't even place orders for the beer," Budd says. "They would just send the truck over once a week, and we would put on the truck anything we had available. They would take it, and when it went out of date, they would drive it back over and put it back on the dock. It was a real screwed up way of doing business. I mean, they obviously were willing to try and sell the product, but there was not lot of success there. The volume was incredibly low." When General Wholesale saw the new and improved space, and that the money from the DOT and investors was being used properly to purchase new equipment, it was ready to recommit. But first, ABC needed to rebrand. Though the turnaround started slowly with Budd's takeover in 2006, followed by the move in 2007, it didn't begin in earnest until 2010, when Atlanta Brewing Company became Red Brick Brewing Company. Over the next two years, the packaging had multiple face-lifts, and new personnel came on board — most importantly, a new brewer. "We went through a couple different sales managers," Topping says. "The labels have changed greatly. The beers have changed, too." Those changes seem to be working. "I remember the first time I had an Atlanta Brewing Company beer," Ron Smith says. Smith and his co-author, Mary O. Boyle, documented Red Brick alongside many other breweries in their 2013 book, Atlanta Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Hub of the South. "It was the Red Brick Brown. I remember it being quite good. I had a six-pack of the same Red Brick Brown circa 2006, and was hit with a heavy cold beefsteak flavor, poured the whole pack out. Both Mary and I feel that they are doing better than ever now, though. In fact, some of their beers are stellar. The crew seems happy, and I hate the word 'synergy,' but it might work in this context." Before McClure left, he brought in a relative unknown, Garett Lockhart, who had been volunteering at 5 Seasons under Crawford Moran (Dogwood, 5 Seasons, Slice & Pint) and Matt Williams (now at Colorado's Left Hand Brewing Co.). Lockhart started in December 2010. "He's the heart and soul of the plant, hundred percent," Topping says. "There is no one besides Garett who has driven the new direction of our company more." Lockhart started on the bottling line and worked his way up to being ABC's day-to-day brewer. Though talented, he was following McClure's recipes and direction, not innovating or executing any of his own ideas. When McClure left in 2012, it was Lockhart's time. "We didn't have a lot of money to make a big move and bring in an all-star," Topping says. "Turns out, we had an ace up our sleeve the whole time and we didn't know it." "Things were good and, I think, got better," Lockhart says, modestly, of taking over Red Brick's brewing operation. "There was a lot of stuff that I was thinking about that I wanted to do but didn't have the authority to do. So when the opportunity presented itself, I was stoked. I moved slowly to allow ownership to build confidence in me and my ability to do things. The most nerve-racking part was making my first production recipe, the 2012 Smoked Vanilla Gorilla. The labels were already printed and made, but the recipe wasn't there. I made it, and it won a silver medal at the U.S. Open Beer Championship." Lockhart began tweaking old beers and creating new ones. The company needed to walk the tricky line of keeping its few remaining diehard fans while attracting new ones and winning back those who'd written off the brewery. Lockhart brought in Steve Anderson in October 2012 to take on day-to-day brewing duties and help Red Brick continue building on its newfound momentum. Anderson had been managing a Marietta homebrew store, Brewmasters Warehouse. "Steve was an amazing resource when he worked at that store," says Scott Hedeen, Burnt Hickory Brewery's founder and brewmaster. "I can't tell you how many times he helped me create or even save a batch of beer I was making when I was ramping up to go pro. "When I first moved here in 1997, I tried Red Brick's beers and was not impressed. Very pedestrian, very average, though solid. I met Garett Lockhart soon after he took the head role at the brewery, and I could tell he was eager to change the norm at Red Brick. When I heard he had hired Steve, I knew he was serious. Anderson is a special kind of brewer. Not only is he creative, but he's also a very hard and dedicated worker. I now look forward to and drink every Red Brick release I can get my hands on." Anderson and Lockhart met at a Reformation Brewery gathering in Woodstock. Once Anderson joined Red Brick, they worked together on everything, bouncing ideas of each other, and trying new things. The result was a string of successful beers: The Lost Years Strong Ale, which scores a 91/100 on venerable beer website, RateBeer.com; the brewery's 20th Anniversary Imperial Stout (98/100); and other seasonals and new selections. Lockhart kept tweaking the recipes of current beers as well. "He said, 'Hoplanta: It's a decent IPA,'" Topping says. "I want to make it a good IPA first. Then we're gonna go from good to great, then we're gonna go from great to world-class.' Through that ownership, he got more and more comfortable." Decatur's much-heralded Brick Store Pub had all but stopped serving Red Brick. In late 2013, not long after Tim "Timmy J." Ensor took over BSP's beer-buying duties, "Red Brick came in deep to the pub one day to meet with me," Ensor says. "Both brewers, the sales manager, one or two other people. It had to be very humbling for them to come to the Brick Store and sit down with me and have this meeting. They laid it all on the line, let me know that they had not had the best track record in the past, there was a lot of rebranding, that they didn't grow with the current trends. Then, they let me know about the new blood in the brewery and they followed up with some samples of tweaked versions of Hoplanta, and new beers like Hop Circle India Style Session Ale, 3 Bagger Rum Barrel-Aged Belgian Tripel, and Beard Envy Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine." Impressed, Ensor gave Red Brick another shot. "Ever since, they've delivered in leaps and bounds," he says. "3 Bagger and Beard Envy were amazing beers the people kept coming for and asking about after we ran out of it. They produced some casks for the pub, like a Brett a wild yeast strain version of Hoplanta called Funklanta, which was awesome. They're on the up and up, and producing some really solid beers." What many had considered a long-dead, irrelevant brand is experiencing a renaissance amid Georgia's greater craft beer boom. In March, the brewery hosted the inaugural Georgia Craft Beer Festival, which featured more than 30 Peach State beer makers, while raising awareness for Georgia's antiquated beer laws and raising money for the Georgia Craft Brewer's Guild. Red Brick's new team seems to be keeping tabs on the ever-evolving zeitgeist of craft beer, too, recently brewing new beers with exotic ingredients like hibiscus and yuzu tea. The brewery will soon transition all of its 12-ounce bottled beers into 12-ounce cans once a new canning line arrives and is installed later this year. Projected 2014 annual production is 10,000 BBL, up from 1,500 BBL in 2005. It will be the largest in Red Brick history. "The late 2000s were the real tough years for Red Brick, because there were people out there that were not happy with the company, not happy with the service, not happy with one thing or another," Budd says. "It took years. I'd sit in meetings four years after I bought the company, and people would be bitching about what happened five, six, seven years ago. But I think we've pushed away all the ghosts, put them back in the closet, exorcised them. Now, we stand on our own reputation, and it's a good one." |
While Kam Chancellor's holdout in Seattle stretches into Week 3 of the NFL season, there is another contentious contract battle in Minnesota that might have already moved past the point of no return. Ragnar -- the Vikings' "human mascot" -- wasn’t on the field with the team for its home opener on Sunday, after his contract expired and the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a new deal. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Ragnar was asking for $20,000 per game -- up from the per-game figure of about $1,500 he was making last season. That works out to an increase of roughly 1,333 percent. If Chancellor were after the same raise, he would be asking for $63 million this season. To get you up to speed on two of the hottest salary disputes in the NFL, we’ve prepared this handy tale of the tape. So here’s how the tale of the tape would look, with ESPN.com Seahawks reporter Sheil Kapadia providing the Chancellor breakdown: OCCUPATION Ragnar: "human mascot," Minnesota Vikings Chancellor: strong safety, Seattle Seahawks YEARS OF EXPERIENCE Ragnar: 21 Chancellor: 5 CAREER HIGHLIGHT Adam Bettcher/Getty Images Ragnar: It’s either performing at more than 160 home games with the Vikings, or the time in 1982 when, he claims, he shaved his beard with an axe in eight minutes, 43 seconds. Chancellor: A 10-tackle performance in the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII victory against the Denver Broncos. PROMINENT CHARACTERISTIC AP Photo/Gregory Payan Ragnar: Flowing hair, long, scraggly beard, horned helmet, burly, tattooed biceps, fur coat, motorcycle. Chancellor: Dark visor that adds to the intimidation factor as he patrols the middle of the field and levels unsuspecting receivers. CONTRACT STATUS Ragnar: Free agent, after "multiple conversations" about a new contract with the Vikings were unsuccessful. Chancellor: Signed an extension in 2013 that keeps him under contract with the Seahawks through 2017. 2014 SALARY Ragnar: about $12,000 ($1,500 per home game) Chancellor: $4.725 million 2015 DESIRED SALARY Ragnar: $160,000. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Ragnar was after a salary of $20,000 per game, which would have put him in the ranks of the highest-paid mascots in professional sports (the Phoenix Suns' Gorilla, for example, has reportedly made $200,000 a year). Chancellor: Unknown. Unlike Ragnar, Chancellor doesn’t appear to be looking for a raise. Instead, he wants future money to be guaranteed, and the Seahawks seem unwilling to give in. "Nothing’s changed," said Seattle coach Pete Carroll on Monday when asked if the lines of communication are still open. BACKUP PLAN Ragnar: Joe Juranitch, who plays Ragnar, already has another line of business: Razor Edge Systems, a business based in Ely, Minnesota, that sells sharpeners for everything from industrial meat cutters to hunting knives. He’s also worked as an actor. He had a role in a short 1999 film called "20/20 Vision." The movie starred Jesse Ventura, who at the time had just been inaugurated as the governor of Minnesota. Chancellor: He has been posting pics of himself doing yoga on Instagram. Opening up his own studio could be an option. It might not scratch Chancellor’s competitive itch, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about covering Rob Gronkowski. |
VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria’s parliament said on Tuesday that a Turkish hackers’ group had claimed responsibility for a cyber attack that brought down its website for 20 minutes this weekend. The Austrian parliament is seen in Vienna, Austria, November 4, 2016. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader Aslan Neferler Tim (ANT), or Lion Soldiers Team, whose website says it defends the homeland, Islam, the nation and flag, without any party political links, claimed the attack, a parliamentary spokeswoman said. Relations between Turkey and Austria soured last year after President Tayyip Erdogan cracked down on dissent following a failed coup, and Vienna has since made a solo charge within the European Union for accession talks to be dropped. On its Facebook page on Sunday afternoon, above a screenshot indicating the website was not loading, ANT said in Turkish: “Our reaction will be harsh in response to this racism of Austria against Muslims!!! (Parliament down).” ANT says it has carried out “operations” against the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the Austrian central bank and an Austrian airport. An Interior Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday that an investigation had begun into the cyber attack and, declining to elaborate further, noted that no data had been lost. A parliamentary spokeswoman said: “ANT has claimed responsibility.” When asked if ANT was responsible, she said: “We assume so.” The website was brought down after the server was flooded with service requests, a so-called DDoS-attack, similar to an attack last November that targeted the Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministries’ websites, a statement from parliament said. DDoS attacks are among the most common cyber threats. One such attack targeted the European Commission’s computers in November. The Vienna-based Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was also recently the target of a cyber attack. (The story was refiled to remove references to the group being Islamist) |
Daniel Andrews’s government says it expects to raise tens of millions of dollars a year from the housing affordability policy Victoria to tax investors who leave properties vacant for more than six months Investors in Victoria who buy properties only to leave them empty will attract a new vacant residential property tax, a move the state government says will help free up properties to renters and first home buyers. The tax will take effect from January and will mean owners who “unreasonably” leave properties vacant for more than six months each year will face a tax levied at 1%, multiplied by the capital improved value of the property. For example, if the property has a capital improved value of $500,000, the amount paid each year would be $5,000. Victoria’s treasurer, Tim Pallas, told ABC radio 774 in Melbourne on Monday that “I hope I don’t raise a cent out of it” because he would prefer people made the properties available to renters or for sale. However, the government has said it expects to raise tens of millions each year from the policy, with 20,000 dwellings in metropolitan Melbourne currently vacant. Victoria to axe stamp duty for first home buyers on properties worth under $600,000 Read more There will be exemptions – for example, for holiday homes, deceased estates and homes owned by Victorians who are temporarily overseas. It is one of a range of measures announced by the Victorian government over the past week in an attempt to make housing more affordable to first home buyers. The government has abolished stamp duty for first home buyers who purchase a property below $600,000, while those buying a home valued between $600,000 and $750,000 will also be eligible for a concession, applied on a sliding scale. The exemption and concession will apply to both new and established homes. “A lot of these efforts are doing what the commonwealth should have done,” Pallas said. Associate professor Ashton De Silva from the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT University said there was a number of reasons people held on to empty property. Some investors only wanted to hold property for a short period of time and aimed to sell it in a rapidly appreciating market, making a quick profit. For those people, renting a property out in the meantime could be a hassle. Others were trying to avoid various taxes. “The integrity of this policy will be directly linked to how well some of these counter-measures, such as exempting holiday homes, are carried out,” DeSilva said. “Home ownership and investing are such complex areas and, in some cases, people are going to look at this tax and say, ‘OK I’ll just get rid of it’. But I’m not convinced the government will raise the revenue from this policy that they are currently projecting.” Victoria underwrites $1bn of low-interest loans for social housing Read more On Monday the federal treasurer, Scott Morrison, told 2GB radio in Melbourne that housing affordability would be a “key issue” for his second budget. He said of the Victorian government’s policy announcements, “Good on them for having a crack at this.” But supply was the key issue, he said, adding that he believes the measures will ultimately drive up property prices. “At the end of the day, if that just means people just bid up more at the auction because they can borrow more because they don’t have to pay stamp duty then obviously that will take prices in one direction ... without addressing the supply issues,” he said. “You have got to get more houses built.” During a press conference in Melbourne on Monday, the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, agreed, saying there was a need to get more dwellings approved, especially around transport infrastructure. |
