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ESPN2’s first Wednesday night #FunBelt matchup of 2017 between Georgia Southern and Arkansas State did not disappoint. Arkansas State downed the Eagles 43-26 in front of a paltry 13,781 fans for the de facto home opener at Paulson Stadium. Both teams combined for 874 yards of offense and 68 points. It’s a Wednesday, I don’t blame Eagles fans. Hurricane Irma robbed them of a real home opener. Middle of the week showcases are just the way the Sun Belt and MAC operate. I like it, as long as it’s not my team that has to sacrifice a Saturday home game. The reason whole reason that the Sun Belt and MAC play in the middle of the week is for TV and TV alone. This game provided compelling counter-programming against playoff baseball. I'm willing to admit I'm watching Arkansas State-Georgia Southern. — Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) October 5, 2017 If I were to tell an Eagles fan before kickoff that Georgia Southern would out-gain Arkansas State 493 to 381, have the ball for 18 minutes longer, five more first downs, and a +1 turnover margin; that fan would have been ecstatic. They would have assumed that the Eagles had won. Well…that was not the case. Though still not close to what I would consider good, Georgia Southern’s offense looked almost acceptable through certain stretches. Shai Werts had 112 yards on 29 carries and was 10/18 for 160 yards through the air. He’s getting better but is still prone to a freshman bonehead play now and then. “Lies, damned lies, and statistics.” as Mark Twain once said, helps explain the statistical imbalance. Arkansas State was sloppy, yet effective. But most importantly they were efficient. The Red Wolves could score quickly, and Georgia Southern could not. His deep ball to Obe Fortune was a thing of beauty. His arm is more than adequate. He misses on some throws, but QBs need throws to get into a rhythm. Werts hasn’t looked comfortable making reads on option plays. But he did look comfortable at times scrambling out of the pocket, buying time, keeping his eyes down field. Perhaps, the most telling part of the game was when Werts started to throw the ball more in the 2nd half, he started to play better. Maybe a spread offense would be more his style? It would help get defenders away from the line of scrimmage for the run game. After a couple early stops, Georgia Southern’s defense could not get Justice Hansen and his array of weapons off the field. Hansen had the strange stat line of 12-26 for 316 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INTs. But that stat line does not tell a lie, sorry Mark (I know it’s Samuel, don’t email me). He was all over the place. At times dangerous and efficient, other times sloppy and turnover prone. But he won the game and that’s what matters. Chris Murray had a big game for the Red Wolves, hauling in 5 catches for 188 yards and 2 TDs. Warren Wand didn’t get a ton of carries at 11 but was effective at 5.5 yards a carry, he had 2 TDs of his own. Watch Garrett's scamper again… pic.twitter.com/NtKdQgA2dO — Georgia Southern Football (@GSAthletics_FB) October 5, 2017 Georgia Southern however, had four guys with at least 60 yards rushing, Werts, Ramsby, Fields, and Monteo Garrett. The biggest question mark to me of the four was Garrett, who scored on a breathtaking 74 yard TD run in 2nd quarter, yet got only one more carry the rest of the game!? Monteo Garrett was a QB that was moved to RB in the offseason. He has made some highlight runs in practice, but has yet to get significant touches in this offense. He has 5 carries for 117 yards! *not a misprint* He’s performing every time he gets the ball. Why was a guy that fast moved away from QB in the first place? He has talent, feed him the rock more. That was not the only personnel decision that came under questioning. The run game would be shut completely down if big Sapp was in tnere! It wouldn’t even be fair — Kevin Ellison (@MrAllPurposeKev) October 5, 2017 Bottom line is that Georgia Southern is now 0-4 for the first time since 1941. It has never happened in the modern era. I don’t know if this is rock-bottom, but is certainly the worst the Eagles have ever been…so far. It certainly can get worse too. Did the Eagles turn the corner? Perhaps. The certainly looked better. But this is team that has played twice in the past 26 days. They were playing at home. They should have looked better. Compared against how awful they have been to this point, it was a slight improvement. Still too many turnovers. Still inconsistent blocking. Still a defense that gives up big plays. Still too many penalties. Fundamentals are on the coaching staff. This team looks unrecognizable compared to what it was in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl. Was it enough improvement to cost Tyson Summers his job? Hard to say at this point. President Jaimie Hebert did not seem concerned in his recent interview with the George-Anne. My best guess for what might happen are the following three four scenarios: Homecoming embarrassment vs. New Mexico State – The Aggies are good y’all. Tyler Rogers is a competent QB and Larry Rose III might be the best RB in the SBC. If they sufficiently embarrass the Eagles in front of full house for homecoming, it won’t be pretty trust me. 7th loss – 7th loss means no bowl game. 6 wins seem very far away when you’re still working on your first. App State embarrassment – In 2004 Georgia Southern beat App State so bad (54-7) it fixed their program, they rattled off 3 FCS titles from ’05-’07. They returned the favor in 2009 by beating the Eagles 52-16 in Boone. Chris Hatcher was let go after the game, Jeff Monken was hired, the rest is history. Could this be part three? Losing three straight to Georgia State – This possibility is staring at us like the comet in Deep Impact. Georgia State would probably beat Georgia Southern if they played today. Eagle nation is verging on insanity as it is, if it got to option four…..well let’s just hope it doesn’t get to option four. This might already be a lost season. Even if you pull the band-aid off now and make say Lunsford or Cook or Bodine the interim, there’s a narrow path to six wins. I don’t want to even think about recruiting. Going 6-2 over the next 8 would need a turnaround of epic proportions and possibly a bit of divine intervention. I would be among the first to welcome it. But I’m afraid it is not in the cards. 2017 Sun Belt Conference Standings Team Conference Overall Louisiana Monroe 2-0 2-2 Troy 1-0 4-1 Appalachian State 1-0 2-2 Arkansas State 1-0 2-2 Idaho 1-0 2-2 Georgia State 0-0 1-2 New Mexico State 0-1 2-3 Coastal Carolina 0-1 1-3 Louisiana 0-1 1-3 South Alabama 0-1 1-4 Texas State 0-1 1-4 Georgia Southern 0-1 0-4 Like this: Like Loading... |
FLOWERY BRANCH – Before diving into the final draft stretch run, Falcons coach Dan Quinn shared some thoughts with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about six players he’s counting on to elevate their games in 2016. He wants them to slide from being role players to becoming major contributors. The group includes defensive end/linebacker Vic Beasley , cornerback Jalen Collins , running back Tevin Coleman, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, wide receiver Justin Hardy and free safety Robenson Therezie. Today we’ll look at Coleman, who was drafted it the third-round (73rd overall) of the 2015 draft out of Indiana. Coleman opened the season as the starting running back and got off to a promising start before suffering fractured ribs in the second game of the season. While out, Devonta Freeman took over the position and turned in a Pro Bowl campaign. Despite Freeman’s success, the Falcons still have high hopes for Coleman, who was electrifying in the open field. However, he also had ball security issues. Coleman played in 12 games and made three starts. He rushed for 392 yards on 87 carries (4.5 yards per carry) and scored one touchdown. He had just two catches for 14 yards and was credited with three fumbles. Coleman’s rookie season was cut short after he slipped in the shower and suffered a concussion, causing him to miss the final two games of the regular season. “For him, prove you can be available,” Quinn said. “He had the hamstring issue, concussion at the end. He broke a rib. He’s a grit competitor.” The Falcons believe that Coleman and Freeman can split the rushing load in their outside-zone rushing system. “In terms of him like running in the outside zone, seeing his reads and making his cuts, he was really on point,” Quinn said. “That’s why we are so excited because he and Free together make a pretty unique combination.” Freeman will get the third down plays because he’s such a force in the passing game. But Coleman, with his dazzling speed, can earn more time on first and second downs. His 46-yard run against the Vikings was the longest of the season for the Falcons in 2015, but he was stripped at the end of the play by Minnesota linebacker Anthony Barr. He rushed 18 times for a season-high 110 yards against the Vikings on Nov. 29. “His downhill and the speed that he goes,” Quinn said are Coleman’s main assets. “Free is different, where some of the damage that Freeman does is when he catches (passes). He can also be used as a receiver at times, because he’s got that kind of speed.” LATEST ON THE FALCONS Falcons set offseason training schedule Falcons 61 draft picks under GM Thomas Dimitroff Falcons could wear all-Red uniforms for a game next season Touchback rule has Quinn plotting strategy COUNTDOWN TO THE DRAFT: The plight of Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche FREE AGENCY STORIES Falcons' Dan Quinn loyal to Shanahan, staff, amid heat Linebacker Jerrell Freeman won't be joining Falcons Falcons mulit-level free agency makeover underway Weatherspoon hopes to revive career, where it started Falcons, O'Brien Schofield at impasse Falcons agree to five-year deal with center Alex Mack Mohamed Sanu: 'I'm not trying to fill anybody's shoes' 2016 NFL COMBINE COVERAGE Alabama defensive tackles (A'Shawn and Jarran) are NFL-ready Falcons defensive line coach Bryan Cox gets into shoving match at NFL combine Floyd, Jenkins are stellar NFL prospects Firm helps NFL prospects prepare for newfound wealth -- 7 financial pitfalls they'll face Ex-Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins has met with the Falcons Clemson's Shaq Lawson interviewed with the Falcons Nkemdiche has uphill battle to improve NFL draft status Nkemdiche would love to play for the Falcons 14 questions with Georgia Tech standout Adam Gotsis Falcons checking out interior linemen at the combine 18 questions with Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff Quinn still evaluating the roster -- Nothing new on Roddy White 7 players the Falcons are watching at the combine 13 questions with Falcons coach Dan Quinn 5 questions with Duke punter Will Monday (Flowery Branch High) 26 State prospects hope to make impact at NFL combine |
Tomgram: Rory Fanning, Why Do We Keep Thanking the Troops? [Note for TomDispatch Readers: Today’s piece is out of the ordinary, the sort of thing that’s largely untouchable in the mainstream. A former Army Ranger writes about why the endless “thank you"s for service in America’s wars ring hollow. And that Ranger-turned-conscientious-objector, Rory Fanning, has quite an all-American odyssey to tell, which is exactly what he’s done in his new book Worth Fighting For: An Army Ranger’s Journey Out of the Military and Across America. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a must read and, as it happens, for a $100 contribution to this site, you can be the first on your block to get a signed, personalized copy of it. Just check out the offer at the TomDispatch donation page and while you’re at it, note that signed, personalized copies of my new book, Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World, are still available. My thanks again to all of you -- it was a genuine outpouring of support -- who have already contributed! Tom] More than a few times I’ve found myself in a crowd of Vietnam veterans, and more than a few times at least one of them was wearing a curious blue or yellow t-shirt. Once that shirt undoubtedly fit a lean physique of the late 1970s or early 1980s, but by the time I saw it modeled, in the 2000s, it was getting mighty snug. Still, they refused to part with it. On it was some variation of the outline of a map of Vietnam with bit of grim humor superimposed: “Participant, Southeast Asia War Games, 1961-1975: Second Place.” I was always struck by it. These men of the “Me Generation” had come home to the sneers and backhanded comments of the men of the “Greatest Generation,” their fathers’ era. They had supposedly been the first Americans to lose a war. However, instead of the defensive apparel donned by some vets (“We were winning when I left”), they wore their loss for all to see, pride mingling with a sardonic sense of humor. Today’s military is made up of still another generation, the Millennials, representatives of the 80 million Americans born between 1980 and 2000. In fact, with nearly 43% of the active duty force age 25 or younger and roughly 66% of it 30 or under, it’s one of the most Millennial-centric organizations around. As a whole, the Millennials have been regularly pilloried in the press for being the “Participation Trophy Generation.” Coddled, self-centered, with delusions of grandeur, they’re inveterate narcissists with outlandish expectations and a runaway sense of entitlement. They demand everything, they’re addicted to social media, fast Wi-Fi, and phablets, they cry when criticized, they want praise on tap, and refuse to wear anything but their hoodies and “fuck you flip-flops” like the face of their generation, the Ur-millennial: Mark Zuckerberg! At least that’s the knock on them. Then again, when didn’t prior generations knock the current one? The National Institutes of Health did determine people in their 20s have Narcissistic Personality Disorder three times more often than those 65 or older and a recent survey by Reason and pollster Rupe did find that those 18-24 are indeed in favor of participation trophies unlike older Americans who overwhelmingly favor winners-only prizes. Still, it’s a little early to pass blanket judgment on an entire generation of whom the youngest members are only on the cusp of high school. The Millennials may yet surprise even the most cantankerous coots. Time will tell. The Millennial military, however, isn’t doing the generation any favors. Despite its dismal record when it comes to winning wars and a recent magnification of its repeated failures in Iraq, today’s military seems to crave and demand that its soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen be thanked and lauded at every turn. As a result, the Pentagon is involved in stage-managing all manner of participation-trophy spectacles to make certain they are -- from the ballpark to the NASCAR track to the Academy of Country Music's “An All-Star Salute to the Troops” concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas earlier this year. And like those great enablers of the Millennial trophy kids, so-called helicopter parents, the American public regularly provides cheap praise and empty valorization for veterans, writes Rory Fanning in TomDispatch debut. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan -- having served two tours with the 2nd Army Ranger Battalion before becoming a conscientious objector -- Fanning explores America’s thank-you-for-your-service culture, what vets are actually being thanked for, and why Rihanna’s hollow patriotism left him depressed. His moving new book, Worth Fighting For: An Army Ranger’s Journey Out of the Military and Across America, captures his 3,000-mile trek through and encounter with this country, an unforced march meant to honor Pat Tillman and question the nature of our recent wars. I don’t get to hang out with Vietnam vets as much as I used to, but late one night a year or two ago I found myself with a few of them in an almost deserted bar. Having ducked out of the annual meeting of a veterans’ group, we ordered some beers from a Millennial-age waiter. He asked if my 60-something compatriots were attending the nearby conference and they mumbled that they indeed were. The waiter seemed to momentarily straighten up. “Thank you for your service,” he solemnly intoned before bounding off to get the beers. One of veterans -- a Marine who had seen his fair share of combat -- commented on how much he hated that phrase. “They do it reflexively. That’s how they’ve been raised,” I replied. “I hope they wise up,” said another of the vets. Time -- as with all things Millennial -- will tell. Nick Turse |
