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Image copyright Paul Dawson/PA Image caption Police, paramedics and firefighters were all called to the property in Stoney Street Three people were injured after an envelope containing a "substance" was delivered to a business in London's Borough Market. Police, paramedics and firefighters were all called after the package was discovered at Feng Sushi in Stoney Street at about 13:40 BST. The building was evacuated as a precaution but Scotland Yard said it was not treating the incident as terror-related. No arrests have been made. Image copyright Paul Dawson/PA Image caption A crime scene was set up around the evacuated building The three people all suffered minor injuries "as a result of an irritant" and were treated at the scene by London Ambulance Service. Police said the substance had been identified as "naturally occurring". Local businessman Paul Dawson said he had been told by a community warden that "a white powder had been received" by the business. He added the restaurant manager had said to him he had to close his shop because "something quite bad had happened". The property was one of the locations targeted in the terror attack in June. |
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Peace talks with South Sudan’s rebels have been delayed again, the government said on Tuesday, a day after the United Nations accused rebel fighters of massacring civilians in an oil town they had seized. South Sudan's Information Minister Michael Makuei Leuth, spokesperson of the South Sudanese government, addresses a news conference during South Sudan's negotiation talks in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, January 5, 2014. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri “The talks have been postponed,” Information Minister Michael Makuei told Reuters by telephone. “The reason (the mediators) gave is that it will give them the opportunity to make further consultations.” Negotiations between the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar have failed to advance since the January 23 signing of a ceasefire which never took hold. The killing of hundreds of men, women and children in the oil hub of Bentiu, which was seized by the rebels a week ago, has exacerbated ethnic tensions between Kiir’s Dinka people and Machar’s Nuer. The rebels deny they carried out the killings. A U.N. official told Reuters she had seen dozens of rotting bodies strewn in Bentiu’s dusty streets. “(In) the market place we saw large piles of bodies, dozens and dozens of bodies, piled up on top of each other,” said Amanda Weyler, communications officer for the U.N. humanitarian coordination office OCHA. Women were among the dead, she said. The United Nations said on Monday that rebels had killed civilians as they sought refuge in a hospital, a mosque and a church. The rebels said the U.N. allegations were baseless and accused a part of the U.N. mission in South Sudan of pedaling “cheap propaganda” to win favor with Kiir, blaming government forces for the systematic killings. “The government forces and their allies committed these heinous crimes while retreating,” rebel spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said in an emailed statement. These are ridiculous allegations fabricated by enemies of (the) war of resistance for democratic reforms.” The East African IGAD group brokering the talks postponed their resumption by five days to April 28, the government said. More than 1 million people have fled their homes since fighting erupted in the world’s youngest country in December. Thousands of people have been killed and tens of thousands have sought refuge at U.N. bases around the country after the violence spread across the country the size of France and took on an ethnic dimension. |
About half a dozen bulldozers worked overnight on Sunday at Pragati Maidan to pull down five iconic buildings — Hall of Nations and Industry. Next to come under the hammer is Nehru Pavilion. Indian trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) razed the structures two days after their architect Raj Rewal lost the case in Delhi high court on April 20. Conservationists are perplexed as the demolition took place as one petition by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to save these structures is still being heard in the same court with next hearing slated for May 1. ITPO is setting up a world-class Integrated Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) with project value of Rs2,254 crore. The complex will have hotel, mall/multi-level food court, water bodies display, helipad and other tourist attractions. Read more:Pragati Maidan makeover mired in legal trouble, could miss deadline The five structures — one of Hall of Nations and four of Hall of Industries — were commissioned in 1972 and the architect claims that these were the world’s first pillar less concrete frame structures. AGK Menon, former convener, Delhi Chapter INTACH said, “It’s all over now. As the ITPO did not wait for the court to pronounce its decision, we have lost all hope. Hall of Nations was demolished quietly on Sunday night when the entire world slept. As these iconic buildings no more exist, we cannot move the apex court.” The Hall of Nations was the venue of Asia 1972 — the third Asian International Trade Fair coinciding with the India’s silver jubilee year of Independence. The Hall of Nations was constructed in 1972. ( Handout ) In a joint statement by architect Raj Rewal, structural engineer Mahendra Raj, former convener of INTACH, Delhi Chapter AGK Menon and president, Indian Institute of Architects Divya Kush said, “We consider the demolition of the Hall of Nations at Pragati Maidan an act of outrage. The case was being heard in the Delhi high court and the hearings were scheduled on April 27 and May 1, 2017.” “In fact as an answer to our letter to the Prime Minister, the ministry of commerce indicated to us to find an amicable resolution with the trade fair authority. But obviously somebody in the ITPO had other motives,” the statement said. In a written statement, ITPO CMD LC Goyal said the execution of IECC requires dismantling of Hall No. 1 to 6, 14 to 20 and state pavilions, including Hall of Nations, Nehru Pavilion and Hall of Industry — which he claimed are not classified as heritage buildings. “Earlier a PIL and two writ petitions filed by India Institute of Architects in Court of Delhi were dismissed. Presently, a writ petition filed by INTACH is pending in the high court of Delhi. The high court on April 20, 2017, has dismissed another writ petition filed by Raj Rewal seeking to declare and preserve Hall of Nations, Hall of Industry and Nehru Pavilion as work of art of national importance. An appeal has been filed against the dismissal, but there is no stay granted by the court in any of the writ petitions against demolition of structures envisaged in the re-development of Pragati Maidan,” Goyal said. Goyal said the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) has maintained that only those buildings which are at least 60 years old can be considered for inclusion in the heritage list. First Published: Apr 24, 2017 23:50 IST |
Email exchanges with Steve Jobs have sort of taken on a life of their own. There are blogs whose sole purpose is to document every terse response from the Apple CEO, and you can bet that anytime Jobs takes the time to respond to an inquiring fan, the response will spread through the blogosphere at breakneck speed. That said, the following email exchange involving Jobs seems particularly unique given how trite the subject matter is. The short of it is that a journalism student named Chelsea Kate Isaacs from Long Island University emailed Jobs complaining that Apple’s PR department wasn’t helpful in the 22 year-old’s efforts to write a story about her school’s initiative to give all incoming Freshman iPads. After 6 voicemails to Apple PR went unanswered, Isaacs emailed Jobs this absurdly long email. Dear Mr. Jobs, As a college student, I can honestly say that Apple has treated me very well; my iPod is basically the lifeline that gets me through the day, and thanks to Apple’s Final Cut Pro, I aced last semester’s video editing project. I was planning to buy a new Apple computer to add to my list of Apple favorites. Because I have had such good experiences as a college student using Apple products, I was incredibly surprised to find Apple’s Media Relations Department to be absolutely unresponsive to my questions, which (as I had repeatedly told them in voicemail after voicemail) are vital to my academic grade as a student journalist. For my journalism course, I am writing an article about the implementation of an iPad program at my school, the CW Post Campus of Long Island University. The completion of this article is crucial to my grade in the class, and it may potentially get published in our university’s newspaper. I had 3 quick questions regarding iPads, and wanted to obtain answers from the most credible source: Apple’s Media Relations Department. I have called countless times throughout the week, leaving short, but detailed, messages which included my contact information and the date of my deadline. Today, I left my 6th message, which stressed the increasingly more urgent nature of the situation. It is now the end of the business day, and I have not received a call back. My deadline is tomorrow. Mr. Jobs, I humbly ask why Apple is so wonderfully attentive to the needs of students, whether it be with the latest, greatest invention or the company’s helpful customer service line, and yet, ironically, the Media Relations Department fails to answer any of my questions which are, as I have repeatedly told them, essential to my academic performance. For colleges nationwide, Apple is at the forefront of improving the way we function in the academic environment, increasing the efficiency of conducting academic research, as well as sharing and communicating with our college communities. With such an emphasis on advancing our education system, why, then, has Apple’s Media Relations team ignored my needs as a student journalist who is just trying to get a good grade? In addition to the hypocrisy of ignoring student needs when they represent a company that does so much for our schools, the Media Relations reps are apparently, also failing to responsibly handle the inquiries of professional journalists on deadlines. Unfortunately, for a journalist in the professional world, lacking the answers they need on deadline day won’t just cost them a grade; it could cost them their job. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Chelsea Kate Isaacs Senior CW Post – Long Island University Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile Jobs replies back: Our goals do not include helping you get a good grade. Sorry. Undeterred, Isaacs fires back: Thank you for your reply. I never said that your goal should be to “help me get a good grade.” Rather, I politely asked why your media relations team does not respond to emails, which consequently, decreases my chances of getting a good grade. But, forget about my individual situation; what about common courtesy, in general —- if you get a message from a client or customer, as an employee, isn’t it your job to return the call? That’s what I always thought. But I guess that’s not one of your goals. Yes, you do have a creative approach, indeed. Anyone else already annoyed by this girls sense of entitlement yet? Jobs answers her call to action: Nope. We have over 300 million users and we can’t respond to their requests unless they involve a problem of some kind. Sorry. But she’s a fiery lass! You’re absolutely right, and I do meet your criteria for being a customer who deserves a response: 1. I AM one of your 300 million users. 2. I DO have a problem; I need answers that only Apple Media Relations can answer. Now, can they kindly respond to my request (my polite and friendly voice can be heard in the first 5 or 10 messages in their inbox). Please, I am on deadline. I appreciate your help. Wow. Smart cookie here. Having heard enough, Jobs puts the nail in the coffin. Please leave us alone. That response left Chelsea seething. In a follow-up interview with Gawker, Chelsea explains “Under no circumstances should a person who runs a company speak to a customer that way. I’m just enraged and I want people to know this was done.” As for the iPad article, Chelsea notes, “The article can go on, but it just won’t be with the quote that I really needed. I probably won’t get an A, maybe I’ll get a B.” And as if this couldn’t get any more ridiculous, Chelsea is supposedly a former hand model who left the “biz” after growing tired of wearing gloves to bed. We see she’s following the same path as many of the great journalists of our time. via Gawker |
Perhaps Phil Mickelson will consider a move after all. Six months after Mickelson created controversy with comments critical of the federal income tax rates as well as those in his home state of California, the newest major champion will reportedly keep much less than half of the overall proceeds from his successful two-week stint in Scotland. A week after claiming the Scottish Open, Mickelson came from behind to win the Open Championship Sunday at Muirfield for his fifth career major title. Between the two events, he accrued £1,445,000 in on-course earnings, which equates to about $2,167,500. According to a Forbes report, though, Mickelson's effective tax rate on his winnings in Scotland will be a whopping 61.12 percent. The breakdown goes as follows: the United Kingdom will tax all of his earnings above £150,000 at a 45-percent rate, in addition to taking a 45-percent piece of Mickelson's endorsement income and any bonus money he receives as a result of his two wins in Scotland. Mickelson will also forfeit 13.3 percent to California state taxes, 2.9 percent in federal self-employment taxes and 0.9 percent in a federal Medicare surtax, dropping his take-home pay to about $842,700. When expenses are taken into account as well as a cut of the proceeds for caddie Jim 'Bones' Mackay, Mickelson will likely retain closer to 30 percent of his overall winnings from his two-week stay in Scotland. It remains to be seen if the newest Open champion will move his family at some point in the near future to a state like Arizona, where Mickelson attended college and a state whose income tax rates are much lower than California's, or Florida, where many professional golfers (including Tiger Woods) have taken refuge due to its lack of state income tax. |
Trigger warning: subject matter deals with murder, assault, and sexual assault The anarchist sub-culture values transformative justice and non-participation with the Justice system. As someone who isn’t into the anarchist sub-culture, but is herself an anarchist, I watch with sadness at how anti-snitch culture ends up backfiring and ends up causing more harm than good. By anti-snitch culture I mean the anarchist community dictating when, where, how, and why someone can call the cops. As a woman, I am made to feel like walking prey every day. If I were grabbed on the street at night, I wouldn’t hesitate to use force. I’m not going down without a fight. If I felt like I wouldn’t be able to defend myself (e.g. if I wasn’t sober and didn’t have anyone to trust to protect me), I wouldn’t hesitate to call the police either if I had the chance. I’ve been living in Brooklyn for almost 7 years now, and since I first came here I’ve been amazed at the cultural diversity, the number of communities, the many immigrant communities especially, and how they function. I’ve learned a lot about different struggles that affects these different groups. All of them deal with sexual assault, and there’s one in particular that comes to mind when I think of dealing with this issue. When I first saw the bearded men with long black suits and fur hats, the women with long skirts and thick stockings, I wondered how such a culture could survive and thrive in such a diverse place as New York City. The South Williamsburg section of Brooklyn (not to be confused with the over-colonized North Williamsburg section) is home to tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews. The two things that stand out the most for me is their strong anti-snitch culture and the notorious pandemic of sexual assault within their communities. Jews don’t call the cops on Jews. Or at least they’re not supposed to. In the Hasidic communities, this is taken very seriously. Reports of sexual assault by teachers or Rabbis aren’t taken seriously and are often actively silenced when they’re heard by family members or other community members. When the cops are called, they are met with a wall of silence. If a rapist is brought to court, the community’s response is often to blame the victim.* The Hasidic Jews also stand out because they have their own community watch force that works in tandem with the NYPD. A few years ago, a man with mental issues molested and dismembered a young boy that he abducted. It was plastered all over the news, and offered a window into the tight-knit Hasidic community. It offered chance for a dialogue, and made many question the way that the Hasidic community deals with sexual assault within their communities and their particular anti-snitch culture. Within the anarchist sub-culture, anti-snitch culture leads to harm when victims are discouraged from talking to the cops to remove rapists from their scene, for example. These rapists remain in the scene, and find more victims to prey upon. Or, put another way, anarchists fail to protect each other by continually allowing known rapists to be in their scene. In the mainstream world, if the police were to be called, rapists would serve years in prison. The rapists in the anarchist scene get away with an accountability process that fails to instill the same severity of the rupture of social relationships that prison provides. They take full advantage of anti-snitch culture, anything to not go to prison. Baseball bat vigilantism doesn’t seem to be working on these people. Assault between roommates/housemates is another not-uncommon occurrence in the anarchist scene. Since the anti-snitch culture means that no one is going to call the cops, people behave like cops, using force to get their way (one infamously stated that he didn’t care about behaving like an anarchist anymore, he was a “terrorist”). Poisonous living situations go on for months, years even, until the last violent altercation makes people say, enough is enough. The cops are called, sometimes by the neighbors, sometimes by anarchists. Rapists and those who threaten others with violence, those whose mere presence is threatening and triggering, take advantage of anti-snitch culture, and destroy the energy within the anarchist scene, intentionally or not. It’s time we protect ourselves, our friends, comrades and loved ones, and call the cops on the cops. Turning two enemies against each other is a win. *I use the term victim, and not survivor, a term which I reserve for when I feel like my life was seriously threatened. I understand and respect other definitions and uses of the term survivor. Advertisements |
ANGRAIL (West Bengal): Days after advocating a nationwide ban on cow slaughter, Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asked BSF jawans deployed along the Indo-Bangla border to put a complete halt to smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh so that people there give up eating beef "I am told prices of beef in Bangladesh have gone up by 30 per cent recently due to heightened vigil by BSF against cattle smuggling. You further intensify your vigil so that the cattle smuggling stops completely and prices of beef in Bangladesh escalates 70 to 80 per cent more so that people of Bangladesh give up eating beef," he said addressing jawans of BSF at this Border Out Post.According to official statistics, around 17 lakh cattle were smuggled to Bangladesh from India in 2014.The home minister had said on Sunday that the NDA government will try its "level best" to bring in a countrywide ban on slaughter of cows by evolving a consensus."Cow slaughter cannot be accepted in this country. We will make all-out efforts to ban slaughter of cows and will also try hard to have a consensus for this purpose," he had said.The home minister also stressed that India would like to further strengthen relations with Bangladesh."We have very cordial relations with Bangladesh and we would like to further strengthen our relations with the neighbouring country," Singh said.Referring to frequent attacks on BSF jawans by Bangladeshi smugglers, the home minister asked the troops deployed in this South Bengal frontier to do their best to foil such attacks and promised that he would stand by them in all circumstances."As a chief minister, I had taken many welfare initiatives for the UP Police and I would do the same for you too," he said. |
GETTY The teen attacked Benjamin Amsellem with a knife and a machete The 17-year-old jihadist, who was 15 when the attack took place in Marseille, France, in January last year, making him a child in the eyes of the law, is due in court today. The unnamed extremist – who is the first minor to be tried for a “grave” terrorist act committed on French soil – has been charged with a string of terror offences including “attempting to commit terrorist murder” and “aggravated anti-Semitism”. The teen, who claimed to have acted in the “name of Allah and ISIS”, attacked the Kippah-clad teacher, Benjamin Amsellem, with a knife and a machete, before being stopped and arrested by police. GETTY The attacker claimed to have acted in the "name of Allah and ISIS" Jews in Marseille are afraid of being the victims of a terrorist attack Michel Cohen-Tenouji - President of the Marseille Israelite consistory Fabrice Labi, Mr Amsellem’s lawyer, told the French daily Le Figaro that his client “still had a lot of unanswered questions,” and wanted to understand “why the ISIS-obsessed teenager had become a killer”. Mr Amsellem, who was left “emotionally scarred by the attack”, has been unable to return to work, Mr Labi added. He said he “deeply regrets his actions”. The attack provoked a storm of outrage among Marseille Jews and shrouded the city in fear. GETTY Mr Amsellem's lawyer said his client still has unanswered questions One year on, fears of a copycat attack have been assuaged, but not erased, the president of the Marseille Israelite consistory Michel Cohen-Tenouji told Le Figaro. He said: “Jews in Marseille are afraid of being the victims of a terrorist attack. They feel threatened by radical Islamists.” Mr Cohen-Tenouji added anti-Semitism was still “very much alive” in Marseille. “We are targeted by terrorists because we are French and because we are Jewish. No one feels safe. We get spat on and verbally insulted every single day. Anti-Semitism – a hideous monster – is still very much alive.” GETTY Marseille is home to more than 70,000 Jews |