via Trooper Hurt, Capitol Police Cruiser Struck in Shooting Spree Across Harrisburg; Shooter Had Ties to Middle East – NBC 10 Philadelphia Bullets flew near the Pennsylvania Statehouse in Harrisburg on Friday afternoon during a shooting spree that spread two miles across the state capital and left the gunman dead. Law enforcement officers in Pennsylvania shot and killed the gunman, who they say fired at police in several locations in Harrisburg. Authorities said 51-year-old Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty fired at a Capitol police officer at 3rd and Walnut streets around 4 p.m. Friday, striking a police cruiser several times. He then fired at a Pennsylvania state trooper a few blocks away at Fifth and Strawberry streets about 30 minutes later, leaving her slightly wounded, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office said. El-Mofty was killed during a shootout with local and state police at 17th and Mulberry streets, the DA’s Office said. The “series of shootings” in the center of Pennsylvania’s capital city had the entire city gripped with angst and confusion. Those feelings lingered into the evening as the gunman was shot and killed yet police remained unable to approach him due to “a device” that prevented police from immediately approaching the man, according to NBC affiliate WGAL. The device turned out to be of no importance, authorities said. El-Mofty, however, was armed with two handguns, believed to be 9 mm weapons, authorities said. Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said El-Mofty recently traveled to the Middle East and has ties there. He said during a news conference Friday night that authorities have no motive for the attack. Marsico said the state trooper who was struck by a bullet but is doing well. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf thanked officers who “were directly in harm’s way.” “They did not hesitate and protected others from harm,” Wolf said. The district attorney’s office asked anyone with information about El-Mofty to call 911 or submit a tip online. Governor Tom Wolfe is the same man who appointed a Muslim supremacist from CAIR to serve on the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. CAIR is the notorious terror-linked group who has consistently tried to prevent Pennsylvania law enforcement officers from learning about the threats of Muslims like el-Mofty. Read: Pennsylvania’s police prepare for radical Islam – CAIR counters More on the shooting: Harrisburg gunman had ties to Middle East; Authorities ask anyone with information to call 911 Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico has identified the shooter as Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty, 51. Marsico said if anyone has any information about El-Mofty, they should call 911. El-Mofty has ties to the Middle East and recently traveled there. “This individual showed that he was not afraid to fire at different law enforcement officers, both downtown and up here,” said Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico. “There were three separate locations where shots were fired.” The first shots were fired at a Capitol police officer. Those shots hit the vehicle, but not the officer. “Shots were also fired at (a) Pennsylvania State Police vehicle. A law enforcement officer was slightly injured from that gunfire,” Marsico said. “The individual that was involved in that gunfire then came here to the area of 17th and Mulberry Street, where he engaged with members of the Harrisburg Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police. Gunfire was exchanged … the individual was killed at the scene.” There was a device near El-Mofty’s body, but it has been removed from the scene. Marsico said it was “of no import.” Around 4 p.m., shots were fired at a Capitol police officer at 3rd and Mulberry streets. The officer’s vehicle was hit. The officer was not hurt. Shots were fired at a Pennsylvania State trooper at 4th and Market streets. The officer suffered a slight injury. She is expected to be OK. At 17th and Mulberry streets, the gunman engages in a shootout with Harrisburg police and state police, and is killed. No officers are hurt. The gunman was killed in a shootout with police. Forensics teams have been deployed to all the shooting scenes and a vehicle the suspect was driving has been recovered. “It’s a wide-ranging investigation. We have no idea what the motivation was at this point,” Marsico said. The FBI is taking part in the investigation. CNN reports he was a chain migrant and Pennsylvania police shootings were ‘terror attack,’ DHS says Tyler Houlton, acting DHS press secretary, referred to the incident as a terror attack in a statement released Saturday. He said the incident highlights the “Trump administration’s concerns with extended family chain migration.” El-Mofty was a naturalized US citizen who came to the country on a “family-based immigrant visa,” Houlton said. “Both chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program have been exploited by terrorists to attack our country,” Houlton said, adding that “the programs make it more difficult to keep dangerous people out of the United States and to protect the safety of every American.” More via DHS: BREAKING: My statement on Immigration Backgrounds of Recent Terror-Related Suspects: pic.twitter.com/I3JfZOfuBh — Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) December 24, 2017 |
I’m pleased to announce the release of Spring Security 4.0.0.RELEASE which closes over 175+ tickets. You can find the highlights below: WebSocket Support Spring Security 4 added WebSocket Support. It is now possible to use Spring Security with Spring’s WebSocket support. Spring Data Integration Spring Security 4 added Spring Data Integration. It is now possible to refer to Spring Security’s user within Spring Data queries using SpEL. Test Support Spring Security 4 has added Test Support. It is now much easier to write tests with Spring Security applications. More Secure by Default As exploits against applications evolve, so must Spring Security. As a major release version, the Spring Security team took the opportunity to make some non-passive changes which focus on: Ensuring Spring Security is more secure by default Minimizing Information Leakage Removing deprecated APIs For complete details on migrating from Spring Security 3 to Spring Security 4 refer Migrating from 3.x to 4.x section of the reference. Project Site | Reference | Guides | Issues |
High Court orders Patel retrial after 'miscarriage of justice' Updated Former Queensland surgeon Jayant Patel is set to be released from jail after winning a High Court challenge against his convictions for manslaughter and grievous bodily harm. The High Court today ruled Patel be re-tried, saying he had been the victim of a "substantial miscarriage of justice" and had carried out surgery on patients, who later died, "competently enough". Patel reportedly became highly emotional when he learned he had won the appeal. A subsequent bail application lodged this afternoon in the Supreme Court in Brisbane was not opposed, but it is not clear if he will be released today or on Monday. Patel was sentenced to seven years in jail in 2010 for the manslaughter of three of his patients, and for causing grievous bodily harm to another. The deaths all occurred between 2003 and 2005 when Patel worked at the Bundaberg Hospital. After a failed attempt in the Queensland Court of Appeal, Patel's lawyers asked the High Court to quash his convictions and either acquit him or order a new trial. Today the High Court found a miscarriage of justice had occurred because the prosecution "radically changed its case in a way that rendered irrelevant much of the evidence that had been admitted". A substantial miscarriage of justice occurred. High Court statement issued today "The prosecution alleged that the standard of care provided by the appellant to the patients was so low as to breach the duty imposed by [section] 288 of the Criminal Code upon a person who undertakes to administer surgical treatment," the court said in a statement. "Initially the prosecution alleged that the appellant had been generally incompetent and grossly negligent in recommending the surgical procedures, in the manner in which he carried out those procedures, and in the post-operative treatment which he supervised. "But on day 43 of the trial, the prosecution narrowed its case to focus on whether the surgical procedure in each case should have been undertaken." The High Court ruled that "as the trial progressed it became apparent, and it was not seriously disputed, that the evidence showed that the surgery had in fact been performed competently enough". "Much of the evidence about the surgery and post-operative care was prejudicial to the appellant but no longer relevant on the prosecution's revised case. "The prejudicial effect on the jury was not overcome by the directions given by the trial judge about the limited use that could be made of that evidence. "A substantial miscarriage of justice occurred. The court set aside the order of the Court of Appeal and in its place ordered that there be a new trial." Bail conditions The Crown had argued that it only had to prove Patel had caused the deaths and the injury and that there was no problem with the conduct of the case. A spokesperson for Queensland's Director of Public Prosecutions said the office would carefully consider the High Court's judgment before making any decision concerning the retrial of Patel. "As the matter is still before the court, it is inappropriate for the director to make any further comment at this point in time," the spokesperson said. Patel is in custody in the Wolston prison, west of Brisbane. He will be released on bail conditions originally set in July 2008. They include a $20,000 surety and that he report to police three times a week. Patel's lawyer Arun Raniga says he does not know whether prosecutors will ask for a new trial, but he is ready to defend Patel a second time. "It's traumatic and it's unfortunate that we have to go through it again, but that's the justice system," he said. "The High Court gave its verdict and we start again." Grief and anguish Former patients of Patel broke down in tears upon hearing the news that the appeal has been upheld. Bundaberg Patient support group president Beryl Crosby said the legal process had already run for years and patients did not want to go through another trial. "What happens from here affects these people all over again," she said. What happens from here affects these people all over again. Patient support group president Beryl Crosby "All those months, all those people, all that anguish, all that grief I can't imagine. This is the worst scenario." One of the overturned manslaughter convictions relates to the death of Gerry Kemps. His widow Judy Kemps says she does not know if she can prepare herself up for another trial. "If I can do that again for the next one? I really don't know, I don't," she said. Mrs Kemps says the situation is putting a lot of strain on the families affected. Nurse Toni Hoffman, who first raised issues related to the Patel case, said she was disappointed by the news. "I don't know that I am particularly surprised," she said. "It was a landmark case. It was very difficult for the prosecution and I think they tried their best. "I'm still in shock at the moment." Topics: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, crime, bundaberg-4670, qld First posted |
At least four people were injured in clashes with Liberian soldiers and police after the government laid barbed wire barricades around a densely populated slum in an attempt to contain the spread of Ebola. Young men surged towards the barricades and hurled stones at troops, who responded by firing live rounds of ammunition, the New York Times reports. Agence France-Presse reports that at least four people were injured in the skirmish. The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample Sign Up Now The unrest highlights a deepening sense of mistrust among residents of West Point, a district that government officials designated as a quarantine zone on Wednesday morning. Tensions flared in the area earlier in the week as the opening of an Ebola treatment clinic in a local school fueled fears that health officials were bringing in infected patients from other parts of the city. The clinic was ransacked on Saturday, enabling several quarantined patients to escape. The death toll from suspected and confirmed cases of Ebola across west Africa climbed to 1,350 people, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. [NYT] Contact us at editors@time.com. |
How can you tell what's real, in a world where huge industries, governments and religions are all trying to force-feed you manufactured realities? Philip K. Dick sums up the challenges of detecting reality in a world that resembles Disneyland, in this great 1978 quote. It was always my hope, in writing novels and stories which asked the question "What is reality?", to someday get an answer. This was the hope of most of my readers, too. Years passed. I wrote over thirty novels and over a hundred stories, and still I could not figure out what was real. One day a girl college student in Canada asked me to define reality for her, for a paper she was writing for her philosophy class. She wanted a one-sentence answer. I thought about it and finally said, "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." That's all I could come up with. That was back in 1972. Since then I haven't been able to define reality any more lucidly. But the problem is a real one, not a mere intellectual game. Because today we live in a society in which spurious realities are manufactured by the media, by governments, by big corporations, by religious groups, political groups—and the electronic hardware exists by which to deliver these pseudo-worlds right into the heads of the reader, the viewer, the listener. Sometimes when I watch my eleven-year-old daughter watch TV, I wonder what she is being taught. The problem of miscuing; consider that. A TV program produced for adults is viewed by a small child. Half of what is said and done in the TV drama is probably misunderstood by the child. Maybe it's all misunderstood. And the thing is, Just how authentic is the information anyhow, even if the child correctly understood it? What is the relationship between the average TV situation comedy to reality? What about the cop shows? Cars are continually swerving out of control, crashing, and catching fire. The police are always good and they always win. Do not ignore that point: The police always win. What a lesson that is. You should not fight authority, and even if you do, you will lose. The message here is, Be passive. And—cooperate. If Officer Baretta asks you for information, give it to him, because Officer Beratta is a good man and to be trusted. He loves you, and you should love him. So I ask, in my writing, What is real? Because unceasingly we are bombarded with pseudo-realities manufactured by very sophisticated people using very sophisticated electronic mechanisms. I do not distrust their motives; I distrust their power. They have a lot of it. And it is an astonishing power: that of creating whole universes, universes of the mind. I ought to know. I do the same thing. It is my job to create universes, as the basis of one novel after another. And I have to build them in such a way that they do not fall apart two days later. Or at least that is what my editors hope. However, I will reveal a secret to you: I like to build universes which do fall apart. I like to see them come unglued, and I like to see how the characters in the novels cope with this problem. I have a secret love of chaos. There should be more of it. Do not believe—and I am dead serious when I say this—do not assume that order and stability are always good, in a society or in a universe. The old, the ossified, must always give way to new life and the birth of new things. Before the new things can be born the old must perish. This is a dangerous realization, because it tells us that we must eventually part with much of what is familiar to us. And that hurts. But that is part of the script of life. Unless we can psychologically accommodate change, we ourselves begin to die, inwardly. What I am saying is that objects, customs, habits, and ways of life must perish so that the authentic human being can live. And it is the authentic human being who matters most, the viable, elastic organism which can bounce back, absorb, and deal with the new. Of course, I would say this, because I live near Disneyland, and they are always adding new rides and destroying old ones. Disneyland is an evolving organism. For years they had the Lincoln Simulacrum, like Lincoln himself, was only a temporary form which matter and energy take and then lose. The same is true of each of us, like it or not. |