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President Trump on Saturday angrily accused former president Barack Obama of orchestrating a “Nixon/Watergate” plot to tap the phones at his Trump Tower headquarters in the run-up to last fall’s election, providing no evidence to support his explosive claim and drawing a flat denial from Obama’s office. Leveling the extraordinary allegation about his predecessor in a series of four early morning tweets, Trump said Obama had been “wire tapping” his New York offices and suggested that the former president had meddled with the “very sacred election process.” Obama’s supposed actions, Trump said, amounted to McCarthyism. “Bad (or sick) guy!” the 45th president tweeted about the 44th, insisting that the surveillance efforts resulted in “nothing found.” Senior U.S. officials with knowledge of a wide-ranging federal investigation into Russian interference in the election, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss classified information, said Saturday that there had been no wiretap of Trump. Kevin Lewis, a spokesman for Obama, said in a statement: “A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice. As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false.” President Trump speaks to Navy and shipyard personnel aboard nuclear aircraft carrier U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford in Newport News, Va., on Thursday, March 2. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Officials at the FBI and the Justice Department declined to comment. According to senior administration officials, White House Counsel Donald McGahn and his office are inquiring about possible surveillance of then-candidate Trump while being sensitive to legal and national security considerations. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said McGahn “is reviewing what options, if any, are available to us.” It could not be immediately determined whether there had been wiretaps of anyone in Trump’s orbit who might be a subject of the Russia probe. Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) told MSNBC on Friday that he believes “transcripts” exist that would show whether Russian officials colluded with Trump’s campaign. Wiretaps in a foreign intelligence probe cannot legally be directed at a U.S. facility without probable cause — reviewed by a federal judge — that the phone lines or Internet addresses at the facility were being used by agents of a foreign power or by someone spying for or acting on behalf of a foreign government. Ben Rhodes, a longtime national security adviser to Obama, tweeted at Trump: “No President can order a wiretap. Those restrictions were put in place to protect citizens from people like you.” Neither Trump nor his aides offered any citation to back up Trump’s accusation about Obama. Trump may have been prompted by a report on the conservative website Breitbart and commentary from talk radio host Mark Levin suggesting that the Obama administration used “police state” tactics to monitor the Trump team. The Breitbart report circulated among Trump’s senior aides Friday and early Saturday, and Trump may have simply been reacting to the piece when he took to his preferred megaphone, Twitter, to trumpet his claim. 1 of 83 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × A look at President Trump’s first 100 days View Photos The beginning of the president’s term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. Caption The beginning of the president’s term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. March 17, 2017 President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, walk to Marine One at the White House en route to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. Trump’s tweets punctuated a general feeling shared by the president, his advisers and allies that Obama and the “Deep State” of critics within the intelligence community — who they think are fueling stories on Trump and Russia — have been conspiring to derail his presidency. At the heart of each of the president’s tweets is Trump’s apparent belief that Obama himself — as opposed to members of his administration — had been personally overseeing surveillance of Trump Tower. The conservative media landscape — including Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News and Infowars, the conspiracy website run by Alex Jones, outlets on which Trump has appeared — has in recent days given birth to tales of Obama and his closest confidants trying to spur Trump’s impeachment or force his resignation. But separately, the president is furious that a slow churn of revelations about communications between Attorney General Jeff Sessions, ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn and other Trump associates and Russian officials has overshadowed the early weeks of his administration. And he has grown fixated on identifying leakers. “He’s angry, and he thinks that the leaks — even forgetting the rhetoric on politics — are a significant problem that hurts the security of the country,” said Thomas J. Barrack Jr., a close friend who chaired Trump’s inauguration. “He feels if he can’t rely on his team, if he were negotiating with North Korea on something sensitive and death by a thousand leaks continued, he views that as really being disruptive to the security of America.” Trump has directed his aides to investigate employees across the federal government, with a particular focus on holdovers from the Obama administration and career intelligence officers, who Trump believes are trying to sabotage him. White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon has been in close touch with the president about what he has called the Deep State. Bannon’s remarks in a recent speech about the “deconstruction of the administrative state” were designed in part to raise alarm among activists on the right about entrenched bureaucrats in the intelligence and defense agencies, according to White House officials. Roger Stone, a longtime political adviser to Trump who does not work in the administration but still talks with the president, said he is urging Trump to fire and prosecute anyone who leaks damaging information. “What the president doesn’t understand is he has more power than he knows,” Stone said. “He needs to clean house. Just clean house! Hand the pink slips to everybody. . . . Lock them out of their offices and tell the FBI to start going through their emails and phone messages.” Trump was incensed over Sessions’s decision to recuse himself from the Russia probe after The Washington Post reported that Sessions had met twice with the Russian ambassador but then testified falsely at his Senate confirmation hearing that he “did not have communications with the Russians.” In the Oval Office on Friday morning, Trump fumed at his senior staff about the Sessions situation and told them that he disagreed with the attorney general’s move, according to senior White House officials who were not authorized to speak publicly. Trump told aides that he thought the White House and Justice Department should have done more to counter the argument that Sessions needed to step away. Trump said he wanted to see his staff fight back against what he saw as a widespread effort to destabilize his presidency, the officials said. Trump then departed for Palm Beach, Fla. — in what one associate described as “a [expletive] bad mood” — to spend the weekend at his private Mar-a-Lago Club, where he fired off Saturday morning’s tweets alleging wiretaps. Trump amended his public schedule Saturday to add an early evening meeting with Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, as well as dinner with both men and other advisers, including Bannon. If the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved a wiretapping order on one of Trump’s associates, that would mean the federal judge involved had decided there was probable cause that the person was colluding with a foreign government. Some current and former intelligence officials cast doubt on Trump’s wiretapping assertion. “It’s extremely unlikely that there would have been any sort of criminal or intelligence surveillance of Trump,” said Jennifer Daskal, a former senior Justice Department national security official. “There’s no credible evidence yet to suggest that that happened. It would be an extraordinary measure for the FBI to ask for and the court to grant a surveillance order on a presidential candidate of the opposing party in an election year.” Most Republican leaders were quiet on the issue Saturday, but Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) vowed at a town hall meeting with constituents to “get to the bottom of this.” He said it would be “the biggest scandal since Watergate” if Obama illegally spied on Trump or if a judge approved a warrant to monitor Trump’s campaign for possible communications with Russia. “I’m very worried that our president is suggesting that the former president has done something illegally,” Graham said. At the same time, because of what it would signal, “I would be very worried if in fact the Obama administration was able to obtain a warrant lawfully about Trump campaign activity with foreign governments.” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) called for Trump to provide the public more information about his charges. “We are in the midst of a civilization-warping crisis of public trust, and the President’s allegations today demand the thorough and dispassionate attention of serious patriots,” Sasse said in a statement. Democrats, meanwhile, blasted Trump. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said the president leveled a “spectacularly reckless allegation” against Obama without evidence. Referencing Trump’s description of Obama as a “bad (or sick) guy,” Schiff said in a statement, “If there is something bad or sick going on, it is the willingness of the nation’s chief executive to make the most outlandish and destructive claims without providing a scintilla of evidence to support them.” Daskal, who now teaches law at American University, agreed. “It is extremely dangerous for the president to be suggesting that he was being surveilled for political purposes, when there is absolutely no evidence of that fact,” she said. Jenna Portnoy in Palm Beach, Fla., and David Weigel and Matt Zapotosky in Washington contributed to this report. |
The proteins that domesticated our genomes EPFL scientists have carried out a genomic and evolutionary study of a large and enigmatic family of human proteins, to demonstrate that it is responsible for harnessing the millions of transposable elements in the human genome. The work reveals the... Study links altered brain chemistry, behavioral impairments in fish exposed to elevated CO2 Study Links Altered Brain Chemistry, Behavioral Impairments in Fish Exposed to Elevated CO2 Research team studied damselfish behavior and physiology under ocean acidification conditions predicted for year 2300 Water helps assembly of biofibers that could capture sunlight When it comes to water, some materials have a split personality - and some of these materials could hold the key to new ways of harnessing solar energy. Astronomers observe star reborn in a flash An international team of astronomers using Hubble have been able to study stellar evolution in real time. Over a period of 30 years dramatic increases in the temperature of the... Manipulation of liquid crystals could help control drug-delivery process Liquid crystals are strange substances, both fish and fowl. They can flow like a liquid, but have the orderly molecular structure of a crystalline solid. And that internal structure can... First accurate simulation of a virus invading a cell For the first time, scientists know what happens to a virus' shape when it invades a host cell, thanks to an experiment by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine... Chemists offer enhanced 3-D look inside batteries A team of chemists has developed a method to yield highly detailed, three-dimensional images of the insides of batteries. The technique, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), offers an enhanced... Trees recognize roe deer by saliva In spring, the young, delicate shoots in the forest light up, bright and May green. The buds and shoots are the future of the forests as they allow young trees... App vs. website: Which best protects your privacy? That's the question that Northeastern researchers, led by assistant professor David Choffnes, ask in new research that explores how free app- and web- based services on Android and iOS mobile... |
John van 't Schip's team are reportedly on the verge of reeling in the Uruguayan striker as they continue their recruitment ahead of the 2015-16 campaign The A-League transfer rumour mill is in full swing, with reports in Uruguay claiming Melbourne City will sign Bruno Fornaroli, subject to a successful medical. Local outlet cambiodefrente.com claim the 27-year-old forward has travelled to England to undergo an examination at Melbourne City's sister club Manchester City. The former Nacional player, who has appeared for Sampdoria and Panathinaikos in Italy and Greece respectively, would become City's fourth overseas player and potentially help to fill the attacking void left by retired centre-forward Josh Kennedy. Nicknamed El Tuna, Fornaroli's most recent club was Uruguayan side Danubio, who sent him on loan to Figueirense of Brazil. City, who have also been linked with former Stoke City goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, have already signed Corey Gameiro, Steve Kuzmanovski and Ivan Franjic. |
European Commission Press release Tobacco products: towards bigger health warnings and ban of strong flavourings Today, after years in the making, the European Commission has adopted its proposal to revise the Tobacco Products Directive. The proposed legislation consists of new and strengthened rules on how tobacco products can be manufactured, presented, and sold. More specifically, it bans the use of cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco (RYO) and smokeless tobacco products with characterising flavours and makes the use of large pictorial health warnings mandatory on cigarettes and RYO. It regulates cross border internet sale and foresees technical features to combat illicit trade. Moreover, measures are proposed for products that were not specifically regulated so far such as e-cigarettes and herbal products for smoking. Chewing and nasal tobacco will be subject to specific labelling and ingredient regulations. The existing ban for oral tobacco (snus) shall be maintained. On the occasion of the proposal's adoption, Commissioner in charge of Health & Consumer Policy, Tonio Borg said: "We delivered! The European Commission had promised a proposal on tobacco products by the end of 2012, and that's what I'm presenting today to Health ministers and the European Parliament. The figures speak for themselves : tobacco kills half of its users and is highly addictive. With 70% of the smokers starting before the age of 18, the ambition of today's proposal is to make tobacco products and smoking less attractive and thus discourage tobacco initiation among young people". He added that "Consumers must not be cheated: tobacco products should look and taste like tobacco products and this proposal ensures that attractive packaging and flavourings are not used as a marketing strategy." Why a revision of EU law? The current Tobacco Products Directive (2001/37/EC) dates from 2001. Since then, significant scientific, market and international developments have taken place. For example, new evidence on flavourings used in tobacco products and effectiveness of health warnings has become available. Novel products such as electronic cigarettes have entered the market and recent marketing strategies involve the use of attractive packaging and flavours. At international level, the EU and all of its Member States have ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which entered into force in February 2005. As a consequence, some of the current provisions of the Directive have become outdated. Member States have also taken different regulatory approaches resulting in a divergence between Member States' laws on the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products. The new proposal is responding to these developments and to requests from the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers as well as the Commission's own report on the Application of the Tobacco Products Directive of 2007 and 2009, which identified potential areas for improvement. Main elements of the proposal: The proposal foresees major revisions of the current Directive. It addresses in particular the following areas: Labelling and Packaging: All cigarette and Roll Your Own packages must contain a combined picture and text health warning covering 75% of the front and the back of the package and must carry no promotional elements. The current information on tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide, which is perceived as misleading, is replaced by an information message on the side of the pack that tobacco smoke contains more than 70 substances causing cancer. Member States remain free to introduce plain packaging in duly justified cases. Ingredients: An electronic reporting format for ingredients and emissions will be introduced. The proposal foresees a prohibition for cigarettes, roll your own tobacco and smokeless tobacco that have characterising flavours and a prohibition of products with increased toxicity and addictiveness. Smokeless tobacco: The ban on oral tobacco products (snus) is maintained, except for Sweden which has an exemption. All smokeless tobacco products must carry health warnings on the main surfaces of the package and products with characterising flavours cannot be sold. Novel tobacco products require prior notification. Extension of the scope of the Directive : Nicotine Containing Products (e.g. electronic cigarettes) below a certain nicotine threshold are allowed on the market, but must feature health warnings; above this threshold such products are only allowed if authorised as medicinal products, like nicotine replacement therapies. Herbal cigarettes will have to carry health warnings. Cross border distance sales: A notification for internet retailers and age verification mechanism are foreseen to ensure that tobacco products are not sold to children and adolescents. Illicit trade: A tracking and tracing system and security features (e.g. holograms) are foreseen to ensure that only products complying with the Directive are sold in the EU. Process and Timelines The proposal has been adopted following extensive consultation of stakeholders including a public consultation which generated 85,000 responses. During its preparation, a thorough impact assessment has been carried out, evaluating economic, social and health effects of several policy options under consideration. Several external studies were commissioned during the process. As a next step, the proposal will be discussed in the European Parliament and in the Council of Ministers. It is expected to be adopted in 2014. It would come into effect from 2015-2016. Further information: http://ec.europa.eu/health/tobacco/products/index_en.htm MEMO/12/1005 Contacts : Frédéric Vincent (+32 2 298 71 66) Aikaterini Apostola (+32 2 298 76 24) |