ST GEORGE Illawarra are set to make an experienced appointment. Meanwhile, an English star reportedly rejects the Newcastle Knights. And a Gold Coast prop’s deal falls through. All that and more from the Northern Hemisphere in Exile Files. DRAGONS NAB POM Former Hull and Wakefield boss Richard Agar will take his coaching career to the NRL after leaving his post as assistant at Warrington. The Wolves have confirmed the departure of Agar after three years as right-hand man to Tony Smith, who has also left the club. Agar, who was in charge of France for the 2013 World Cup, is expected to join the backroom staff of St George Illawarra. Leeds outclass Castleford 1:32 “I have been fortunate to experience grand finals, Challenge Cup finals, winning the league and a World Cup during my coaching career in this country,” Agar said. “To experience living and working in Australia at this stage of my life is an opportunity I feel I could not pass up, for both me and my family.” Warrington chief executive Karl Fitzpatrick, who recently spent a week in Australia seeking a successor to Smith, said: “On behalf of everyone at the club I’d like to thank Richard for all his efforts and hard work during his time with us. “He played a massive part in the success of 2016. I know the players all respected and enjoyed working with him. A move to the NRL is an exciting opportunity for him and his family, and we wish him all the best with this new venture.” O’LOUGHLIN STAYS PUT England star Sean O’Loughlin has reportedly rejected interest from the Newcastle Knights and Toronto Wolfpack to remain at Wigan. O’Loughlin, 34, has signed a one-year deal with the Warriors, with an option for 2019. Sean O'Loughlin and England coach Wayne Bennett look on. Source: Getty Images “There was interest from the NRL as well as clubs from the English leagues, so he could have gone anywhere and he chose to stay,” Wigan coach Shaun Wane told Wigan Today. “It’s a credit to our system he chose to stay and a testament to his loyalty.” PETTYBOURNE DEAL DIES League Express reports Widnes’ bid to sign Gold Coast forward Eddy Pettybourne has fallen through. Pettybourne, who will represent USA in the upcoming World Cup, previously played in England with Wigan for the 2014 Super League season before signing with the Titans in 2015. According to the report, the Vikings’ deal collapsed because the 29-year-old hadn’t played enough NRL games in the past two years to satisfy visa requirements. Pettybourne made just two appearances for the Titans this season and 11 the previous year. EX-CHOOK ON THE MOVE? Ex-Sydney Roosters prop Lama Tasi is reportedly set to leave Salford. Tasi re-signed with the Red Devils back in March, but according to League Express, the club have told him he is free to look elsewhere for 2018. The 27-year-old has already been linked to the likes of Widnes and Hull KR. CROOKS SIGNS ON English winger Ben Crooks has signed a permanent deal to remain at Leigh for the next two years. Crooks, who was a Parramatta Eels squad member in 2015, had been playing for the Centurions on loan from Castleford this season. “While clouded by defeat in the Million Pound Game, I have thoroughly enjoyed the on and off field experience here at the Centurions,” Crooks said. “The long-term ambitions, under owner Derek Beaumont, are clearly stated for an immediate return to Super League.” |
The abstract explains what the authors are up to: Transitive inference, class inclusion and a variety of other inferential abilities have strikingly similar developmental profiles—all are acquired around the age of five. Yet, little is known about the reasons for this correspondence. Category theory was invented as a formal means of establishing commonalities between various mathematical structures. We use category theory to show that transitive inference and class inclusion involve dual mathematical structures, called product and coproduct. Other inferential tasks with similar developmental profiles, including matrix completion, cardinality, dimensional changed card sorting, balance-scale (weight-distance integration), and Theory of Mind also involve these structures. By contrast, (co)products are not involved in the behaviours exhibited by younger children on these tasks, or simplified versions that are within their ability. These results point to a fundamental cognitive principle under development during childhood that is the capacity to compute (co)products in the categorical sense. A lot of the paper is taken up with explaining coproducts, which suggests a variant of the old Groucho Marx joke: But mathematicians who already understand coproducts might find this the most interesting part: Children acquire various reasoning skills over remarkably similar periods of development. Transitive Inference and Class Inclusion are two behaviours among a suite of inferential abilities that have strikingly similar developmental profiles—all are acquired around the age of five years. For example, older children can infer that if John is taller than Mary, and Mary is taller than Sue, then John is taller than Sue. This form of reasoning is called Transitive Inference. Older children also understand that a grocery store will contain more fruit than apples. That is, the number of items belonging to the superclass is greater than the number of items in any one of its subclasses. This form of reasoning is called Class Inclusion. These two types of inference appear to have little in common. Transitive Inference typically involves physical relationships between objects, while Class Inclusion involves abstract relative sizes of object classes. Nonetheless, explicit tests of these and other inferences for a range of age groups revealed that success was attained from about the median age of five years. Since Piaget, decades of research have revealed important clues regarding the development of inference, yet little is known about the reasons underlying these correspondences. A common theme in two recent proposals is the computing of relational information. In regard to Relational Complexity theory, the correspondence between commonly acquired cognitive behaviours is based on the maximum arity of relations that must be processed (e.g., tasks acquired after age five involve ternary relations, i.e., relations between three items). In regard to Cognitive Complexity and Control theory, the correspondence is based on the common depth of relation hierarchies. Although a relational approach to cognitive behaviour has a formal basis in relational algebra, certain assumptions must be made about the units of analysis. For tasks as diverse in procedure and content as Transitive Inference and Class Inclusion, it is difficult to see how the analysis of one task leads naturally to the other. For Relational Complexity theory, Transitive Inference is considered to involve the integration of two binary relations between task elements into an ordered triple, or ternary relation; whereas Class Inclusion is regarded as the integration of three binary relations between three sets of elements (one complement and two containments) into a ternary relation. For Cognitive Complexity and Control theory, Transitive Inference involves relations over items; whereas Class Inclusion involves relations over sets of items. This theoretical difficulty is symptomatic of the general problem in cognitive science where the basic components of cognition are unknown. In the absence of such detailed knowledge, cognitive modelers have been forced to assume a particular representational format (e.g., symbolic, or subsymbolic). This approach, however, does not lend itself to the current problem, because the elements of Transitive Inference and Class Inclusion tasks (i.e., objects and classes of objects) do not share a common basis. Understandably, then, these sorts of behaviours have tended to be studied in detailed isolation, narrowing the scope for identifying general principles. Category theory was born out of a desire to establish formal commonalities between various mathematical structures, and has since been applied to the analysis of computational structures in computer science. The seminal insight was a shift from objects as the primary focus of analysis to their transformations. Contrast, for instance, sets defined in terms of (the properties of) the objects they contain—Set Theory—against sets defined in terms of the morphisms that map to or from them—Category Theory. This insight motivates our categorical approach to the analysis of inference, and our way around the current impasse. In cognitive science, several authors have used category theory for a conceptual analysis of space and time, though we know of only one other application that has modeled empirical data. Since our application of category theory to cognitive behaviour is novel, we first introduce the basic category theory constructs needed for our subsequent analysis of Transitive Inference, Class Inclusion, and other paradigms. The analysis begins with a brief introduction of the sort of data our approach is intended to explain, which primarily concerns contrasts between younger and older children relative to age five, and correlations across paradigms. Finally, we extend our categorical approach to more complex levels of inference. Our main point is that, despite the apparent lack of resemblance, all these tasks are formally connected via the categorical (co)product, to be defined below. The significance of this result is that it opens the door to an entirely new (empirical) approach to identifying general principles, particularly in regard to the development of inferential abilities, that are less likely to be revealed by standard modeling methods. |
How have I never shared my recipe for vegan sloppy joes? My family hails from right down the road from the birthplace of these messy sandwiches, Sioux City, Iowa, so this is a food I grew up eating in massive quantities. Although sloppy joes are pretty ubiquitous and everyone does them a little differently, this recipe yields sandwiches that taste just like those I ate as a kid. I know there are a lot of recipes for lentil-based sloppy joes out there, but for me, TVP more closely approximates the taste and texture of the sandwiches I ate growing up. I really love lentils, but I would seriously never try feeding anything short of TVP to an omnivore.* If you aren’t already familiar, sloppy joes are usually made with copious amounts of ketchup and seasoned with bottled mustard. This fact kind of grosses out a lot of people I might otherwise feed these sandwiches to, and y’know, sometimes you just don’t have a half bottle of ketchup to spare, so — if you aren’t feeling up to the challenge of being a true American — you’re welcome to replace the ketchup with tomato sauce and add at least 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, a teaspoon of vinegar, and half a teaspoon of salt. On that note, please feel free to adjust the seasonings to your liking! Some people like their sloppy joes hot and spicy, or extra sweet. This is weird, messy food, so don’t take it too seriously, and do make it your own. 5.0 from 29 reviews Print Vegan Sloppy Joes Recipe type: Entree Cuisine: American Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 30 mins Serves: 4-6 Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 tsp chili powder ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp dry mustard 1¼ c TVP 1½ c water ¾ c ketchup 1 Tbsp soy sauce salt and pepper to taste soft sandwich buns Instructions In a medium saucepan, saute pepper and onion in oil until onion is translucent. Stir in chili powder, garlic and mustard. Add TVP, water, ketchup, and soy sauce; stir well. Cover and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, simmering for ~20 minutes covered. Remove lid and simmer for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently until most of liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot on toasted sandwich buns, with onion slices and nutritional yeast if desired. Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe 3.1.09 *Also, I am not a hippie. I just really like granola, okay? |
By John Tomasi, Romeo Elton Professor of Natural Philosophy, Professor of Political Science and Director, Political Theory Project at Brown University I am a professor at Brown University. The WeTheInternet (WTI) video describes events at that will alarm anyone who cares about higher education and, especially, those of us who care deeply about Brown. The central conflict presented is roughly (and, I would say, purportedly) between the values of free inquiry and social justice. At Brown, as elsewhere, each of those values has a long and complex history. The recent events at Brown did not come out of nowhere. Different people might tell the history that led to these events in sharply divergent ways. I would like to share my perspective on recent events at Brown. By sharing my story, I hope to help readers of this blog deepen their understanding of the events described in video. I welcome others to tell their (different) histories of the story too. About 12 years ago, two idealistic Brown juniors, one a committed Democrat, the other an equally committed Republican, came to me with a proposal: they wanted to create a high-profile lecture series that would pair speakers with opposing ideological perspectives. They proposed to call it the Janus Lecture Series (for the Roman god with two faces). In the spirit of ideological pluralism, we decided to form a Janus Steering Committee, drawn from a politically diverse range of undergraduate groups. The Committee would have sole responsibility for proposing topics and speaker pairings for Janus lectures. Through the years, our student leaders successfully hosted pyrotechnic pairings: Catherine MacKinnon and Harvey Mansfield on Gender; Ambs. John Bolton and Richard Holbrooke on the UN; John Yoo and Larry Cox on Torture; and many more. These were great intellectual events at Brown- though, since they caused no controversy, few people outside Brown ever heard about them. For many years, the student leaders of Janus, through their string of quiet successes, have made me proud to teach at Brown. The WTI documentary describes events and policies that directly challenge the ideal of cooperative and open inquiry on which the Janus Forum was founded. For example, the year that Ray Kelly was shouted down, the Janus group’s slogan was: “Ask Tough Questions.” Thus it was no accident that the carefully scripted opening line of the shout-down, captured in the documentary, was: “Asking Tough Questions is Not Enough.” Did that declaration strike you as strange? For insiders at Brown, it was not. The students had been well-prepared. They knew to aim at the heart of Janus with their first volley. Unlike the Ray Kelly lecture (which was not organized by the Janus group), Wendy McElroy came to speak at Brown as a guest of Janus. This means that, as with all Janus events, McElroy was invited to campus to share the stage with a speaker holding a rival view (in this case, Jessica Valenti, a prominent defender of the thesis that America is a rape culture). So when a group of angry students objected to McElroy speaking on campus, they were not merely objecting to McElroy. Instead, they were objecting to a conversation about rape culture occurring on campus, one in which more than one thesis would be presented. The WTI documentary opens with a tense conversation between top Brown administrators and a group of angry students. That axis of conflict — administrators vs “radicalized” students — has become a mainstay of media narratives of campus events across the country. Fair enough. But my experience has been different. The axis of conflict that is most vivid, and most tragic, to me has been the one that runs between the students. In the documentary, a young woman reports that her fellow Brown students called her a “white supremacist” when she tried to attend the Ray Kelly lecture. Over the past couple years, idealistic leaders of Janus have been called “racists” by their classmates, something unthinkable just five years ago. Even students of great talent, and good faith, seem increasingly unable, or unwilling, to talk with each other. To me, that is the real tragedy. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s). Publication does not imply endorsement by Heterodox Academy or any of its members. We welcome your comments below. Feel free to challenge and disagree, but please try to model the sort of respectful and constructive criticism that makes viewpoint diversity most valuable. Comments that include obscenity or aggression are likely to be deleted. |
by SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A local organization that advocates for rights for Muslim people is expanding its legal services to include immigration services, organization officials announced Nov. 20. The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has provided legal services for more than 20 years to people who face discrimination because of their Muslim identity. CAIR-SFBA’s new Immigrants’ Rights Program, however, will now allow the organization to offer more legal services, such as low-cost or pro bono legal assistance for citizenship, adjustment of status, family petitions, asylum, Temporary Protected Status, T-Visas, and U-Visas, in addition to Violence Against Women Act self-petitions. “Given the ways Muslim immigrants have been specifically targeted by discriminatory policies, we believe it is essential to provide access to high quality low-cost immigration legal services to the Muslim community,” CAIR-SFBA Immigrants’ Rights Attorney Brittney Rezaei said in a statement. The Bay Area chapter’s new program was made possible through a partnership with CAIR’s greater Los Angeles area office. In 2016, CAIR-LA helped with more than 400 immigration applications and saw an increase of 58 percent in naturalization petitions from the previous year. For more information about the new program or to make an appointment call (408) 986-9874. |
NEW DELHI — New Delhi’s air is the most polluted in the world, according to an international report that quantifies pollution levels, confirming findings by experts confounded by the lack of attention to the city’s problem. The findings by the World Health Organization, released on Wednesday, show that the cities ranking second through fourth are also in India, in the central Hindi belt. For years, experts have wondered why so much international attention has focused on air pollution in Beijing when some say conditions are as bad or even worse in South Asia. “I am shocked at the extent of the problem they found in India,” said Dr. Sundeep Salvi, the director of the Chest Research Foundation in Pune, India. “This is incredibly bad, and there is a complete lack of awareness about it both amongst policy makers and the common man.” |
By , 23 Gold, silver, copper, and many other valuable metals (including rare earth metals) are commonly used in the manufacture of consumer electronics, only to end up in huge piles of electronic waste. The metals are used to get the signal from one chip to another (gold wirebonds, copper traces on printed circuits boards) or to improve contact reliability (gold or silver electro-deposition on connectors), or as minute traces in passive components, just to name a few applications. The e-waste issue is not new, and before it appeared on the European legislative agenda, it used to be that unscrupulous "recyclers" would ship discarded electronic devices to third-world countries where very basic and hazardous metal recovery techniques would be used. This often includes burning and smelting the metals from cables (creating toxic fumes including dioxins), or separating gold from burnt PCB ashes using toxic cyanide solutions that then contaminate nearby rivers. In Europe and the US, several companies have industrialized the recovery of precious metals from e-waste, first crushing the devices and PCB boards, then using various separation methods (magnets to take out the steel, eddy currents to separate non-ferrous metals from plastic) before smelting again, or using toxic chemistries (often sulfuric acid or cyanide solutions) to dissolve the metal particulates and recover them through chemical reactions. The processes are similar, only better managed at industrial scale, but they are still energy intensive and environmentally debatable. Reportedly, such industrialized processes can yield up to 300 grams of gold per ton of discarded mobile phones, and between 2 and 2.5 kilos of silver. By far, the most abundant metal in e-waste is copper, making up between 10% and 15% of a mobile phone's weight. Searching for non-toxic e-waste processing alternatives, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a biological filter made of mushroom mycelium mats that could recover as much as 80% of the gold in electronic scrap. The researchers are also looking at ways to extract copper from circuit board waste by floating the crushed and sieved material rather than through indiscriminate smelting. In VTT experiments, cellphones were crushed and the particles sieved and separated magnetically and by eddy current into circuit board fractions. Further crushing, sieving, and flotation (a separation method that separates hydrophobic particles from hydrophilic particles by blowing air into the sludge) resulted in a fraction with high concentration of valuable metals for solution extraction experiments. The researchers say their flotation technique raised the copper content of the circuit board fraction from 25% to 45%, while gold content increased by a factor of 1.5. "Because it is difficult to remove the components from the circuit boards, the first step in most recycling processes is to crush everything into particulates and that's how we start, too," explains Jarno Mäkinen, research scientist at VTT. "But then, using non-toxic water-based solutions, we have managed to engineer mycelium-based biomass that acts as a biosorbent specifically targeted at gold complexes." Using biosorbents such as fungal and algae biomass, the Finnish lab demonstrated that more than 80% of the gold in the solution adhered to the biomass, compared with only 10% to 20% of gold recovery when using most commonly used harmful chemical preparations. Different filament structures can be formed, for example, into biological filters, which could make that specially engineered biomass useful for recycling precious metals on an industrial scale. Mäkinen didn't want to say more about the biomass engineering tricks used to make the biosorbents more effective for gold or other precious metals. But in principle, the idea would be to engineer various biosorbents targeted at different metals (including rare earth metals) and cascading the e-waste recycling process through different metal absorption steps. At the end of each step, the collected biomass is burnt or chemically processed to recover the metal complexes inside. "We have been most successful with gold so far, but we'll be working to recover other rare metals, too," says Olli Salmi, research professor at VTT, adding that the processes relied on organic chemistry and ionic liquids to dissolve the gold particulates and form complexes. In other VTT experiments, the researchers were able to recover more than 90% of the metal solution dissolved from a circuit board with the help of functional ionic liquid. These results stem from the European "Value From Waste" project of the research consortium AERTO (Associated European Research and Technology Organizations), initiated two years ago. The Finnish lab developed both biological and mechanical pre-treatment methods for a more efficient and more sustainable recovery of precious metals from electronic waste. Its findings could enable the metal refining industry to use cleaner electronic waste in larger amounts. VTT participated in joint technology R&D with the following European research institutes: Fraunhofer ICT and Umsicht (Germany), CEA (France), TNO (the Netherlands), SINTEF (Norway), Tecnalia (Spain), and SP (Sweden). The project was coordinated by SINTEF from Norway. This article originally appeared on EE Times Europe. |