How to become a Crowdholding supporter: Part 1 creating a Ethereum wallet on MyEtherWallet.com Crowdholding Blocked Unblock Follow Following Aug 12, 2017 Note: This is a step by step guide on how to create a Ethereum wallet so you can get ready to become a Crowdholding supporter during our Pre-ICO / ICO. If you already have a wallet, you can move on to step two, on how to purchase Ethereum (ETH) and moving your ETH to your wallet. If you wish to learn more about our company or our ICO click here. If you wish to learn how to purchase Ethereum click here, or if you want to learn how to exchange Ethereum for Yupies click here. In this step by step guide, we will show you how to create a new Ethereum wallet. You will need a wallet to participate in the ICO and if you want to know more about what a wallet is or how it works, You can click here for a beginners guide into wallets. Also it is not essential that you make a wallet created through MyEtherWallet, as long as it is ERC20 compatiable (such as Mist or Metamask). If you are not sure, contact us on our slack channel and we will work it out together! The reason we decided to use MyEtherWallet in this guide is because it’s very quick, easy and free. So let’s begin! Step 1 To start the process of creating a wallet, go to the website https://www.myetherwallet.com/ , where you will be greeted with the landing page. Once you are on this page, it is time to create a password. We suggest that you pick a reasonably long password (at least 20 characters). Once you have done this click on the button “Create New Wallet” Step 2 Once you have created your password, it will ask you to download your KeyStore file. This file is very important, so make sure to the save the file somewhere safe and also to back it up in another location (we suggest not on the same computer, or writing it down and storing it somewhere). The file will start with a UTC — 2017 (the year it was created) and will have a long string of numbers and letters. Step 3 After saving the keystore file, click on the “I understand continue” button underneath where you can download your keystore file. The following page will show your private key information. The private key can unlock your wallet if you forget your password.It is vital that you store this information, if you lose access to your private key you will not be able to access your tokens. For this reason, we suggest printing out the key so you have it in paper form which you can easily do by clicking the print button. Also do not share this information with anyone! Whoever has your private key will have complete access to your wallet. Once you have printed the private key, click on the save address button. Congratulations are in order! You have just finished creating a wallet. Accessing your wallet Wherever you want to access your wallet, simply come back to this page and you will be greeted with the options to unlock your wallet. If you ever want to access your wallet, you will need to unlock it first. To unlock your wallet, you will need the keystore file you previously downloaded at the start of the tutorial. Simply choose “Keystone File (UTC / JSON)” from the list of options. In the middle column, you will see “SELECT WALLET FILE”. Click on that button and upload the keystone file you downloaded. Once this has been selected, you have to enter your password (The one you created at the very start) If the data matches, the unlock button will appear To check your balance, you will have to select “View Wallet Info” on the top scrollbar, you will have to re-enter your information (safety first!), from there you can see all your information and what your balance is. The “ox” number is your public address and works similarly to a bank account number. Therefore it is okay for other people to know this address, as they will need to to send ETH or tokens to your account. A quick reminder, DO NOT give out your keystore file, private key or your password. If any transactions need completing, they only need you public address (number starting with ox). In our next part, we will be focusing on how to fill your wallet with ETH and the process of transactions. Thank you for reading. |
NEW YORK—Today LG took the wraps off its second flagship for 2016: the LG V20. The device is a sequel to last year's LG V10 and follows much of the same formula. The V20 is a high-end 5.7-inch smartphone with a secondary "ticker" screen just above the main screen. The specs are about what you would expect for a 2016 flagship: a Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, a 3200mAh battery, and a 5.7-inch, 2560x1440 IPS LCD. The V20's big eyecatcher is the always-on second screen, a small area above the main screen that can display a series of mini apps—power controls, app shortcuts, calendar events, music controls, or a text string. We weren't enamored by LG's earlier 2016 flagship, the LG G5 . But LG has made great strides with the V20 and seems to have solved most of the issues we had with the previous flagship. The G5's modular system is no more, along with the build-quality problems that it caused. Gone are the uneven seams and sharp edges, while the V20 keeps the removable battery and MicroSD slot by going with a more traditional removable back plate design. The V20 is one of the rare metal phones to do this, and it works very well. The trade-off is that you miss out on the aluminum unibody construction in order to make the back removable, but we didn't notice any ill effects from that design change. The device is again made out of aluminum, but instead of the aluminum-coated-in-plastic design of the LG G5, your hands are actually touching metal when you touch the back of the V20. The mechanism to reattach the back worked well in the few minutes we got to play with it. A series of snap connectors encircle the perimeter of the phone, and once you've clicked everything together, the phone feels solid. Like the LG G5 opening, the V20 uses an "eject" button on the side instead of a fingernail slot to pop the back off. The back of the V20 is similar to the LG G5. The rear of the phone has a main camera—a 16MP sensor with a 75-degree field of view—and a secondary "wide angle" camera—an 8MP sensor with a 135-degree field of view. For the front camera, the V20 tries the same trick with a single lens, switching between a 5MP 120-degree "wide mode" and a 5MP 83-degree "normal mode." Returning to the back: on the left and right of the lenses are LG's usual color sensor and laser autofocus system. Below the camera is a physical power button with an integrated fingerprint sensor. The LG V20 promises to have great audio with something LG is calling a "32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC," which LG says "delivers a crisp and clear sound that comes closest to a live performance when using compatible wired headphones" by "reducing up to 50 percent of ambient noise levels." Don't pay too much attention to the audiophile-grade branding: 16-bit audio is enough to accurately store everything in the human range of hearing. Just take the feature as LG saying it paid special attention to the audio output on the phone. Both Google and LG tout the LG V20 as the "first new smartphone" to come with Android 7.0 Nougat. This is technically true, sure, but this is "Nougat" with heavy air quotes, since it has LG's skin slathered on top. Split screen has made it intact, along with Direct Reply from the notification panel. But things like the notification redesign have been paved over with LG's aesthetics. In screenshots and our video you'll see a puzzling new Google icon called "In apps." We couldn't figure out what it was at the time of the video recording (and it didn't really work), but the next day Google announced "In Apps" as a new way to search through content from your apps. It ought to bring up things like contacts, messages, songs, notes, and any other apps that feel like plugging in to the system. On the V20 this has a special icon, but on most phones there should be a new "In Apps" tab on the right of the Google search results interface. As usual, we asked about LG's participation in Google's monthly Android security update program. We were told security updates would be determined on a "per-carrier" basis. The pricing is up to carriers, too. LG wouldn't even give us a ballpark price for the V20, but we guess it'll be somewhere around the V10's $700 price tag. The LG V20 will be available in Korea starting this month in dark gray, silver, and pink. It will be out sometime soon in the US whenever carriers get around to it. |
Top Amateur Boxer Tony Losey Dies in Tank Accident By Ryan Maquiñana Tony Losey, regarded as the third best welterweight in USA Boxing’s national amateur rankings, was tragically killed Tuesday in an industrial accident involving a tank he was refurbishing, The Wichita Eagle reported. Losey, a subcontractor at a steel plate fabricator in Wichita, Kansas, was standing under a tarp when the accident took place, according to the report. As the 22-year-old sandblasted the estimated 12,000-pound tank, it shifted and fell on him in a rare occurrence, per Wichita police Sgt. John Ryan. “Sometimes the tanks are so heavy that the supports are not adequate to hold it, and starts to move, the supports can no longer hold it,” Ryan told KSN-TV, which reported that rescue crews arrived on the scene within three minutes, but could not save Losey in time. Losey, a skilled 152-pound southpaw, had taken major steps toward turning his life around following a 2011 aggravated battery case, for which he was serving a 24-month probation sentence. Finding refuge in the gym, the Kansan won bronze at the 2013 National Golden Gloves, silver at the USA Boxing National Championships, and even represented the United States in international competition, capturing another bronze medal in St. Petersburg, Russia, last October at the SportAccord World Combat Games. “Tony’s a good kid, a great kid. I love him like a son, and everyone who knows Tony knows he was getting it together,” his longtime trainer Lewis Hernandez said. “His life was moving forward. He was doing good things. Big things were to come from him. It’s just a horrible, horrible thing that happened … It’s still unbelievable.” Losey is survived by his fiancée and two daughters, per The Wichita Eagle. Ryan Maquiñana is the Boxing Insider at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and the Editor-in-Chief of Norcalboxing.com. He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @RMaq28 or email him at [email protected]. |
The event was moved to the Bel Air hotel in Ashford at the last minute after a notary public in Cork, Dermot Conway, cut his ties with the group and the organisers had to relocate to another county. The trust has attracted developers, farmers, and businessmen with debts on large property portfolios. According to the trust’s organiser, Kilkenny landscape gardener Charlie Allen Sr, it has accepted assets worth up to €2bn from at least 2,000 debtors. It has yet to be tested in court despite an ongoing stand-off with receivers regarding occupation of a Kildare stud farm. At yesterday’s Bel Air signing-in session, additional publicans, hoteliers, families, and syndicates put their properties into the Rodolphus Allen Private Family Trust. The age profile of those signing up varied, but most in attendance were male and older than 45. Some of those indicated that they were not in receivership and had working relationships with the banks regarding their debt problems. By lunchtime, at least 50 people had been given forms relating to the trust or had been helped to source Land Registry documents online. Most people had, as they had been advised, brought official copies of their Land Registry instruments or their Registry of Deeds memorials along with them. During the event, the Irish Examiner posed as a potential entrant into the trust. It was given official documents designed to acknowledge the organisation; give its operator power of attorney over a portfolio of assets; and, separately, affirm the aspirations of the organisation. The affirmation included a commitment to try to “identify, engage, and fulfil our true purpose on this planet, as unique fragments of Divine Consciousness, in our eternal spiritual quest for self-realisation”. Those entering the trust were told to have passports and €525 per property on hand — although the forms available on the day looked for €350 per folio. From 10am, people from all four provinces met with Mr Allen or at least four of his staff to discuss their options and sign trust documents in the presence of a notary public. A number of people asked questions about the trust and its strategy. They were not given any commitment that the scheme would work. In at least one case, Mr Allen said if people had doubts about the trust, they were better to remain outside it. A plan was outlined that first involved placing properties into the trust, and supposedly beyond the reach of the banks. The second part of the plan, attendees were told, was to prove that the mortgages attached to the properties were illegal. No details on this part were forthcoming. At a protest in Kildare last weekend, the trust’s organisers cited Brehon and common law but has so far refused to make its legal arguments public. The trust deeds cited an affiliation with the Universal Community Trusts, a loose international organisation that is linked to the freeman of the land philosophy and does not fully recognise nation states. |
Howard announces emissions trading system Updated Prime Minister John Howard says the Federal Government will introduce a new "cap and trade" emissions trading system. Mr Howard made the announcement in a video message posted on the Prime Minister's website. The Government will increase spending on measures to tackle global warming by $627 million. Mr Howard says the new emissions scheme will help Australia substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions at the lowest cost. "Australia will more than play its part to address climate change but will do it in a practical and balanced way in full knowledge of the economic consequences for our nation," he said. Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the carbon emissions trading scheme will be comprehensive. "It will cover 80 per cent of all emission outside agriculture and about 55 per cent of total emissions in Australia," he said. The scheme is set to be up and running by 2011. The Federal Government has also committed $12.5 million to develop nuclear power as part of its global warming package. Australia sits on 40 per cent of the world's uranium deposits and Mr Howard says it would be an economic and environment folly not to develop nuclear energy. In addition, the Government will set-up an emissions regulator to track industry emissions and provide $1,000 to 250,000 to households to help install solar water heating. Mr Howard says the Government wants to introduce legislation this year to set-up a process for monitoring greenhouse emissions. But the Opposition says the Federal Government is just playing catch-up on climate change. Mr Howard also told the Melbourne Press Club the Government will set a target next year for cutting emissions, but the Opposition says people should know what the target will be before the election. Schools Mr Howard says the Government will spend $336 million on improving energy efficiency in schools. "Stabilising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will be difficult, but not impossible," he said. "We do not have to sacrifice our economic prosperity to tackle the problem." The funding scheme means every school in Australia will be entitled to a voucher of up to $50,000 to help install rainwater tanks and solar hot water systems. Topics: federal-government, environment, climate-change, air-pollution, pollution, government-and-politics, australia First posted |
Verizon Thwarting Nexus 7 LTE Activations Verizon customers who purchased the 4G LTE version of the Google Nexus 7 tablet are raising a stink over the fact the company is refusing to activate the device on their networks, despite technical compatibility. Journalist and professor Jeff Jarvis was the first to notice Verizon's odd and annoying behavior, complaining that the device clearly is compatible with T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon's LTE networks. "This is not yet a device that is Verizon 4G LTE certified," Verizon is telling outlets like Android Central . "We’ll let folks know when it's certified." Users note you can plug in an authorized Verizon SIM for another LTE device (like say an iPad) into the Nexus 7 and it will work. You can't, however, take your Nexus 7 into the Verizon store and demand a new LTE SIM for it just yet. Many people (including Jeff Jarvis) quite correctly note that Verizon's LTE spectrum comes with open access provisions requiring they allow any compatible device to connect to it, though as noted previously those rules have enough loopholes as to not be worth all that much. Even if the rules were solid, they'd require regulators with the courage to enforce them (good luck there). Verizon had many, many months to get the Nexus 7 certified, though this is a company that has taken increasing heat from Android fans in particular for not being particularly open, and for operating on a different time scale than the rest of the wireless universe. |