Oktoberfest season has beer drinkers from Germany to New Braunfels hoisting oversized tankards, and Matt Rutkowski agrees that can be a fun way to enjoy a beer: Think of it like drinking wine out of a jelly jar in the Italian countryside … not ideal, but sometimes you just have to go along with it! But Rutkowski, vice president of beer-glass maker Spiegelau USA, says there are far better options if you want to really enjoy your beer. Following is a Q&A recently conducted via email: Beer, TX: How far back does the tradition of using particular glassware for particular beers go? Rutkowski: This trend really ramped up with the popular emergence of Belgian beer after World War Two. There was fierce competition within Belgium itself to gain recognition not just for quality beer, but also how it would look…usually served in a proprietary branded glass. Beer, TX: Do you know what the first “beer glass” was? Rutkowski: Considering beer has been with us since the dawn of civilization, the beer drinking vessels of ancient times were earthenware, same for wine. Several examples have been recovered from ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. But the “modern” era began in Europe in the 13th Century when various wooded, earthen and for the wealthy, metal “tankards” came into popularity. The familiar lid on a tankard actually had a practical purpose: It was designed to keep plague from entering the vessel. Beer, TX: When did people start paying close attention to this sort of thing? Rutkowski: In truth, the vast majority of people who drink beer do not pay any attention to this at all…much to their detriment. Good beer should truly be savored in a great glass. Beer, TX: What are today’s accepted beer/glassware pairings? Rutkowski: At Spiegelau, we are developing a new paradigm in terms of the tasting and aesthetic experience when it comes to drinking craft beer in fine glassware. Our parent company Riedel Crystal executed this in the wine industry, much to the benefit of wine aficionados around the world. We are doing the same for beer with Spiegelau. As it stands today, essentially the entire brewing, bar and restaurant industries that have beer service have it all wrong. The “pint glass” may be the singular worst glass possible in which to serve a beer…yet it is everywhere. This is because the general public have yet to be dialed into the fact that it is functional design married to extremely pure quality grade glass chemistry and the precision manufacture process of glass that has the greatest impact on a beers visual presentation, aroma, taste and mouth feel. Beer, TX: How much does the glass actually affect the taste of the beer? Rutkowski: Dramatically. When you start your glass with the very best materials, you can design and excite the very best glass. A glass designed to capture aroma and deliver fluid appropriately to the palate, whilst being ultra clear and having and absolutely nonporous surface (as common glassware, pints included are) will deliver a more aromatic, colder, spritzier, balanced tasting and finishing beer. Beer, TX: How much of the appeal of using different glasses is just for image, to show that you know the “proper” way beer’s supposed to be served? Rutkowski: Too much. As I alluded to earlier, the current, popular thinking on “proper” is so far from correct it is hard to believe. Marketing people who have no clue about beer and glass are in the middle of brewers and glassmakers causing more harm than good. The universe is awash in thousands of branded, individually styled beer glasses. Imagine if this were the case in the wine world, having to grab a Silver Oak glass for your Silver Oak and a Freemark Abbey glass for your Freemark Abbey? It is ridiculous! This over proliferation of low quality, tchotchke, beer glass styles is seriously limiting how beer appreciation could expand in the private home. People return from a “proper” beer drinking experience at the local pub, only to believe that they cannot recreate the experience at home “properly” unless they have a ludicrous assortment of branded glassware for which to do it. So, they mostly do not bother and drink wine instead! Many brewers are beginning to understand this and see what we see, that these “proper” promotional glasses actually blocks the growth of the craft beer category at the home level. Beer, TX: Are those oversized Oktoberfest mugs ever used other than during Oktoberfest? Is that a legitimate glass style or something invented for tourists? Rutkowski: The 1 Liter Dimpled Beer Stein is functional to the level that it delivers A LOT of beer in one serving. They are traditional and fun, and by no means would I suggest turning your nose up to one if you find yourself in a Bavarian beer garden. Think of it like drinking wine out of a jelly jar in the Italian country side…not ideal, but sometimes you just have to go along with it! Beer, TX: How many styles of beer glass does Spiegelau make? Rutkowski: We currently offer four glasses in the Beer Classic range: Tulip, Wheat, Tall Pilsner and Lager. We are in development of a new style for 2012. Beer, TX: What are sales like these days? Craft beer is booming, even as overall beer consumption declines. Has there been a corresponding increase in people buying specialty beer glasses? If so, what do you think is driving the demand? Rutkowski: Spiegelau is exploding in sales in the USA. Largely due to the huge popularity of craft beer. In fact our number one selling item (this from a company that also makes the finest wine glasses in the world) is the Beer Classic “Tulip”. There is a shift toward craft beer from any/all people with an epicurean interest. Wine drinkers are inhabiting this space in droves as that craft beer can deliver an incredible range of flavors and styles for a mere fraction of the cost of similarly pedigreed wines. Now with the Spiegelau fine glass revolution complimenting beer, there is no reason NOT to serve these beers at your best meals and on your best most finely set tables. UPDATE: Spiegelau today sent along this photo and accompanying guide, with more details about the four styles of beer glass. The NEW Tall Pilsner Thinner walls and rounded shape maintain proper beer temperature longer Slender shape enhances hops aroma and bitterness Sustains head retention and carbonation Lager Glass Hop aromas are well balanced by the open shaped design of glass Narrow base that broadens to a wide mouth showcases the color, clarity and carbonation Beer Tulip While capturing the head and enhancing the volatiles, flared lip delivers beer to front of the tongue where sweetness (malt) is best tasted Large bowl preserves aromas, while narrow top supports head retention Wheat Beer Glass Height allows for high carbonation and thick frothy head Bowed shape and wide opening highlights the yeasty, fruity and phenol aromas Join Beer, TX on Facebook at facebook.com/rcrocker.beertx or follow me on Twitter: @rcrocker |
By and large, Canada's been real good to us. They let us borrow Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and four-fifths of The Band. They started the National Hockey League and were kind enough to put four of the Original Six down here. (Hamilton's been screwed for over a century on this, by the way.) They didn't take to heart all those times we invaded them. Also, too... ...POUTINE! That said, as the best neighbors we could possibly have, couldn't they have hung onto this guy? Ten years ago, he was writing books with Richard Perle and slandering all of his betters who were calling him and C-Plus Augustus out on their pet war in Iraq. Then, of course, the war went sour, and President Stupid nearly wrecked ther world, and the conservative "brand" took a beating, and Frum decided to wear out a path fleeing from the very political forces that had given him employment all these years and, now, has made a decent living tut-tutting about the bad turn conservatism has taken in the years since he left it. For example, this passage from his obit for the late Andrew Breitbart: We live in a time of political and media demagoguery unparalleled since the 19th century. Many of our most important public figures have gained their influence and power by inciting and exploiting the ugliest of passions-by manipulating fears and prejudices-by serving up falsehoods as reported truth. In time these figures will one by one die. What are we to say of this cohort, this group, this generation? That their mothers loved them? That their families are bereaved? That their fans admired them and their employees treated generously by them? Public figures are inescapably judged by their public actions. When those public actions are poisonous, the obituary cannot be pleasant reading. Frum is being battered in all the best saloons along the docks on the wingut side of Blogistan, and all I can say is, go get him, lads! When does Frum believe this "poisonous" time began? An hour ago? A week ago? The day they took his White House pass away? Cruelty and stupidity has been at the heart of conservative rhetoric since at least Joe McCarthy. Nobody was immune. Nobody ever was able to resist temptation. Remember Ronald Reagan's intimating back in 1988 that Michael Dukakis had been treated for mental illness? I do. Here's the young David Frum, joining in a general chorus playing the same noxious theme against Al Gore back in 2000: Maybe a National Psychological Council would be a good idea after all — and maybe it could start by advising this former senator, vice president, and two-time presidential candidate that he [Al Gore] ought to seek out for his own good a cool and quiet darkened room. Rush Limbaugh has spent the last two days engaging in the kind of misogyny that ought to make decent people spit on him when he walks down the street. Does Frum believe Limbaugh's influence in conservative politics began last Thursday? Back when they still invited him to CPAC, was Frum bothered by all those books in the exhibit hall about how Bill Clinton had murdered people back in Arkansas? Did he miss the 2004 presidential campaign? For all his faults, Andrew Breitbart was not sui generis in the American conservatism that once gave David Frum a very good living. He was an entirely predictable product of it. David Frum can comment on this as often as he wants, as long as he's wearing sackcloth while he does. Some ashes would be nice, too. Repent, you suckers. |
No, the Eagles didn't land Marcus Mariota. Many Eagles fans ended up disappointed with their consolation pick at the end of the first round. However, Nelson Agholor has already started turning heads and with training camp set to begin August 2nd, the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia welcomes twenty-two rookies to their first NFL training camp. This is a quick look into the most intriguing rookies entering camp. Ultimately, my focus will remain on the five rookies expected to either have an immediate impact or those worth keeping an eye on in 2015 and beyond. So let's start with the twentieth overall pick out of the University of Southern California: Nelson Agholor, Wide Receiver When discussing immediate impact, Agholor seems poised to make the biggest splash of the newcomers. Jeremy Maclin took off to Kansas City leaving second-year man, Jordan Matthews, as the number one. The Eagles used their first pick last spring to find him an almost identical running mate. "He reminds you of Jeremy Maclin," Mike Mayock (NFL.com) says. Chip Kelly finds players that fit his scheme based on weight-height continuity, as expounded on below by Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice. Agholor fits the mold established a year ago by Maclin. If that seems confusing, Maclin and Agholor are both listed at 6'0'' and 198 LBS on NFL.com. Not a coincidence. Eric Rowe, Cornerback Rowe may have been the most exciting pick for Eagles fans. Which such a dismal secondary a year ago (23rd), a little more help late in the season may have been the difference between two wins and a playoff appearance. The Utah product stands at 6'1'', 205 LBS, and has experience playing both safety and corner in college. Philadelphia has the challenge of figuring out where he fits better in the future. Look for him to begin the year on the outside but if Walter Thurmond II struggles, we may end the year watching Rowe and Malcolm Jenkins lining up behind the defense. Plus, would you just look at that footwork. Jordan Hicks, Linebacker Projected as a later round pick, the Eagles took a flier on the Texas product in the third round. Many questioned the thought process of adding another middle linebacker to a group that already included Mychal Kendricks, DeMeco Ryans and Kiko Alonso. Well here's why it makes sense: Kendricks enters his contract year, and after an offseason of trade rumors, one might speculate he wouldn't mind a change of scenery in 2016. Additionally, Ryans is 31 and coming off an Achilles tear. Better to draft now then wait until it's too late. Hicks has the physical ability to be a stud in the middle and although his draft grade was lower around the league, one scout out of the NFC East found that the young linebacker greatly improved in his final collegiate season under first-year coach, Charlie Strong. JaCorey Shepherd, Cornerback Shepherd played wide receiver in college before switching sides of the ball his sophomore year. He projects to possibly line up in the slot and possesses great ball skills but there have been concerns about his speed. This Senior Bowl breakdown shows that speed won't be an issue: Inside The Film Room: JaCorey Shepherd Bo Wulf and NFL Films senior producer check out one of the new Eagles cornerbacks in JaCorey Shepherd by breaking down his tape from this year’s Senior Bowl … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j35xgTaDAFw Possibly the best value pick of the draft for Philadelphia, Shepherd could be a vital piece in the Eagles secondary in the coming months if we see someone like Brandon Boykin struggle. Keep an eye out for this 2014 First-Team All-Big 12 selection. Brett Boyko, Guard Yes, Boyko wasn't drafted, but it raised eyebrows when the Eagles gave him a $20,000 signing bonus; an amount undrafted free agents rarely receive. With Evan Mathis out of the picture, Matt Tobin, Allen Barbre and John Moffitt are just a few potential names to sure up the line. But keep an eye on Boyko who fell out of the late rounds after an elbow injury. The Eagles line could use as much depth as possible right now and in two or three years, Boyko could be a big piece. He still remains a long shot to make the 53-man roster but he's worth keeping an eye on. |
Ever since Alex Kurtzman talked about the celebrities interested in being on Star Trek: Discovery, we’ve been speculating. “So many actors are fans. We literally got a list of them that were like, ‘Here are people who said they want to be on Star Trek’. It was awesome… To just be in an episode or come in or out.” With that in mind, we started thinking about some famous Star Trek fans who’d be great as guest stars (if they’re actors) or cameos. Trek has a long history of casting famous fans (like Jason Alexander, Stephen Hawking, Whoopi Goldberg and more), and there were others who wanted to be on but couldn’t work out the details: Robin Williams was a huge fan who was supposed to appear on TNG, but that was derailed by a scheduling conflict. (Matt Frewer ended up taking his place.) In light of the requests Kurtzman mentioned, we started our own list of famous Trek fans who we’d love to see appear on Star Trek: Discovery. 1. Tom Hanks Tom Hanks has talked a lot about his love of Trek, from taking a trivia quiz with Simon Pegg on The Graham Norton Show to telling Jimmy Kimmel about sneaking onto the set of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with his Bosom Buddies co-star Peter Scolari. He’s so recognizable, though, that we think he’d have to go full-on alien so as not to get too distracting. (Don’t forget, he was approached to play Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact, and possibly would have done it if not for a scheduling conflict with That Thing You Do!, his feature film directing debut.) 2. Mila Kunis Gotta love how Mila Kunis freaked out (with joy!) upon being told that Marina Sirtis would love her to play Deanna Troi if they ever recast TNG. She’s also talked about mingling with fans at Quark’s Bar at The Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas. 3. Daniel Craig Daniel Craig once told the World Entertainment News Network that he’s a big fan of Star Trek, and that he’s had a secret ambition for years to turn up in a Trek show or movie. He’s already done a Star Wars cameo as a stormtrooper, so he’s fine with being in disguise, he just wants to get in there somehow. He’s got a good face for a Vulcan, methinks. 4. Olivia Wilde When she was doing the publicity rounds for Cowboys & Aliens, Olivia Wilde talked about growing up as a Trekkie and how important she thought it would be to have a female captain (we’re assuming she’s unaware of Voyager, Shame!). Both she and her Cowboys co-star Daniel Craig seem like likely candidates to have asked for Discovery cameos; since Alex Kurtzman was one of the movie’s producers, they already know each other. 