I hope you’re not getting sick and tired of all my beach crafts lately! With summer here, it’s hard not to think about the beach on a regular basis. Bringing a little bit of that feeling into your home is a great way to invoke a comfortable and calming atmosphere. These jar votives are fun, they’re easy to make and they are perfect for summer get togethers. I originally made these luminaries for Michaels Craft Store via DecoArt. They carry an exclusive line of affordable paint called Craft Smart. I use it for ALL of my kid’s crafts, but it’s great for many different projects as well. Wouldn’t these be fun on a picnic table in the backyard? Or make a bunch of them and line them up on your deck for a fun summer night time gathering! Makes me want to get outside right now :) Here’s how easy these are. Wash your jars and give them a rinse and wipe down with rubbing alcohol. After they’ve dried apply painter’s tape in stripes down the sides of the jars. Use a stencil applicator or sponge to dab on the paint. Let them dry a little, then peel back the painter’s tape to reveal your stripes. Add a coat of varnish over the whole thing. The final step is to wrap some burlap around the rims and tie with some hemp cord. It’s ridiculously fun how many colors are available! You can find them at Michaels in the jewelry department, but here’s a summer collection at Amazon to give you an idea of what’s out there. I added some white sand to the jars and a few small shells, then inserted an LED tea light. Fun! Disclaimer: There’s an affiliate link to Amazon in this post. That means if you click through and buy something, I’ll earn a small commission. Thanks if you do, and no biggie if you don’t! :) |
Donald Trump’s suggestion to ask for Bill Gates’ help in “closing that Internet up” as a way to combat terrorism was widely derided, as was his contention that people who worry about the loss of freedom of speech should parts of the Internet be closed are “foolish people.” But saner, more sober voices than Trump’s are calling for actions even more frightening than that to fight terrorism — notably, prosecuting citizens for merely viewing websites that the government considers dangerous. Welcome to the frightening contemporary politics of antiterrorism, in which the Internet has become the favored whipping boy, and the Constitution and your rights could become the biggest victims. Leading the charge against the Internet and the Constitution in the name of fighting terrorism is Eric Posner, professor of law at the University of Chicago. Writing in Slate, he warns that because of the Internet, “Never before in our history have enemies outside the United States been able to propagate genuinely dangerous ideas on American territory in such an effective way.” His solution: “New thinking about limits on freedom of speech.” What would those limits be? Primarily, in his view, a law that would make it illegal for people to visit websites that glorify or support ISIS, or to distribute links to those sites or any videos, images or text taken from those sites. He would also ban people from accessing “ISIS-related recruitment social media posts.” On a first violation, a person would be sent “a warning letter from the government.” After that, though, they would face prison sentences or fines. The law, Posner says, is aimed only at “naive people … who are initially driven by curiosity to research ISIS on the Web.” Some people would be exempt from it, including journalists and those with “a track record of legitimate public commentary on blogs and elsewhere, academic affiliations, employment in a security agency, and the like.” So no longer would the Constitution equally protect the rights of all citizens. He would like its protection to be based on your job, your blogging history or your academic standing. His proposal, if passed, would be one of the worst assaults in history on our rights, as well as on the Internet itself. Many law professors and civil libertarians have warned about the dangers of following his suggested path. Geoffrey R. Stone, an expert on constitutional law at the University of Chicago, is just one of many. He points to the dangers of similar past laws, such as the Sedition Act of 1798, which outlawed false statements about the government. That law was used by the Federalists in power to persecute Thomas Jefferson’s supporters. By making it illegal to visit a website that the government considers dangerous, Posner’s law would go even beyond the Sedition Act. And it could lead to a vast surveillance infrastructure tracing what we all do on the Internet. Enforcing it would require tracking the IP address of every person who visits certain sites, then matching those IP address to specific individuals, investigating them and prosecuting them. Today, the law would only target websites related to ISIS. But laws have a way of metastasizing once they’re passed. Who will be targeted tomorrow? Over the last several decades, there has been a substantial amount of violence that could be considered domestic terrorism against doctors and organizations that support a woman’s right to abortion, including the recent mass shooting in Colorado. Using Posner’s reasoning, could the government ban anti-abortion sites and prosecute people who visit them? You may dismiss Posner’s ideas as those of someone on the fringes of legal respectability. But he’s anything but a legal outsider. He is a professor at one of the country’s most prestigious law schools. Between 2009 and 2013, he was the fourth most-cited legal scholar in the United States. Today, Posner admits, his proposed law would likely be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. But Stone, his fellow professor at the University of Chicago, warned in The New York Times, “Five years from now, who knows? You can imagine a scenario in which things get so terrible that you start watering down the protections.” Let’s hope he’s wrong. The Internet in its current form couldn’t survive it — and neither would the U.S. Constitution. |
Beacon News' Dan Campana Commits 4 Acts of Journalism in 2 Days... Brad Friedman Byon 4/14/2008, 1:08pm PT Wow...We're blown away by this article in today's Beacon News. [Article now hidden behind paid archives, here's a local repost.] It begins this way: The little blog that did For four years, Bradblog.com has reported on voting machine problems April 14, 2008 By Dan Campana dcampana@scn1.com If the mass media ever did its job, Brad Friedman could go back to his former life, the one before 2004 when election scandals became his full-time vocation... We're greatly appreciative of Campana's coverage. Not only because he's very kind to us, but because --- as a total of four of his stories filed over the last two days reveal --- he has actually done what so few corporate journalists seem able to do today: Actual journalism. Before we saw the piece mentioned above today, we had kind words about his coverage yesterday of the wholly under-reported Hart InterCivic federal fraud suit. But beyond that detailed piece, his follow-up story today and "related coverage" offered on both days has been top-notch. Here are links to each of his stories today and yesterday... That, ladies and gentlemen, is what journalism is supposed to look like. And yes, if we had a few more hundred (we'd settle for a few more dozen) like Campana, we'd be more than thrilled to go back to what we were doing prior to falling into this remarkable American Nightmare. We look forward to the day we can take down our shingle entirely and leave all of the heavy lifting to folks like him who actually get paid to do this stuff. (But until then, whatever support you can afford to help keep us going is appreciated...You are all we've actually got. So, please see below, and please keep spreading the word.) slashed in now available starting at just $5! Prices nowin The BRAD BLOG's Fund Drive! Please support our continuing coverage of your election system, as found nowhere else. Click here for a number of cool new collector's edition Premium products |
WASHINGTON -- A group of Indiana state legislators who voted for the state's much-maligned "religious freedom" bill now have their domain names redirecting to a site with statistics about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, thanks to an activist who wants the lawmakers to support broader non-discrimination protections. Konrad Juengling, who lives in Oregon, bought the domain names for Republican State Reps. Martin Carbaugh, Dale Devon, Douglas Gutwein, Kathy Kreag Richardson, Don Lehe and Donna Schaibley. The address DonnaSchaibley.com, for example, now redirects to the site about LGBT issues, which is hosted by the Human Rights Campaign. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which Gov. Mike Pence (R) signed last month, allows any individual or corporation to cite religious beliefs as a defense when sued by a private party. Many opponents of the bill pointed out that because the legislation's language was so broad, it would open the door to widespread discrimination against LGBT individuals. After significant backlash both within Indiana and nationally, Pence eventually signed a revised version of the measure that made clear businesses could not use RFRA to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The six lawmakers weren't the only ones who voted for RFRA, but Juengling said he chose them because their domain names were available. Last week, he wrote to them and told them he'd be happy to give them their websites free of charge if they supported a statewide nondiscrimination policy protecting LGBT people. "If you bring to the floor a nondiscrimination policy protecting LGBT people in Indiana, vote for it, and it is passed, I will happily donate the domains in question to you. I’m sure they’ll come in handy come stumping season," he wrote in his letter, which he shared with The Huffington Post. He added that he decided to redirect the lawmakers' websites to the LGBT youth statistics to show them that the population that would be affected by RFRA "is already disadvantaged and have less accesses to family, community supports, and healthcare." "A disproportionate number of homeless youth are LGBT; why would you support a bill that lets organizations turn these people away?" he asked. A spokeswoman for the Indiana state GOP caucus did not return a request for comment, and Juengling said he has not yet heard back from any of the members. Pence's approval ratings have dropped significantly since the RFRA controversy, and the state recently hired a public relations firm to help repair its image. Want more updates from Amanda? Sign up for her newsletter, Piping Hot Truth. |
Mini Edit: Happy New Years! :3 Wow I'm late on posting this. Been meaning to, though the holidays were quite busy, and I got sick with the fluagain this week. :c I also was having a lot of trouble feeling as though the drawing was ever complete. I wanted to add moretoit fora long time, but either was distracted by other things, procrastinated, or couldnt commit tomaking a change further. The story here was also revised to be shorter andfeel a bit better. I still like the original, asdid my friends, but it really was too wordy to put here. I may find a way to post the original as well later, but for now, here it is! The story~ -------------- The Snow Dragon If one lets themselves wander the tundra, or brave the harshest blizzards of winter, hey might find themselves stumble upon a truly magnificent dragon such as this. These snow dragons differ from their better known ice counterparts that are often jagged and scaled in appearance, in that these dragons sport a kind of coat that's something between feathers and fur. Their coats are said to be the softest and warmest of any other creature. As one might guess, their fluffy figure is to ensure their survival in such harsh colds, offering a shield from the wind and snow, and even hail. Their thick fur is said to be able to even protect them from attacks with the undercoat layers being so thick and dense that few have ever truly seen, much less ever felt their skin. This heavy plumage however does not impede movement on the dragon, and the benefits of its protection outweigh any potential downsides of such a hide. When in the light, it is said to shimmer faintly all the colors of light, giving an ethereal appearance to the dragon. Some say its prescence is blinding on a bright sunny day, but hat one could not turn their eyes away from such peaceful beauty. Under its fur is a quite thin body structure, which is why these dragons must rely on their coats to keep them warm, even in the warmer seasons. They will often only shed the very top layer of their fur annually, the undercoat remaining as a necessity to keep as much heat as possible. It is not unheard of for these dragons to dive under icy cold waters that would be otherwise fatal to most other creatures, simply to cool down. This is why they actually prefer to live in areas with a much colder climate, as many will quickly overheat in even temperate climates. There are few who do live in cooler, but more temperate places, but often reside in the shade of caves or by waterfalls and cold flowing water from the mountains. While their soft fur may be the primary highlight of the beast, its other features should be noted as well. These dragons survive on much smaller appetites than most others, often scavenging for food or hunting a small meal to last weeks. Alternatively, plantlife and shrubbery are also a complement to its light diet. That being said, these dragons are well equipped to fend for themselves and hunt. Their large paws better help them grasp prey or larger meals, and also make it easier to traverse the snow, slightly dispersing its body weight. Its long, thick tail, while not appearing to serve a useful purpose at first glance, actually helps retain body heat. As it is covered in some of the larger feathers and fur of its body, when it curls up, its tail will wrap around to its head, keeping its whole body a bit warmer when sleeping. Its eyes are truly what set it apart. If one looks closely, the pupil and iris almost seem to have merged into a single entity. This actually provides an advantage to sight in the winter, where light reflecting off the snow can harm vision in most animals. It has developed a very unique ability to manipulate light reflected into its eyes, allowing for greater eyesight in the winter tundra nights and days, especially in snowstorms where visibility is hindered. With the way these processes work and function together, its speculated that these dragons have potentially the greatest vision of all creatures known, and the limits of the colors they are able to see is thought to even incorporate extensions of the color spectrum that are not visible. When coupled with dragons innate prowess with magic, one can only wonder what its able to see. Some legends say its even able to see the souls of others and sense their aura. Their elemental breath appears to be fitting with the snowy, fluffy theme these dragons sport. It is a chilly breath of ice, a flurry of a blizzard capable of freezing water solid near instantly, and capable of encasing creatures in ice. Some legends passed around speak of these Snow Dragons once fighting with a Red Dragon, and their elemental breaths of fire and ice being an equal match. Alternatively, some have said theyve made the greatest snow forts wih the assistance of these dragons, and such accounts have been shown to be true! These dragons may appear as cuddly and harmless, however appearances are sometimes decieving. As stated before, these dragons have a very light diet comparatively but will eat near anything when hungry. With limited resources in such environments as well, its best to always be wary. These dragons will see you long before you spot them in a snowstorm, and with such unique eyes, hiding is not much better of an option as running. And in bright white snow, neither tends works out well. However with all that said, these dragons are generally very peaceful beings, far more likely to save a lost traveller in a snowstorm than have them for dinner. Their gentle nature is accompanied with hospitality as well, gladly offering their fur to others who ask, and being known to even go out of their way to ensure the survival of another being before themselves. There is a tale of one snow dragon escorting a weary traveller through the tundra and back home to and across the lands, all the way back to his village, collapsing as they arrived from hunger and the heat of the new land. The traveller acknowledged the dragon's graciousness and did all he could to nurse it back to health and help it adapt to the warmed climate. After losing much of its fur in order to regulate its body temperature, the two thanked eachother, and the dragon left back on a journey to its home once healthy again, promising to return should the traveller ever be in need of an escort. Comments from the artist: Its quite cold! Finding a beast like this took a lot of searching, getting lost in a blizzard, being sick in bed for a week, and finally painting this picture of it. However I can now say for certain that the stories of its kindness are true! I had searched for days, and after nearly freezing solid in these harsh lands, I was about to give up. And if you'd believe it, I turned right around and there it was! I wondered if it had been following me for sometime, but more relieved it had been found (and also didnt see me as its next meal). As a snowstorm is the last place one would want to paint a picture, I hurried back to my shelter and the dragon followed. We talked for a bit over a nice meal as I painted, and it was greatly helpful in choosing colors for this piece! I can only wonder the many incredible ways it must have been able to interpret painting though with those eyes. I asked how much control of light they had, and in response it replied with a small chuckle. I'm not sure if it was amused by my question, or also unsure of its power itself. Once the picture was complete, I carefully packaged a copy for the dragon to keep, and gave it some food to take back to wherever its home was. It thanked me and we said our farewells. I'm sure we'll see eachother again sometime soon, though right now I'm ready to go home and just bury myself in blankets! -------------------- Character, Art, and Story © 2016 Xeirla Hope you have a good holiday season! |
In December 1989, Marc Lépine armed himself with a Ruger Mini-14 semiautomatic rifle and headed off to Montreal's École Polytechnique, hunting women. He separated male and female students and ordered the men to leave. He then killed the women, execution-style. By the time he turned the weapon on himself, he'd slaughtered 14 young women for the offence of being women, earning himself a place at the apex of misogynistic violence. Lepine's suicide note read, in part: "I have decided to send the feminists, who have always ruined my life, to their Maker … The feminists have always enraged me." The atrocity, and its stated motivation, immediately triggered an angry and overdue conversation in Canada about misogyny and collective male guilt. Men who'd never as much as lifted a hand to a woman in their lives were told that even so, if they'd ever smiled at a sexist joke or tolerated discrimination against a woman, they'd done their bit to shape a culture that culminated with the funerals of those 14 women in Montreal. It was hard to swallow, but only a dullard could reject the logic outright. And, at least partially as a result, open sexism and misogynistic humour became far less okay after Polytechnique, at least in polite company. It was a transformative moment. The Orlando gunman has been identified as Omar Mateen, of Fort Pierce, Fla. Police say he was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members. (Omar Mateen/MySpace) Now, after Omar Mateen armed himself, reportedly professed allegiance to ISIS and went hunting gays in an Orlando night club, could there possibly be a better time to have the same conversation about organized religion, and what responsibility it bears for the pain and misery and death inflicted on gays for so many centuries in the name of god? And not just the Muslim god. That is happening now because of Mateen, and deservedly so, but restricting the discussion to Islam is far too easy. Islam may be more overt about its homophobia than the other major religions — anyone who's worked in the Middle East has heard some fool in high office declaring that there are no gays in Islam, and therefore no AIDS — but the fact is, conservative iterations of all the monotheistic faiths are deeply and actively and systemically anti-gay. The sacred monotheistic texts contain prohibitions that would by just about any legal definition be considered hate speech in the modern secular world. The Old Testament Book of Leviticus 20:13 states: "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them." The Qu'ran proscribes sex between Muslim males, and mandates punishment, although it does sometimes allow for leniency. Elsewhere, though, it cites the destruction of Sodom, held as divine punishment for homosexual sex, as a lesson. And the Hadith, the Qu'ranic commentaries, contain references to punishing the "abomination" of gay sex with stoning or immolation. Such prohibitions could be dismissed as antediluvian anachronisms, not to be taken seriously in the modern world. But of course they are taken quite seriously. Deadly seriously. Rights and religious freedom Fundamentalists and traditionalists of all three faiths not only regard such passages as divine instruction, they actually portray their homophobia as a matter of religious freedom; something noble, protected by constitutions and essential to democracy, when in fact they are working to oppress and deny fundamental rights to people based solely upon the sexuality with which they were born. California's Proposition 8 to overturn the state's legalization of same-sex marriage passed with the support of major churches in 2008, but was later overturned in the courts. (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) A perfect example is Proposition 8, the California ballot initiative whose purpose was to block the advance of same-sex marriage, on the grounds that it would somehow harm or invalidate heterosexual marriage, and would result in schoolchildren being taught that gay sex is normal and acceptable. Prop 8 proponents included the Roman Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, the California Catholic Conference of bishops, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons), the Union of Orthodox Jewish Organizations of America and assorted evangelical Christian groups. Together, they poured a fortune into the campaign. Mormons alone provided $20 million. They won, then immediately lost when the initiative was vacated by secular courts. Since then, organized religions have continued their anti-gay activities, often going to court to ensure their right to discriminate against gays in hospitals and schools and other religiously affiliated institutions. Yes, it is true that Pope Francis has softened his church's line on homosexuality. But his tolerance is only remarkable in contrast to his hardline predecessor, and church doctrine remains unchanged. Kelvin Cobaris, a local clergyman, consoles Orlando city commissioner Patty Sheehan, right, and Terry DeCarlo, an Orlando gay-rights advocate, as they arrive on the scene near where a mass shooting occcured in Orlando, Fla., Sunday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via Associated Press) It is also true that the Reform and to an extent the Conservative streams of Judaism have moderated their tone where gays are concerned. Not so Islam. That religion remains largely hostile to gays, and anti-gay sentiment is woven into the laws of many Muslim countries. Sheikh Farrokh Sekaleshfar, a British-born physician and imam, has spoken at public venues in the United States, softly and diffidently asserting that as a matter of compassion, homosexuals should be put to death. There are many, many other sheikhs like Farrokh Sekaleshfar. And while evangelical Christians don't seek the death penalty for homosexuality, many do want it punished. In 2004, Dr. Richard Land, the Oxford-educated former president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, told me on camera he thought gay sex should be outlawed. In any event, this much is singularly true: the worst mass murder in American history was directed at one group, and it was done by some one who had sworn allegiance to a fundamentalist religious group. If casual misogyny and sexist humour helped create Marc Lépine, then organized religion must reflect on helping shape a culture that will this week have led to 50 funerals in Florida. It's not just the extremists who want to deprive gays of human rights. People of faith might ask themselves this: even if they've never so much as lifted a hand to a gay person, have they smiled at a homophobic joke? Or overlooked mistreatment? Or nodded during an anti-gay sermon? And if so, wouldn't this be a good time to speak up? |