Looking for news you can trust? Subscribe to our free newsletters. On Fox & Friends today, Donald Trump stood up for fellow aggrieved billionaire Republican Donald Sterling, claiming that the Los Angeles Clippers owner was “set up by a very, very bad girlfriend.” Sterling, of course, is under fire for the recently released audio recording in which he tells onetime girlfriend V. Stiviano to, among other things, stop associating publicly with black people, including Lakers great Magic Johnson. With sponsors rushing to drop the Clippers, it must be a great relief for Sterling to know that he’s got The Donald on his side. Trump’s comments made us wonder, though: Could you tell the two Donalds apart by the wacky (and creepy) things they’ve said over the years? Try your luck with our Which Donald Is It? quiz below: |
The author of the original Petya ransomware — a person/group going by the name of Janus Cybercrime Solutions — has released the master decryption key of all past Petya versions. This key can decrypt all ransomware families part of the Petya family except NotPetya, which isn't the work of Janus. This list includes: ⩥ ⩥ First Petya ransomware version (flashed white skull on red background during boot-up screens) Second Petya version that also included Mischa ransomware (flashed green skull on black background during boot-up screens) Third Petya version, also known as GoldenEye ransomware (flashed yellow skull on black background during boot-up screens) Authenticity of Petya decryption key confirmed Janus released the master key on Wednesday in a tweet that linked to an encrypted and password-protected file uploaded on Mega.nz. "They're right in front of you and can open very large doors" https://t.co/kuCUMZ5ZWP @hasherezade @MalwareTechBlog ;) — JANUS (@JanusSecretary) July 5, 2017 Malwarebytes security researcher Hasherezade cracked the file yesterday and shared its content: Congratulations! Here is our secp192k1 privkey: 38dd46801ce61883433048d6d8c6ab8be18654a2695b4723 We used ECIES (with AES-256-ECB) Scheme to encrypt the decryption password into the "Personal Code" which is BASE58 encoded. Kaspersky Lab security researcher Anton Ivanov tested and confirmed the master key's validity. The published #Petya master key works for all versions including #GoldenEye pic.twitter.com/tTRLZ9kMnb — Anton Ivanov (@antonivanovm) July 6, 2017 This key is the private (server-side) key used during the encryption of past Petya versions. Decrypters can be built that incorporate this key. In the past, security researchers have cracked Petya encryption on at least two ocassions [1, 2], but with the private key in the open, decrypter will recover files much faster than the previously known methods. Unfortunately, this decryption key won't be as useful as many people think. Most (original) Petya campaigns happened in 2016, and very few campaigns have been active this year. Users that had their files locked have wiped drives or paid the ransom many months before. The key will only help those victims who cloned their drives and saved a copy of the encrypted data. Decryption key is useless for NotPetya victims This key won't help NotPetya victims because the NotPetya ransomware was created by "pirating" the original Petya ransomware and modifying its behavior by a process called patching. NotPetya used a different encryption routine and was proven to have no connection to the original Petya. In 2016, Janus had been very active on Twitter while promoting a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) portal where other crooks could rent access to the Petya+Micha ransomware combo. Janus became active in 2017 after a long period of silence just to deny any involvement with the NotPetya outbreak. Hashezerade believes that Janus released Petya's decryption key as a result of the recent NotPetya outbreak, and he might have decided to shut down his operation. Janus is not the first ransomware author/group who released his master decryption key. The TeslaCrypt group did the same in the spring of 2016. Last year, Janus also hacked the servers of a rival ransomware author — Chimera ransomware — and dumped his decryption keys. |
During a June 15 speech in Atlanta presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump explained that concealed carry could have stopped or at least lessened the number of dead in the Pulse Orlando attack. He explained that the Orlando nightclub was a gun-free zone, saying it “was full of innocent people and you had no guns on the other side.” Trump said, “By the way, I’m going to save your Second Amendment.” And once the applause subsided he added: If some of those great people that were in that club that night had guns strapped to their waist or strapped to their ankle–and if bullets were going in the other direction, aimed at that guy [for whom this was just] target practice–you would have had a situation which would have [been] horrible, but nothing like the carnage that we as a people suffered this weekend. Trump continued by pointing to France and talking about how the gun-free concert venue ended with 130 persons shot dead on November 13, 2015. Eight days after that attack Trump told George Stephanopoulos that an armed citizenry could have prevented the “horror show” in Paris. AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. |
The energy consumption of refugee camps has been neglected by international governments and humanitarian agencies, costing an estimated $2bn annually, according to a consortium of NGOs and think tanks. EURACTIV’s partner Edie.net reports. The Chatham House Report for the Moving Energy Initiative highlights that there are now 60 million forcibly displaced people living across the globe. These people used around 3.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent, predominantly in the form of firewood and charcoal for heating and cooking. These inefficient fuels cost around $2bn annually and generate 13 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. The subsequent air pollution could be killing 20,000 each year. Speaking at the launch of the report, Chatham House senior researcher Glada Lahn said: “This is as an energy access problem. These displaced people and refugees are part of the 2.9 billion living in energy poverty around the world, but the sustainable development goals and the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative didn’t mention them. They are a grey area.” Widening gap The report warns that the gap between the needs of growing numbers of displaced people and the resources and political will to meet these needs is widening. The majority of camps rely on inefficient techniques to burn biomass like wood which emits 4.54 tCO2 per tonne of oil equivalent, compared with 2.79 tCO2 from burning an equivalent amount of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The report recommends a widespread introduction of improved cooking stoves and basic solar lanterns as a means of saving $323m a year in fuel costs, although this would require a one-off payment of $335m to implement. This could also result in emissions savings of 6.85m tCO2 per year. Long-term thinking The report states that short-term, politically-orientated humanitarian funding is inadequate to finance long-term energy solutions. To combat this, the report suggests humanitarian agencies create a fund for energy infrastructure. Appealing to the private sector and climate related funding are two possible avenues of exploration in an attempt to implement the ideal scenario solar grids and more permanent renewable energy infrastructure in every camp, along with those with the expertise to use them. The report also recommends that refugee camps’ energy needs should be affiliated with existing government policies so that national projects benefit the displaced as well as the locals. Water stress Growing water scarcity could add to the 60 million forcefully displaced, with the World Resources Institute reporting that 33 countries could be at risk from water-stress by 2040. Of the countries, 14 are from the Middle East where many will move to increasingly overcrowded cities. Climate change has already led to the creation of the world’s first ‘climate refugee’ who was recently deported from New Zealand, despite launching a legal appeal that his home country Kiribati was threatened by rising sea-levels. |
As college students, bikes are a big part of our culture. They’re a fast, easy way to get around campus. Unlike our crosstown rivals, we enjoy a flat, level campus that is easy to maneuver with almost any mode of transportation. With a sizable amount of students utilizing a bicycle to get from point A to point B, naturally problems will arise, and the bicycle situation at USC has become increasingly more problematic with each passing year. Racks near the Ronald Tutor Campus Center, where students used to be able to park their bikes, no longer exist, forcing students to park farther away from their destination, and thus defeating the purpose of riding a bike. Aside from on Trousdale Parkway, there are no designated bike lanes across campus, causing confusion, dozens of near-accidents and actual accidents involving bicyclists. Walking as a pedestrian on campus during the day has almost become an Olympic sport, dodging the scores of bikes, skateboarders, scooters and others. No one is arguing to discourage or ban bikes from campus — they are an integral and important part of campus life and identity — but there needs to be more of a concerted effort to keep bicyclists and pedestrians safe. Clearly marked and labeled lanes for bicyclists across campus, as well as increased spots to park bikes in strategic locations near buildings, would help clear traffic and congestion on campus during peak hours. Another important factor in bicycles at USC is theft. It’s an unfortunate reality at USC, and it’s prevalent especially in bikes. The Department of Public Safety encourages students to register their bikes, lock their bikes with a U-lock or superior safety feature and remain cognizant and cautious of their bike at all times. But even with these measures, bicycles are still stolen. Efforts such as Ryde, a program started by USC students, aim to promote bike-sharing, which shifts away from ownership and discourages stealing as there is an incentive to share. Even the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is getting in on the ride-sharing, introducing an $11 million project that will showcase 1,100 bikes at 65 stations throughout downtown Los Angeles. Both ride-sharing opportunities are great initiatives that alleviate the cost on riders and help decrease the issues of theft and parking. There are still leaps to be made in order to put the brakes on a bicycle situation that may be spinning out of control if nothing is done. Today, it is virtually impossible to park a bike near the Ronald Tutor Campus Center. Guards and security near the Campus Center now monitor the parking of bikes and tell students to move if bikes are parked near pathways. The ban on bikes in front of the Campus Center is actually not entirely bad. It has cleared up space tremendously and allowed for further seating, and it’s important for all students, including disabled students, to be able to access the Campus Center. But rather than simply eliminating parking spots, the bike racks should have been moved to an alternative location. When students would just park their bike anywhere, it was a maze to get into the Campus Center, but it has also become frustrating when students are told to move bikes and park elsewhere when there is almost nowhere to park nearby. At USC, we enjoy a beautiful campus that allows us to maneuver and get around in a variety of different ways. You can walk, bike, skateboard, scooter and even unicycle to class. It is one advantage that we may take for granted. We need to work together to not spoil that luxury and find a mutually agreed upon solution. It’s often joked that pedestrians hate bicyclists, skateboarders hate bicyclists and even bicyclists hate bicyclists. It doesn’t have to be that way. Bikes are an iconic part of USC. You can’t picture a building on campus that doesn’t have bikes parked outside. Bikes at USC have become a microcosm of automobiles in Los Angeles, but Leavey Library and the Campus Center don’t have to be the 405. There are ways to get ourselves moving while at the same time keeping our campus presentable and navigable — they’re not mutually exclusive. We just have to get in the right gear. Athanasius Georgy is a junior majoring in economics. His column, “Campus Talk,” runs Thursdays. |
Top-ranked side goes into Champions Trophy boasting both top bowler and batsman in its ranks South Africa was always going to be one of the sides to watch in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 but its profile got another boost with pace bowler Kagiso Rabada moving up four places to take the top spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for ODI Bowlers . Top-ranked South Africa lost its three-match series to England 2-1 but former ICC U19 World Cup star Rabada’s haul of four for 39 in the final match at Lord’s on Monday helped him finish the series with seven wickets and become the youngest number-one bowler since Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq in 1998. Rabada, just five days past his 22nd birthday, has displaced his compatriot Imran Tahir whom he leads by two points. With captain AB de Villiers top-ranked among batsmen, South Africa now has the top two bowlers as well as four players in the top 10 of the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen – Quinton de Kock (fourth), Faf du Plessis (sixth) and Hashim Amla (10th) being the others. The intense competition in the individual rankings justifies the tournament’s name as players from the eight participating teams feature prominently in it and not much separates the top players in the fray. The top three batsmen – de Villiers, David Warner and Virat Kohli are separated by just 22 points while only 23 points separate the top three bowlers – Rabada, Tahir and Mitchell Starc. South Africa, India and England have four batsmen each inside the top 20 with New Zealand (three), Australia and Pakistan (two each) also having significant presence. Similarly, among bowlers, Bangladesh and England have three each inside the top 20, followed by New Zealand, South Africa and Australia with two each. In the all-rounders’ list led by Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, there are three players from England in the top 10. England’s series win over South Africa, which helped it gain two points, also reflects the close competition that can be expected in a crisp tournament like the ICC Champions Trophy. The top five ODI teams are close to each other with South Africa (122), Australia (118), India (117), New Zealand (114) and England (112) all having a lot to play for in the eight-team tournament. For example, Australia and India could overtake South Africa by the next rankings update if they win all their three league matches and South Africa loses all its three matches. South Africa, Australia, India and New Zealand have all won this prestigious tournament in the past while last time’s finalist England will be hoping to do one better in home conditions and with the confidence of the series win over South Africa. The tournament, which runs from 1-18 June, also gives an opportunity to teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan to consolidate their positions in the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings as England and the seven other top-ranked sides gain direct qualification berths to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Last week, Bangladesh pipped Sri Lanka on decimal points to reach sixth rank for the first time. Last week, Bangladesh pipped Sri Lanka on decimal points to reach sixth rank for the first time, ahead of three former World champions - Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the West Indies. Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are on 93 points and eighth-ranked Pakistan on 88 points, giving these teams a chance to gain more points by upsetting better-ranked sides since the rankings are weighted to reflect the difference in points. Meanwhile, other players to gain in the rankings after the England-South Africa series include Quinton de Kock (up two places to fourth) and Eoin Morgan (up five places to 17th) among batsmen and Liam Plunkett (up seven places to 16th) among bowlers. MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings (as on 30 May, before the ICC Champions Trophy) Rank Team Points 1. South Africa 122 (-1) 2. Australia 118 3. India 117 4. New Zealand 114 5. England 112 (+2) 6. Bangladesh 93 7. Sri Lanka 93 8. Pakistan 88 9. West Indies 79 10. Afghanistan 52 11. Zimbabwe 46 12. Ireland 41 (Developed by David Kendix) MRF Tyres ICC ODI Player Rankings (as on 30 May, before the ICC Champions Trophy) Batsmen (top 20) Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Avge Highest Rating 1 ( - ) AB de Villiers SA 874 54.38 902 v NZ at Auckland 2015 2 ( - ) David Warner Aus 871 44.84 880 v Pak at Adelaide 2017 3 ( - ) Virat Kohli Ind 852 53.11 886 v Ban at Fatullah 2014 4 (+2) Q. de Kock SA 776 43.71 803 v NZ at Wellington 2017 5 (-1) Joe Root Eng 772 47.89 792 v Ire at Lord's 2017 6 (-1) Faf du Plessis SA 765 43.34 791 v SL at Cape Town 2017 7= (+1) Babar Azam Pak 762*! 