5. Barack Obama We could just leave this photo here and call it a day, right? Former President Barack Obama was known to flash around a Vulcan salute or two, but his fandom runs even deeper. Last year he guest edited the November issue of Wired Magazine, and had a lot to say about the importance of Star Trek to himself, and to the world. A guest appearance from Obama on Star Trek: Discovery would probably melt the Internet. (DO IT!) 6. Col. Chris Hadfield If taking a call from William Shatner while commanding the International Space Station doesn’t give you fan credentials, we don’t know what will. Col. Chris Hadfield — who also appears in William Shatner’s latest documentary — would be a great score for guest role. 7. Elon Musk Musk has expressed his appreciation for the utopian vision of Star Trek, and since he’s a visionary himself (whose goals include establishing a human colony on Mars), he seems like a natural for a cameo. And who would say no to him? If Jeff Bezos can do it… 8. Carrie Underwood After the singer (and American Idol winner) told Us Magazine that she had a big crush on Captain Picard, she had a Twitter exchange with Patrick Stewart that thrilled her. He tweeted that “words excite me more than the solid results of my recent bone density scan,” and she responded with “FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW!!! HE KNOWS I’M ALIVE!!!!!!!! Play it cool, Carrie…play it cool…” She’s taken on acting in the past few years, so she’s ready for her moment in the Star Trek spotlight. 9. Jason Segel Star Trek admirer Jason Segel once gave fellow fan Mila Kunis a vintage set of Star Trek figures, and at the Sci-Tech awards last year, he and co-presenter Olivia Munn demoed the way Star Trek crew members used to shake themselves around for battle scenes, complete with Star Trek music in the background. He’s already practicing! 10. Angelina Jolie When Angelina Jolie met Zachary Quinto at an Oscar party back in 2009, she confessed to him that she’d always been in love with (the original) Mr. Spock. The Oscar winner is a director, producer, and writer in addition to being an actress, so she’d be handy to have on set. Still, you might want to keep her away from the Vulcans, since she said it was Spock’s repression that fascinated her, and she “wanted to make him scream.” 11. Richard Branson Business magnate and philanthropist Richard Branson named his spaceship VSS Enterprise in honor of Star Trek, and once offered William Shatner a ride on the inaugural space launch of Virgin Galactic. It seems like a guest appearance is the kind of thing he’d know how to make happen. 12. Rosario Dawson She’s been pitching herself as a Klingon for the last couple of Star Trek movies, so why doesn’t someone cast Rosario Dawson already? She says she speaks Klingon, and would be happy just to walk on with a “Qapla’!” if that’s all that’s available. And when Bryan Fuller was still on Discovery, he talked about how his dream cast would include Dawson and Angela Bassett. Don’t give up, Rosario! 13. Mira Sorvino Her dad Paul already appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Worf’s brother, but it’s Mira who’s the fan. In 2003, she got to present the Pop Culture TV Land, award to Star Trek, and admitted on national television that she used to go to conventions regularly as a teen, and owned her own toy phaser — and that was six years before the first of the J.J. Abrams movies hit screens. Also, she’s an Oscar winner! 14. Rihanna Rihanna was thrilled when they asked her to contribute a song to the Star Trek Beyond soundtrack, and talked about her love of the show during the fan event last year celebrating the franchise’s 50th anniversary. She’s taken up acting as of late, so it could be time for her to deepen her involvement, moving from soundtrack status to guest star; she certainly has the right connections. 15. Ben Stiller It’s well-known that Stiller is a huge fan; his production company is named Red Hour Films (as a reference to “The Return of the Archons”) and his work often references Trek or includes some of its actors. He has his own collection of authentic Star Trek props, and also appears in Shatner’s documentary. The writer-actor-director-producer would be an obvious choice for a guest role; we’re sort of surprised it hasn’t happened already. 16 & 17. Trey Parker and Matt Stone The South Park creators (and the minds behind the Tony Award-winning play The Book of Mormon) have put frequent Trek references into their work, titling a South Park episode “The City on the Edge of Forever” and constantly referring to specific characters and events from the original series. They’ve done nods to the movies as well, so it would be kind of nice if Star Trek reciprocated with a cameo. It would be cool to see these two huddled over a project in the background in engineering, and we suspect they’d find a way to stand out in the crowd. 18 & 19. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Both of these buddies have talked about their love for Trek, with Stewart tuning out J.J. Abrams after he admitted that he wasn’t a Star Trek fan, and Colbert calling J.J. to lobby to play McCoy. Since that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and Colbert has already done the cameo thing in The Hobbit, they seem like another good duo who could appear on Discovery together. 20. Neil deGrasse Tyson The brilliant astrophysicist has made no secret of his love for Star Trek, and even specified his favorite captain and speculated on the outcome of a battle between the Enterprise and Star Wars‘ Millennium Falcon. Another one who appears in Shatner’s documentary, Tyson makes for a perfect guest because he’d probably already know how to operate all the panels and controls, and make it look convincing, much like our final suggestion … 21. Samantha Cristoforetti European astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti lived out many a fan’s dream when she tweeted a photo of herself aboard the International Space Station in full Star Trek uniform and evoked Captain Janeway with her “There’s coffee in that nebula” quote. She deserves to follow in the footsteps of fellow astronaut Mae Jemison, who appeared in an episode of TNG after getting famous for starting her communications to NASA with “Hailing frequencies open.” Keep up with all the Star Trek: Discovery news at TrekMovie. |
The 2017 Sunday Times Giving List is normally known for the titans of industry and generous aristocrats who are sharing their fortunes. This year’s 200-strong list however has a number of celebrities within the ranks as it analyses how much someone is worth, how much they gave to charity in the last year and giving a ranking based on the proportion of wealth given away. Celebrities are often famed for the work they do in helping raise money but, as some of the world’s top earners, this is the chance to see which actually give from their own wealth. Without further ado, here are the U.K.’s most generous celebrities: In tenth place is guitar hero Eric Clapton who is cited as giving away £200,000 of his £170 million fortune, with a focus on drug and alcohol rehabilitation work. In ninth place we have Chris Martin of Coldplay who gave away £200,000 of his fortune, whose charitable work concentrates on supporting young people in the U.K. Above him in joint sixth, seventh and eighth places are each of his fellow band members (Will Champion, Johnny Buckland and Guy Berryman who gave away the same amount but weren’t quite as rich to begin with, so score better as their percentage of wealth donated). Fifth place is occupied George and Amal Clooney whose generosity focuses around their humanitarian work in sub-Saharan Africa. The list has them down as donating a cool £1 million of their £130 million+ in wealth. In fourth is the only celebrity chef to show the kind of generosity worthy of making this list. Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools have backed up their dedication to food education and work training opportunities with a donation of £1.7 million. A long time philanthropist and social entrepreneur, Jamie Oliver is known for combining his core business with his social mission and being a national spokesperson on the issues he cares most about. In third we have the country’s most generous footballer — Wayne Rooney. Rooney is the first person on the list who is worth less than £100 million and gave away more than £1 million last year. His donations go largely to charities working with children and young people. Second place goes to Harry Potter author JK Rowling who gave almost £13 million to a variety of causes. Rowling is best known for her commitment to the deinstitutionalization of young people in care systems around the world. And the country’s biggest celebrity donor, who is known for the foundation he set up to fight HIV/AIDs around the world and who gave away a massive £34.3 million (almost 12% of his total wealth) last year, is Sir Elton John. Out of the total population (not just celebrities), Sir Elton was officially ranked as the 10th most generous (super-rich) person in Britain. Celebrities tend to have a weak record on creating social change — the “charity party” scene that they often prop up has a tendency to be more about the party and less about the charity, few take the time to understand the issues they engage with and are therefore poor spokespeople who rely on charity stereotypes and, finally, they tend just not to give. It’s amazing how small the total donation amounts are in this list (outside the top two), and this is a list of the generous ones. Eric Clapton makes the list in tenth place by reportedly giving away around £200,000 of his £170 million. Someone with £150 million+ in the bank and a decent financial manager should be able to give away £4 million+ a year without getting any poorer just based on investment income. In fact there are barely any celebrities on this list who won’t have ended the year richer than they started it. They are focusing on accumulating wealth from a starting point of having over £50 million of it, given which it feels odd to celebrate them particularly as generous. What’s more, celebrity engagement in social change is a huge missed opportunity — they are prevented from properly engaging with social change by sports clubs that like to play their charity “safe” and protective agents building brand profiles to maximize income. This is a great shame as there are many who have the kind of direct experience of issues of poverty that positions themselves to be stronger and more informed philanthropists than their counterparts of landed wealth. Such celebrities could be a powerful voice on issues of power and failing systems and could back that barren philanthropic landscape which conservative aristocrat philanthropists tend to ignore with money, profile and time. Unfortunately to date, they largely haven’t. |
I just got home from college for winter break and my Reddit secret santa gift was waiting for me! Everything about this gift made me so happy. KiwiStamp sent me a bunch of random stuff to play with/be creative with, including an adorable 35mm camera, extra film, a coloring book and crayons, nail polish, Twizzlers, and 2 CD's that I can't wait to listen to! Oh yeah, and a TON of candy! I think what made this gift so awesome to me though was the presentation! All of the gifts were wrapped individually, I got TWO cards, and the box was filled with confetti, making it extra festive! Plus, the outside of the box was covered with hilarious hand-drawn pictures of sloths being deadly, in reference to my username. I love this gift! Thanks so much, KiwiStamp! :D |
Wetter year makes for bountiful Texas pecan crop RECIPES: 15 ways to use pecans, besides pecan pie ... Think outside the pie crust with these delicious recipies RECIPES: 15 ways to use pecans, besides pecan pie ... Think outside the pie crust with these delicious recipies Photo: KirbyIng, Getty Images Photo: KirbyIng, Getty Images Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Wetter year makes for bountiful Texas pecan crop 1 / 20 Back to Gallery If you haven't had a piece of good pecan pie yet this holiday season, you can't blame it on scarcity. Nuts from the official state tree are in good supply thanks to the return of decent rainfall to many Texas counties. This year's pecan crop, although well short of record-breaking, is predicted to produce an estimated 60 million pounds in the shell, according to the Texas Pecan Growers Association. Before the recent drought years, 60 million to 65 million was average, with a record crop of 91 million pounds recorded in 1979, said Cindy Wise, executive vice president for the Bryan-based growers association. Sixty million pounds is more than double last year's 28 million and also surpasses the 2012 crop of 55 million, she said. The official tally for 2014 won't be known until spring, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture issues its report, she said. Known as an "alternate-bearing crop," Texas pecans have historically had good years followed by bad years, but improvements in management practices over the years have helped growers even out the disparities, Wise said. Asked for some recommended recipes, Wise offered three that she says are "favorites with me, my staff and everyone who tastes them:" First, of course, is "Simply superb pecan pie," which Wise said she made over the holiday weekend. "This is a traditional pecan pie, and this recipe never fails," she said. Wise also shared recipes for "praline pecans and cranberries" and "chocolate chip pecan pie bars." |
by IAN CROSSLAND There are five gigantic patches of swirling plastic throughout the Earth’s oceans, known as gyres. Because of ocean currents, a great majority of the plastic that ends up in the oceans finds its way into these garbage patches, poisoning marine life and ending up in the food supply of the planet. Toxic chemicals like PCBs and DDTs are absorbed by the plastic and cause diseases like cancer, malformation and impaired reproductive ability. That the plastic lands in these rotating patches is a double edged sword. It is horrible, yes, and causes a multitude of problems, but it also localizes the pollutants and gives us a place to start when cleaning up. It’s estimated that 1/3rd of the world’s oceanic plastic pollution is within the great Pacific Garbage Patch (number 01 on the map above). One young man saw the problem early in his life. Boyan Slat, at the age of 18, gave a riveting Ted Talk unveiling his plan to clean the pollution using passive flotation devices and the ocean’s own current. After all, “why move through the oceans, if the oceans can move through you?” In 2014, at the age of 19, he realized the plan was actually feasible, and now it’s going into effect off the coast of Japan. The currents pull the sea life under the floatation devices but the lighter-than-water plastics float into the barriers. What would have taken humanity 70,000 years to clean with boats and nets can be cleaned, instead, in decades. It’s estimated that a single, 100km cleanup array will clean 42% of the ocean’s plastic in 10 years. The first array will be deployed in 2016 and technology is underway to recycle the plastic into biofuel. Source: Minds, The Ocean Cleanup Follow us Share this article |
It's frightful every time. And it happens a few times a year. A pitcher is struck in the head by a line drive. Last Friday it happened to Robbie Ray of the Arizona Diamondbacks after a ball left the bat of the Cardinals' Luke Voit at 108 mph. The left-hander received stitches and went on the seven-day concussion disabled list, but it was thought early in the week that he might pitch in the team's weekend series in San Francisco. Midweek, however, Ray was sent back to Phoenix from a road trip for further testing. The overwhelming majority of major league pitchers, presumably including Ray, wear no special head protection, just a standard, official-issue ball cap. But several St. Louis relievers are apparently wearing safety inserts in their caps to try to minimize potential head injuries if they're struck by a liner. On Monday KSDK-TV cited the Cardinals' Matt Bowman, Zach Duke and Trevor Rosenthal in a story on head guards and Bowman said in a Fox Sports Midwest interview on Wednesday, "I'd say there are probably five of us now that have started to use it and there was a big wave of guys who ordered the insert after the Robbie Ray incident." The insert is what Astros starter Collin McHugh has worn for years -- the Safer Sports Technologies Pro Performance head guard. And, as ESPN's Outside the Lines reported this spring, the Angels' Matt Shoemaker started wearing it in a comeback from a skull fracture and blood clot in his brain that he suffered when a liner hit him on the right side of the head last September. Shoemaker, who required emergency brain surgery, is believed to be the only pitcher now wearing a head guard after being struck. He told OTL this week: "It's pretty simple, it's comfortable, and I don't even know it's there when I'm wearing it -- and that's what I want." The contoured SST carbon-fiber composite partial insert -- worn inside the right side of a standard cap by righties and inside the left side by lefties -- weighs about 1.7 ounces and doesn't noticeably affect the cap's appearance. In nearly all episodes when a pitcher gets hit in the head, it's on the throwing side, since that's what is exposed by the follow-through. In 2014 Dan Jennings, now of the Tampa Bay Rays, was also hit in the head by a liner and later started wearing the SST head guard, but he told OTL he stopped wearing it after getting into a pitching slump. Arizona starter Robbie Ray dropped flat on the mound in a game last week after being struck by a line drive off the bat of St. Louis first baseman Luke Voit. Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports MLB and the players' association have not tested or approved the SST product, but pitchers may select any protective headwear they wish, as long as it doesn't interfere with competition or licensing agreements. The only headwear that's mandatory is the official cap. Two other companies' head safety devices have received MLB/MLBPA approval -- a hybrid cap-helmet resembling a visor that is produced by Boombang in conjunction with MLB and the union, and the bulky foam-padded isoBLOX cap. Alex Torres, who is no longer in the majors, wore the latter and received widespread attention. No MLB pitcher has worn the hybrid cap-helmet in a game. The Kevlar-padded dome insert from Unequal Technologies was worn in 2015 by two big league pitchers who are no longer in MLB, and Shoemaker said he seriously considered using the BCL ball cap liner of carbon fiber and foam produced by former major leaguer Cliff Floyd and his father-in-law. Contacted Friday by OTL, Matt Meier, the founder and CEO of SST, said he has reviewed the video from the plays involving Shoemaker, Ray and two pitchers who were struck in the months between those instances. Regarding Ray, Meier said, "It definitely hit him in a position that it [the SST guard] would've helped him. Thankfully, he was able to avoid major injury." Meier added that he thinks his company's insert would have lessened the impact in all four cases. The other two were Blue Jays Triple-A pitcher T.J. House, who was hit in the head in a spring training game with Toronto's major league team, and Cardinals Triple-A pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon. House, whose incident was March 10, escaped serious injury. Poncedeleon, however, has been out of action since a May 9 liner struck him in the temple; he required emergency surgery to relieve swelling of the brain and was hospitalized for two weeks. The SST guards, according to Meier, have been designed to reduce the risks of skull fractures and brain bleeds. But given that line drives leave the bat at 100 mph, Meier added, "There's nothing on earth that would prevent a concussion when the ball is hit at that speed." |