Sen. Grassley Gives Red Cross Deadline To Explain Haiti Spending Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is demanding answers from the American Red Cross on how it spent nearly half a billion dollars in Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake that leveled the country. Grassley sent Red Cross CEO Gail McGovern a list of 17 detailed questions and has given the venerated charity a little over a week to respond. Until now, the Red Cross has declined to address publicly many of the questions the senator is asking. Grassley cited recent stories by NPR and ProPublica about Red Cross efforts in Haiti, which found a string of poorly managed projects and questionable spending. The Red Cross promised donors it would provide permanent homes to tens of thousands of people and that it would build brand-new communities. After five years, the organization has built just six homes. "This is kind of surprising to me," Grassley tells NPR. In recent years, he has played an oversight role over the congressionally chartered Red Cross. In his letter, the senator questioned some of the representations the charity made to him personally during a meeting a few months ago. "When I read about their unwillingness to make public certain information that people are asking legitimate questions about, that kind of bothers me," he says. The Red Cross has so far declined to detail what programs it ran in Haiti, how much they cost or what its expenses were. Grassley has asked for an itemized list of those programs and expenses, as well as how the Red Cross calculates its overhead and how it comes up with the numbers it uses to tell donors how many people it has helped. "I expect them to answer my questions," he says. "And we'll get all this information out for the public because I think the donors are entitled to it." In a statement, the Red Cross says: "The American Red Cross is proud of our work to help the people of Haiti and we welcome the opportunity to respond to Senator Grassley's questions and set the record straight." Jake Johnston, a research associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C., has been examining the Red Cross work in Haiti for several years and says he's eager to see how the charity responds. "The Red Cross has been especially difficult to get information from," Johnston says. "If the Red Cross were to answer these questions, it would shine a light on this black box that everyone's been asking questions about for the last five years — which is, how this money has actually been spent." Johnston says he would like to know how much of the millions of dollars the Red Cross says it gave to partner organizations actually made it to Haitians in need. "One of the big things with the Red Cross Haiti's response is that they partnered with a lot of other organizations," he says. "They acted as a donor themselves. And to see how that actually played out, who they partnered with, what the costs associated with those projects were, and how much money actually made it to the ground, that's the real question mark at this point." Grassley has given the Red Cross until July 22 to respond. |
Welcome back to Peculiar Side of Sports. Every so often something in sports perplexes me, and I just hate not knowing something. So, I do what any normal, sane sports fan does – I search ad nausea for the answer by any means necessary. The good news is that I take all my hard work and relay the results to you. Last week I wrote about the origins of every NHL team’s name (Eastern Conference/Western Conference) as well as each NBA team (Eastern Conference/Western Conference). Having covered each team from the AL East yesterday, today we take a look, albeit a very quick one, at the origins of each AL Central team’s nickname. It’s not meant to be exhaustive – just a glimpse into how each team arrived at the names they use today. Check back each day for the rest of the divisions in MLB. Without further ado, I give you today’s Peculiar Side of Sports. Update: Here are all the divisions – AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL East and NL Central, NL West American League Central Chicago White Sox – The Chicago White Sox are amongst the oldest professional teams in baseball. However, their origins date way back to the 1894 reconfiguration in the Western League, which was amateur, not professional. The team at that time was the Sioux City Cornhuskers, which were purchased by former St. Louis Brown Charles Comiskey (the last name might ring a bell, no?). Comiskey’s first order of business was to get the team out of Sioux City, and headed for the greener pastures, or bluer lakes, of St. Paul, Minnesota. For five years the team existed as the Saints – very original. When the Western League restructured, again, it became known as the American League, yet still were considered amateur. The fact they were amateur was very important, as the professional National League allowed them to put a team in the metro Chicago area. Comiskey bolted for the Windy City, and named the franchise White Stockings (as they indeed wore white stockings as part of their uniform), which was a name they borrowed from the old Chicago Cubs team of the same name. The year after they arrived, the American League declared itself professional, and were in direct competition against the National League. The sports writers at the Chicago Tribune began running headlines using the shortened version “White Sox”, which were much better for print purposes. Kansas City Royals – Kansas City’s first touch of the baseball was not in 1969, which the current franchise dates back to. There was a team long before called the Kansas City Athletics, which as you might infer, moved to Oakland (check back tomorrow for a complete history). The loss of the Athletics so enraged Missouri Senator Stuart Symington that he demanded a team, and threatened legislation that would make it a reality – seems like a level headed guy, eh? MLB caved, and granted them a team for 1971. Unhappy with that, he demanded to allow the team to play in 1969 (which later history would show actually affected Seattle’s bid for a new team called the “Pilots”). The team was named the Royals as a tribute to the livestock, horse show and rodeo, which is an annual event in KC for over 100 years. Detroit Tigers – With a somewhat similar history to some of the other old AL teams, the Tigers also find their roots in the 19th Century. They began in 1894 in the Western League under the name Tigers. That makes them the oldest one destination and one name teams in the current American League. To reiterate, the Western League was an amateur league. It changed to the American League at the turn of the century. The name “Tigers” has an interesting history. In the club’s first couple of years, the team was known by two names – Wolverines and Tigers (evidence of Tigers as early as 1895 in the Detroit Free Press). The names were not official ones, just nicknames. However, the story goes that real reason the team finally went with the Tigers was as a tribute to the Detroit Light Guard Military Unit, who were better known as the Tigers. When the team became professional just after the turn of the century, the name became official after the club sought permission from the military. Cleveland Indians – The Cleveland Indians were not always in Cleveland, and were not always “Indians”. Their history dates back to the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Rustlers in 1894, who played in the Western League. Six years later the team moved to their current home in Cleveland, and were called the Lake Shores, with an obvious reference to them being on the shores of Lake Erie. At that same time, the Western League, which was a minor league, became the American League. Only one year later, the American League officially became a professional league to compete with the National League, and that precipitated the Lake Shores to change their name – again. The team became known as the Cleveland Bluebirds. Most people disliked the name, and media just called them “Blues” for short (they had blue uniforms…obviously). Unsurprisingly, the team changed its name again, this time the “Naps” after a name-the-team contest. “Naps” was in reference to one of the game’s greats, Napoleon “Naps” Lajoie. You’re not going to believe this, but in 1912 it happened again – the name changed, this time to the Molly Maguires after the Irish and Irish American coal miners. Though there are other theories, in 1914 the team was named the Indians in reference to the Boston Braves, who had a great run. Phew. Minnesota Twins – The Minnesota Twins’ story begins in 1894 in the Western League as the Kansas City Blues. The team moved in 1901 to Washington to be one of eight charter members of the newly formed American League. They operated under the names Senators and Nationals. Nationals was an obvious yet curious choice – of course Washington is the home of the federal US Government, however, the American League (which often referred to its teams as “Americans”) was in heated battles for superiority after claiming major league status with the National League. Anyway, fast forward to 1961. Though there were periods of success, the franchise was far from stable. When the league offered an expansion franchise to Minnesota, Washington’s owner asked for permission to give Washington the expansion team so he could move his team to St. Paul. The league agreed. As a way to respect both great Minnesota cities, the team adopted the name Minnesota (he originally wanted “Twin City”) and Twins (to show the team belonged to both St. Paul and Minneapolis. Thanks for reading. Remember, tomorrow I’ll have the next instalment, the AL West, for you posted bright and early at 7am. Want to read my other Sports History articles? Check them out here. As always, feel free to leave comments below. Don’t forget to follow the site on Twitter – @lastwordonsport. |
Two additions to the TeamConnect family and new developments in the SpeechLine Digital Wireless series will be on show this year. Sennheiser has announced that it will be launching TeamConnect Wireless, its new wireless conferencing solution, at this year’s ISE, taking place from February 9-12 in Amsterdam. One of two new additions to the TeamConnect family, TeamConnect Wireless allows users to connect their own smart device or computer wirelessly via Bluetooth, and also permits wired connections via USB or jack cable. The solution supports multiple simultaneous audio channels, allowing users to bring up to a total of 24 additional callers into an ongoing conference by simply connecting another device. Also seeing its debut at ISE is TeamConnect Ceiling, a ceiling mounted array microphone for fixed installations which uses beamforming technology to automatically focus on whichever person in the room is speaking, wherever they are sitting or standing, ensuring ‘great sound quality and flexibility.’ Finally, Sennheiser will be presenting the latest developments in its SpeechLine Digital Wireless range. New features include a new multi-room functionality, making it possible to adjust the transmission power to address different scales of installations for simultaneous use of multiple systems on the license-free 1.9GHz frequency. The range will also be compatible with Audinate’s Dante Network Protocol to support audio-over-IP networks. Andy Niemann, director business communication at Sennheiser, commented: “Whether you are an audio engineer responsible for sound at a major conference, a manager seeking to set up more effective team conferences, or an individual demanding better sound from your business calls – we will be showcasing an exciting range of solutions that excel through innovative features, unparalleled ease of use and Sennheiser’s characteristic high quality audio performance.” http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/ https://www.iseurope.org/ |
Scientists say even just 2.5 portions daily can lower chance of heart disease, stroke, cancer and premature death Five portions of fruit and veg a day is good for you, but 10 is much better and could prevent up to 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide every year, say scientists. The findings of the study led by Imperial College London may dismay the two in three adults who struggle to manage three or four portions – perhaps some tomatoes in a sandwich at lunchtime, an apple and a few spoonfuls of peas at dinner. The five-a-day disaster: why the numbers don't add up Read more All of that is good because a daily intake of even 200g, or two and a half standard 80g portions, is associated with a 16% reduced risk of heart disease, an 18% reduced risk of stroke, a 13% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, 4% reduced risk of cancer and a 15% reduction in the risk of premature death. But the study suggests we should be piling up platefuls of vegetables and raiding the fruit bowl every day if we want the best chance of avoiding chronic diseases or an early death. “We wanted to investigate how much fruit and vegetables you need to eat to gain the maximum protection against disease, and premature death. Our results suggest that although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, 10 a day is even better,” said Dr Dagfinn Aune, lead author of the research from the School of Public Health at Imperial. Eating up to 800g of fruit and vegetables – equivalent to 10 portions and double the recommended amount in the UK – was associated with a 24% reduced risk of heart disease, a 33% reduced risk of stroke, a 28% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a 13% reduced risk of total cancer, and a 31% reduction in premature deaths. And not all fruit and veg are created equal. Apples and pears, citrus fruits, salads and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and chicory, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower were found to be best at preventing heart disease and stroke. New GP leader calls for rethink of ‘expensive’ five-a-day goal Read more To reduce the risk of cancer, however, the menu should include green vegetables, such as green beans; yellow and orange vegetables such as peppers and carrots; and cruciferous vegetables. The researchers did not find any difference between the protective effects of cooked and raw fruit and vegetables. “Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system,” said Aune. “This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold. For instance they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage, and lead to a reduction in cancer risk.” Compounds called glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, activate enzymes that may help prevent cancer. Fruit and vegetables may also have a beneficial effect on the naturally occurring bacteria in our gut, he said. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Most people struggle to eat three or four portions a day, the study shows. Photograph: Simon Masters/Getty Images/Vetta And it will not be possible to bottle the effects of fruit and vegetables or put them in a pill, he said. Forget the supplements. “Most likely it is the whole package of beneficial nutrients you obtain by eating fruits and vegetables that is crucial to health,” he said. “This is why it is important to eat whole plant foods to get the benefit, instead of taking antioxidant or vitamin supplements (which have not been shown to reduce disease risk).” The analysis in the International Journal of Epidemiology pooled the results from 95 different studies involving a total of approximately 2 million people. They assessed up to 43,000 cases of heart disease, 47,000 cases of stroke, 81,000 cases of cardiovascular disease, 112,000 cancer cases and 94,000 deaths. Aune said more research was needed, but “it is clear from this work that a high intake of fruit and vegetables hold tremendous health benefits, and we should try to increase their intake in our diet”. Sarah Toule, from the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “This interesting research shows just how incredibly important vegetables and fruit are as part of a healthy diet. In fact, they’re essential for maintaining a healthy weight, which our own evidence has shown reduces the risk of 11 common cancers. “People should aim to eat at least five portions of vegetables and fruit a day but the more the better. If people find this hard, why not start by adding an extra portion of fruit or veg a day to your lunch or try swapping one of your naughty snacks for a piece of fruit?” |
Could Michael Scott make a return to our TV screens in the near future? NBC executives have revealed they are considering reviving the US version of The Office. The series, which starred Steve Carrell as the lovably cringeworthy office boss Michael Scott, ran for nine seasons before coming to an end in 2013 and was based on Ricky Gervais’ Slough-based creation for the BBC. Now, having already brought back sitcom Will & Grace (and recommissioned a second new season before the first has even aired), senior figures at the US network have revealed what other shows they would like to bring back to our screens. “We often talk about The Office, I’ve talked to Greg [Daniels, developer and executive producer] four times over the past few years,” NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said during the TCA press tour. “It’s always, ‘maybe some day but not now’,” he added, as Deadline reports. “There is certainly an open invitation, but we don’t have anything happening right now. If he wants to do it, I would do it.” Sharethrough (Mobile) Earlier this year, Carrell said he wouldn’t be interested in playing Michael Scott again and didn’t think The Office should be revived. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he told the New York Daily News. “Fans of any show think that they want to see more of that show but I don’t really (believe) that’s the case, because they want it to be exactly what it was, and there’s no way it can be exactly what it was. “Even in the best possible scenario, it’s always a slight disappointment. I don’t see any reason to slightly disappoint people who might have loved your show to begin with.” Meanwhile, the mockumentary series isn’t the only show Greenblatt has had conversations about recommissioning. The chairman said he has had similar talks with Tina Fey about the possibility of creating more 30 Rock. “I’d say to Tina, ‘Hey, you think some more 30 Rock makes any sense?'” he said. “She’d say, ‘I don’t know, maybe’.” |
Microsoft's Patch Tuesday for July landed overnight with a bumper crop of seven bulletins, six of which cover critical flaws that carry remote code execution risks. And the Windows 8 giant today revealed that one of these, CVE-2013-3163, is currently under active attack online. Every supported operating system, every version of MS Office, Lync, Silverlight, Visual Studio and .NET will need patching - creating plenty of work for sysadmins worldwide. The patch batch grapples with a total of 34 vulnerabilities, with the emphasis very firmly on workstation (PC) rather than server software. Altogether three of the bulletins patched flaws roughly matching the profile of the Windows kernel security issue that Google’s Tavis Ormandy disclosed back in May (CVE-2013-3660). The top two patching priorities are a Windows kernel issue (MS13-053) and the Internet Explorer patch bundle (MS13-055), which addresses 17 vulnerabilities in Microsoft's browser software. Microsoft revised the latter, bulletin 55, just after publication to announce that it is "aware of targeted attacks attempting to exploit the vulnerability described in CVE-2013-3163 through Internet Explorer 8". Redmond said that the application of the update would protect customers from any exploits of the vuln. Also, for the first time ever, Microsoft is addressing a single vulnerability (CVE-2013-3129) in three different advisories (MS13-052, MS13-053, and MS13-054). "This issue relates to TrueType Font processing and legitimately affects different components," explained Ross Barrett, senior manager of security engineering at Rapid7. "By splitting this out, Microsoft is directly addressing a complaint about previous 'rolled up' advisories where it was difficult to properly prioritise the multiple patches required to remediate the problem, and component patches were frequently missed." A visual overview of the patching menu for July can be found in a blog post by the SANS Institute's Internet Storm Centre here. Crap apps and Flash patch dash Microsoft also announced a policy change related to the Windows marketplace. In future, any "app" that is affected by a security issue will be removed from the store if it is not patched within 180 days of confirmation of a potential problem. Security watchers will be interested to see in Google or Apple adopt a similar policy. In other patching news, Adobe released security updates for Adobe Shockwave (APSB13-18), Coldfusion (APSB13-19) and Adobe Flash player (APSB13-17). "Users of Internet Explorer 10 and Google Chrome already have [Flash] updates integrated and do not need to worry about installing the new version themselves," notes Wolfgang Kandek, CTO of cloud security firm Qualys. "Everybody else, including Mac OS X users, should apply this critical update as quickly as possible." Those at the security coalface will have little time to kick back after installing these updates. Oracle will be releasing their quarterly update for all of their software (except Java) next week on Tuesday, 19 July. ® |