55.08 762 v WI at Guyana 2017 ( - ) Martin Guptill NZ 762 43.66 789 v SA at Hamilton 2017 9 ( - ) K. Williamson NZ 742 45.90 798 v SA at Centurion 2015 10 (+1) Hashim Amla SA 734 50.22 901 v Eng at Trent Bridge 2012 11 (-1) Steve Smith Aus 733 43.67 752 v Pak at Sydney 2017 12 ( - ) Rohit Sharma Ind 717 41.37 761 v Aus at Sydney 2016 13 ( - ) MS Dhoni Ind 712 50.96 836 v Aus at Delhi 2009 14 ( - ) Ross Taylor NZ 701 44.01 743 v Zim at Harare 2015 15 (-1) S. Dhawan Ind 690 42.91 794 v SA at Melbourne 2015 16 ( - ) Alex Hales Eng 667 37.86 692 v SA at Headingley 2017 17= (+5) Eoin Morgan Eng 646 38.10 690 v Aus at The Oval 2010 ( - ) Jos Buttler Eng 646 36.40 723 v Ban at Mirpur 2016 19 ( - ) Tamim Iqbal Ban 642! 33.43 642 v NZ at Dublin 2017 20 ( - ) M. Hafeez Pak 632 32.73 665 v Ban at Mirpur 2014 Bowlers (top 20) Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Avge Eco Highest Rating 1 (+4) K. Rabada SA 724! 24.90 5.13 724 v Eng at Lord's 2017 2 (-1) Imran Tahir SA 722 24.18 4.67 786 v SL at Johannesburg 2017 3 (-1) Mitchell Starc Aus 701 19.88 4.81 783 v NZ at Melbourne 2015 4 (-1) Sunil Narine WI 690 26.46 4.12 791 v SL at Jamaica 2013 5 (+1) J. Hazlewood Aus 684*! 25.18 4.65 684 v NZ at Hamilton 2017 6 (-2) Trent Boult NZ 683 24.85 4.98 766 v Ind at Delhi 2016 7 ( - ) Chris Woakes Eng 645 31.56 5.59 651 v SA at Headingley 2017 8 ( - ) M. Nabi Afg 622 32.33 4.32 653 v Zim at Harare 2017 9 (+1) S. Al Hasan Ban 620 28.74 4.38 717 v Zim at Chittagong 2009 10 (+1) M. Santner NZ 617*! 32.20 4.95 617 v Ban at Dublin 2017 11= (-2) Matt Henry NZ 615 25.26 5.62 675 v Aus at Hamilton 2016 ( - ) Akshar Patel Ind 615* 30.20 4.38 624 v NZ at Visakhapatnam 2016 13 ( - ) Amit Mishra Ind 609* 23.60 4.72 618 v NZ at Visakhapatnam 2016 14 (+1) M. Mortaza Ban 601 30.11 4.75 653 v Zim at Mirpur 2009 15 (+3) M. Rahman Ban 600*! 16.00 4.62 600 v NZ at Dublin 2017 16 (+7) Liam Plunkett Eng 597* 31.13 5.73 600 v SA at Southampton 2017 17 (-1) Jason Holder WI 590 32.90 5.44 605 v SL at Bulawayo 2016 18= (-1) Dale Steyn SA 579 26.62 4.94 746 v Ind at Durban 2013 (+2) R. Ashwin Ind 579 32.37 4.91 691 v SL at Hambantota 2012 20 (-6) Adil Rashid Eng 576 34.12 5.68 655 v Ban at Chittagong 2016 All-rounders (top five) Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Highest Rating 1 ( - ) S. Al Hasan Ban 362 453 v Zim at Chittagong 2009 2 ( - ) M. Hafeez Pak 353 438 v Ind at Kolkata 2013 3 ( - ) M. Nabi Afg 330 349 v Ire at Greater Noida 2017 4 ( - ) A. Mathews SL 309 427 v Eng at Colombo (RPS) 2014 5 ( - ) J. Faulkner Aus 308 361 v NZ at Melbourne 2015 |
Through their perennially punishing tour schedule and tireless commitment to the satisfaction of their fans, noted rock group Titus Andronicus [hereafter +@] have become revered as one of the most consistently exhilarating acts to trot the modern stage. With the imminent release of the live album S+@DIUM ROCK: FIVE NIGHTS AT THE OPERA (available digitally 7/29 and physically 8/5 from Merge Records), that reputation will only continue to swell. Today, +@ throw yet more fuel to that fire as they reveal the dates of this Autumn’s “Rockers On The Road” North American Tour. Following a special “sneak preview” on August 23rd in Washington, DC, the beloved band will work their strange magic across the United States and Canada, commencing in earnest on September 8th at WFMU’s Monty Hall in Jersey City, NJ. +@ will be supported on select dates by up-and-coming Texan rock crusaders A Giant Dog as well as Happiness, a new Rhode Island quartet featuring members of Deer Tick, including erstwhile +@ guitarist Ian O’Neil. To celebrate their continued dominance, +@ are sharing a video excerpt from the S+@DIM ROCK concert film, which will be made available to view in full in conjunction with the live album’s July 29th digital release. Following the rapturously received medleys “I Lost My Mind”/”Fatal Flaw” and “Sun Salutation”/”No Future Part V,” fans can now further whet their appetites with the previously unreleased “69 Stones.” An outtake from 2015′s smash rock opera The Most Lamentable Tragedy, “69 Stones” is a loping, country-inflected ditty taken from the all-new, fully electric arrangement of the opera’s fifth act, which comprises the B-side of S+@DIUM ROCK. This lost jewel will create a fuller picture than ever of the story which captured the hearts and minds of so many. “69 Stones” is a song about, “the weight that we all carry and the biological imperatives which keep us carrying it year after year, however arduous the task may seem,” explained +@ singer-songwriter Patrick Stickles. “The same urges which keep our animal friends on the hunt motivate we humans too – perhaps this is also what keeps +@ on the road, compulsively rocking as we will do.” Find below all the dates of the “Rockers On The Road” North American Tour, along with the lyrics of “69 Stones.” +@ TITUS ANDRONICUS “ROCKERS ON THE ROAD” TOUR DATES : 8/23/16 – Washington, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel 9/8/16 – Jersey City, NJ – WFMU Monty Hall ~ 9/9/16 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts ~ 9/11/16 – Richmond, VA – The Camel ~ 9/13/16 – Durham, NC – The Pinhook ~ 9/14/16 – Asheville, NC – The Mothlight ~ 9/15/16 – Nashville, TN – High Watt ~ 9/17/16 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn ~ 9/18/16 – New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa ~ 9/20/16 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger ~ 9/21/16 – Austin, TX – Barracuda ~ 9/22/16 – Dallas, TX – The Loft ~ 9/23/16 – Norman, OK – Opolis ~ 9/24/16 – Columbia, MO – Rose Music Hall ~ 9/25/16 – Iowa City, IA – The Mill ~ 9/27/16 – Madison, WI – High Noon ~ 9/28/16 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge ~ 9/29/16 – Detroit, MI – El Club ~ 9/30/16 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace ~ 10/4/16 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall ^ 10/5/16 – Portsmouth, NH – 3s Artspace ^ 10/6/16 – Rockville Center, NY – Cannon’s Blackthorn ^ 10/7/16 – Brooklyn, NY – Market Hotel ^ 10/8/16 – Brooklyn, NY – Market Hotel ^ ~ – with A Giant Dog ^ – with Happiness “69 STONES” LYRICS : Sixty-nine stones, sixty-nine stones I’ve been carrying sixty-nine stones All my life, I am bound to roam And I’ll be carrying sixty-nine stones I’ll be carrying sixty-nine stones The will to live is an awful curse Upon an earth that’s just a lot of dirt Whenever it is that yr getting hurt That’s just the will to live doing its work It puts the mold on food that’s old It turns an insect straight into an infestation It pushes the weed up from beneath concrete But hey, what can ya say, babe? We all gotta eat It makes its blessed home Wherever teeth rip flesh from bone It’s the prize of the survivor Behind the eyes of hungry tigers That will to live won’t leave me alone Feels like carrying sixty-nine stones Feels like carrying sixty-nine stones |
Anne Simon, a biology professor at the University of Maryland, has been the go-to scientist for “The X-Files” for many years. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) It was long past 2 on Wednesday morning when Anne Simon finally arrived back at her hotel room in central Vancouver. She had just clocked 15 hours on her feet. Most people in this situation would sleep in. But Simon set her alarm for early — and was awake long before it rang. Simon was too amped. Too restive. Too ready to talk. The University of Maryland biologist had just watched the fruition of what she considers her greatest act of science. And it didn’t occur in a laboratory or college campus. It went down on a TV set. Last week, Simon traveled thousands of miles — and even further in terms of cultural evolution — to arrive at the set of “The X-Files,” the 1990s Fox cult classic slated to air a six-episode miniseries in January following a lengthy hiatus. For Simon, it marked something of a reunion. She had long worked in the show’s shadows as its scientific adviser, ensuring that one of the biggest science fiction programs in television history got its facts right. She dreamed up how a sewer could spawn creatures. She taught writers how scientific methodology could discern whether an organism was extraterrestrial. She drew from scientific literature when she unveiled a fruit fly with legs coming out of its mouth. It was the writer’s job to come up with the ideas — and Simon’s to make them scientifically plausible. At least, as plausible as possible. Bear in mind, this is a show about two FBI agents, government conspiracies and things that go bump in the night. Simon, who says she has provided some “mind-blowing” science for the new miniseries, poses at the University of Maryland’s College Park campus. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) [The first page of the new “X-Files” script made David Duchovny weep with joy] Simon says that work — which she balanced with teaching classes, editing the Journal of Virology and conducting her own research — serves only as a prelude to what she hopes will be her greatest contribution to the program’s long, sometimes convoluted story line. “I’m so good about not sharing spoilers,” Simon said in a phone interview from Vancouver, recalling her recent conversations with “X-Files” writer and creator Chris Carter. “But I can say that the science, I’ve been helping Chris every morning on that and reading what he has so far, and it’s the best science that I have ever come up with.” That interaction between the writer and the scientist was only the latest in what has been a long partnership trying to undo inaccuracies in the genre. The life of the scientist who consumes science fiction has historically been one of frustration. “Shows get annoying,” huffed Margaret Fearon, a Canadian microbiologist who has also helped on the scientific end of this “X-Files” reboot, and once had a character named for her. “They don’t consult with people who do know this stuff. It makes it less enjoyable.” But Simon really wants to enjoy science fiction. For as long as she can remember, it has played a prominent role in her life. She “read books and books and books,” mom Sondra Simon recalled. Her dad, Mayo Simon, was a Hollywood scriptwriter. He penned some prominent sci-fi offerings — “Marooned,” “Futureworld” and “Man from Atlantis” — when she was a child living in Southern California. “My dad took such care to get it right,” she said. “He spent so much time in Houston at NASA,” to write a movie on space exploration. So imagine her horror years later when, after she had earned her doctorate, she flipped on the TV and saw an episode of “Star Trek.” Past scripts for "The X-Files" are seen in the office of Dr. Anne Simon. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) “I remember they were talking about this thing that was part virus and part bacteria, and I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “It was like saying something is part watermelon and part chair. You can’t say things like that, and it takes so little to get the science right.” She did not have much hope for “The X-Files” when its pilot aired in 1993. Still, it was a new science fiction show, so Simon, who was then a biochemist at the University of Massachusetts, gave it a watch. She had never seen anything like it, she said. It was not necessarily the story — it was the portrayal of the female lead, Dana Scully, played by Gillian Anderson, that struck her. Simon saw herself in the character. Here was this strong, independent, female scientist. “Scully knew science and medicine, but when she didn’t know something she went to other scientists for help,” Simon said. That separated her, Simon said, from other TV scientists who were somehow experts in everything: “This was the very first time when the public saw scientists how they’re really like.” [The “X-Files” revival could be horrible but I don’t care] Then the credits rolled. A name flashed that she recognized. Chris Carter was the writer and director. Could this be the same Chris Carter who had married her mom’s friend and neighbor? A phone call with her mom confirmed it. Carter “had a house near mine in the Palisades, and I was over there a lot,” said Sondra Simon. “He wanted to make sure everything was right [in ‘The X-Files’]. I knew he was a stickler for science . . . and I suggested that he call Anne if he had a science question.” Halfway through the first season, he did. Carter, who had spent years working at a surfing magazine and making pottery, said he had no choice. “My formal science education ended somewhere around college education, and I hadn’t been such a great student,” Carter wrote in the foreword to Simon’s book, “The Real Science Behind the X-Files.” “A large number of [the “X-Files” audience] were college professors, and I was unarmed.” But he “did have an answer, in the name of Anne Simon.” He added: “From Anne, I got the building blocks of the mystery.” It was an opportunity, Simon said, to dispel popular myths about scientists — that they’re all men, that they’re not trustworthy: “When we drive over the Wilson bridge, we trust that some engineer who has studied this for 30 years has built it [well].” But she said the public doesn’t believe experienced scientists who say genetically modified foods are safe, global warming is happening, vaccines are wise. And so, over the next decade or so, until the show went off the air amid falling ratings, Carter dispatched scripts to Simon. She would render them scientifically cogent to engender greater trust in the field. Then, a few months ago, Simon saw a surprising news article: “The X-Files” was coming back to Fox. She said she “immediately” called Carter, and a few days later he sent her a script, asking her, she said, to “flesh it out. So I wrote a few pages, just having fun . . . and I consider [my ideas] mind-blowing science.” It was now August. And Simon had just returned from Vancouver after watching that “mind-blowing” science manifest itself on a set. She was talking about how she makes the impossible possible. “It was my goal to come up with science that could fit the story,” she said. “It’s not my job to say there could never be half-man, half-worm.” Because it’s “The X-Files,” she said. And the truth is out there. |
Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri Five suicide bombers were wednesday killed in Maiduguri by premature detonation of explosives strapped on them. The five suicide bombers, two males and three females, according to a security source who spoke on account of anonymity with THISDAY, were killed by a premature detonation of the explosive strapped on one of them, which led to the death of the whole group. According to the source, the five had explosive strapped on them and the premature explosion of one led to a spiral of explosion that was greeted by a loud bang. The source said the suicide bombers tried to sneak into Maiduguri on Tuesday night through Mamanti village around Jiddari Polo at about 7p.m. The security source in a text message to THISDAY, said: “Sequel to a loud explosion ahead of Mamanti village around Jidari Polo general area on June 27, 2017 at 1900hrs, soldiers in conjunction with CJTF deployed at Jiddari Polo conducted patrol in the early hours of today (Wednesday). “During the patrol, dead bodies of five suicide bombers; two male and three females, were discovered about four kilometres ahead of Mamanti village. “One of the bodies was mutilated following a detonated IED while others were still fresh with injuries and IEDs strapped on their bodies. Their target was Maiduguri Metropolis, but before the suicide bombers could infilterate the town, one of the IEDS exploded which killed all five suicide bombers.†Attempts to get confirmation from the police at the time of filing this report yesterday evening was unsuccessful. The spokesman of the Borno Police Command, Victor Isuku, did not respond to enquiries sent to his mobile line. |