Dragon Ball FighterZ Adds New Original Female Character Android 21, Plus Tien Shinhan And Yamcha By Sato . September 16, 2017 . 4:00am Bandai Namco revealed a new original female character for Dragon Ball FighterZ designed by Akira Toriyama named “Android 21.” [Thanks, Ryokutya2089.] Update: First look at Android 21, Tien Shinhan, and Yamcha in our follow-up report. We’re still waiting for a scan or first look, but Ryokutya describes her as a busty scientist with glasses and long bushy hair, who looks like she’d appear in a Tales of game. Her voice actress remains unknown. Considering the game has an original “What If” story mode surrounding Android 16, I’m guessing that she’ll be playing a big role somewhere in there. It’s also been confirmed that Yamcha and Tien Shinhan will be playable. Chaozu was revealed as an assist character. We’ll keep an eye out for a first look at the new character as well as Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and the Chaozu support. Dragon Ball FighterZ releases in February 2018 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. |
In January, Angelenos were elated to discover that Star Wars creator George Lucas has selected Exposition Park as the future site of his Museum of Narrative Art. An upcoming presentation to the Los Angeles City Planning Commission has unveiled new renderings for the $1-billion project, suggesting changes from the initial designs presented last year. Slated for two city-owned parking lots on Vermont Avenue south of Exposition Boulevard, the museum would take the form of a four-story, 115-foot tall building featuring 300,000 square feet of floor area. Plans call for a vacation of 39th Street between Vermont Avenue and Bill Robertson Lane, allowing for the construction of an underground parking garage across the site featuring more than 2,400 vehicle spaces. The subterranean garage levels would be capped with 11 acres of public green space. The design from Chinese architect Ma Yansong has evolved to beome more compact than the sinewy images last seen in January. The Lucas Museum would be split into two wings, with two theaters and an entrance lobby activating the ground plane north of the vacated 39th Street. The south wing's ground-floor would house the musuem's archive, with offices, classrooms and a library located above. The two wings would merge at the fourth floor above ground, which is intended to be the museum's primary exhibition space. Finally, the fifth level would feature additional exhibition space, in addition to a sit-down restaurant flanked by a public roof garden. Construction of the Lucas Museum is expected to occur over approximately three years, beginning in January 2018 and finishing by 2021. |
Recently Godfrey Chan got Discourse working on Rails Master. It was a rather long task that involved some changes to Discourse internals and some changes to Rails internals. Knowing Rails 4.2 was just around the corner I decided that it seemed like the perfect time to see how performance is. Seeing Rails 4.2 contains the adequate record patches, I was super eager to see how Discourse faired. ###The Discourse benchmark Answering the question of “how fast is Ruby?” or “how fast is Rails?” is something people usually answer with the following set of steps. Upgrade production to a certain version of Rails Look at New Relic reports Depending on how performance is either complain on Twitter and/or Blog or write a few kind words. The trouble is that performance testing after release is the absolute worst time. Code is in production, fixing stuff is tricky, rolling back often impractical. At Discourse I developed the Discourse benchmark. It is a simple script that loads up a few thousand users and topics and then proceeds to measure performance of various hot spots using apache bench. I have found that the results of the benchmark are strikingly similar to real-world performance we see. If the benchmark is faster, it is very likely that it will also be faster in production. We use this benchmark to test Ruby before major Ruby releases. Koichi used this benchmark to help optimise the current GC algorithms in MRI. It is often tempting to look at micro benchmarks when working on performance issues. Micro benchmarks are a great tool, but MUST be followed with bigger macro benchmarks to see the real impact. 1000% speedup for a routine that is called once a day in a background job has significantly less impact than 0.5% improvement to a routing that is called on every web request. ###How was Rails 4.2 Looking? For over a year now, Discourse had the ability to dual boot. This allowed me to quickly run a simple benchmark to see where we were at (arel , rails): % RAILS_MASTER=1 ruby script/bench.rb name: [percentile]: [time] categories_admin: 50: 123 75: 136 90: 147 99: 224 home_admin: 50: 111 75: 122 90: 147 99: 224 topic_admin: 50: 69 75: 81 90: 89 99: 185 categories: 50: 81 75: 126 90: 138 99: 211 home: 50: 53 75: 63 90: 100 99: 187 topic: 50: 20 75: 21 90: 23 99: 77 timings: load_rails: 3052 ruby-version: 2.1.2-p95 rss_kb: 241604 VS. categories_admin: 50: 62 75: 66 90: 77 99: 193 home_admin: 50: 51 75: 53 90: 55 99: 175 topic_admin: 50: 27 75: 27 90: 28 99: 87 categories: 50: 53 75: 55 90: 98 99: 173 home: 50: 35 75: 37 90: 55 99: 154 topic: 50: 12 75: 12 90: 13 99: 66 timings: load_rails: 3047 ruby-version: 2.1.2-p95 rss_kb: 263948 Across the board we were running at around half speed. Pages that were taking 12ms today were taking 20ms on Rails 4.2. Given these results I decided to take some time off my regular work and try to isolate what went wrong. Contribute a few patches and help the Rails team correct the issue prior to the impending RC release. Before I continue I think it is worth mentioning that the lion’s share of the performance optimisations we ended up adding were authored by Sean Griffin so a big huge thanks to him. ###Cracking open the black box I find flame graphs are instrumental at quickly discovering what is going on. Flame graphs in Ruby 2.1 now have better fidelity than they did in 2.0 thanks to feeding directly off stackprof. My methodology is quite simple. Go to a page in Rails 4.1.8 mode, reload a few times, then tack on ?pp=flamegraph to see a flamegraph Repeat the process on Rails 4.2 Zoom in on similar area and look for performance regressions. For example here is the before graph on Rails 4.1.8 (home page) rails_baseline.html (214.9 KB) Compared to the after graph on Rails Master (home page) rails_master_v1.html (253.6 KB) The first point of interest is the sample count: Rails 4.1.8 vs. Master Flamgraph attempts to grab a sample every 0.5ms of wall time, the reality is that due to depth of stack, timers and so on you end up getting a full sample every 0.5ms - 2ms. That said we can use the sample counts a good rough estimate of execution time. It looks like Rails master is taking up 108 samples where current Rails was taking 74, a 46% increase in the above example. We can see a huge amount of the additional overhead is spent in arel. Next we zoom in to particular similar areas and compare: Rails 4.1.8 Master We can see expensive calls to reorder_bind_params that we were not seeing in Rails 4.2 Clicking on the frame reveals: So 14.5% of our cost is in this method. Additionally we see other new areas of overhead: Like a method missing being invoked when casting DB values We repeat the process for various pages in our app, and discover that 3.2% of the time on the categories page is spent in ActiveRecord::AttributeMethods::PrimaryKey::ClassMethods#primary_key and a pile of other little cuts. With this information we can start working on various fixes: There are a lot of little cuts and some big cuts, here are some examples github.com/rails/rails Improve the performance of reading attributes We added a comparison to "id", and call to `self.class.primary_key` a *lot*. We also have performance hits from `&block` all over the... changed 12 files with 24 additions and 18 deletions. github.com/rails/rails Reintroduce cache with tests changed 3 files with 56 additions and 14 deletions. github.com/rails/rails Improve the performance of quoting table names on PG This caused a pretty major performance regression for 4.2, as this is a hotspot for query construction. We're still slightly slower than... changed 1 files with 15 additions and 4 deletions. github.com/rails/rails rm `reorder_bind_params` Arel handles this for us automatically. Updated tests, as BindParam is no longer a subclass of SqlLiteral. We should remove the second... changed 9 files with 7 additions and 25 deletions. The list goes on, slowly but surely we regain performance. ###Memory profiling Another very important tool in our arsenal is memory profiler. If we include it in our Gemfile, rack-mini-profiler will wire it up for us, then appending pp=profile-gc-ruby-head to any page gives us a memory report (note this requires Ruby 2.1 as it provides the new APIs needed): It reveals huge allocation increase in Rails master, which was allocating 131314 objects on the front page in Rails master vs 17651 object in Rails 4.1.8 We can dig down and discover a huge addition of allocations in arel and activerecord arel/lib x 107607 activerecord/lib x 12778 We can see the vast majority is being allocated at: arel/lib/arel/visitors/visitor.rb x 106435 We can track down the 3 particular lines: arel/lib/arel/visitors/visitor.rb:11 x 74432 lib/arel/visitors/visitor.rb:13 x 22880 lib/arel/visitors/visitor.rb:12 x 7040 This kind of analysis helps us fix issues like: and github.com/rails/rails PERF: avoid string allocations 1 commits changed 1 files with 6 additions and 1 deletions. It is very important to be able to prove you have a real issue before applying optimisations blindly. Memory profiler allows us to pinpoint specifics and demonstrate the actual gain. It is fascinating to see which particular strings are allocated where. For example the empty string is allocated 702 times during a front page load: "" x 702 activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter.rb:433 x 263 activerecord/lib/active_record/type/boolean.rb:11 x 153 omniauth-1.2.2/lib/omniauth/strategy.rb:396 x 84 We can work through this information, and paper cut by paper cut eliminate a large number of allocations resulting in better performance. Where are we with Rails 4.2 RC1 categories_admin: 50: 69 75: 74 90: 86 99: 165 home_admin: 50: 55 75: 57 90: 66 99: 133 topic_admin: 50: 27 75: 27 90: 28 99: 108 categories: 50: 56 75: 58 90: 60 99: 192 home: 50: 39 75: 40 90: 42 99: 165 topic: 50: 13 75: 13 90: 14 99: 75 So it looks like we are more or less 10% slower that 4.1 which is a huge improvement over where we were a couple of weeks ago (considering we were almost 100% slower). There is still plenty of work left to do, but we are on the right path. A taste of things to come Lars Kanis a maintainer of the pg gem has been working for a while now on a system for natively casting values in the pg gem. Up till now the pg gem has followed libpq quite closely. When you query the DB using libpq you are always provided with strings. Historically the pg gem just echos it back to the Ruby program. So for example: ActiveRecord::Base.connection.raw_connection.exec("select 1").values[0][0] => "1" The new pg release allows us to get back a number here, as opposed to a string. This helps us avoid allocating, converting and garbage collecting a string, just to get a number from our database. The cost of these conversions adds up quite a lot. It is much cheaper to do conversions in C code and avoid the allocation of objects that the Ruby GC needs to track. cnn = ActiveRecord::Base.connection.raw_connection; puts cnn.type_map_for_results = PG::BasicTypeMapForResults.new cnn; puts cnn.exec('select 1').values[0][0] => 1 The tricky thing though is that people heavily over-query when using Active Record. # no need to perform conversions for created_at and updated_at car_color = Car.first.color # above is more efficiently written as car_color = Car.limit(1).pluck(:color).first If you perform conversions upfront for columns people never consume you can end up with a severe performance hit. In particular converting times is a very expensive operation which involves string parsing. In my benchmarking it is showing a 5-10% improvement for the Discourse bench which in almost all cases means we are faster than Rails 4.1. I think it is fairly likely that we can be 10-20% faster than Rails 4.1 by the time Rails 5 ships provided we watch the benchmarks closely and keep optimising. Side Effects A very interesting and rewarding side effect of this work was a series of optimisations I was able to apply to Discourse while looking at all the data. In particular I built us a distributed cache powered by the message_bus gem. A Hash like structure that is usable from any process running Discourse (Discourse instances can span multiple machines). Using it I was able to apply caching to 3 places that we sorely needed to and avoid expensive database work. Conclusion The recent performance work strongly highlights the importance of a long running benchmark. There is no single magical method we can fix that will recover a year of various performance regressions. The earlier we pick up on regressions the easier they are to fix. It also highlight the “paper cut” nature of this kind of work. It is easy to be flippant and say that 1% here and 0.5% percent there does not matter. However, repeat this process enough and you have a product that is 100% slower. We need to look at trends to see where we are at. Slow down dev and work on performance when performance regresses. The Rails team did an admirable job at addressing a lot of the perf regressions we found in very short order. Sean did some truly impressive work. Godfrey did a spectacular job getting Discourse running on Rails master. However, I am very sad that we do not have long running benchmark for either Ruby or Rails and worry that if we don’t we are bound to repeat this story again. |
Last Thursday Mistajam premièred an exclusive live session from Flux Pavilion, who took to the legendary Maida Vale studios to give the public a preview of his brand new touring setup which he will be taking around the country later in the year. As I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, there really seems to be a growing trend in electronic music right now for the movement away from CDJ performances, back to a traditional band style setup complete with live instrumentation, and Flux Pavilion is the latest artist to join the revolution. One major criticism I keep hearing with regards to electronic performances still seems to be: “oh, well, they just stood there, turned a few knows and pushed a few buttons”. But if you take a look at the video for his performance of “Daydreamer” (alongside Example), you can see that Flux is getting his hands dirty by rocking both a guitar and a synth. Josh is obviously no Jimi Hendrix (and don’t get me wrong, he definitely doesn’t need to be), but what you have to applaud is the bravery and forward thinking nature of this project. Possibly the biggest compliment I can pay here is the fact that at certain points during his Maida Vale performance there are no real distinguishable differences when compared against their studio equivalents, which is something that most successful artists strive to recreate during their live shows. If you have the opportunity, get your hands on tickets for his new tour as soon as they become available, trust me. Don’t forget that you can now purchase his new single “Daydreamer“, which is surely going to become his highest charting release to date when the final positions are announced on Sunday. Flux Pavilion – “I Can’t Stop” (Live @ Maida Vale) Flux Pavilion – “Superbad” (Live @ Maida Vale) Flux Pavilion – “Daydreamer” (Live @ Maida Vale) |