And for further illustration, I’m currently teaching a transportation economics course this week on the other side of the planet where we use a case study from another transportation sector on exactly this subject, and what happened when the regulator failed to engage to prevent a multi-national corporation and with its deep-pockets to drive competitors out of business, and then just like the theory predicts, the remaining operator restricted output and consequently increases prices, and with the very public threat to new entrants that dare you re-enter and we will squash you too! Unfortunately, with lots of recent transportation debate on Commercial Ride-Sharing, the lack of attention to the underlying economic theories that underpin competitive forces, regulatory dynamics, and innovation cycles is bit surprising. First off, possibly we could start by explaining why taxis are regulated in the first place? Well, the theory identifies that where industries have a continuously perishable product (i.e. empty seats) and very low marginal costs of production at the point of service delivery, this quickly leads into destructive and fatal competition, primarily for those operators with shallow pockets. The need for both the federal and provincial government to intervene significantly with serious regulatory tools into the Port truckers dispute tells us that caution is needed before the regulatory model in transportation service provision is completely abandoned as UBER, et al, wishes us to think is acceptable. And so how does the theory fit commercial ride-sharing such as UBER, Lyft, etc. Well, as I have been working recently with the San Francisco airport, I have learned that the taxi industry in San Francisco has been so damaged by this destructive competition that the local market is now dominated by these commercial ride-share services – well, recent public reports indicate that UBER with its vast knowledge of local travel demand patterns, that are aggregated globally to develop aggressive strategies to generate revenues, NOW includes the practice of REMOVING capacity at SURGE times that given the UBER dynamic pricing model means paying WAY more during peak times when few alternatives exist, and with the few remaining independent operators daring not to challenge UBER in any event given the public threats of economic retaliation. This is exactly what theory predicts will occur without a regulator ensuring market abuse does not occur – in this case, the theory in perishable markets says early predatory pricing will eventually lead to market concentration, especially where market discipline can be enforced through future threats of devastating competitive response. Might sound bit academic, but where is the theoretical analysis advanced in support of Commercial Ride-Sharing that discredits the need for economic regulation in this industry? And while I fully support disruptive technologies, having lead my own major international program of transportation system change, such tools are no excuse for avoiding the necessary public debate on what will arise over time with their implementation. Let’s have the debate and see what works best before the taxi rules are just thrown out for sake of expediency and lack of willingness to see the many sides of this complex picture. So from a practical perspective, for those who support Commercial Ride-Sharing, let’s consider the provision in the Vancouver Taxi Licensing bylaw that says NO OPERATOR CAN ACT AS A PUBLIC BUS SERVICE. If the Taxi regulations mean nothing to UBER, what will stop them next from just ignoring this other bit of the Taxi bylaw. Well, if I was preparing the long-term transportation investment strategy for UBER, I would consider the real ECONOMIC prize is NOT the rather expensive practice of driving automobiles around to pick-up individual travelers, but instead to buy a bunch of cheaper passenger vans and then CHERRY-PICK high concentrations of travelers on the most lucrative transit bus routes. What an easy thing to do with an APP that says “I’m at this location, and is anybody else going to this destination soon” – well, UBER already has this APP and is offering quasi-bus services in limited US markets where no incumbent transit operator exists – but UBER is not going to wait long before it goes after trunk bus services where the pickings will be remarkably easy and highly profitable by avoiding the provision of services to those transit users who get considerable public subsidies now. This ultimately would then leave the Transit system with the unenviable task of continuing to serve a regional network but without the revenue advantage of carrying lots of travelers on short-haul routes that make significant profits that overcome the many loss making routes. If you think the TransLink funding and referendum debate are a challenge now, wait till Commercial Ride-Sharing starts taking a huge revenue chunk out of expected revenues. And how will the Transit Drivers Union respond to an advance by UBER into their very protected market – the 2001 strike might start to look like a cake-walk. So before everybody jumps on the Commercial Ride-Sharing band-wagon, maybe, just maybe, some considered thought is needed on how best to evolve what is plainly evident as a broken model – but just to throw away the economic regulations with the dear hope that the invisible hand of the market will just sort all this out is NONSENSE. Even market advocates such as myself understand the many market failures that can occur, and thus are supportive of SMART regulation. |
When Supergirl first made her way to the CW, fans couldn't help but wonder if she would crossover again with the other DC shows as she did with The Flash during her first season on CBS. To say fans were elated when they found out that all four shows would be involved in one this year would be an understatement, and it looks like production is already underway. Legends of Tomorrow actress Caity Lotz shared a new picture via Twitter with Supergirl's Melissa Benoist with the caption "Seriously Super". Both are in their respective costumes, and the crossover will most likely take place in the mid to late season, so they very well could be shooting it right now. Of course, it could be a shot from their promotional trailers for The CW, but for now the former seems more likely. As for what to expect from the upcoming event, executive producer Marc Guggenheim told fans about the crossovers premise. |
“What is truth?” said Pontius Pilate to Jesus. Or at least this is what we are told he said in the Gospel of John. Can we trust John to have related accurately the words of Pontius Pilate? Most scholars date the book of John as two generations after Pilate’s death. And yet, despite the dubious provenance of the quote, it is a very important question. Indeed it is the central question we concern ourselves with here. On November 24, 2016 the Washington Post ran a story entitled: “Russian propaganda effort helped spread ‘fake news’ during election, experts say”. The article claimed that Russia had been involved in a concerted effort to sway the election in favour of Trump through a sophisticated propaganda war. But perhaps even more significant than the central claim, is that it launched the phrase “fake news” into the media discourse. The story drew heavily from a think-tank known as PropOrNot who supplied a list of 200 websites that “wittingly or unwittingly” were “reliably” party to a Russian propaganda offensive. The list covers websites of both a left-wing and right-wing persuasion. Some of them are overtly associated with fascists (dailystormer.com) or white power movements (vdare.com). Some of the sources, such as infowars.com are famously unreliable, mixing nonsense with kernels of truth so regularly that asking the information content would be akin to asking for the nutrition content of corn-studded faeces. However, some of the sites, such as AlterNet.org or AntiWar.com provide relatively reliable information. And some, such as Films for Action are very hard to see as being in any putative Russian camp. Not long after the release of this news article, an exquisite dramatic irony began to unfold. Attempts to check up on the story began running into difficulties. The PropOrNot think-tank which featured prominently in the article, was revealed as peculiarly shadowy. When pressed in phone conversations, the lone contact for the organisation declined to state the methodology by which they had determined this list of websites to be “fake news”. How Russia was the lead in this constellation of sites, or how it could be shown that they were reliably in the Russian camp was entirely absent. In addition, the organisation had no address, no list of employees and no donors list. How could the Washington Post have used this totally opaque and previously unknown think tank as its primary source? Further investigations by Mark Ames uncovered disturbing connections with Ukrainian fascists and the US security state. The news story had begun to unravel. The story was one as propagandistic, and directed for effect by geopolitical actors, as any fake news story to which it was supposed to be drawing attention. Amazingly, the seminal news story on “fake news”, turned out to be “fake news” itself. And to complete the irony, the media outlet which published the story by Mark Ames, was one of those listed by PropOrNot as “fake news”. The complexity of navigating news derives from the fact that the world of media is composed of actors, with agendas they would like to sell, as well as advertisers to whom they would like to sell us. “Fake news”, as a moniker, is designed for a specific effect, and that effect is to persuade. The most common approach to the interpretation of news, is, as is often the case, one of the simplest. We simply divide sources into those which are trusted, and those that are not. And this is the approach which PropOrNot is attempting to leverage. By telling us which sources we should not use, they suggest by contrast that the other sources: the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Guardian, are to be relied upon. This approach presents itself as drawing our attention to disinformation; it implicitly or explicitly poses as not “fake news”, or “true news” while it does so. The stakes are exceedingly high, as the beliefs of the greater population are no small matter. It is the difference between who can rule, under what conditions and how. This simplistic model can be inverted in any number of different ways, simply by choosing a different ‘a priori’ set of excluded sources and trusted sources. While habitual readers of the New York Times might feel quite content with the quality of their source, the same can be said of those who read only from ‘prisonplanet.com’ or ‘infowars.com’. They live in a world ‘through the looking glass’ in which anyone who reads the New York Times is a sheeple reading propaganda produced by globalists. So how do we read or watch the media? Do we give up on knowing, or is it possible for us to “read between the lines”, so to speak? We can’t very well proceed with any sort of agency in a world in which we are completely blind. We need some way to navigate the rocky shoals of misinformation, disinformation and propaganda. Karl Popper, the famous philosopher, developed a theory of scientific inquiry. In his systematisation of science, we would first build a model. This model then would make predictions. If the predictions turned out to be false, according to the measured data, we would reject the model. Unfortunately this approach is too strong, even when our inputs can be trusted. All models are simplifications of reality, and therefore do not capture the full richness of it. They are all in some sense “wrong”. That some data points are not correctly predicted is insufficient cause to reject a model if it works well most of the time. Popper’s student, Imre Lakatos, described a more pragmatic approach to modeling that is closer to what is actually employed by scientists, which took this need to allow some divergence from theory into a account. The idea is to have a model which captures a good deal of useful properties that we see in the data, and we can provide patches for information that does not fit. When a model is mostly patches, Lakatos would describe it as degenerate. And yet even Lakatos’ theory of programmes still falls short when applied to news. The situation with news is even more difficult than the problem that the philosophers of science were trying to solve. The data points that we obtain are themselves suspect and not just because of incorrect “measurement” or noise. We can’t trust that they are correct because those relaying the information are attempting to persuade us of a particular belief. Sifting through this information then means creating a model, not just of the world which accords with the information we receive, but also a model of what it means when certain actors present certain information. Establishing this ‘underlying meaning’ requires a theory which ascribes motive to these actors and allows us to read the subliminal semantics. Thus we enter into the realm of the Hermeneutics of Suspicion. This may all sound very baroque, but a basic theory of suspicious interpretation is widely practiced, and is sometimes called ‘qui bono’ or ‘Who benefits’? Most people understand the fact that advertisers are not trying to inform us and instead are attempting to obtain profits from commodity sales. Therefore their claims are taken with skepticism. Similarly most people recognise that media organisations require advertisers, and that upsetting their main advertisers could cost them dearly and so whatever ethical benefit there may be in the full disclosure of information which might cause harm to an advertiser, the media organisation may be disinclined to partake. Perhaps a concrete example of suspicion might be of use. During the second Iraq War, we were told of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. About half of Americans believe that there were in fact weapons of mass destruction before the war. About one third believe that not only did they not exist, but that the public was deliberately mislead. After the occupation, no evidence whatsoever has been provided which would corroborate the existence of weapons of mass destruction, so it is fairly easy to establish that approximately half of Americans are simply ignorant of the reality. However the case for deliberate disinformation is much more difficult to establish, but suffice it to say, my cynicism lead me to fall into this suspicious camp. Among the suspicious camp, it was widely believed (both before and after the war) that Cheney et al. were interested in oil resources and war profiteering as their primary goal in conflict. This is again, a simple application of ‘qui bono’. This was, indeed, my own model, and was reflected in me chanting along enthusiastically to the slogan “No blood for oil!” at marches. I still belong to the camp of the suspicious, but my model has changed. The primary motives in the Iraq conflict were the projection of geopolitical power, the dismantling of a semi-autonomous or non-compliant regimes, and the creation of a territory which could serve as a node for further projections of power in the Middle East. One might call this altered model of motive, a theory of ‘imperialism’. The ‘stealing black gold’ thesis suffers from the problem that a number of wars which were fought between the US and allies with oil producing states, but subsequently oil production proved difficult to impossible due to instabilities. Further, the costs of these interventions far exceeds any direct costs which could be covered by the oil. It is more likely that the non-compliance of the states is related to the relative autonomy provided to their economies due to their control of oil, reducing their fears of sanctions or trade wars. The news media, including Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, all dutifully reported the narrative given by the government during the Iraq war. As a rule, they apply little to no skepticism of the motivations or intentions of the US government or its close allies. Noam Chomsky has for decades collected evidence that this behaviour is systematic. He also proposes the mechanisms and pressures under which this takes place with his theory of the manufacture of consent. This model of suspicion incorporates many of the features required of a model which takes into account the social relations which help to produce effective narratives, namely: incentive, capacity and coercion. Other related approaches used in investigate systematic influence in the Irish context of media surrounding the Irish property market, can be found here and here. These theories give us information about plausible motives. In turn this enables us to qualify our degree of belief in a source within a specific domain. For instance, while most educated liberals in the United States would currently reject RT news as a source of any value, it was a very good source of information on the bank bailout in the US. When applied to events within Russia itself, or within its sphere of influence, its bias can become more obviously a deterrent to clarity. This makes sense within a framework which incorporates motive, information which can be corroborated and can harm the legitimacy of a geopolitical opponents ruling elite, is more useful than mere disinformation, which is more readily challenged. Though one might take issue with this or that theory, theories of suspicion are not merely optional approaches with which we can dispense. Accepting all sources as simultaneously true quickly leads almost immediately to inconsistency. Some, such as Gavin Titley, have rejected the apparatus of theory as a lens of suspicion, or at least its suitability for students. Yet filters must be applied, either using the most basic trusted-untrusted dichotomy, or some other more sophisticated approach to modelling the motives of actors in the realm of information conveyance. Suspicion itself is, however, philosophically complex and problematic. A model of suspicion allows you to reject data-points which might prove inconvenient. They may be the very data-points which invalidate or inform the model of suspicion. This phenomena is known as ‘epistemic closure’. The sensitivity of truth to the rejection of contradictory information is present in many of the seemingly unresolvable political debates that play out. They appear unresolvable because the different groups reject the evidence base from which the other is working to inform their understanding. We should seek to choose a model which grounds itself in a broader framework which can act as a scaffold from the outside and which is subsequently less sensitive to the information which we are treating skeptically. That is, our deductions should proceed from a different base of knowledge than the knowledge being evaluated. We should produce models of social relations and materiality which are robust in a range of experimental regimes. Suspicion of the mainstream media is widespread, and growing. Within a Marxist framework we might say that this results from contradictions. These contradictions arise between the narrative that is provided by the media and the counterposed direct experience of those whom they are trying to persuade. While the media may have significant impact in persuasion of events which are far-away and difficult to interpret, when the audience themselves have their own more direct observations, these narratives can quickly become less effective. Economic tensions can often stretch media narratives which hope to keep social peace to the breaking point. These contradictions breed suspicion, and yet suspicion need not be structured by any coherent argument. There are many who believe in quite improbable conspiracy theories, such as the two men I overheard talking quite seriously about the lizard people who populate the elite earlier today on the street. Suspicion can drift into undirected conspiracism, and perhaps ironically, into credulity of ‘alternative’ sources. One might conjecture that the more absurd the mainstream news is with respect to lived experience, the more conspiracist in interpretation the population is likely to become. There are no easy solutions to our conundrum which are also liable to be robust. And in the absence of easy solutions, we can expect that most approaches which are applied in practice will range from the inadequate to the absurd. In the end it may be that that truth itself is less important than the trust-networks we form and how they are structured and their impact on our organisational abilities. Religion proved quite organisationally capable over millennia while simultaneously conferring beliefs of one God in three Divine Persons and the virgin birth. Perhaps, in the final analysis what we really need is to start looking at what materiality could form a media and associated trust networks from a perspective that supports our bias, the bias of the labouring class. In the words of Antonio Gramsci: It is absurd to think of purely “objective” prediction. Anyone who makes a prediction has in fact a programme for whose victory he is working, and his prediction is precisely an element contributing to that victory … Only the man who wills something strongly can identify the elements which are necessary for realisation of his will … predictions made by people who claim to be impartial … are full of idle speculation, trivial detail and elegant conjectures. |
Explore Churchill's underground headquarters and learn about tales of espionage and WWII through this fascinating wartime museum History was made in Churchill War Rooms. It was here shrouded in secrecy beneath the streets of Westminster that Winston Churchill and his inner circle wrestled with the decisions that shaped the Second World War. Preserved untouched for the nation, there is no better place to immerse yourself in the inspiring reality of those darkest hours. Explore the secret headquarters of ‘the greatest Briton’, Sir Winston Churchill, and uncover the underground nucleus of Britain’s war effort. The first London museum of its kind, the Churchill War Rooms and Museum depicts all ninety years of Winston Churchill’s life, divided into five chapters starting from his childhood, through his early years as British Prime Minister and the period famously known as the ‘Gathering Storm’. TOP TIP: Churchill War Rooms is a very popular attraction. For the best visitor experience, we recommend visiting from 09.30 - 11.00 or 16.00 - 17.00 Highlights: Uncover the life in Churchill’s bunker and discover the camaraderie, secrecy and fear of WWII attacks The War Cabinet Room includes the Map Room and the Transatlantic Telephone Room, taking you back in time to experience the planning and the plotting of the Second World War The Churchill Museum is an interactive gallery of Churchill’s life, with a 15m long Lifeline at the centre exhibiting documents, photos and film clips of his famous political reign Did you know: Sir Winston Churchill’s paternal grandmother was a relative of George Washington and Churchill was the first person to be acknowledged as an Honorary Citizen of the United States Churchill was born on the clockroom floor of Blenheim Place, while his mother was attending a party He won the title ‘Man of the Year’ in Times Magazine, in 1940, and was heralded ‘Man of the Half-Century’ in 1949 Despite his success in the political realm, Sir Winston Churchill’s academic performance was a little more challenging – it took him three attempts before he passed the entrance exam to Sandhurst Military Academy Don't miss: Churchill’s Bunker Discover what it was really like in the bunkers of WWII, learn about the experiences of Churchill and his contemporaries through stories, documents and interviews from members of his closet staff, including his personal secretary Elizabeth Layton. Understand the conditions they lived under and the shared morale and camaraderie among the secrecy and fear of attack. Churchill Museum Learn about one of Britain’s most powerful men, the British Bulldog, Sir Winston Churchill through a series of interactive displays outlining his life and rise to power. Listen to extracts from his rousing speeches, read letter exchanges between him and his wife Clementine and discover objects from his childhood. One of Churchill’s earliest paintings is on display as well as film clips and photographs from his eventful ninety years. Cabinet War Rooms For six years, between 1939 and 1945, the Cabinet War Rooms were a series of secret rooms in the basement at the New Public Offices. As a secret shelter for the Prime Minister and the cabinet to control the plotting and planning of the war, they moved into the bunker a week before declaring war on Germany. Learn about the conversations between Churchill and Roosevelt in the Transatlantic Telephone room, and walk through the maze of secret passages that used to buzz with political activity. TOP TIP: For another taste of London's military and political past, visit the HMS Belfast and learn more about the role this naval ship played in WWII during Churchill's power How to get there: - Westminster (Jubilee, District and Circle Lines) - St James's Park (District and Circle Lines) - Churchill War Rooms is in zone 1 of the London Transport Network so your travel will be included in your package if you opt for The London Pass with Travel See The: Full List Of Attractions Included see the: full list of attractions included » |
LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party has vowed to work against the use of English in education and computers in new projects. While these are pitched as populist measures ��� abolition of "expensive education in English" would allegedly create a level playing field for all and less use of computers would generate jobs ��� the steps are being viewed with alarm as they have the potential to drag back the country by years.Releasing the party manifesto here on Saturday, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav dwelt on his pet anti-English theme. The manifesto says that if a new government were to be formed with SP's support, it would work to abolish schools providing expensive education in English ��� in other words, virtually every public school regarded among the country's top schools. Interestingly, Mulayam Singh's two sons have gone to such schools.While speaking to reporters, Mulayam Singh said he was against "the compulsory use of English language in education, administration and judiciary". He said SP favoured the national language, Hindi, and regional languages. To give his anti-top grade education a populist spin, he said his party was in favour of free education for girls until graduation.On computers, Mulayam said their use was leading to unemployment. He added that wherever work can be done by hand, computers would be abolished. As everything was done by hand until the advent of computers, the step, if taken to its logical conclusion, could lead to the scrapping of almost all computers. Later, it was clarified that less use of computers would be enforced only in new projects ��� again, something that could put new projects at a disadvantage vis-a-vis older ones.Not just these, the SP has also come out against mechanized farming, arguing against agricultural machines. Harvesters, Mulayam said, would snatch jobs from poor labourers during the harvesting season which, he claimed, gave employment for six months. The manifesto adds that after tractors were introduced, the bovine population has been coming down. Instead of ploughing land, bullocks and calves were going to slaughter houses.Although SP has had close ties with the corporate world, its manifesto advocates bringing corporate salaries on par with government pay. Taking a leaf from the Left, Mulayam said at present, the economy was benefiting just a handful who had control over capital. He also opposed forward trading and said if a government was formed with SP's support, it would work to cut back if not abolish stock trading and mall culture.The SP manifesto released on Saturday has pledged free agriculture facilities to farmers apart from loan at the rate of 4%, no forced acquisition of land and steep hike in minimum support price of crops.And though Mulayam supported the nuclear deal, his manifesto has opposed American dominance in UN. Advocating friendly ties with neighbours, Mulayam said, "If a government comes to power with our support, we will ensure that action is taken against communal powers and attack terrorism at its roots". |
Origami might technically not have originally been invented in Japan but Japan definitely made a huge contribution to the art so much that most people think of Japan when it comes to origami. It stands to reason that there would be some amazing looking origami designs based on Japanaese culture and mythology and that’s what this post will explore starting with these origami Thunder God models. Raijin is the god of thunder and lightening in Shintoism. He’s usually depicted with a collection of drums that he uses to create thunder. Hojyo Takashi has designed an amazing origami Raijin and the entire model is folded from one single sheet of paper! God of Thunder, Designed by Hojyo Takashi and Folded by Dzmitry Lysiuk Diagrams available in the Tanteidan 10th Convention book God of Thunder, Designed by Hojyo Takashi and Folded by Mariano Zavala B. Diagrams available in the Tanteidan 10th Convention book God of Thunder, Designed by Hojyo Takashi and Folded by Tong Liu Diagrams available in the Tanteidan 10th Convention book Here’s another different and also awesome God of Thunder design. Thunder God, Designed and Folded by 驰 张 Instructions not available Here’s a great very Japanese looking scene folded by Magali. Folding Girl, Designed by Setsuko Yamashina and Folded by Magali Diagrams available in Origami Creator 3 When people think of Japanese culture one of the things that always comes to mind is the Japanese samurai and of course there are some great origami samurais. Samurai, Designed and Folded by Karol Kafarski Crease pattern available from Karol Kafarski’s Flickr Samurai, Designed by Karol Kafarski and Folded by NGUYỄN QUANG ANH Crease pattern available from Karol Kafarski’s Flickr Tengu are a type of legendary creature in Japanese mythology that are usually depicted with a combination of human and bird-like features. The earliest depictions of Tengu had beaks but over time they started to be represented with really large noses which is the design most people think of today. Naoki Takeda has designed an incredible origami Tengu and the whole model is folded from one sheet of paper. Tengu, Designed by Naoki Takeda and Folded by Artur Biernacki Crease pattern available in Origami Tanteidan Magazine #121 The Nine-Tailed Fox is a very popular creature in Japanese mythology. It originally came out of Chinese mythology and was later introduced to both Japan and Korea. Nine-Tailed foxes appear in a lot of different Japanese myths and stories. This amazing Nine-Tailed fox or Kyubi no Youko in Japanese is designed by Pham Ngoc Tuan and folded with just one sheet of paper! Kyubi no Youko, Designed by Pham Ngoc Tuan and Folded by Nguyen Nam Son Instructions not available Here’s a different and equally awesome Nine-Tailed Fox model and it’s also folded from just one sheet of paper. Kyubi, Designed by Tuấn Phạm and Folded by NGUYỄN QUANG ANH Instructions not available This next model is a wild boar spirit called Inoshishigami. I’ve seen it represented before in Japanese mythology but I can’t really find much information about it online. This origami Inoshishigami was designed by Satoshi Kamiya and is folded from one sheet of paper. Inoshishigami, Designed by Satoshi Kamiya and Folded by Alex Satsukawa Diagrams available in Works of Satoshi Kamiya 1995-2003 Kei Morisue made an origami version of the White Hare of Inaba who tried to trick a group of crocodiles into making a bridge with their bodies so it could reach an island. Both this crocodile and the hare are folded from the same single sheet of paper. White Hare of Inaba, Designed by Kei Morisue and Folded by sakuryu(╯3╰) Diagrams available in the Tanteidan 2011 Special Issue Here’s another great Japanese looking scene by Magali. Like in a Dream, Pagoda Designed by Setsuko Yamashina and Folded by Magali Diagrams available in Works of Origami Four Seasons – Memories Shibaraku is one of the most popular Kabuki plays in Japan. The plot of the play revolves around the main character Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa a famous historical warrior known for his bravery. The word Shibaraku means “stop a moment” and the play gets its name from a scene where a samurai is being attacked by several villains. Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa shouts “Shibaraku!” (stop a moment) from behind the curtain before coming out, defeating the villains and saving the samurai. Hojyo Takashi designed an amazing origami model based on this character. Every part of this model including the sword is folded from one sheet of paper. Shibaraku, Designed by Hojyo Takashi and Folded by Mariano Zavala B. Crease pattern available in World of Super Complex Origami Shibaraku, Designed by Hojyo Takashi and Folded by Tong Liu Crease pattern available in World of Super Complex Origami Here are some excellent photos of the model from multiple angles. Shibaraku, Designed by Hojyo Takashi and Folded by Nguyen Nam Son Crease pattern available in World of Super Complex Origami Shibaraku, Designed by Hojyo Takashi and Folded by Dzmitry Lysiuk Crease pattern available in World of Super Complex Origami In Japanese mythology Yatagarasu is a three-legged crow or raven that is a symbol of the will of heaven or of divine intervention in human affairs. Satoshi Kamiya designed an excellent Yatagarasu model using one sheet of paper. Yatagarasu, Designed by Satoshi Kamiya and Folded by P. Colman Diagrams available in Tanteidan Magazine #157 Yatagarasu, Designed by Satoshi Kamiya and Folded by Nguyen Nam Son Diagrams available in Tanteidan Magazine #157 Yatagarasu, Designed by Satoshi Kamiya and Folded by Mariano Zavala B. Diagrams available in Tanteidan Magazine #157 Here’s a third Japanese scene by Magali. Dragonflies and Garden Lantern Designed by Setsuko Yamashina, Grass Designed by Shoko Aoyagi all Folded by Magali Instructions not available Here are two excellent origami sumo wrestlers with a great colour change in the design. Sumo Wrestler, Designed by Yoo Tae Yong and Folded by Eyal Crease pattern available from Yoo Tae Yong’s Flickr Kendo is a Japanese martial art based on sword fighting. It uses bamboo swords and very distinctive looking protective armour. Hojyo Takashi has designed an excellent origami model of a Kendo practitioner wearing the traditional armour and very distinctive helmet. Kendo Warrior, Designed by Hojyo Takashi and Folded by Mariano Zavala B. Instructions not available Noh is a major form of Japanese musical drama. This next model is of a Noh player wearing traditional clothes. Noh Player, Designed and Folded by Yoshimasa Tsuruta Crease pattern available from Yoshimasa Tsuruta’s Flickr Our final model for this post is this incredible origami Sanada Yukimura. Sanada Yukimura was a Japanese samurai who is famous for being the general on the defending side of the Siege of Osaka. Sanada Yukimura was called “a Hero who may appear once in a hundred years” and “Crimson Demon of War” which makes the red paper used in this model an excellent choice. It’s definitely worth noting that this entire model is folded from one sheet of paper! Sanada Yukimura, Designed and Folded by Yoshimasa Tsuruta Instructions not available That’s it for this post. If you enjoyed it and would like to see more in the future please share it on your social media. It’s a huge help for getting more people to see it and visit the site. Be sure to check out all these amazing artists as well and leave them some great comments on their Flickr pages. |
There seem to be a lot of different pro-am tournaments these days under various organisations or sanctioning bodies, each operating as world championship events and giving out world title belts. There’s the WMF, IFMA, AITMA and the newest World MAC (Martial Arts Council) Games, although their Muay Thai belts are donned with WMO (World Muay Thai Organisation). It’s all a bit difficult to keep track of. After spending the last four years in Thailand and becoming somewhat familiar with the protocol of these kind of events, I’ve come to disagree with the way some of them seem to be carried out. So far, I’ve seen almost no discussion about this online. The only thing I’ve come across is this short thread on MuayThaiLand.com, which has now been locked so that forum members can no longer post on it, for some reason. Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu does have a post called ‘The Trouble with Belts‘, which is definitely worth a read, but it doesn’t cover these kinds of events. So, I want to talk about it here. I’ll start by saying that it’s not my intention to discredit or belittle the career of any fighter who has taken part in the tournaments I talk about in this post. I have chosen to omit the names of most of the fighters for this reason. Instead, I want to create discussion about the events themselves and in doing so, to learn more about them myself and help others to do so, too. Of course, every organisation is different and some statements made here may not apply to all of the ones mentioned above. If anyone has any discrepancy or clarifications to make, please let me know so I can correct the information here. If you’re not familiar with events like these, let me explain. They invite fighters from around the world to compete in annual world championship tournaments and tend to separate categories into ‘Amateur’, ‘Pro-Am’ and ‘Professional’ (although not every tournament includes every level, some only conduct amateur and pro-am fights). Generally, the only major difference in these categories is the gear that the participants wear. Amateur fighters are required to wear the full set of shin, elbow, body and head guards. Pro-Am includes the use of shin and elbow guards only. Professional fighters compete at full-rules level. In theory, there is nothing wrong with the idea of tournaments like these. They promote Muay Thai on a worldwide scale and bring fighters, instructors and fans from around the world together. However, it’s integral that they be carried out in an ethical way. That is, a way that upholds integrity and safety for all those involved. This is where they start to lose me. I assume that scoring methods differ between categories, although this is not something that I have any knowledge of. However, it doesn’t seem that the calibre or experience of fighters have much, if any bearing on which category they should fight in. Instead, the fighters themselves simply select whichever level they’d prefer to compete at. It even appears that fighters are able to enter more than one category, at least in some cases. This means that a very experienced fighter can fight all available levels, sweep them all and call themselves a multiple-time world champion at the end of it. Is that fair? Last year, I witnessed what the lack of certain regulations in events like these means for the authenticity of the world titles they distribute. Some of my team mates and I were invited to fight at the Sports Authority of Thailand’s Pro-Am World Championship tournament, which took place in August 2014 at National Stadium in Bangkok. Having minimal prior knowledge of the event, I turned up to the registration and initial weigh-in to find out more, but later declined to take part as I didn’t quite feel comfortable and had to work on the day that I would have been scheduled to fight on anyway. My training partner, Katy Farrell, was scheduled to fight. Having only had a couple of fights at that time, she was matched up against an opponent with over 50 fights and multiple world titles, including a WPMF professional world championship belt. Subsequently, Master Toddy decided to withdraw Katy from the fight as he felt it was unfair and dangerous to put Katy into that particular match. Unfortunately, it does not seem that the event organisers took such care of their fighters. Her scheduled opponent fought a Thai girl in the first round, but as a result of Katy’s withdrawal, won the title by default. I attended the show and watched as they walked her into the ring as if she was going to fight, waited a few moments and then declared her the world champion. This is standard practice for any tournament, but could have been avoided if the categories had been more rigorously managed. If that had been the case, the mismatch wouldn’t have happened. In 2015’s WMF tournament, a similar event took place. An inexperienced female fighter entered the amateur category, only to find herself fighting an opponent on the other end of the scale, who had not only fought extensively at a professional level, but held a WMC title. You can find out more about that by watching Under the Lights in Thailand, a documentary that followed the American Muay Thai team’s experience of that tournament. You can find a link to watch that in my Directory of Muay Thai Documentaries and Websites. See clips of the tournament in the trailer below. It doesn’t seem as though many precautions are taken to ensure that fighters are fairly matched in terms of experience. I’ve also had the experience of fighting in one of these events. Very early in my fighting career, I took part in the AITMA Naikhanomthom World Championship tournament in 2013 as a way to gain experience, but what actually took place was rather dismal. I fought in the ‘B-Class’ category, which meant wearing shin and elbow guards. However, during my first fight of the tournament, my opponent entered the ring with only elbow guards, seemingly forgetting about the shin pads. At the time, I assumed that this meant that she would have to put them on, but instead, mine were removed and the fight continued as normal. I won and went through to the final round of the tournament, in which I ended up fighting an opponent who had not only not been present at the weigh-in, but was 14 kgs heavier than me and extremely experienced. As a result, a 64kg, professional fighter was given a belt for a B-Class -50kg title. On top of that, the fight went ahead under ‘A-Class’ rules with no protective gear after my opponent turned up without any at the very last minute and nothing was done about it. Seemingly, she and her trainers had been hiding until that point. You can read more about that fight here. It was not only my fights that were questionable. In several other weight categories, fighters from the same gym fought each other for titles. This was seemingly due to a lack of participants, which meant that the pool of opponents was very small. As I mentioned earlier, fighters are often able to enter multiple categories in tournaments like these to give them a greater chance of winning. If you’d like to hear an in-depth, first hand account of one fighter’s experience of that in the 1st annual World MAC Games, see this video from Jade Marrisa Sirisompan, where she talks about how she was able to compete in and win the professional division after losing a fight in the pro-am division the previous day. My final point of debate is that these tournaments don’t appear to have online, public rankings. It is unclear whether or not the belts presented at their annual shows are defended by the current champion each year. Rather than this kind of system, it seems to be the case that new champions are created each year and the reigning ones aren’t required to attend (although I understand that it is often not realistic for them to be able to do so, since they may have to travel from other part of the world). If we are to consider the belts given at these events to be representative of world titles, there ought to be certain requirements and restrictions put in place. At the very least, it would seem fairer for fighters to be grouped in categories in terms of experience and for them not to be permitted to fight in more than one category. To what extent can we consider the winners of these belts to be world champions? Is anyone else concerned about this, or is it just me? Again, if anyone can shine any light on the points I’ve raised here or has any corrections to make, please let me know in the comments section below. Advertisements |