Death is a fact of life. Some of us die young while others live to a ripe old age. That’s one fact we simply can’t get around. Yet even while we know that someday the inevitable will happen, most of us aren’t prepared for it. Do you really want to leave your loved ones in a quandary about your estate? Wills, trusts, and estate plans aren’t just for the affluent. They are necessary in today’s world, even for those who are young. If you don’t have a plan in place, don’t worry. It’s not difficult to make an estate plan, regardless of your age. Setting up an estate plan is simple and can often be accomplished very easily without the use of an attorney. LegalNature provides you with the information, tools, and forms you need. It’s fast, easy, and affordable to put your estate plan into action today. What Is an Estate? Simply put, an estate is all of your belongings, money, and investments. The word estate may sound like a term used to describe only the affluent, but everyone, regardless of status, has an estate. Your estate is your home, car, bank account, furniture, antiques and collectibles, family heirlooms—everything you own. For most people, a simple estate plan is all that is required to protect the estate and ensure that it is properly distributed after death. The estate plan may include a will, trust, living will, and power of attorney. Think about your possessions and consider who you want to have them once you are gone. This may not be as easy as it seems. If you don’t specify who gets what, you may leave your family fighting over your belongings. Or worse—your estate could end up going to the state instead of a loved one. There are several excuses people use to avoid estate planning, according to the Kiplinger article, 8 Smart Estate Planning Steps to Die the Right Way. For example, one of the excuses is that you aren’t going to die. Well, everyone is going to die at some point in time. If you think you’re too busy to take care of it, understand that it only takes a few minutes to fill out the basic forms. If you don’t want to consider death, keep in mind that you will leave your loved ones in a difficult situation should you die without a will. It’s better to be prepared and make sure your loved ones are properly taken care of than to die without a will. You don’t have to have a lawyer to set up your estate plan. LegalNature has all the forms you need to get you started. Estate Tips Everyone has property and belongings. Be sure they go to the right place after your death with a good estate plan. Make a comprehensive list of all your assets including bank accounts, property, vehicles, and digital items. You can’t take it with you when you die! Your earthly possessions must be provided for after your death. What items are included in my estate? Your estate is a term that encompasses everything you own. It also includes any outstanding debts you have. These can easily be sorted out and resolved using a comprehensive estate plan. I don’t own property; do I still have an estate? Yes, every adult has an estate, even if it is neither large nor complex. If you own clothing, possessions, and a car, all of these are part of your estate. You do not have to own property to have an estate. What Is an Estate Plan? An estate plan protects your family and property after you die or become incapacitated. A good estate plan indicates decisions regarding your health care and disposition of property after you die. Everyone, regardless of age or status, should have some type of estate plan in place. Establishes who will acquire your belongings after your death Names an executor to handle your affairs after death Names guardians for minor children Helps avoid probate Prepares for financial and medical decisions if you become unable to do so Creates a less stressful time for relatives and loved ones after your death The goal of an estate plan is to transfer wealth in accordance with the wishes of the individual and establish guidelines for end-of-life care. According to an NY Times article, “there’s more to estate planning than just the will.” Estate Plan Tips Make sure your estate plan gives clear, concise instructions to avoid confusion. Let relatives and loved ones know that you have an estate plan. Keep your estate planning documents in a place that is accessible after your death. I am young and have few assets; do I still need an estate plan? Yes! Everyone may benefit from an estate plan. Your plan may be less complex than one for someone who is older or has more assets. At the very least, include a simple Last Will and Testament along with a Healthcare Power of Attorney to provide instructions in case you are unable to make important medical decisions for yourself. Do I need an attorney to execute an estate plan? You can easily create and implement the proper estate planning documents necessary. Many of these documents are available online at LegalNature and need only be filled out and notarized. Those with complex situations may want to consult with an attorney. Get additional information from these reliable resources: What Is a Last Will and Testament? As reported by the Associated Press, American death is at an all-time high, surpassing 2.5 million a year for the first time. This is attributed to a growing and aging population. It has been estimated that possibly as few as half of adult Americans have a will or estate plan in place. Don’t die without a will! A last will and testament is a document that outlines the final wishes of an individual. It may include as much detail as you wish. A will provides a way to distribute your assets in the manner you prefer. A last will and testament is the most basic of these types of documents. It is also the easiest to create and implement. Get started now with LegalNature’s Last Will and Testament form. Establishes who receives your property after you die Names an executor to handle the final dispersal Names guardians for minor children Your will allows you to choose who receives your inheritance and determines guardianship of minor children. Your will should be kept up to date. Always make sure that you make appropriate changes to your will when they are necessary. This ensures that your estate is properly distributed! According to a recent article by CNN Money, in many cases, “if you die without a will the state is likely to decide who among your blood relatives will inherit your estate.” Once put into place, a will may only be amended with another legal document, called a codicil. The codicil form from LegalNature is a change to your will and is executed in the same way as the original will. Last Will and Testament Tips Make sure you have your will properly witnessed and notarized. Ask your executor to participate before putting his or her name in the will. Consider the proper guardian for your children and make changes if needed as the children grow. What will happen if I die without a will? Generally speaking, your assets may not be given to those you intend. If you die without a will you die “intestate.” The law then governs how your estate will be distributed. Is it easy to create a last will and testament? Yes! In fact, you can use a form that makes it simple to create your will. Simply fill in the necessary information, determine who will receive inheritance, and appoint an executor. Then, just sign the form with witnesses and have it notarized. That’s all there is to it! Get additional information from these reliable resources: What Is a Living Will? A living will is really not a will at all. It is actually a legal document that indicates how medical care should be administered at the end of life. The living will is also known as an advance directive or an advanced healthcare directive. It does not take the place of a will or trust It is used prior to death and has no use afterwards It offers medical guidance to your loved ones It is easy to create, even without a lawyer One of the biggest misconceptions about the living will is that it is difficult to create and implement. This is likely why so many people fail to put one into place. However in actuality, the advance directive is a very simple and easy document. Get started today with LegalNature’s printable Living Will form. When to administer CPR and when to utilize a DNR (do not resuscitate) order Whether to be put onto life support When life support may be withdrawn Whether to donate organs after death It’s very easy to set up a basic living will. You can fill out a legal advance directive form in just a few minutes. Use the form that is specifically provided to meet your state’s requirements. Avoid high legal fees by using our online living will form. It will need to be filled out, printed, and notarized with witnesses. The living will can take effect immediately once it is signed or may be put into effect when the person is not able to communicate his or her wishes. Even when it is in place, doctors will follow your own personal communication as direction until and unless that is no longer possible. Living Will Tips A living will can be revoked at any time. The living will is NOT an actual will and does not provide any type of information regarding asset division after death. Use a living will along with other estate planning documents. What medical wishes may I include? As long as it’s legal, you may specify any and all treatments that you wish to receive as well as treatments you specifically do not want. You can even state the exact circumstances in which you approve receiving certain treatments. Can I use my own doctor? You can specify the primary physician you want to use in the document. It’s best to inform the doctor you are designating him or her, since the doctor may have additional input on what you should include in your living will. Get additional information from these reliable resources: What Is a Healthcare Power of Attorney? Did you ever consider what would happen to you if you became incapacitated and were unable to make important healthcare decisions? It happens every day—in fact, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 2.1 million people each year enter the critical care unit after visiting the emergency room. A healthcare power of attorney is a legal document that allows a person you choose to make health decisions on your behalf. A healthcare power of attorney is also known as a healthcare proxy, or healthcare directive. It is often used in conjunction with a living will and in some states, one document handles both functions. Names the person who is able to make healthcare decisions if you are unable to do so States your personal desire for healthcare options Provides for your choices regarding organ donation Lists instructions on how to handle your final arrangements Make sure your desires are known. Download the healthcare power of attorney form from LegalNature now. Healthcare Power of Attorney Tips Review your options when making decisions considering your future health care. Account for various medical scenarios, should they occur. Inform your family and loved ones that you have a healthcare directive in place and review the information with them so they are comfortable with your choices. I have a will; do I still need a healthcare power of attorney? Yes, both a will and a Healthcare Power of Attorney can, and should, work together. Your will does not provide for this important function. Does an attorney need to draft a healthcare power of attorney? No. While the information may be detailed, you do not require an attorney. Utilize a reliable source, such as LegalNature, to obtain the necessary forms. Do I need to consult with a doctor before creating a healthcare power of attorney? You do not need to consult with a physician. However, if you require specific detailed medical information, you may want to speak with your doctor first. You will find more information, along with a customizable healthcare power of attorney form at LegalNature. Get additional information from these reliable resources: What Is a Financial Power of Attorney? If you were to become ill and unable to handle your finances, what would happen? For many people, the problem is all too real. You could lose your home, your car, or have your credit score negatively impacted. Yet, you can avoid any such potential problems with one simple document: a financial power of attorney. The financial power of attorney lets you put someone in charge of your finances if you should become sick or debilitated. The person you name will be able to take charge of your finances on your behalf. A power of attorney may be “durable” meaning that the person will take over if you are incapacitated. You may also choose to put someone in charge of your finances for a period of time. For example, if you are going to be out of the country for an extended period of time you may elect to give someone power of attorney to make payments, write checks, and take over finances while you are away. It’s easy to set this up with LegalNature’s downloadable durable power of attorney form. Financial Power of Attorney Tips Be sure to state exactly what powers your choice of attorney-in-fact will have. Create a notebook or file with all of your financial information included to make taking over your finances easier. Review your financial information with the person who will take over your finances so they have an understanding of your general needs. Who can I choose to appoint as my attorney-in-fact? Does it need to be a relative? You can name anyone you choose. Please keep in mind that the person will have access to your accounts and will be making important financial decisions for you. Therefore, be sure that you pick a trustworthy person. What happens once a financial power of attorney is in place? Nothing happens until and unless there is a need. However, be sure to provide the attorney-in-fact with the necessary information to take over your finances. What happens if I change my mind? As with any type of will or legal document, the financial power of attorney can be rescinded at any time should you choose to end it. If you want to make a change, you will need to update your power of attorney, sign it, and have it notarized the same way you executed the first document. Only one power of attorney can be in place at a time. The most recent power of attorney takes precedence. Get additional information from these reliable resources: What Is a Trust? A trust is a legal arrangement that allows a third party to hold assets on your behalf. The trustee is the person or entity that is designated to care for your assets. There are different ways that trusts may be arranged, depending on your needs. One of the main benefits of a trust is that it will usually allow the beneficiaries to avoid probate, thus giving loved ones faster and easier access to assets. A trust may be revocable or irrevocable. A revocable trust is also called a revocable living trust. It offers more flexibility including the ability to make changes should they be necessary. An irrevocable trust may provide more tax benefits, but it cannot be changed once put into place. Trusts offer a high degree of control over your assets and where they will end up. Probably the most important advantage of a trust is to provide tax protection. A trust usually holds your assets and property. You serve as the trustee of the trust during your life. After your death, another designated trustee takes charge. According to The Beginner’s Guide to Estate Planning on CheatSheet.com, one of the easiest ways to avoid probate is by setting up a living trust. This can be very easily done using a revocable living trust form. Tips for a Trust Trusts are helpful for managing assets that can be held for a minor until they reach a specific age. A trust is a very good vehicle for use when you have a significant amount of assets or property. Trusts simplify the estate plan and can save time and money in the long run. Are there different types of trusts? Yes, there are various types of trusts depending on your specific needs. A revocable living trust is the most common trust used for estate planning. What is probate? Why avoid it? Probate is a legal process through the court system that helps distribute your property after death. It can be a lengthy and sometimes costly process that may reduce the size of your estate and significantly delay disbursements to your beneficiaries. How much property can I put into a trust? You don’t need to be uber wealthy to benefit from a trust. You may have a trust that holds title to just one property or many. You may also elect to keep some of your assets out of the trust if you prefer. Get additional information from these reliable resources: Table of content |