0 SHARES Share Tweet A new device combines a microbial fuel cell and photoelectrochemical fuel cell uses nothing but sunlight and waste energy to produce hydrogen gas. A research team led by Yat Li of the University of California, Santa Cruz, has discovered a new device that could provide a new way of obtaining hydrogen gas as a fuel source. The system uses sunlight and waste water to produce the hydrogen using a combination of a microbial fuel cell and a photoelectrochemical cell. In the first stage of the device, bacteria breaks down organic matter in the waste water, generating electricity in the process. The generated electricity is then used to drive the solar-powered component, which splits the remaining water into oxygen and hydrogen. Both parts of the device can be used independently to produce hydrogen gas, but require an additional voltage to overcome the energy barrier that is required for proton reduction of the water into hydrogen gas. Unfortunately, this additional voltage requirement makes such a device not very cost effective, and this is where Li’s device finds it’s niche: Because both devices work together, it’s self sustaining and self powering. Hydrogen is becoming an increasingly important fuel source. “The only energy sources are waste water and sunlight,” explains Li, “The successful demonstration of such a self-biased, sustainable microbial device for hydrogen generation could provide a new solution that can simultaneously address the need for waste water treatment and the increasing demand for clean energy.” Source: ScienceDaily |
TL;DR: It's great! You should probably play it if you can! ‘Riker, open a hailing frequency to the Romulan warbird. Mr Data, full power to shields. Mr La Forge, I’m going to need you to… wait, hang on. I’ve miscounted. Sorry, belay that. Everyone back to where they started. Sorry, I’ve got this now. Riker, I need you to get on the tactical computers. Data, prep a long range attack package. Geordi… make use of our advanced intelligence to set up a photon torpedo barrage on my mark. One, two… shit, no. No, no, no, the warbird is resistant to photon torpedoes. God, I missed that when I was plotting this out. Everyone back where you started again. Sorry all. Sorry. I’m sorry. Right, let’s try this again. Can someone explain to me one more time about how resistances work?’ I’m on the bridge of the Enterprise staring down a Romulan warship and all I can think is ‘How did Picard always make this look so easy?’ So, first of all – a disclaimer. I have only played this as a solo game. I have played it a lot though as a solo game – I lost an entire weekend to it, first trying to grok the game systems and then trying to beat the Borg. Mrs Meeple was away for the weekend, and I decided ‘I’ll give this a go’. At the end of my first game, I looked up to see three hours had passed. My first exposure to Star Trek Frontiers told me one thing – I have no desire at all to even attempt to teach anyone how to play this. The time investment, and expectation of mastery, means that if I hold off from my review until I’ve tried it with multiple players it simply won’t get reviewed. I can’t expect anyone to be willing to invest ten hours of play into getting to grips with it. However, boardgamegeek currently has it marked as ‘best at one’, so I think you’re still getting a viewpoint derived from seeing the game in its most advantageous light. If you don’t agree, well – at least you know the basis from which my review derives. It’s also the case that I have never played Mage Knight, and Star Trek Frontiers is a re-implementation of the core game mechanics of that much lauded title. I choose this one because it was more recent, and also because I am bone-tired of fantasy as a setting for adventure. I’m so, so bone-tired of it. Suffice to say, I won’t be offering you a view of how this one compares to its predecessor. I just don’t know. What I do know is that Star Trek: Frontiers is a game that comes with a steep appreciation curve. My first game left me thinking ‘Eh, two and a half stars, maybe three if I’m feeling generous’. My most recent play solidified it a good deal higher. It starts off as a game that is simultaneously over and underwhelming – so much complexity for a game experience that is only okay. That’s because you spend so much of that first game poring over rule-books that you often forget to enjoy yourself. You’ll spend a lot of time staring at the rules of Frontiers, and a good portion of that will be thumbing through the two manuals to find out where that key bit of information you need was mentioned. The manuals for Frontier don’t have a word-count. They have a word body count. The text is present in a minuscule font dense with half-assertions and rollbacks. ‘You can do this, except in these situations’. ‘You need to do this, except in these circumstances where you don’t’. ‘This is explained in more detail on page fifteen (stress induced rage quits)’. There is just so much to keep track of – the full manual is 24 pages. The companion game walkthrough is another 20. Neither of them is a complete document in and of itself. There’s no meaningful index. No glossary. No lexicon of symbology. It’s all in there somewhere but you better be prepared to go hunting for it. I’m not even going to try to comprehensively explain how this game plays in this review. Neither of us wants that. I’ll just give you some highlights as we go along and attempt to show off the core experience of play. I can’t get away from explaining bits of it though so just remember – everything is more complicated than I’m making out. There are various scenarios in Frontiers, but they all resolve down to the same basic thing – explore the galaxy, level up, fight some bad guys (or good guys that just so happened to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time), and eventually meet and/or conquer the Borg cubes lurking at the edge of space. You begin with a tiny sliver of the explored galaxy but as you fly your ship around you’ll open up new vistas of space to explore. You start with this: And end up with this: The galaxy you construct is dotted with enemy ships, space stations, planets (in distress or otherwise) and other miscellaneous points of interest. Your job as Space Captain is to exploit the galaxy for the resources, training and equipment that will permit you to last in a straight-up fight with the Borg and the confederates they have captured in their neural nets. You’re looking then to progress up this: As you gain experience you’ll gain new captain levels. Skilled captains are more resourceful, can command larger crews of specialists, and are tougher in a straight up fight. Captains also have a measure of reputation that is manipulated by the way they approach the events before them. War crimes inflict a reputation penalty. Peaceful solutions tend to increase your galactic standing. Reputation impacts how easy it is to perform diplomacy and that’s an important currency you’ll need to manage if you want the best people serving on your ship. On the other hand, you’re up against the Borg and you maybe can’t afford the luxury of doing the right thing. Sometimes the prime directive is ‘they send one of your to the hospital, you send one of theirs to the morgue’. That said, you’re not necessarily playing the Federation so while this all seems a good deal more morally ambiguous than we’re used to from Starfleet, it’s in keeping with the more robust foreign policy responses of the Klingon Empire. Frontiers has absolutely nailed the theme here – the Star Trek universe works beautifully when transplanted onto the bones of Mage Knight. I’m not so convinced though they’ve been so effective in capturing the spirit of Star Trek. It feels profoundly weird to command the NCC-1701D to decimate an M-Class planet but sometimes the game rewards that kind of scorched earth strategy more than it penalizes. The reputation hit is rarely enough to warrant a moment’s hesitation if you’re playing to win. After all, look at the threat that’s constantly looming in the distance. The interesting thing here about Frontiers is that it doesn’t even pretend to have the veneer of a story. ‘Borg here, deal with it’ is about as complex as the narrative ever gets. And yet, in the interaction of the various game systems you see story vignettes emerging every single turn. There’s no over-arching tale here, just a series of profoundly thematic story beats that could come straight out of any episode of The Next Generation. The medical officer runs in to heal Riker after his disastrous away mission to the hostile planet. He’s the only one on board with the necessary tactical expertise to pull off the Picard Maneuver that will move the Enterprise out of danger and into attack position. Mechanically, that’s just ‘exhaust the medic to heal Riker, use Riker to generate a red crystal, use the red crystal to power the Picard manoeuvre’. You can though narrate the interaction of these cards with real coherence though with no expended effort. You could script any of these interactions into a random episode of Star Trek and it would look like it absolutely belonged there. That’s a triumph of situated storytelling – of showing, not telling. The theme is more than just the miniatures and the cards, it’s in how beautifully these things mesh together into something more holistic. Every ship, station and planet you encounter is an opportunity for adventure. At its heart, Frontiers is a deck-builder – albeit one with a glacially incremental development arc. Every player gets a ship deck of cards that can be spent to generate points in particular activities – attack, shields, diplomacy, movement, repairs, and so on. These cards come with three ways they can be employed. Each, aside from the powerful ‘undiscovered’ cards you’ll get later on, has a ‘free’ action. They also each come with a buffed up action that is purchased through the use of data crystals. Each card can also be spent as a low-level ‘wildcard’ to buff up any of the standard actions. Your job as a captain is to look at the galaxy around you, decide what you want to do, and then work out how to make the cards behave in such a way as to let it happen within the constraints of your turn and your hand limit. You’ll begin with a hand limit of five, although with experience and tactical decision making you can increase it as time goes by. Those five cards come with a burden – play them poorly, and you’ll have cause to regret even the simplest actions. It’s a tremendously neat, interesting task that makes every single thing you do worthy of weighty consideration. You can’t even press down on the accelerator in Frontiers without worrying about what it’s going to do to the brakes. This turns even the comparatively workaday activity of exploring space into a logistical puzzle. Each sector of space has a cost to go through it and you may only have a few movement cards in your hand. That means balancing the cost of burning data (which comes in short and long-lived forms) against your deck composition against the thrumming heart-beat of the game itself. In solo games, you’re up against a time limit. In multi-player games, you’re usually up against the opportunistic overreach of your opponent captains. Neither of them are going to wait for you to get your act together. You make do with what you have, or you end up having nothing. There’s a set pool of communal dice available for everyone to use – everyone can grab one of those dice during their turn to power an ability. Otherwise, you’re going to rely on those long-term crystals you have accumulated and the short-term tokens you can generate. Data is a precious commodity, and is never available in sufficient quantities. Data represents tactical intelligence, cunning, temporary opportunities, and special circumstances. It represents improvisational flair and combat doctrine. It’s situational, for most sources, and lost if it’s not used. It’s best in many cases not to generate data at all if you can’t use it – unless you can convert it into long term storage all you did was waste it. So – do you burn a blue crystal to go full speed ahead (four movement points), or do you spend a full speed ahead card and an explore card to do the same? That depends – it all depends. Card management in Frontiers is intensely skillful. It’s fair to say if you don’t enjoy this core part of the game, the rest of it will fail to endear itself. As time goes by you’ll accumulate other cards that represent more powerful tactics, or the unearthly benefits that come from advanced technology or alien artefacts. Everyone begins with the same deck, except for the captain power. You’ll mould that deck though as you advance, turning it into something more powerful. As you engage in combat and take damage, you’ll accumulate damage cards that crud up your hand limit – they stay there, limiting your tactical options, until you can repair the ship. That in itself can be done with certain cards, or perhaps as a result of emergency stop repairs – with these, you shuffle the damage card into your discard deck, putting off the problem until you’re hopefully more equipped to deal with it. Yeah, the card game in Frontiers is very solid. There’s more though. That’s the thing about Frontiers – there is always more. Your captain level determines how many special crew members you can recruit, and these will give you more options. Crew members get used up and ‘readied’ throughout the course of the game – they have general utility as ship resources, but also allow you to conduct away missions to planets provided they’re awake and unwounded. You begin recruiting from the ‘basic’ crew deck, but eventually you’ll be able to pick up elite crew members with especially effective powers. You’ll need them too – the Borg don’t mess around and some of the later away missions you undertake are brutally difficult. The little tokens at the bottom of the play area there represent encounters – these get played face up or face down on the game map to indicate the dangers or opportunities available. Most of them represent specific challenges to overcome through combat or diplomacy. You accomplish these in the same ways as you do anything else – picking cards and making them work for you. The routes to success in these scenarios are many and varied, and the core cause of the almost ceaseless equivocation that forms a turn in play. My favourite section of the game manual is one called ‘reverting’, (p13 of the Game Walkthrough). It explains, somewhat sheepishly, that people should be permitted to perform as many ‘take backs’ as they like provided they haven’t revealed new game information in the process of enacting a turn. That’s handy, because this is what you spend most of your time doing – sometimes because you worked out a more optimal route, but more often because you found a grand plan simply wouldn’t work because of some encounter modifier or special rule you hadn’t taken into account. Let’s look at a typical example. We’re going to assault a Romulan starbase: See all those little symbols? Those define the encounter. The left hand side is the attack strength, which is three. However, it’s overlaid on an icon that indicates it’s a photon torpedo attack. Unless we have photon shields, all our shield points are half as effective here. The value at the top is the defense of the base – four, except that it has a resistance to standard phasers and also a resistance to photon torpedoes. If we use either, they’re at only half effectiveness. On the right, that icon indicates they’re using antimatter weapons – any damage not absorbed by our shields will be doubled when it gets through to the hull. Oof. And what do we have? Well, we have this: Combat begins with a ‘long range attack’ which lets us potentially blow our foe out of the sky before it gets a chance to hit us. If we can’t exceed its defence with special long range attacks, it’ll inflict damage upon us before we get to inflict damage upon it. Damage isn’t tracked turn to turn for our enemy – we need to take it out in one turn, or start from scratch. We, on the other hand, will accumulate damage freely and happily. How do we do it? And then, for the advanced version of this same question, how do we do it optimally? Like in any deck builder, efficiency is important here – we don’t want to burn cards we will need later. We need to be careful. We need to be clever. First option – long range attacks. We need to get a total of four long range attack power to beat the station, and standard phasers and photon torpedoes are only half as effective as usual. Can we do that? We could spend a red energy crystal to power up our engage card, but that would only do one point of damage (since everything rounds down). Chu’lak lets us spend a blue token to generate a four powered long range pulse attack, which would be fully powered. We could take it out with that, but then we’d exhaust Chu’lak and he’d no longer be available for away missions. Maybe there’s another way? We can’t take it out long-range otherwise, so our first job in an alternate strategy is mitigation – we need to generate enough shielding that we can absorb the three damage of the station. Remember though, it’s a photon torpedo attack. If we don’t have photon shields, they’ll count for half. What do we do? We can generate six shields easily enough – spend ‘battle stations’ and play four other cards as wildcards, bumping our shields up to six. That’s hugely inefficient though, and won’t give us enough flexibility to actually do damage when it’s our turn. That’s not really an option unless we just want to survive this turn and hope for better cards in the next. But what we can do is spend a purple token (from the bank) to empower our improvise card to generate five shields. Or we can spend a blue token to power up our research, play that along with improvise, and discard another card for a total of seven shields. That’s enough to absorb the attack. Then, if we power up battle stations with a yellow crystal, power up engage with a red crystal, and play our intimidate as a wildcard we’ll do eight points of phaser damage and take the base out. That’s a lot of cards