Whether it’s events like Tough Mudder, a marathon, or a local sprint triathlon many people decide to take the step to get into running each year. They search online for free programming (because running is so simple no one should need to actually pay for advice) and find something called a “couch to (insert name of distance here).” The problem is these programs are usually terrible and make a few false assumptions. Why Would I Need A Plan For Running? The first problem is they assume everyone comes into them with a clean bill of health. Most people assume that means that they have no heart or lung problems. But they’re missing one vital aspect of the equation – the body. If you’ve done nothing but sit at a desk for years and moved little you’re not going to be ready to run until you can get the kinks out of your body. Something as simple as the amount of ankle dorsiflexion you have can make tremendous differences to your running. Try this test – place one foot flat on the ground and push your knee as far forward as you can until the heel is just about to come off the ground. Make sure to push the knee out in line with the little toe, not over the big toe or inside of the foot. Measure how far forward your knee has moved. If it’s less than 4” you have a deficiency. If you’ve got a significant difference left to right that’s even worse. So let me tell you what happens. Because you lack adequate movement at the ankle your body needs to find that extra range somewhere else. Maybe it’s in the toes or foot, maybe it’s the knee, maybe it’s the lower back. But somewhere else along the line your body is going to create extra inches of movement that you don’t have in your ankles. And at 1200-1500 steps per kilometer that can add up to a massive amount of potentially damaging movement being created in the wrong place. And all this made me realize that starting running isn’t as easy as lacing up your runners and heading out the door. There’s three distinct phases you need to go through, and the older you are and the less history of running you have the longer you’ll need to spend on each of these stages. Running Stage 1 – Walk/Run Intervals This is the point where you decide that despite never having run significantly you’re now going to enter a race or maybe just begin running to help get in shape. But let’s be realistic. Are you actually ready to race? Probably not, if you’re like most of the first timers I meet when they walk through our doors. Stage 1 actually has two parts. The first part is to get an FMS screen and begin working on getting the body to a solid starting point while simultaneously building form. Because every body is individual I will not go into what you may need as far as corrective exercise goes, however what I will do is talk about the process to starting running. I am not a huge believer in any of the popular running methods. There is no evidence that people who run with POSE, Chi, or any other style suffer fewer injuries or go faster. There are some basic guidelines to form and this article by Tony Benson remains the best I’ve seen. Unlike most so-called running coaches, Tony has been there with the best, both competing with and coaching athletes at the top level. Ingrain what he says and focus on those points while running – resist the urge to zone out. Every single step should be an effort to make the next step better than the one before it. (I also advise no music for the same reason, as it’s too distracting). If you were a beginner in the gym no one would think to load you up with a maximum load straight away. Yet when you tell people you want to run the first thing they say is, “You should do sprints.” I have to say I believe that to be the single stupidest piece of popular fitness advice in today’s fitness industry. Running fast puts an enormous strain on the body – far more than a heavy squat or deadlift session ever could, with loads of up to eight times body weight recorded in sprinting. Compare that to a “heavy” squat session for a beginner that wouldn’t even have full body weight as load on the bar and you start to see how damaging urging an underpowered and poorly aligned novice to sprint can be. The top minds in movement all say the same thing – develop mobility, stability and proprioception, then endurance, and finally add strength and power. You can build mobility and stability concurrently while learning about how to run at the same time. The best way to do this is a walk/run program. I like to begin with sets of five minutes. The first stage is thirty minutes total - jog one minute and walk four, repeated six times. Perform this three times per week. Week 1 – Jog 1/Walk 4 x 6 Week 2 – Jog 2/Walk 3 x 6 Week 3 – Jog 3/Walk 2 x 6 Week 4 – Jog 4/Walk 1 x 6 Now we start adding time to the intervals and push that out to ten minutes: Week 5 – Jog 6/ Walk 4 x 4 Week 6 – Jog 7/ Walk 3 x 4 Week 7 – Jog 8/ Walk 2 x 4 Increase interval time again: Week 8 – Jog 12/Walk 3 x 3 Week 9 – Jog 13/Walk 2 x 3 Week 10 – Jog 14/Walk 1 x 3 Increase interval time again. You’ll notice we’ve gone from thirty minutes total time to forty to forty-five minutes. Now we extend out to an hour of total time. Week 11 – Jog 17/Walk 3 x 3 Week 12 – Jog 19/Walk 1 x 3 Week 13 – Jog 60 mins. That gets us to the end of phase one. While it may seem like it’s a long way to get there, trust me when I say if you’re taking up running later in life (and sorry to say but that is 35+) this will be an injury free way to get you to running non-stop for an hour. The injury issues can be compounded more if you are either overweight or carrying a high amount of muscle. Take your time getting through stage one. Running Stage 2 – Build Strength, Endurance, & Stability This stage is simple. Now you’re running an hour and you need to get to the point where you can run an hour twice a week with a longer run of 90-120 minutes on another day. For people who question the long run this is one of those “you just have to trust me” things. Until you’ve done the long sessions and see what happens as a result, you won’t understand. But once you do these weekly for a few months you’ll understand. The mid-week runs are to be easy, nasal breathing runs. The weekend run is easy as well, but run the last twenty to thirty minutes a little bit harder. At this point there is to be only a limited amount of intensity. In gym terms, you’re still in the three sets of ten phase, of needing easy volume to further hone form and build the body. We still need a solid bed of strength endurance before adding intensity. Before people jump all over me, realize the most important thing about running distance is that you can maintain midline stability and foot and ankle control for periods of time. The stabilizing muscles of the body are all slow-twitch and need to be trained that way. As well, attachments take a long time to adapt so this is still part of our breaking in process. I would stick to this phase for six months. It makes an ideal winter preparation period for a summer event. Running Stage 3 – Speed Work Now we’re ready to get serious and add some speed work. Don’t be foolish and decide to go run 400m intervals. The purpose of speed work is not to run flat out, but to teach the body to run at a slightly higher pace than what you can right now. Most people do not ever get faster; they simpler run further. So their 5km is half of the 10km time, which is only marginally faster than their half marathon time. The goal of a speed session is to do some quality work at higher than target race pace. I like to only use one quality session per week for most people. At this stage we’re up to four runs per week – 2 x 45-60min easy runs, 1 x longer run of 120mins with last 30mins hard, and a interval or hill session. Here’s how both of those work: Intervals: 1-2km warm up including some 5x100m faster efforts building up through each. 3-5 x 1km efforts at above race pace with 1-2min easy jogging in between. 1-2km cool down. Hills: Find a slight hill of 2-4%. Just like with the speed work don’t be foolish and go and try to find the steepest hill you can. 1-2km warm up. Run up the hill for 500m at above race pace, run down the hill at below race pace. If you averaged your speed for both up and down the hill it would be equal to your goal race pace. Do 3-5 reps. 1-2km cool down. This whole process may take a year just to get to the third stage, but trust me when I say you’ll be injury free and enjoying running. Not only that, but you’ll likely be covering a half marathon every weekend in your long run, so longer events won’t pose a problem (like Tough Mudder, which is averages 18-19km). Don’t be in a rush, as that way leads to the doctor’s office. Photos courtesy of Shutterstock. |
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State militants fighting to hold on to their Mosul stronghold have killed at least 20 people in the last two days for passing information to “the enemy” and are back on the city streets policing the length of men’s beards, residents say. Five crucified bodies were put on display at a road junction on Tuesday, a clear message to the city’s remaining 1.5 million residents that the ultra-hardline Islamists are still in charge, despite losing territory to the east of the city. Others were seen hanging from electricity poles and traffic signals around the city, residents said on Wednesday. Thousands of Islamic State fighters have run Mosul, the largest city under their control in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, since they conquered large parts of northern Iraq in 2014. They are now battling a 100,000-strong coalition including Iraqi troops, security forces, Kurdish peshmerga and mainly Shi’ite paramilitary groups, which has almost surrounded the city and has broken into eastern neighbourhoods. Residents contacted by telephone said many parts of the city were calmer than they had been for days, allowing people to venture out to seek food, even in areas which have seen heavy fighting over the last week. “I went out in my car for the first time since the start of the clashes in the eastern districts,” said one Mosul resident. “I saw some of the Hisba elements of Daesh (Islamic State) checking people’s beards and clothes and looking for smokers”. Islamic State’s Hisba force is a morality police unit which imposes the Sunni jihadists’ interpretation of Islamic behaviour. It forbids smoking, says women should be veiled and wear gloves, and bans men from Western-style dress including jeans and logos. Hisba units patrol the city in specially marked vehicles. “It looks like they want to prove their presence after they disappeared for the last 10 days, especially on the eastern bank,” the resident said. Mosul is divided into two halves by the Tigris river running through its centre. The eastern half, where elite Iraqi troops have broken through Islamic State defences, has a more mixed population than the western, overwhelmingly Sunni Arab side, where Islamic State fighters are believed to be strongest. Iraqi soldiers take cover during clashes with Islamic State fighters in Mosul, Iraq November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic CRUCIFIED CORPSES The militants are putting up a fierce defence after their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, told them in a speech last week to remain loyal to their commanders and not to retreat in the “total war” with their enemies. Iraqi military officials say they have sources inside the city, helping them identify Islamic State positions for targeting by the U.S.-led air coalition supporting the campaign, which is also backed by U.S. troops on the ground. The gruesome public display of the bodies appeared to be a warning against other potential informers. “I saw five corpses of young men which had been crucified at a road junction in east Mosul,” not far from districts which had seen heavy fighting, said another resident. “The Daesh people hung the bodies out and said that these were agents passing news to the infidel forces and apostates,” he said, referring to the Western allies backing the campaign and the Shi’ite-led government of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad. In another sign of a clampdown on contact with the outside world, one retired policeman said Islamic State officials were trying to inspect SIM cards to check on all communications. “I went to get my pension as usual, but the man at the office refused to give it to me unless I handed over my SIM card,” said the 65-year-old man, who gave his name as Abu Ali. “These are the instructions from Daesh,” Abu Ali quoted the man at the office as telling him. Many residents close to the fighting have said the scale of the clashes has been terrifying, with the sound of gunfire, mortar bombardments and air strikes echoing through the streets. In the Zuhour district, still controlled by Islamic State on Mosul’s eastern bank, witnesses said that cars carrying mortars roamed the streets on Tuesday, but were not seen being fired - unlike in the previous two days. Slideshow (3 Images) The relative quiet may reflect a reduction in fighting since Iraq’s special forces first broke into eastern Mosul a week ago. They faced fierce resistance and have not sought to make any major advance since then. One witness said traffic had almost returned to normal in most parts of eastern Mosul and markets were operating, albeit not as busily as before the start of military operations. |
Buy Photo Food from Detroit Metro Airport makes its way to Fish and Loaves food pantry, where families can pick from many offerings. (Photo: Clarence Tabb Jr. / The Detroit News)Buy Photo Taylor — A chicken Caesar salad from Papa Joe’s Gourmet Market and a Starbucks blueberry Greek yogurt parfait are treats travelers can select at concession areas inside Detroit Metropolitan Airport. But those are extremely rare delicacies for Krystle Nye, 30, a single mom in Romulus. The mom of five recently visited a Taylor food pantry where she was able to select them from the shelves of a cooler because of a food recovery program implemented by the airport. Detroit Metro is one of several airports — including San Francisco International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Denver International Airport and Portland International Airport — committed to reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills while supporting their communities. Detroit Metropolitan Airport has donated nearly 25,000 pounds of food since the program began in July 2016. It collects about 485 pounds a week on average to donate to the Fish and Loaves Community Food Pantry in Taylor. Nye fought back tears to express her delight. “This is such a blessing,” she said while with her five children inside the Taylor food pantry. “It’s extra special because my kids will love this.” Buy Photo Krystle Nye, of Romulus says the broader selection of food at the Taylor food pantry is a blessing for her five children. (Photo: Clarence Tabb Jr. / The Detroit News) That is what is at the heart of the food recovery program. If the food is not being purchased by travelers, why waste it? “Detroit Metropolitan Airport’s food rescue program helps fulfill several important goals for our team,” said Sara Kaplan, Wayne County Airport Authority’s sustainability program administrator. “The airport reduces its food waste, which in turn helps reduce greenhouse gasses and our airport’s carbon footprint. Through teamwork and partnerships, we are also able to send quality, nutritious food to those in need within our community — something we can all be proud of.” Food is collected in the McNamara Terminal throughout the week and stored in coolers at the airport loading dock. Forgotten Harvest picks up the food on Fridays and delivers it to Fish and Loaves, where food pantry volunteers then immediately go into action. On a recent Friday, they unpacked green coolers from the airport and began reading the expiration dates on the food, which included packaged gourmet salads, including crunchy kale salad, Mediterranean salad with chickpeas and walnuts, sandwiches, fresh fruit cups and baked goods from Avalon Bakery, among other foods. The volunteers then put the packaged meals inside plastic bags and place them in shopping cars where they are wheeled to the glass-covered coolers. Visitors then can select what they want. The food is weighed after the visitors fill their shopping carts. The amount of food allowed depends on the size of the family. Airport spokeswoman Erica Donerson added the food recovery program began “as part of our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.” To help support the program, the Wayne County Airport Authority applied for and was awarded a $45,000 grant by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality last year. Buy Photo John Ksiazek, co-supervisor at Fish and Loaves, bags incoming food from Detroit Metro for the pantry. (Photo: Clarence Tabb Jr. / The Detroit News) “We’ve donated approximately 12 tons of food,” she said. “That’s the equivalent of not burning approximately 3,428 gallons of fuel. And every ton of food reused is the equivalent of the airport authority planting three large trees. So our donation adds up to 36 large trees.” Mary Hollens, CEO of Fish and Loaves, said receiving the kind of donations from the airport makes people feel special. Fish and Loaves is a faith-based, non-sectarian, non-profit volunteer organization providing emergency food assistance to families and individuals in need across seven communities, including Allen Park, Brownstown Township, Dearborn Heights, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor and Woodhaven. “People are treated with dignity and respect here, not like being poor is a crime. It makes them feel special that people would take the time to donate foods they don’t usually see here,” Hollens said. “I wish more people would donate and realize that food insecurity is a major issue and that they are helping neighbors they didn’t realize need this help.” slewis@detroitnews.com (313) 222-2296 Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/2vHWrpS |
When you’re running the super PAC supporting former Florida governor Jeb Bush’s run for the Republican presidential nomination, there are some things that are simple. You want to buy some advertising? Fine. Cut a check to the firm that handles that for you. That’s precisely what the Bush super PAC Right to Rise USA has been doing for much of the month of July when, according to Federal Elections Commission filings, it spent more than $300,000 in ad purchases, mostly through the ad placement firm Revolution Media Group. Related: Why Conservatives Are So Desperate to Debunk One Hillary Clinton Chart The expenditures are usually in nice, round numbers. A $20,000 check here, a $10,000 check there. Others seem to prefer to drop their cash all in one really big pile. The Believe Again PAC supports Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who is struggling in the polls and likely won’t make the first-tier Republican debate next week. The PAC has staked much of Jindal’s future on Iowa. In chunks of $313,950 and $419,330, plus a few smaller buys, it has poured nearly $800,000 into the early caucus state through OnMessage, a Virginia-based political consulting firm. No doubt the story is similar when you are running a PAC such as Ready PAC, which supports Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. However, as of Friday afternoon FEC databases had no data available on its recent expenditures. Things are a little different, however, when you are filing your expenditures for a more hands-on operation like, say, the Democratic Socialists of America. The DSA is supporting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders who, despite characterizing himself as a Democratic Socialist, is running for the Democratic Party’s nomination. Related: Perry Surprises the Pundits, Moves Left of Clinton on Banking Reform There aren’t many big checks being cut by the DSA PAC. The group spends most of its money on postage, photocopying and printing. Here’s a sample: It also has to deal with the little things that the Right to Rise PAC and Believe Again PAC don’t – like a $4.50 charge for using the Internet on an airplane. Or a $1.30 photocopying charge. Or 64 cents worth of paper purchased at Staples. In its filing for the second quarter of the year, the DSA PAC reported total contributions received of $741.11 and total independent expenditures of $10,939.66, roughly the equivalent of one of the smaller checks cut by Right to Rise. Sanders never embraced super PACs, so it shouldn’t seem strange to find that he’s not supported by very many of them. But at this rate, it’s going to take a lot of photocopies and buttons to put Bernie’s supporters in the same league as his their well-financed competition. CORRECTION: The original version of this story incorrectly said that the Super PAC Generation Forward had spent $10,000 in support of Sanders. In fact, the money was spent on efforts to oppose Sanders. Generation Forward Supports former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. |
Summer has finally arrived, late and half-hearted as it often tends to be in this corner of the world. Like any red-blooded male I rushed to the supermarket at the first glimpse of a clear sky yesterday and bought up most of their stock of charcoal, as well as enough meat to feed a small army, which was supposed to last us the whole weekend. In my enthusiasm to get grilling last night I somehow managed to cook all the sausages, chicken legs and homemade burgers at one sitting (standing?). What’s more, the rest of the family also seemed to get caught up in Barbecue Fever and, indulging their inner carnivores, managed to scoff more or less the entire mountain of meat. Feeling a little the worse for wear after last night’s meat binge (which I admit may have been washed down by an ale or two), I figured we needed to have a vegetarian day, and these protein-rich chickpea burgers with their soft sourdough buns always go down a treat. They’re also really easy to prepare. I like to serve them with a good dollop of sweet chilli sauce, but they’d be equally good with some mayonnaise. Our raised vegetable beds are just beginning to produce some lovely salad leaves as well, which make for a beautiful light side dish. For The Sourdough Buns (makes 6): 75g sourdough starter (here’s how to make it) 300g strong white bread flour 170g milk 10g soft butter 3g salt 8g honey 1 medium egg Around 9 hours before you plan to eat, combine all your ingredients and knead thoroughly by hand or (preferably) with a mixer and dough hook until you have a very smooth, soft dough. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and stretch and fold it, forming it into a ball with a smooth surface. Place smooth side up in a clean lightly oiled bowl and cover. Allow to ferment for around 6 hours at room temperature. Again, turn out onto a floured surface and divide and shape into 6 small balls of dough. Using the palm of your hand pat each of these down until they are no more than 1cm thick, then place in a greased baking dish and cover for their final proof. After around an hour, brush the tops of the buns with an egg white and place in a preheated oven at 190C (375F) for 20 minutes. Remove from the baking dish and allow to cool on a wire rack for about an hour before serving. For The Chickpea Burgers: 80g breadcrumbs- sourdough of course! 480g chickpeas (cooked from dry or 2 drained tins) 1 small onion 2 egg yolks 2 cloves of garlic, peeled 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 1 heaped tsp cumin powder 1 level tsp paprika 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp harissa paste (more or less to taste) Salt & pepper 1 plum tomato, deseeded and chopped Preheat your oven to 220C (430F). Using a blender, puree half the chickpeas with the rest of the ingredients except the tomato. Place the puree in a bowl and mix in the remainder of the chickpeas and the tomato, keeping them intact. Using your hands, form the mixture into 6 patties (squeeze them tight!), and place them on a well-oiled baking sheet. Bake the burgers for 15 minutes, turning them over after 10 minutes. Serve in your sliced cooled buns with the topping of your choice and enjoy the taste of summer. Advertisements |
Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. May 14, 2014, 10:39 PM GMT / Updated May 16, 2014, 1:59 AM GMT Plastics. That was the famously anticlimactic word that failed to captivate Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate." And indeed, it's a bit hard to get excited about a science in which the best stuff was invented half a century ago. But a serendipitous accident in an IBM Research lab (also straight out of the movies) may be turning the world of plastics, gels and polymers on its head with a super-strong, super-light, and super-recyclable new material. It may soon find its way into everything from airplane wings to spacecraft. Polymers, long chains of small, strongly-bonded molecules called monomers, are everywhere, from the kitchen to the International Space Station. But all the cool, unique materials were invented what seems like ages ago: Nylon in the '30s, Styrofoam in the '40s, polypro in the '50s, and so on. "It's really considered quite a mature field," said James Hedrick, head of IBM's materials lab. The last big jump, he estimated, not counting tweaks to make something less toxic or more flexible, was at General Electric in the early '80s. That is, until a good old-fashioned "absent-minded professor" lab accident resulted in a new family of materials. IBM researcher Jeannette Garcia forgot to add a component to a fairly straightforward polymerization reaction, but instead of blending into a toxic slurry, it formed a polymer — and to everyone's surprise, a very strong one. |