A water main break flooded streets near Union Square and snarled transit in the area early Wednesday morning, officials said. The 137-year-old pipe burst shortly after midnight on Fifth Ave. near 13th St., prompting 60 FDNY members to respond to the deluge of water, officials said. Water is pumped out of a hole in the middle of Fifth Avenue after a water main bursts Wednesday in lower Manhattan, flooding between 12th and 14th Sts. (Seth Wenig/AP) The busy thoroughfare was closed between E. 12th St. and E. 14th St. as FDNY and officials with the city Department of Environmental Protection worked on containing the streaming water, fire officials said. Workers excavate to get to the 137-year-old water main in lower Manhattan. (Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily News) At least five feet of water had filled Central Parking garage on E. 13 St., even after the leak was contained. An employee who declined to give his name said about 60 cars were parked in the murky depths. The leaking water main that caused the large, flooded hole took nearly five hours to stop. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images) "The water was coming from all over," said the employee. "I had to get out. … The whole place is filled." Firefighters and officials with the city Department of Environmental Protection worked to contain the water. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images ) The seesawing temperatures and the 36-inch-wide cast iron line's age likely lead to the early morning accident. The pipe was installed in 1877 and dates to city's first plumbing installation, The Croton Water Supply System, a DEP official said. A water main broke shortly after midnight on Fifth Ave. near E. 13th St. (NBC 4 New York) The force of the pipe rupturing was so powerful that it raised and ripped the asphalt above, trapping a taxi on the incline, the official added. A woman jumps over water being pumped out of a hole in the street, caused by a water main break on Wednesday. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images) "I was afraid to come in today, I thought everything downstairs would be ruined," said Jimmy Campos, 53, who has owned Mapi Espresso and Sandwich Bar on E. 13th St. and Fifth Ave. for eight years. "Luckily it looks like there isn't any water downstairs. So far so good. But we were worried." Workers shovel mud off the road while pumping water out from under the street. Several subways were flooded and trains had to be diverted. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images) The basement of The New School was flooded. Students at P.S. 226 at West 12th St. were moved to the High School for Health Professions and Human Services, but no damage was initially reported at the building, officials said. Crews respond to the underground accident, which forced the asphalt above to rise and crack, trapping one vehicle. The situation has since been brought under control, officials said. (Joseph Stepansky/New York Daily News) "So far the relocation is only for today," a city Department of Education spokeswoman said. Water from the 36-inch-wide pipe flooded a nearby parking garage that an employee said had 60 cars inside. (Joseph Stepansky/New York Daily News) The water main break was brought under control shortly after 5:30 a.m., fire officials said. A generator was brought in to pump water. Fluctuating temperatures likely contributed to the break. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images) The MTA diverted trains along the A, C, E, B, D, F, M and Q lines as the above-ground flooding seeped into the subway system. For a full list of updates, visit mta.info. idejohn@nydailynews.com #SubwayNews: We have our pump trains, portable pumps working to evacuate water from system near W.4th St pic.twitter.com/4FAS1sBrnW — NYCT Subway Service (@NYCTSubwayScoop) January 15, 2014 |
PREFACE When I set out to launch CollectingCandy.com, my mission was clear: celebrate the history of candy packaging, its marketing, and the people behind it. Sure, the title was Collecting Candy, but I felt that you didn’t need to be a collector to enjoy these stories, and to appreciate this history. After all, candy is a part of most of our lives, in one form or another. Not long ago, I began building a collection of vintage Big League Chew pouch bubble gum packets. My curiosity about the brand soon revealed that the two men credited with the birth of Big League Chew were still around; Rob Nelson and Jim Bouton. A bit of internet digging and a few e-mails later, and I was in touch with Rob “Nellie” Nelson. Nellie was an enthusiastic source of information, and he put me in contact with his longtime Big League Chew partner (and former Yankee great), Jim Bouton, as well as the artist who created the amazing mascots that are so fondly recalled when we think of Big League Chew, Bill Mayer. I interviewed each of those three gentlemen, and a few others involved with Big League Chew. What follows is the heart of those interviews, along with a wonderful gallery of rarely-seen pieces of Big League Chew packaging, and a few other tasty tidbits. The launch date of this site is also related to feature we chose. February 6th, 1979 was the day Rob Nelson cooked up his very first batch of home made bubble gum, and turned it into shreds using a pizza knife. So, today marks the anniversary of the birth of that very first batch of shredded gum, the earliest version of Big League Chew. In keeping with the baseball theme, February 6th is also Babe Ruth’s birthday. So happy birthday Babe, and happy birthday, Big League Chew. ====================================================== Big League Beginnings The story of how Big League Chew first came to be is well-known, at least the basics are – it’s written on the back of every new pouch of Big League Chew sold, and it goes like this; “Sitting in a bullpen one night, Portland Maverick’s left-hander Rob Nelson, and teammate Jim Bouton, the former New York Yankee All-Star, wanted something really different and fun to chew. So they came up with a great idea – shredded bubble gum in a pouch – and called it Big League Chew. It soon became an amazing hit with ballplayers everywhere. That was over 25 Years ago. Today, more and more professional and amateur players in all sports are turning to Big League Chew, a fun gum that keeps your mouth from getting dry when the game is on the line. “ That’s the highlight-reel version of the colorful origins of Big League Chew that I’ll be expanding upon here. ———————————————————- When I first asked Rob Nelson, (aka “Nellie – for Nellie Fox), how Big League Chew came to be, he waxed poetic, and brought up how so many people “had given me great breaks”. Nelson went on; “I was sitting in the bullpen in 1977, with the Portland Mavericks. I was pitching coach, and tenth man down. I was in way over my head, but there I was… Uniforms were bad in the 1970’s, you had those bright white shoes, and guys who chewed tobacco took delight in soiling teammates’ shoes. Jim Bouton had asked me if I ever chewed, and he couldn’t understand why guys did it. Half an inning went by and I brought up my idea for shredding gum, an idea I had since I was a kid.” Bouton was intrigued with Nelson’s idea, and he asked what it might be called. Nelson offered, “I’ve got a few names — Big League Chew is my favorite.” Bouton liked what he heard. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Beyond Jim Bouton’s achievements as a successful major league pitcher, he was also a broadcaster, a best-selling author, and more. While Nelson was as friendly as could be, I didn’t know what to expect when I interviewed Jim Bouton. Would he be stern and evasive, perhaps an all-about-business counter to Nelson’s youthful enthusiasm and gregarious nature? I worried he might dismiss me outright, but he was gracious with his time and generous with his stories. Talking to a major league All-Star about the bubble gum he helped bring to life – that was pretty fun.] Nelson continued,”…I wondered what Jim’s wife must have said when he told her about his new bubble gum venture…. Jim put up 10% of his income on some notion that some left-handed pitcher out of Portland had.” When I asked if he had any trepidation, risking so much on a venture and business he had no experience with, Bouton explained that he had always had an entrepreneurial spirit. When he heard Nelson’s idea for Big League Chew, he realized it was the kind of idea that he could help make into something big. Bouton had been figuring out ways to create success for himself and others, all his life. “Even at a young age, I’d always been an entrepreneurial kid. I had a lawn-mowing business at 10-years-old, I had a newspaper route, and a scrap business. The first job I created was my scrap business. I had an old wagon, and on the weekends I’d tie a rope to the handle on that wagon and pull that all around town. on the weekends, I’d pick up all the used newspapers that I’d been delivering during the week, and take them back to the garage. That’s where my family kept their Studebaker. But I’d pile those newspapers in there, and when it got to be too much, I’d haul them into the scrap dealer, and he bought the newspapers. That led to me eventually walking through town and picking up pieces of metal. I’d carry those home and soon the scrap dealer was coming to my house to pick up the pile. I recall earning $15 in one instance, and that was a lot of money in 1948. At thirteen, I had business cards; ‘Odd Jobs – you name it, I’ll do it.’ So I was a lawn mower, a dog washer, a house painter.” Bouton knew opportunity when he saw it, and he believed Big League Chew was something. Bouton’s conversation with Rob that day in 1977 was the beginning of a business partnership that would eventually bring Big League Chew to life, but it wasn’t quick, and it wasn’t easy. “After Rob and I had that first discussion about shredded bubble gum, I don’t think we talked about it again until after the season was over. But then, after the season, I put up the money, and Rob fried up some bubble gum.” As Rob recalled, in January of 1979 he found a homemade bubble gum kit from an article in People magazine, and he “ordered a bunch, from a company out of Arlington, Texas.” He baked those first batches of bubble gum in the kitchen of the Maverick’s bat boy, Todd Field. [Trivia: Todd is now a renowned Hollywood film director.] From there, he cut up the gum with a pizza knife, and then mocked up a package to see how a rough prototype might look, so they would have something to show. For those early samples, they emptied out foil tobacco pouches, and the gum went in – creating what was probably the very first pouches of shredded bubble gum. “We had a company in Portland; Petzold and Associates, work up the graphics for our prototype pouches. It was a cartoon of Jim, with a word balloon – Best I Ever Tried.” After working out how their product might look, it was time to find a company that could bring it to market. ====================================================== The whole town smelled like bubble gum for years. Jim Bouton had the connections, and the knowledge of how to protect their young idea. From there it would be a two year process before Big League Chew would find a company that believed in it. Bouton and Nelson took their Big League Chew idea to Topps, Fleer, Leaf, Lifesavers, and American Chicle. Each time they received a similar response, “It’s interesting, but we don’t make anything like that.” After a good deal of rejection, they found Amurol. Amurol had been a bubble gum and confection company specializing in sugar-free items. Wrigley purchased Amurol for that specialization in sugar-free, but when the market for sugarless products ebbed, they didn’t quite know what to do with their acquisition, so they set Amurol to work on novelty bubble gum. Bouton explained the process of pitching their product to Amurol: “We believed the idea for shredded gum was new. So, before we showed any of these companies the idea, we had them sign a disclosure form. That meant that we agree to show them what we’ve got, and they have 24-hours to show if they already had an idea like ours. It’s designed to protect both parties. “ It turned out that a fellow at Amurol had figured out how to shred gum six years before, but they hadn’t come up with any way to market it. Amurol was delighted when Bouton and Nelson came along with a name and concept, and they soon struck up a licensing deal for Big League Chew. Bouton shared a story that was an early indication that they might have a hit on their hands, Bouton: “Early on, before Big League Chew went national, the company wanted to see how consumers might respond, so they did a test. This was done in Naperville, Illinois – where Amurol was located – the whole town smelled like bubble gum for years. They brought about a dozen sample pouches to a convenience store in late morning, set it down with the owner, then went out to lunch. When they came back after lunch, the gum was nowhere to be found. “I thought you were going to put this out?” The owner responded that they did, and it had sold out – during lunch.” Nelson : “That first deal we signed was only a three-year deal. Those first two years, they averaged $13-14 million in sales a year. That might only be a flea on an elephant in terms of Wrigley, but it far exceeded expectations. Instead of three years, we were with Wrigley for three decades. “ With Rob Nelson’s invention, and Jim Bouton’s entrepreneurial drive, Big League Chew found a home with Amurol/Wrigley. ====================================================== “That crusty, sausage-nosed ball player every kid remembers.” Before Wrigley would start selling Big League Chew, it had to get an official package design. The iconic illustration of the crusty sausage-nosed ball player that so many millions would identify with Big League Chew was brought to life by Atlanta artist, Bill Mayer. Mayer explained how he came on board: “I got the Big League Chew job through my rep in Chicago, Dan Sell. The style you see on those old packages was a style I was doing a lot of back in the 1980’s; loose pencils and watercolors. The agency that was handling this for Amurol was Needham Harper and Steers – wish I could remember the art director’s name. It was really that art director’s design, and my wacky characters that came together and made that package design work so well.” Mayer, cont: “This was way before computers so all of this production work was put together by hand with Typositor type from a type shop. The whole process went fairly quickly. I gave them several options for the main character. This was before e-mails too so the process of approvals was done over “Quip” fax machines that could send an image to another part of the country in a matter of seven minutes (I’m saying this completely tongue in cheek…). The color art was Federal Expressed up to the NHS in Chicago. And that’s how it got from me, to becoming the face of the package.” Mayer, cont: “After the success of the sales for the first year, we did a bunch of other characters. We even did a Popeye version of shredded green gum, to look like spinach.” Mayer, cont: “You could really have some fun with packaging back then, in ways you can’t have anymore. Do you remember Screaming Yellow Zonkers win a continent contest?” [Editor’s note: I do remember that, Bill, and here it is.] Mayer, cont: “I was coaching my son Jason in little league back then. I was kind of a folk hero with all those kids at the ballpark for doing Big League Chew – they all thought it was great.” ====================================================== The Promotions As owners of the license, Bouton and Nelson retained the right of approval over marketing and promotions, and in most cases, this was a smooth process. Bouton did recall one near-misfire for an early ad campaign: “They had the gum being invented in the basement by a mad professor, and everything exploded, and shredded gum came into being. My response was, ‘What? You’ve got two professional ball players, and this was invented IN A BULLPEN!'” Every promotion had to be approved and inevitably, they were tied to sports, or to the brand itself. ====================================================== Shredded Pouch Bubble Gum without peer. On the topic of other shredded gums, it seems that everyone agreed, finally, that Big League Chew was the magic formula, and that nothing else quite “got it”. But it wasn’t for lack of Amurol, and others, trying. Bouton: “They tried Popeye shredded gum, Buckaroo Chew, and others.” Bouton recalled a “racing car chew”. But nothing could ever grab kids like Big League Chew. Bouton: “They even tried Michael Jordan’s Hang-Time shredded gum, but that didn’t succeed, even in Chicago. That’s what convinced Amurol that it was a baseball product, and not anything else.” Nelson recalled much of the same: Nelson: “Buckaroo Chew wasn’t bad, sort of like Juicy-Fruit meets Big League Chew. They even tried Hang Time with Michael Jordan, but none of those worked.” Nelson cont: “It wasn’t a surprise that others followed, but it was a surprise that nothing else ever sold very well. None of them came close to Big League Chew.” As the 1980’s progressed, Big League Chew became a candy isle staple – kids loved it, and pouch bubble gum became a significant new confectionery niche. Eventually the fad would die down, but Big League Chew would remain – it had that magical combination. ====================================================== “STICK TO WHO BROUGHT YOU TO THE DANCE” Nelson did recall one direct tie-in to Big League Chew, ” For maybe two years there was a chocolate bar called Big League Plug, put out by Amurol. It used our Big League Chew characters and our logo, but it didn’t stick.” Rob explained that he felt you should “Stick to who brought you to the dance.” So while some brands would typically cross over into other genres of confection, Big League Chew stuck to shredded bubble gum sold in a pouch – it was what proved to be as close to a sure thing as you could get. But even within that description, there were some flavor extensions and experiments that were tried. ====================================================== Big