and data, but cards at least replacements from our draw deck will cycle back into the hand when we’re done. Exhausted crew have a longer-term impact on our effectiveness, especially given some captain bonuses that might make their way into our possession. Which should we do? It depends! Here’s another example – an away mission is resolved first with diplomacy (the value on the right, which is nine). Only crew members actually assigned to the mission can use their special skills there, although we can play ship cards as usual. If diplomacy fails, we move to long range attacks. If that fails, all of our away team take damage equal to the phaser value (six, which needs to be spread around away team members – shields don’t work here) before we get a chance to fire back. How do we do that? Let’s say we’re sending Riker and a medical officer. Well, we might spend a red token to power up Picard for a diplomacy of four, then exhaust Riker to give us another four, then intimidate to give us ten, which exceeds our target. Or, before we go on the mission we might exhaust Riker to generate a red crystal, revive him with the medical officer, send Riker alone on the mission and spend two red crystals on Picard and Intimidate to give us nine. That way we keep Riker ready for the next mission at the cost of our exhausted medical officer. Which should we do? It depends! You spend a lot of time in Frontiers immersed in optimisation challenges like this, trying to stare into the heart of your cards to see the best way to play them to accomplish what you need them to do. That challenge becomes even deeper when you encounter situations where you need to face two foes at the same time, or orbiting ships followed by an away mission, or collaborative raids on the Borg. Every single activity is going to need furious consideration and careful planning, using every last ability available to the absolute utmost to eke out every fractional efficiency improvement. It’s less like flying a spaceship and more like being engaged in a frantic exercise of extra-solar Excel. Your deck is a tool you’re constantly shaping to help meet the escalating challenges you’ll face. When you finally encounter the Borg you’ll be in a pitched battle against deadly cubes and their escort of warships and enslaved shock-troopers. You’ll end the battles riddled with damage, limping away to repair just so you can go in and mop up the rest of the defenders with a vague expectation of survival. You beam down to away missions on distressed planets and come back with only phaser-fire scarring and a cautionary tale. This is not a game that’s going to coddle you. It’s perfectly fair, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s important to note here that I’m only touching on the rules in the simplest way – there are pages and pages and pages of legalese about how everything works. There are rules for how to partition and allocate damage and shielding; when cards can be played and how; and the impact of captains on away missions – everything is embedded in a concrete shell of complication. Frontiers is a game that plays well, once you get the hang of it. It’s very much a game that doesn’t play smoothly. You will be constantly consulting the rules, and you’ll still mess things up. There’s just so much to learn. Just so much to remember. It’s not like it doesn’t come with a quick reference, but that quick reference refers only to different encounter types and comes in enough cards of its own to make a decent sized playing deck: Is it fun though? God, I don’t know. I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. It’s certainly absorbing – in all the games I played, the only time I looked up from what was going on was when it was over. The two-ish hours of playtime get swallowed up whole as you commit yourself to the beautiful complexity of the experience. The whole thing is a bit like entering a trance state – it’s not a state of flow, but a state of total involvement in an ongoing problem of stellar logistics. I can’t tell you though whether I had fun playing or whether I was just entranced by the intoxicating puzzle every task becomes. The best I can say really is that it’s time I don’t remotely regret investing. It is though also time that I wouldn’t dream of asking anyone else to invest. Star Trek Frontiers grew on me the more I played it, but I don’t think I could ever really be an effective advocate for anyone else to pick it up. I’d happily play it with anyone, provided they already knew how the game worked. I wouldn’t want to be the one to teach this to anyone, and even if they knew the mechanics I wouldn’t want to be around while they developed literacy in the game systems. I enjoyed the solo experience, and that’s important – it’s pretty much the only way I can ever envisage being able to play it again. |
Working class parents should be allowed to take their children on a week’s holiday outside the normal school calendar without running the risk of being fined, an influential teachers’ unions has said. Poor children, defined as those eligible for free schools meals, run the risk of missing out because their parents cannot afford the high cost of travelling during school breaks, according to the National Union of Teachers (NUT). “It can’t be right for children whose parents have less resources to never manage to go on a holiday just because they can’t afford to go in the school holiday time," Christine Blower, the NUT’s general secretary said. The comments follow wider changes in rules that were part of reforms introduced by former Education Secretary Michael Gove since 2010. He introduced a number of sweeping reforms from the expansion of academies, a dramatic overhaul of the exams system and the creation of a new back-to-basics national curriculum. Many of his reforms have faced repeated resistance. Under the new rules introduced in September 2013, heads are now only able to grant leave in "exceptional circumstances" and parents can be fined £60 per pupil for taking term time holidays without permission. The rules say children can only leave school under "exceptional circumstances'. The number of parental fines for poor school attendance has increased dramatically as a result . Ms Blower said: “Holiday companies jack up the costs during school family holidays and the upshot of that is that if you have a reasonable disposable income you can afford to do so. But if you are a family with no disposable income and - we know the poor are getting poorer - then they are going to miss out on this She said family holidays “shouldn't be the preserve of the middle classes." "Holidays can provide valuable experiences and outdoor learning opportunities. Giving families time to be on holiday together will also have social and emotional benefits which can be of lasting value and support to schoolchildren." Working class parents should be allowed to take week off during term time as holidays are cheaper But a resolution due to be debated by delegates at the NUT's annual conference in Liverpool this Easter, argues that despite recent advice from heads clarifying their interpretation of the rules, the regulations still unfairly impact on working parents, especially the low paid. It says: "Conference understands that taking children on holiday is not the same as persistent truancy. "Holidays can provide valuable experiences and outdoor learning opportunities. Giving families time to be on holiday together will also have social and emotional benefits which can be of lasting value and support to schoolchildren." The resolution also says that much more pressure needs to be put on travel companies by government to change pricing structures that see fares soar during school holidays. If your children classify for free school meals, should they be allowed to take time off during term? It adds that it is not just a problem of high costs impacting on working parents, some are unable to take leave during school breaks due to shift or rostered work. It calls on schools to interpret the current rules in a way that lets parents take time off during term in "exceptional circumstances" where both parents and their children agree to catch up on schooling missed. |
Hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians march along a major West Bank highway as part of a non-violent protest against the occupation, settlements and the recent wave of violence. Some 300 Israelis and Palestinians marched on the Israeli army’s “tunnels checkpoint” south of Jerusalem Friday to demonstrate against the occupation, against the ongoing violence, and in support of two states. The demonstrators gathered on Route 60, the southern West Bank’s main north-south artery that connects Jerusalem, Beit Jala, the Gush Etzion settlements, and Hebron. For an hour, the demonstrators marched north along the side of the road to drums while chanting political slogans. Israeli and Palestinian drivers passing the protest along Route 60 couldn’t miss the long procession and many reacted — either by yelling and curses, or with calls of support. The demonstrators called to dismantle the settlements and end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. They also chanted slogans against violence and in support of Jewish-Arab cooperation. Israeli soldiers and police escorted the procession and there were no clashes of any sort. At the end of the procession the protesters gathered next to the “tunnels checkpoint,” where a few speakers from “Combatants for Peace” gave speeches, noting that it should not be taken for granted that in days like these Jews and Arabs would take to the streets together to call for a non-violent end to the occupation. “We are living in a difficult period, innocent people are dying every day and it is hard to see an end to these events,” said Meital Lukov, an activist with Combatants for Peace. “The courageous thing to do is to find common ground and to build a future on that basis, and to break the cycle of violence we’re in — to create a new tomorrow.” Also speaking at the event, Chairman of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee and former member of Knesset Mohammad Barakeh, noted that there had been two vehicular attacks a couple of hours before the demonstration, one of them on the same road along which the protesters had just marched. “We don’t want a single drop of blood to be spilt,” Barakeh said, “but he who creates this situation needs to understand that only peace will bring security. The blockade, the checkpoints, the abuse, the settlements — they cause everything bad that is happening here. We stand together and condemn this extremist [Israeli] government, in favor of life, peace, the State of Israel and the independent Palestinian state that will be established.” The protest was organized by “Combatants for Peace” as part of its new initiative, “standing together,” an attempt to organize various movements and political parties in the name of Jewish-Arab cooperation against violence and the occupation. “Standing together” also organized a large protest in Jerusalem last month, one in Haifa and near the southern Israeli Bedouin city of Rahat, along with various smaller events. At the time of publication, the non-violent protest on Friday had been mentioned in only one Hebrew-language media outlet — Ma’ariv. Like every week, Palestinian protests — with the presence of Israeli and international supporters — against the settlements and the occupation took place in the villages of Bil’in, Ma’asara, Nabi Saleh, Ni’ilin and Qaddum. Protests and clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces also took place outside Israel’s Ofer military prison, at the Qalandiya checkpoint, at the Aida Refugee Camp near Bethlehem, and in other locations throughout the West Bank and Gaza. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, 82 Palestinians were wounded in the Friday protests, dozens of them by live Israeli gunfire. This article was first published in Local Call in Hebrew. Read it here. |
In what immediately became the headline moment at the third and final presidential debate on Wednesday night, Republican candidate Donald Trump sparked widespread outrage by saying he would keep the nation “in suspense” about whether he will accept the results of the election next month. “But, sir, there is a tradition in this country—in fact, one of the prides of this country is the peaceful transition of power and that no matter how hard-fought a campaign is, that at the end of the campaign that the loser concedes to the winner,” said moderator Chris Wallace. “Not saying that you’re necessarily going to be the loser or the winner, but that the loser concedes to the winner and that the country comes together in part for the good of the country.” Indeed, the nation’s ability to regularly and peacefully replace the President was, to the world of the 1700s, one of the most striking elements of the American experiment. As John Adams himself wrote to his wife upon his becoming the second president in 1797, the transfer of power was “the sublimest Thing ever exhibited in America.” But while Adams was the first to experience that transition, it wasn’t until four years later that the principle was put to the test. The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample Sign Up Now After all, George Washington didn’t want to run again for the 1796 election and Adams kept power within the same party. In 1800, on the other hand, the United States saw its first hotly contested election and its first transfer of power between political parties. The result was close, and it also left Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied, with the House spending a week deciding who would be President. (At the time, the Vice President was whoever came in second.) It was easily conceivable that the entire system would fall apart, but instead Jefferson became President and his rivals—the incumbent Adams as well as Burr—accepted the result. As Jefferson would later write, the “revolution of 1800” was a big deal: [It was] as real a revolution in the principles of our government as that of 1776 was in its form; not effected indeed by the sword, as that, but by the rational and peaceable instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people. The nation declared its will by dismissing functionaries of one principle, and electing those of another, in the two branches, executive and legislative, submitted to their election. This principle—that the nation declares its will by voting, and the functionaries of government peacefully accept the choice—has even been upheld when perhaps the candidate might have wished to do otherwise. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter For example, some believe that the 1960 presidential election was subject to substantial enough voting irregularities that Richard Nixon should have won. (In fact, there is no concrete evidence either way.) But, even though it was an extremely close race and some of his supporters urged him to fight the result, Nixon decided that, in keeping with tradition, it was better to accept the fact that early returns indicated John F Kennedy had won. In a late-night speech to supporters, he explained why: As all of you in this room know, and as all of you millions who are listening on television and radio realize, it is normally the custom for a candidate for the Presidency…not to appear until after the decision is definitely known, and all the votes are counted beyond doubt. However, I have been keeping some pretty late hours recently as some of you have…I know too that many who are listening in the Eastern part of the United States will find that it is now about 3:15 in the morning… I want to say that one of the great features of America is that we have political contests, that they are very hard fought, as this one was hard fought, and once the decision is made, we unite behind the man who is elected… I want Senator Kennedy to know, and I want all of you to know, that certainly if this trend continues, and if he does become our next President, he will have my whole-hearted support. That tradition even held true in 2000. As TIME’s David Von Drehle has pointed out, that year’s concession from Al Gore to George W. Bush was a long time in coming not because Gore refused to accept the results of the vote, but because there was no result to accept yet. In fact, when it became clear what the result would be, Gore followed the precedent of hundreds of years’ worth of elections, as he peacefully accepted the outcome of the vote. As he explained in his concession speech, that was what patriotism required: Almost a century and a half ago, Senator Stephen Douglas told Abraham Lincoln, who had just defeated him for the presidency, ”Partisan feeling must yield to patriotism. I’m with you, Mr. President, and God bless you.” Well, in that same spirit, I say to President-elect Bush that what remains of partisan rancor must now be put aside, and may God bless his stewardship of this country. Neither he nor I anticipated this long and difficult road. Certainly neither of us wanted it to happen. Yet it came, and now it has ended, resolved, as it must be resolved, through the honored institutions of our democracy. That doesn’t mean the tradition has always been honored by everyone. In 1860, after Abraham Lincoln was elected, Stephen Douglas (the runner-up for the popular vote) had cause to utter those words later quoted by Gore, as he conceded the result. But, even before the election took place, the South had already warned the nation that a victory by Lincoln and the Republican Party would be unacceptable in their eyes. South Carolina seceded from the Union that December, declaring that the North was “united in the election of a man to the high office of President of the United States whose opinions and purposes are hostile to slavery.” Rather than accept the electoral result, the state convention announced that “public opinion at the North has invested a great political error” and that South Carolina would not go along with the outcome. The rest of the Confederacy would soon follow South Carolina’s lead. By April, the Civil War had begun. Write to Lily Rothman at lily.rothman@time.com. |