In May 2008, Newzbin - considered by many to be the Internet’s premier indexer and .NZB provider - announced it was under legal threat from the MPA, the MPAA's worldwide big brother. On Monday next week, the copyright infringement showdown in London's High Court begins. Newzbin is one of the original Usenet indexing sites and the creator of the ever-popular .NZB format, which opened up simplified Usenet downloading to the masses. After years of trouble-free operation as the MPAA focused on shutting down the growing ‘threat’ of the snowballing BitTorrent scene, in May 2008 the operator of Newzbin made an announcement. The company which owns Newzbin had received a threatening letter from the Motion Picture Association (MPA), the MPAA’s big brother. In the letter the MPA claimed that some of the site’s editors (users who report on the location of material uploaded to the worldwide Usenet system) were listing NZBs which linked to movies on Usenet which infringed their member’s copyright. “Newzbin has recently received two serious complaints regarding the indexing we perform, and raising doubts as to its legality. It is likely that we will in the coming weeks be presented with a court case and have to defend our rights,” said ‘Caesium’, the owner of Newzbin. Caesium added that the site had never condoned the distribution or indexing of copyright works and insisted that site staff would act immediately to remove any items found to be infringing copyright. Noting that Newzbin would defend itself vigorously against the complainants, Caesium said he believed that linking to content on Usenet is entirely legal and that the site’s procedures for dealing with unlawful content were appropriate. “We believe that, or we wouldn’t still be here,” he added. In December 2008, Newzbin confirmed that it had been removing NZB files which allegedly linked to copyright works stored on Usenet. The MPA still chose to file an injunction against the site. Now, well over a year later, the showdown of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation & ors v Newzbin Ltd is set to begin next week before Mr Justice Kitchin in London’s High Court. According to an announcement yesterday by Newzbin’s legal team, the case should last around a week but it’s unknown when any verdict will be handed down following its conclusion. As we all know, the recent trial of Alan Ellis ended in an acquittal for the ex-OiNK admin and, just like Newzbin, his site hosted no copyright works and provided only meta data which linked to material hosted elsewhere. However, Ellis’s charge was one of fraud, allegedly conducted by an individual and dealt with under criminal law, while that leveled against Newzbin is one of allowing and inducing illegal copying, i.e copyright infringement, but carried out by a bona fide company under civil law. After Ellis’s acquittal, John Kennedy of the IFPI expressed disappointment at the “spectacular failure” of the criminal action and suggested that these type of complex cases should not be held in a crown court, but in the Chancery Division of the High Court. This is exactly where the Newzbin case is being heard, so this is certainly one to watch. Unlike Ellis who faced possible jail time, Newzbin faces a claim for damages should it lose its case. |
PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - The U.S. federal government has killed more than 1,000 seabirds on an Oregon island since May to protect endangered salmon as part of a plan that environmentalists say is flawed and are seeking to stop with a lawsuit. Double-crested cormorants nest at Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto, in this file photo taken June 24, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/Files So far, 1,221 adult cormorants have been killed and more than 5,000 nests destroyed, U.S. officials said on Friday, adding the killing was expected to continue until mid- to late October when the seabirds migrate for the winter. “Government agents are racing about in their boat blowing birds out of the sky,” said Bob Sallinger, conservation director of the Audubon Society of Portland. “The public has a right to see how the federal government is squandering millions of taxpayer dollars killing protected wild birds.” The government workers started culling the birds on May 24 as part of a multi-year plan to kill 11,000 double-crested cormorants, which U.S. wildlife officials say are putting endangered salmon at risk by eating juvenile fish. Some species of salmon and steelhead trout are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. “If we don’t do (the culling) ... we are in danger of violating the Endangered Species Act,” said Diana Fredlund, a spokeswoman for the Army Corps of Engineers Portland District. “We would prefer not to have to kill the birds but this is based on the science and the research that we’ve been doing for years,” Fredlund said. Conservationists, led by Audubon in Portland, disagree. They argue the federal government is ignoring the real threat to salmon: management of hydroelectric dams. They also say the government failed to use non-lethal methods of cormorant control on East Sand Island in the Columbia River, and say killing the birds will do little to save salmon. Audubon and other conservation and animal welfare groups filed a lawsuit last month seeking to stop the killing and demanded an investigation into a recently released U.S. Fish and Wildlife report that showed killing the birds would not save the threatened fish. U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Miel Corbett said the report is a draft that has not been through an internal review. |
Atlanta's most famous company (no, not Spanx) made waves two years ago when it wrapped its 26-story North Avenue tower in a brilliant 3D light display, threw an epic 125th birthday party and announced an overhaul for its global headquarters near Georgia Tech. And then nothing happened, at least outwardly. That's all about to change, as Coca-Cola Co. embarks on the largest overhaul of a corporate campus in the history of Atlanta. In August, the iconic company is expected to begin the first phase of renovations to its multi-building, 31-acre complex downtown, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports. The renovation should take several years to complete, but the changes could bring an aesthetic jolt to a dated compound that conceals one of downtown's largest green-spaces after Centennial Olympic Park. The last renovations happened in the Reagan era. The first phase will include modernizing the 26-story tower on North Avenue, which is more than three decades old. Also expect upgrades to the Coca-Cola Plaza buildings, which were added to the campus in 1965. The overhaul's size and complexity — the campus consumes more than two million square feet — have delayed progress since renovations were first announced, the newspaper reports. Coca-Cola officials previously said one of the first changes will be the addition of a first-floor Main Street corridor through the campus. "The ground level will show off the company's brands and history and contain amenities such as a technology store and a personal shipping center," the AJC reported in 2011. Coke also recently announced it would be relocating 1,000 high-paying jobs from Cobb County to SunTrust Plaza a few blocks away. [Above: Coca-Cola's aged corporate headquarters. Photo: BrookwoodGroup] · Coke campus revamp ready to ramp up [Atlanta Business Chronicle; subscriber content] · Coca-Cola's headquarters to get major makeover [AJC, circa 2011] |
EVGA has posted a new teaser of their upcoming GeForce GTX 780 Ti Classified K|NGP|N edition graphic card which shows just how awesome their card is featuring absolute power and performance. EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Classified K|NGP|N With 8+8+6 Pin Power Configuration – All The Power You Will Ever Need! The new EVGA GeForce graphic card which is being prepared in collaboration with K|NGP|N (EVGA’s in-house overclocker) is an attempt to prepare a flagship non-reference design based on the GTX 780 Ti GPU which is NVIDIA’s top dog of the GeForce 700 series. The GK110-425-B1 core fused inside the GeForce GTX 780 Ti is currently the fastest chip on the planet with a 2880 Cuda core count and impressive clock speeds which are further going to be boosted with the arrival of non-reference variants such as the Classified. So what we know so far about this card? The EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Classified Kingpin edition as we know it features an absolutely stunning shroud design from what we have seen in the teaser shots. The whole shroud is translucent which means it has a transparent surface so you can see the heatsink below it. The shroud is covered with patches of carbon fiber where the logo’s are engraved and we can see the ACX logo at the back of the cooler which stands for Active Cooling Xtreme. But let’s see what’s under the hood, we are looking at a extremely powerful VRM design which we don’t have any information on at the moment but it is powered with an 8+8+6 Pin power configuration. So that’s some massive amount of power being fed to the board. Aside from that, we are also looking for the very first time on an NVIDIA GeForce 700 series card the EVBOT connector. You might remember looking at EVGA’s GTX 680 Classified which featured the same EvBot connector but was restricted on custom 700 series boards. That’s not the case anymore and EVGA has once again allowed overclockers and enthusiasts to overclock and tune their cards as they seem fit. The heatsink itself has three aluminum fin blocks which are inter-connected via 5 or 6 heatpipes. The front of the PCB has a red colored base plate to support it while the back has a black colored plate with a huge KingPin logo but Jacob Freeman of EVGA has mentioned that its more than a logo and said to stay tuned for more info so we are going to wait and see what secret sauce is being held inside the KingPin Edition card. Plus, the card is going to feature 3 GB VRAM as opposed to the 6 GB VRAM report from early on and Jacob mentions the possibility of a 6 GB VRAM in the foreseeable future. |
GOP Debate: Trump Was the Winner Perhaps it was a first: a man winning a debate by not showing up. That’s my take, anyway, that Donald Trump prevailed at last night’s GOP debate. Although, something curious did happen after the event that gives me pause for thought, but more on that later. The debate served to draw a significant and sharp contrast on today’s top (or almost so) issue, immigration -- between Trump and the rest of the field. When the Fox News moderators showed Marco Rubio on video repeatedly saying he wouldn’t support amnesty, even by another name, and then Megyn Kelly pointed out that he went on to be part of scamnesty group the Gang of Eight, it was a stake-through-the-heart moment. Even more amusingly, Jeb Bush chimed in and tag-teamed with Kelly; he emphasized that not only did Machiavellian Marco support the amnesty, but repeated at least twice that Rubio asked him to support it as well. Bush said that he did so and that what Rubio did was the right thing, but then castigated the Florida senator for cowardly retreating from his position. So there you had one guy trying to wriggle out of supporting stupidly disastrous policy being cornered by another guy who was proud of his stupidity. I guess it’s what happens when a wholly resistible force meets a thoroughly movable object. But three things occur to me: 1. I now completely believe the reports about large non-indigenous snakes invading Florida. Video of Senator Ted Cruz supposedly supporting the Gang of Eight bill also was played, and, even though Cruz said he was manipulating the Democrats at the time, I suspect it didn’t help him with the voters. Cruz explained his position better in an interview with Kelly after the debate than he did during it, pointing out that he was exposing liberal hypocrisy. To wit: the Democrats claimed they just wanted to “bring people [illegals] out of the shadows,” so Cruz introduced an amendment that would remove the promise of citizenship from the bill but allow for “legalization.” The idea was, “Okay, if emigration from Shadowville is all you want, legalization will do it.” But the Democrats balked, said Cruz, saying they’d kill the bill if it had such an amendment. This put the lie to their claims, proving (again) that what they’re interested in is importing undocumented Democrats, as 70 to 90 percent of the illegals will vote Democrat upon being naturalized. Nonetheless, understanding that kind of political maneuvering takes attentiveness and sophistication, so it’s hard to imagine the video of Cruz helping his cause. Most striking, though, was the complete dislocation from reality exhibited by all the candidates on terrorism. The night was heavy with talk about building up the military and fighting Da’esh (ISIS), and securing our open back door to Mexico was mentioned. And rightly so. Yet not one candidate would second Trump’s call to suspend Muslim immigration, and some, such as Bush, criticized the idea. Of course, the phenomenon is understandable. Westerners are awash in immigrationism, multiculturalism, religious-equivalence doctrine, and stupidity (but I repeat myself), and a fault common to man is that a building has to fall on him before he’s able to break free from established thinking patterns. But here’s the reality: We suffer from a collective delusion. FACT: Terrorism today is a Muslim phenomenon, meaning, virtually all the terrorists now bedeviling the West are Islamic jihadists. And it’s just a numbers game: if over time we admit one million Muslims and just one-tenth of one percent are terrorist-minded or will become so, that’s 1000 dangerous jihadists. My figure is likely conservative. But the point is that if this were the 1970s, when the Weathermen were planting bombs, and we knew that a certain class of prospective immigrants shared their ideology, would we admit them? Look, here’s the reality: We’re under no obligation to accept any class of immigrants -- or any immigrants at all. Where is it written that the U.S. must be the flophouse, soup kitchen, and doormat for the world? If immigration doesn’t benefit the host country, guess what? It doesn’t happen. Period. Full stop. We don’t have to explain it. We don’t have to apologize for it. We don’t have to feel bad about it. And if it’s questioned, our only response should be, “So when did you become a traitor?” The issue of Muslim immigration came up when the debate moderators played a video from the YouTube audience, from a “Muslim” young lady who lamented the rise in anti-Islamic feeling in America. I have her descriptive in quotation marks because she was quite Western, exhibiting a sartorial splendor that would inspire a beating by Da’esh and speaking perfect English. She said that the anti-Islamic sentiment would only encourage Muslims to become terrorists, and Bush chimed in and agreed. This is lunacy. It’s this inane, projection-inspired idea that unless we’re truly, amazingly, unbelievably nice -- bend over backwards and prove to the world what lovable, harmless little fuzzballs we are -- well, these jihadists are really, really gonna’ get mean. The truth is quite the opposite. Bush et al. should watch this interview with Dr. Nicolai Sennels on the “psychology of Islam and Muslims.” Dr. Sennels is a Danish psychologist who for years worked in prison with Muslim youth. Among other things, he points out that Islamic culture is radically different from what you’re used to: Muslims view displays of anger and violence as synonymous with manliness, and they respect shows of force. And if you react to aggression with passivity and kindness, they view it as weakness and hold you in contempt. They not only will think you can be vanquished -- but that you deserve to be. One might also want to ponder this German study involving 45,000 young people; it found that while increasing religiosity among Christian youths made them less violent, increasing religiosity among Muslim youths actually made them more violent. Wake up, you people in the Bushes; it’s later than you think. Now we come to the curious post-debate happening. Pollster Frank Luntz conducted a focus group, and one question concerned their feelings on Rubio; you know, the guy not only proven via video to be completely dishonest, but who supported a culture-rending scamnesty bill. When Luntz asked how many in the group had planned on voting for Machiavellian Marco coming into the debate, about three people raised their hands. And after the debate? Forty to fifty percent of those present did. Beam me up, Scotty. It just renews my faith in my lack of faith in the average voter. But the explanation probably lies with a study some years back showing that if a person is articulate and eloquent, he’ll sway people regardless of what he actually says. It’s style over substance, and the slick-talking, eye-candy Florida python has the former in abundance. Having said this, my guess is that Rubio only swayed some undecided low-info voters, and it certainly won’t be enough to change his fortunes. As for the biggest presence on stage Thursday night, it was a man who wasn’t even there. Image by Ronny Gordon Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on Twitter or log on to SelwynDuke.com |
The mother of the teenager whose "affluenza" defense spared him jail time after he killed four people while driving drunk has been listed as a missing person, authorities say. Authorities have said they think Tonya Couch is with her son, who is suspected of violating his probation. The U.S. Marshals Service joined the search for 18-year-old Ethan Couch, who recently failed to check in with his probation officer. The marshals are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information on Couch's whereabouts. Authorities have said they fear he may have left the country with his mother, who was added to a list of missing persons Sunday, a spokeswoman with the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office said. The juvenile-justice equivalent of an arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for Ethan Couch. If authorities determine Tonya Couch played a role in her son's disappearance she could face criminal charges. Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson has said Couch's father, Fred Couch, told investigators that he hasn't heard from his son or ex-wife in about two weeks. Couch received 10 years' probation last year in his intoxication manslaughter case after a psychologist testified he suffered from "affluenza" because his family's wealth and a dysfunctional relationship with his parents left him without a sense of responsibility. Violating the terms of his probation could result in a jail sentence of up to 10 years, the district attorney's office has said. In addition to local authorities and the U.S. marshals, a FBI spokeswoman confirmed the agency has also been in contact with the county sheriff's office and is "looking at ways we can assist." Anyone with information about the case may call the U.S. Marshals Service at 800-336-0102. The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
Total Quality Management (TQM) is what we herald at Zorays Solar We begin by knowing the wants of our customers. Like any consumer conscious big enterprise, Zorays Solar makes sure that our solution design meets or exceeds customer wants. So much so, we take pride that our process facilitates first time success. We keep track of the records, and extend those concepts to our special suppliers as well. Nine elements of TQM that Zorays Solar Bijli Pakistan currently adheres to: Continual Improvement, Competitive Benchmarking, Employee Empowerment, Team Approach, Decisions based on facts, Knowledge of tools, Supplier Quality, Championing, and Quality on the source. Seven tools of TQM that Zorays Solar utilizes in this regard: We believe in generating Ideas through Check sheets, Scatter diagrams, Cause-and-effect diagrams, We organize our data using Pareto charts, Flow charts, We identify problems by implementing Histogram, and Statistical process control. Want to see it practically happening then subscribe to our mail list: Spreaders of light. |
Bourgeonal is an aromatic aldehyde used in perfumery. It has a fragrance reminiscent of lily of the valley, otherwise described as floral, watery, green and aldehydic. It is a pale yellow liquid at room temperature. It is toxic if swallowed and can cause skin irritation and sensitisation on contact. Recently it was found that in vitro, bourgeonal acts as a chemo-attractant for human spermatozoa, activating an olfactory receptor called OR1D2 (formerly called hOR17-4)[1] which opens calcium ion channels in the sperm, leading them to swim twice as fast.[2] Bourgeonal is suspected to be involved in helping sperm locate the ovum. As of 2010, bourgeonal is the only known odor substance to which males have a higher average sensitivity than females.[1] This is thought to be because the same olfactory receptor (OR1D2) is expressed in non-olfactory tissue in sperm cells as well as the olfactory tissue of the nose. The involvement with sperm chemotaxis causes an evolutionary pressure for males (sexual selection) that causes them to have more OR1D2 receptors on average, both in the nose as well as in sperm. References [ edit ] |
Damian Green, the immigration minister, says David Cameron must resist moving to the Right and the “seductive blind alley” of policies favoured by the party’s “most intense supporters”. He argues that to win the election, the Tories must appeal to people from different backgrounds and classes. Boyle, a successful film director, oversaw the widely praised opening ceremony for London 2012, which celebrated Britain’s diverse, multi-cultural make-up and lauded the NHS but was met with unease by some traditionalists. Mr Cameron is currently under intense pressure to promote people from the Right wing of the party in the forthcoming reshuffle. Some MPs believe that Kenneth Clarke should be replaced as Justice Secretary by a more hardline figure. Baroness Warsi, the first ever Muslim female Cabinet minister, is also expected to be replaced as Tory chairman. Although Mr Green says he is determined to bring down immigration, one of the issues most popular with so-called core Tory voters, he believes that in other areas demands for a more traditional policy agenda should be rejected. In an article for today’s Daily Telegraph, the minister said: “To succeed, the Conservative Party must be at home in modern Britain. Much in this country needs changing and improving but we should not become nostalgists promoting a better yesterday. “We need to pass the Danny Boyle test, and cheer the numerous virtues of Britain in 2012. If we don’t like modern Britain, then it is very unlikely that modern Britain will like us.” Mr Green argues says no-one should be “written off” by the party because of their background. “My grandfather was a Welsh dock worker who voted Tory. Some of my friends are investment bankers who have voted Labour. It takes all sorts, and the best Tory values appeal to all sorts.” Alongside the Cabinet reshuffle, Mr Cameron is also facing demands to take a more hardline approach towards Europe, to scrap plans to introduce same-sex marriage and to offer more tax cuts and business deregulation. Detailed opinion polling conducted by Lord Ashcroft, the party’s former deputy chairman, which is cited by Mr Green, says that calls for a more Right-wing agenda should be rejected with more focus instead placed on centre-ground issues such as health and education. |
European Parliament Vice-President Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, from Germany, of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe | Patrick Seeger/EPA European Parliament VP: Brexit not a ‘horror scenario’ Alexander Lambsdorff: ‘It won’t be the end of ‘Project Europe.” Britain exit from the European Union following the June 23 referendum is not a “horror scenario,” according to Alexander Lambsdorff, the deputy president of the European Parliament. In an interview with Deutschlandfunk on Sunday, Lambsdorff said he hopes the U.K. will stay in the EU. However, the idea of a unified Europe will not end if they leave, he said. The EU will live on whatever happens at the referendum. "A European Union without Germany or France is completely unimaginable, but we had a European Union without Britain at the very beginning," he said. "It won't be the end of 'Project Europe,' as some are describing it," Lambsdorff said. |
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