League Evolution Over the years, there were flavor extensions and new characters added to the Big League Chew family, but most of that was done in-house, leaving Bouton and Nelson to enjoy what came next. Nelson recalled one flavor he really missed, “I think my favorite ‘other’ flavor they did was Cherry Cola – that was great!” In the mid 1980’s other sports characters would be added to Big League Chew packages, as new flavor extensions were introduced, and as the marketing department sought to expand the reach of the brand. Rob recalled wondering why Big League Chew couldn’t be seasonal with baseball, so that it could seem special when it returned, “But I quickly learned about things like shelf-space, and if you give it up, it can be impossible to get it back. So they had to find ways to keep it relevant all-year-round, which is why they added the other sports.” While other sports were brought in, baseball remained the focus. ====================================================== THE CLASSIC PACKAGE DESIGN CHANGES By the 1990’s, the Bill Mayer illustrated pouches had been around for what was considered a long time in the candy business and “they needed updating.” The characters became more slick, the packaging was changed to foil, and for a time, real-life Hall-of-Famers replaced the pouches’ hallmark illustrated characters. Gary Rose, a senior designer at Wrigley during the 1990’s and 2000’s, was tasked with helping give Big League Chew a new look. Gary was clear about the classic packaging he was tasked to refresh, “At the time, I was a senior designer; responsible for concept renderings, new product packaging, and illustrations. Bill Mayer was and still is a very relevant artist. The concept of shredded gum in combination with the artistic stylings of Bill Mayer was a huge part of millions of childhood memories, and a huge part of what made Big League Chew a success. The packaging refresh was based on bringing new news to the brand and having something for the sales team to work with. The concept revolved around making the BLC brand more about baseball and less about characters.” Gary had one piece of trivia he wanted to convey on his time with the brand, “At some point in time (2001-2008) there was a piece in the news that reported George W. Bush chewing BLC. Go figure? Amurol jumped on the chance to send the President a case of product with his likeness on the pack. It was Grape flavor, I believe. If I come across that artwork, I will send it to you for a laugh.” Unfortunately, Gary has not turned up that piece of artwork yet. But if he does, we’ll report it here. Though we can’t show you the Presidential Big League Chew, I was able to find the graphics for a pair of packages that were specially produced for sports commentators, Mike and Mike: ====================================================== Old Friends and an American Original About a decade ago, Rob Nelson bought out Jim Bouton’s stake in Big League Chew, yet they still share the trademark. Bouton retains rights to the “Big League” brand and characters for licensing out to other products, while Nelson hold all the rights to the brand’s bubble gum side. The division, I am told, was organic and friendly. At the end of 2010, another dramatic change occurred, when Wrigley gave up the Big League Chew license, leaving Nelson to pursue an agreement with Ford Gum to be the gum’s new producer and distributor. I asked Nelson about the transition. “The last years at Wrigley I was working with Paul Chibe and his assistant Lucas Erickson — they were my go-to guys. Even when Wrigley decided they wanted to put their resources elsewhere, they were so good to me, and to the brand.” Nelson learned that Wrigley had 180,000 pouches of Big League Chew in stock, at the end of their contract. He decided he would buy the gum and ship it to US soldiers overseas. “But Wrigley took care of it all themselves, they sent all that bubble gum over to our soldiers.” Nelson recognizes a behind-the-scenes player who had so much to do with helping Big League Chew and it’s continued success, Bob Anderson. “Bob is the guy who got things done later on. He was the Colonel Tom Parker of this thing.” Bob Anderson also had a hand in the birth of Willy Wonka’s Nerds candy, but that’s a story for another time. I asked Nelson if he knew why Big League Chew struck a chord: “It’s one of those things that, when people saw it, they saw that it was really original. It’s something about the packaging, the gum and the name – it’s the perfect combination. “ ====================================================== Looking Forward With Ford Gum Just over a year ago, Ford Gum took over Big League Chew. Bringing production back to the United States, they’ve already made moves to delight collectors like myself, releasing limited-edition holiday packaging. It’s a bold, exciting time for the Big League Chew, and CollectingCandy.com will be enjoying all that future of the brand has to offer. ====================================================== Special Thanks to Big League Chew creator Rob Nelson, who was so much help in bringing this feature together. Also thanks to Jim Bouton and Bill Mayer, for sharing their perspective of how Big League Chew first came to be. Also thanks to: Rocco Pawlowski and Bob Anderson of Wrigley, David Plotnick of Ford Gum, Gary Rose for providing images I couldn’t find anywhere else. Todd Franklin of NeatoCoolville.com for his “ring offer” pouch scans, and finally to Dan Goodsell for kicking off my Big League Chew collection, and all my fellow collectors and candy enthusiasts, for constant inspiration. |
NASHVILLE — Proponents of rural broadband services on Wednesday demanded Tennessee lawmakers quit listening to for-profit telephone and cable giants and allow Chattanooga's EPB and other municipal electric power services to expand their lightning-fast Internet offerings to underserved areas. "We're talking about AT&T," Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, bluntly told a rally of business owners, families and local officials gathered in the state Capitol. "They're the most powerful lobbying organization in this state by far." The bill has been opposed for years by AT&T, Comcast and other providers who say it's unfair for them to have to compete with government entities like EPB. But EPB, as well as some lawmakers like Gardenhire, say if the free market isn't providing the service, someone else should. "Don't fall for the argument that this is a free market versus government battle," Gardenhire said. "It is not. AT&T is the villain here, and so are the other people and cable." Todd Gardenhire Todd Gardenhire Photo by Angela Lewis Foster /Times Free Press. Lack of service is a major issue in rural areas of Hamilton, Bradley and Marion counties, as well as other rural parts of Tennessee. Supporters on Wednesday described hardships in areas that range from operating a company and economic development recruitment to a 10-year-old child describing how she can't access education-related programs. Earlier this week, House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, told National Federation of Independent Business-Tennessee members she doesn't expect the General Assembly will take up the issue this year after Gov. Bill Haslam's economic development officials announced they were initiating a study. But the bill's House sponsor, Rep. Kevin Brooks, R-Cleveland, said he is "absolutely" pressing forward with the bill. It has been put on notice to be heard in March in House subcommittee. "There was a misconception that the broadband bill was dead. The bill is not dead," Brooks said. Outside the state Capitol's first-floor old Supreme Court room was a placard charging AT&T in Tennessee received $156 million from an Obama administration program aimed at expanding access to broadband. At the same time, Gardenhire said, they're opposing governmental entities like EPB expanding. AT&T spokesman Daniel Hayes said in an email "it is incorrect to equate the common practice of government providing incentives to encourage private-sector behavior with the concept of direct government competition." He said the Federal Communication Commission's Connect America Fund provides private-sector incentives "specifically designed to encourage deployment to address a clearly defined and limited federal goal. "Generating significant amounts of public debt to sustain municipal networks is a different animal," Hayes added. "Taxpayer money should not be used to over-build or compete with the private sector, which has a proven history of funding, building, operating and upgrading broadband networks. Policies that discourage private-sector investment put at risk the world-class broadband infrastructure American consumers deserve and enjoy today." Earlier, Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma, the Senate sponsor of the broadband bill, told advocates, "We need broadband and we want it now!" Bowling, whose district includes Marion County, reminded the audience that the General Assembly passed legislation 16 years ago allowing municipal electric services like EPB and her hometown Tullahoma Utilities Board to offer cable. But the law restricted and continues to restrict the public power utilities to their traditional service area. Sixteen years later, many rural areas still don't have decent access, said Bowling, who noted, "this is about Tennesseans having access to the 21st century." EPB attracted national attention five years ago when it began offering 1 gigabit service to its customers. Late last year, EPB announced it was expanding that to speeds of 10 gigabits. Among speakers at Wednesday's event was Debby Williams, an accountant, and her 10-year-old daughter, Ashlyn Williams. "Just to check email messages is a big deal," Ashlyn told the crowd. "I would really like to be able to get on different programs like KhanAcademy.com and Abcya.com, because they would help me to get a better education." But the student said she can't right now because the only speeds she has are "way too slow." Contact Andy Sher at asher@ timesfreepress.com, 615-255-0550 or follow via Twitter at @AndySher1. |
Barack Obama broke protocol and jabbed Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly. Obama jabs at Trump at the UN: "Today, a nation ringed by walls would only imprison itself" https://t.co/QKV58nY5kb https://t.co/GLUFAPn3LS But, once again, a quick Google search shows Barack Obama’s hypocrisy. Obama is against a Trump border wall on the southern US border but helped pay for Mexico’s border wall with Central America. The Daily Caller reported: President Barack Obama has slammed Donald Trump’s proposal to make Mexico pay for a border wall, but his own administration is spending $75 million for border security on Mexico’s southern border. Since 2013, the Obama administration, through a partnership with the Mexican government known as the Mérida Initiative, has already spent at least $15 million helping Mexico secure its southern border, according to a nonpartisan Congressional Research Service report. |
Published: October 28th, 2008 11:42 EST Colorado Couple Gets Free Weed With Their Order Of Tacos By Robert Paul Reyes "A Colorado couple found an unusual topping on their order of tacos: a small bag of marijuana. They discovered the drugs with their order from a Del Taco restaurant and called police, said Lakewood police spokesman Steve Davis. Twenty-six-year-old Dennis Klermund, who police say waited on the husband when he picked up food Oct. 16, faces charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia." The Associated Press Most Mexican restaurants offer free chips and salsa when you order any entree, but a free side order of weed is a novel approach. Actually I think it`s a brilliant marketing strategy, if a customer smokes a joint he will get the munchies and order ten tacos and a couple of enchiladas. In these hard economic times it`s almost impossible to make ends meet working at a fast food joint; I don`t advocate breaking the law but I admire Klermund for his entrepreneurial spirit. The Colorado couple called the cops when they discovered the weed, I`m not saying what I what do but I would walk out of that restaurant with ten tacos to go. |
Dear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. Finance Minister Yair Lapid said on Monday that he would be very upset if his son married a non-Jew, against the background of a mixed Arab-Jewish wedding that has ignited debate on the issue. Lapid spoke on Radio Galei Yisrael about the storm surrounding the wedding of an Arab man, Mahmoud Mansour, to Moral Malka, who converted from Judaism to Islam, and the protest that was staged outside the events hall where the wedding party was held Sunday night. Asked on the radio show whether or not the conversion of a Jewish woman in order to marry bothered him, he replied in the affirmative.“If my son would come to me tomorrow and say ‘Dad, I want you to meet not Rina but Rona and she’s [Christian] Orthodox, or Catholic and I’m marrying her and the children won’t be Jewish,’ would this bother me? It would really bother me,” said Lapid.“I think the Jewish people is small, I think we have a heritage, I think we need to preserve it, and this bothers me.”The Finance Minister did, however, express his opposition to the Lehava organization that brought public attention to the mixed marriage and protested at the wedding party Sunday night.“When I look at the people who protested outside this wedding, they didn’t bring great honor to the Jewish people. This is an ugly group and it was an ugly protest and a people which has suffered racism more than any other people needs to demonstrate a great deal more tolerance towards the other, even if the way the ‘other’ acts upsets it.”The wedding and the protestations of the Lehava anti-assimilation organization sparked a fierce debate regarding intermarriage and personal freedom in Israel, with rabbis, politicians and other public figures all weighing in on the controversy.Speaking on Army Radio, Shas chairman MK Arye Deri said that Morel had betrayed her people and criticized Health Minister Yael German (Yesh Atid) for congratulating them on their wedding and attending the event last night.“In my opinion, a young man or woman who change their faith betray their people. She [Morel] doesn’t deserve a commendation for having converted to Islam,” Deri said.“Rabbanit Yael German goes there to say ‘Mazal Tov?’ What is that supposed to be? With all due respect, this young woman betrayed her people.”Rabbi David Stav, chairman of the Tzohar national religious association of rabbis, emphasized the importance of fighting intermarriage while at the same time conducting the task in an appropriate manner, and strongly criticized Lehava.“We must not fight assimilation by besmirching people or hostility towards someone who isn’t Jewish because it’s not just and it won’t work,” he said.“To create a people which does not assimilate we need to educate towards values that will enhance the importance of us as a nation, the meaning of our existence as a people and the essence of the relationship between personal happiness and our obligations to the people. Only through positive action will we succeed in reducing the rate of assimilation.” Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>> |
Hello everyone! We have 22 days until 1.0! Let’s round that off to a nice 20. As you all know, the Manual has always been a bit… wrong. It’s the hardest piece of documentation to keep up-to-date, and while the language was changing so quickly… yeah. We have this issue on the 1.0 milestone about double checking the Reference: github.com/rust-lang/rust Issue: Audit reference manual before 1.0 Shortly before 1.0 we should give some attention to the manual and make sure it's not too inaccurate nor incomplete. Let's crowdsource... P-medium We’ve decided that the standard for the reference at present is “Nothing should be incorrect, but it doesn’t need to be complete.” I’ve gone over the whole thing myself, and I think it has that standard today, but I’m just one person, and reading something that long, I’m bound to make some mistakes. So I’m asking for your help. I’ve added a checklist to that issue. There are 150 (!) sections in the Reference. With 20 days to go, we need to audit seven and a half sections a day to get this done. Many of these sections are small, so don’t despair! If you’re new to Rust, this is also a great way to get involved: pick a section, try out what it says, see if it’s true. If you decide to pitch in, please pick a section, and if it’s good, mention so in the comments on that issue. If it’s not, please send a PR, and also mention that you’ve sent it in the issue. here’s a quick link: http://doc.rust-lang.org/reference.html Don’t forget, you can edit it on github and send a PR without even forking! Click the little pencil button on https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/blob/master/src/doc/reference.md Thanks so much! |
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