Canada's "gray market" dispensaries - storefronts that illegally sell medical marijuana - have been in the news a lot over the last year, from stories of RCMP crackdowns to cities like Vancouver licensing local operations in defiance of federal laws. But few stories offer an overview of the nuts and bolts of the dispensaries: how they operate, how many there are, what they do, etc. To give you the lowdown, we contacted Jamie Shaw - president of the Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (CAMCD). Her organization works with dispensaries to ensure that they maintain certain standards, and she represented the storefront model itself as a fact witness in the Allard case that overturned Health Canada's decision to ban medical marijuana patients from growing cannabis at home. Here's are some of her answers to key questions about dispensaries and the CAMCD. 1. How many dispensaries are there? Shaw says that back in 2011, when the CAMCD came into being, there were approximately 35 dispensaries in Canada. Since they're "gray market" operations, exact numbers are difficult to determine. But based on information gathered from consultation with businesses across the country, Shaw estimates that there are currently 300 dispensaries in Canada. Almost half are in British Columbia - 100 in Vancouver, 30 in Victoria and 10 in Nanaimo. Toronto has 50-60 storefronts, and the rest are scattered across the country. 2. Where do they get their marijuana? "Different dispensaries have different operations," Shaw says. But one notable source involves "gray market" growing operations. From 2001-2013, Health Canada allowed patients to grow their own medicine as part of the Marihuana Medical Access Regulation (MMAR). In 2013, the federal government released new regulations that tried to eliminate home cultivation, but those rules were overturned by the decision in the Allard case. While it was being heard, certain patients were allowed to continue growing their medicine under a court injunction. According to Shaw, an unknown number of patients also started side operations: "Some [dispensaries] do buy from the MMAR program - patients who are growing for themselves as well as other people." 3. Is their marijuana safe? It depends on the grower, the seller and whoever is overseeing cultivation. Because these operations are illegal, quality and safety cannot always be guaranteed. But some dispensaries have found ways to maintain quality control: "There has also been a whole lot of under-the-table lab testing," Shaw says, but getting quality-assurance is tricky because of the law. "Illegality was, for a long time, preventing them from getting their product tested because it required the lab to also engage in civil disobedience." But some labs are now offering official tests. Meanwhile, groups like the CAMCD and the British Columbia Compassion Club Society (BCCCS) have tried to help ensure that patients have access to safe medicine by imposing standards on their members. 3. Have dispensaries tried to become legal? Yes, and one branch of the federal government once floated the idea of making dispensaries legit. The CAMCD came into being five years ago, but compassion clubs and other illegal marijuana providers have been in business since the late 1990s. According to Shaw, the dispensaries have been asking to be regulated by the federal government since that time. In 2002, the Canadian Senate released a committee report titled, "Cannabis: Our Position for a Canadian Public Policy." The four-volume report offered detailed recommendations on how Canada could (and why it should) legalize and regulate marijuana. One recommendation would have made medical marijuana dispensaries legal: "A Canadian resident may obtain a licence to distribute cannabis and its derivatives for therapeutic purposes. The resident must undertake to only sell cannabis and its derivatives to eligible persons; to only sell cannabis and its derivatives purchased from producers duly licensed for this purpose; to keep detailed records on the medical conditions and their development, consumption and the noted effects on patients; to take all measures needed to ensure the safety of the cannabis products and to submit to departmental inspections." However, Parliament didn't act on the advice in the committee report, nor the dispensaries' call for regulation. 4. What about the ones being licensed in B.C.? There are "gray market" dispensaries from coast to coast, and all are illegal according to federal law. To respond to the proliferation of illegal marijuana storefronts, Vancouver and Victoria have begun the process of legalizing and regulating them at a municipal level. 5. Why do patients use dispensaries? Considering that dispensary owners and patients risk arrest, you might wonder why they do it. The simple answer is that many patients find the current legal regime too restrictive. Aside from those who are still allowed to grow marijuana at home, medical marijuana patients can only access their medicine right now through a mail-order system with cannabis producers licensed by Health Canada. That system, Shaw says, doesn't offer the same wealth of "knowledge and experience of dispensary operators," who can offer face-to-face consultation about how to take their medicine, what strains work best for certain conditions, how strains affect patients and more. "You don't get that sort of expertise through mail-out," Shaw says. 6. What does the CAMCD do? The CAMCD-ACDCM Website The absence of federal regulations created confusion for patients who preferred obtaining their medicine through dispensaries. "There was no standard of access," Shaw says. "Patients didn't know what they would get from one to another. With patients as the focus, we [the CAMCD] designed certification standards for dispensaries...We wanted a regulated, community-based approach to medical-based access." 7. How does the CAMCD regulate? Participation with the CAMCD is voluntary right now because dispensaries are illegal. But many choose to work with Shaw's group because it lends credibility to their dispensary. In the city of Vancouver, dispensaries must be CAMCD members in order to be licensed. That's because the city doesn't have the resources to ensure businesses are operating properly, so they asked the CAMCD to help with regulation. In order to be certified, dispensaries must comply with 18 Required Organizational Practices, which range from validating a patient's ID and condition, to ensuring that marijuana is handled in a clean and sanitary environment. On top of that, they must comply with several additional standards. Certification is handled in a incremental process of four distinct phases, which includes onsite inspection of the storefront. 8. How did they develop their regulations? The CAMCD worked with researchers from the University of British Columbia to devise their regulations: But for clarification, UBC isn't involved in the dispensary industry: "Their part of it was just academic. There were no legality issues, so they were able to get a grant for that. It's not like the whole university was entering into partnership with us." 9. What's the future of dispensaries? "It's hard to say," according to Shaw. "If you look at U.S. jurisdictions, dispensaries are by far the favoured choice for recreational and medical. I hope we see something like that. The big question is, what medical will look like within a recreational market?" h/t Metro News Banner Image: Jessica Spengler / Flickr |
MUMBAI: The roads and lanes of the Fort precinct, Marine Drive and Masjid Bunder have become a haven for drug addicts, who are a tribe that even cops tend to avoid confronting. The presence of junkies on footpaths and bus stops prompts people, especially women, to avoid those areas or pass by hurriedly.Last month, a drug addict was seen assaulting a constable near the gates of Anjuman Islam school. “These are desperate men who will do anything to get their daily fix. Police often allow them to be lest they slash them with a blade or jab an infected needle,” says a photographer who witnessed the incident. Clusters of addicts prowl areas like Ballard Estate, whose workforce empties out in the evening, and accost passersby for money and valuables.Residents of Marine Drive who park their cars outside often find stereo systems missing. Chain snatching is rampant. Suman Gurwara’s car was stolen from the lane near the flyover where additional municipal commissioner Mohan Adtani was robbed of his phone. “I’m afraid to send my child out alone. Drug addicts lurk around and snatch whatever is in your hands,” she said.The expatriate population is seen as a vulnerable target. A large population of foreigners not only lives and works in south Mumbai but loves to tour its heritage buildings and photograph them. Foreign students study at the Mumbai University , browse bookstores or take the train from Churchgate and CST railway stations.DCP Ravindra Shisve of Zone I said cops have been conducting an ongoing drive against drug addicts. “Going by the dynamic nature of the business district, the crime rate is low. We had 30 cases of chain-snatching in 2013 compared to other zones which had 300-400. We have sanitized large parts of Azad Maidan and Oval Maidan of junkies. Dongri, which used to be the favourite haunt of Nigerian peddlers and conduits, is largely free of them. “I assure citizens we will intensify this drive.” |
51 2808 Phelan Ln Redondo Beach , CA 90278 (310) 214-1627 Saw the tips mention it, but no reviews yet... Phelan Good is now closed and is a Brazilian sandwich shop. RIP breakfast burritos and bananas foster French toast... You will be missed. :( Love this place. Nothing super fancy but I love that it's in te neighborhood. The guys who run it are super great too. They cook a mean meal too!! The shop is located at the center of an all residential area/ streets. If it wasn't for Yelp and Navigation, it's going to be hard to find this place. Weird area but very convenient to all the residential. Surrounded right smack in the middle of all but nothing residential streets, a very tiny shopping center with a liquor store, and dry cleaner next to a small park. It's tasty! I get their breakfast croissant which is with cheese, egg and thin sliced ham. Costs me almost $6.00 !!! Yes, its tasty because its grilled and greasy, and if you eat it right away. Just the little croissant with no sides was $6. Pretty pricey!! :-( If you check in with your phone, you can get 50Cents off a sandwhich, which I didn't even use. Well, this is unfortunate. My favorite neighborhood cafe is anything but that now... Been doing a lot of traveling, so its been 6-7 weeks since I had the cafe. This past Saturday, a friend and I decided to order breakfast to pick-up. Called in - noticed a new voice on the other end but they've had help in the past and everything seemed normal - and we ordered a breakfast burrito with bacon and a sourdough sandwich with sausage, adding avocado. I was definitely disappointed in what we got. For $15 (including the $1 + all change tip) we received 1 under-seasoned breakfast burrito and - I am not kidding here - a HALF sourdough sandwich which they charged my $1.50 to add avocado to. I was shocked and confused. Furthermore, I didn't notice either Jason or Josh - there was clearly a hired on cook, the kid I spoke to on the phone and what appeared to be a new owner in a polo shirt and gold chain, clearly not prepping food. The menu, however, was the same though the portion sizes had clearly changed for the worse and I noticed they were using a cheaper wax paper that melted cheese just had its way with (not bad but indicative of major cost-cutting). Despite the same menu, I am suspecting this place is under new ownership. I noticed that the weekend specials emails dried up about 2 months ago, no Jason or Josh working when one or both were there any time I had frequented in the past year and the drastic cost-cutting changes. I think its fair to say I probably will be crossing this one of my list of eateries I visit often. It's a pity - Jason and Josh were making some really good food for awhile there. Phelan Good left me Phelan a bit pissed off!, now don't get the wrong impression this food tasted real good and so could have been a 5 Star review, so WHY only 2 Stars? Hidden in the middle of a residential neighborhood next to a small park you'd probably not drive by this place and say hey let's eat here unless you might be visiting someone in the area. It's a cool little spot with a chalkboard menu on the wall that has a pretty good selection of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner..... I actually came out of my way to come here for ONE reason!, NOT just any Breakfast Burrito, But...... one called "Go Back to Bed Breakfast Burrito" ingredients are as follows; 4 Meats, Steak, Bacon, Sausage and Ham, 6 Eggs, 2 Salsa's, Potato's and Cheese wrapped in two large flour tortillas. $12.95 http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/EeZkpERJz2CBRNPFc0deeQ?select=5Qg1_F1KKgl1PObiIH2vEQ Sounds like it could be "The Ultimate Breakfast Burrito" and that's why I'm here, as you can see from the photo above this burrito is massive, just look at the knife and fork compared to the burrito, this is like one of those Man vs Food Challenges!. Instead of the four meats I asked for ALL Bacon, so I'm expecting Bacon, Bacon, Bacon and more Bacon, with the eggs, potato's and cheese...... at this point I'm thinking I've finally found The Ultimate Breakfast Burrito, until http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/EeZkpERJz2CBRNPFc0deeQ?select=B1fA8pt5F0rlasMpKeZ-Fg WOW, where's the Bacon?, you've got to be kidding me!. I've totally just got SCREWED...... NO WAY there is the equivalent of four different meats here, for $12.95 this should have been loaded with FULL STRIPS of BACON, and with the SIX eggs and potato's I couldn't taste the bacon bits and finding them was like finding Waldo. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT, the eggs were cooked to perfection nice, light and fluffy, did not have potato overload but a good balance, cheese was also minimal could have had a bit more, it came with red salsa inside couldn't get much flavor from it and zero heat, it also came with a side of green salsa that was a watery flavorless mess!. It's Big, it could easily feed 2-3 people, though I only ate half, I probably could have been a pig and ate the whole thing but definitely would have had to "Go Back to Bed", As for flavor the burrito was good if you like eggs and potato's but with a lack of meat and a price of $12.95 hence the 2 Stars. Phelan Good Cafe sounds like "Feelin Good Cafe" ... am I thinking too much?? This is the kind of place that I hope will thrive and stick around for a while but it definitely needs people's help to spread the words due to it's hidden and sorta unconventional location for an eatery. Phelan is a new neighborhood cafe in this part of North Redondo. It's been open for about 5 months. Owner Josh is also the chef and sorta runs the whole show. Very friendly guy. Fun fact: he used to live on Catalina Island and worked as a chef there. The cafe itself has very minimal seating. It's not a service restaurant but it's a great place to grab some quick bites to eat. You order at the counter and wait for your food. There's about 2 tables inside and 3 on the patio outside. The cafe is clean with a modern vibe. Everything is mostly in black and white and the decor is kept quite simple. I dig the atmosphere because it doesnt come with the chaos and crazy long lines at Eat @ Joe's and it's definitely classier than places like El Burrito Jr or other diners. While the cafe is small, it does not feel cluttered. So no worries you claustrophobic folks. I do dig their breakfast burrito. For $4.95 + tax, you can get a solid size burrito with fresh off the grill potatoes, cheese and eggs. It's big. So far I'd eat eat half of it and save the other half for later. You can add meat for additional dough. While walking out, I saw some folks eating their sandwiches which looked very well presented. I would like to go back and try the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich. Can you tell I'm not a meat person yet? heheh ~ One downfall is that I wish Phelan had fiber friendly breakfast options ... ie: oatmeal with fresh fruits or for the sweet tooth people, pancakes and waffles. But like Yelper Elliot S. have mentioned, the owner takes suggestions... so perhaps the menu might expand upon more customer recommendations. Anywho, check out Phelan! Go support Josh so he can stick around. :D What everyone is saying on Yelp is true! After passing the signs for Phelan Good Cafe I was curious, and looked them up online. Based on Yelp reviews, I *had* to try one of the breakfast burritos. I wasn't sure what to expect (the last time I had been in that location, my now-30-year-old brother was playing the little league equivalent of basketball in the park next door), but the cafe is clean and makes good use of the space. I had called ahead and asked what time they stopped serving breakfast, and was told by Josh that if there isn't a line he pretty much never says no to making breakfast. So, when we showed up about a half hour after official breakfast time ended, I was glad to see we had just beaten the lunch rush. My friend ordered an egg, cheese and potato breakfast burrito, and I got mine with sausage. I was pretty much focused on just the breakfast part of the menu because I knew what I wanted, but the rest that I scanned seemed really good--I love a well curated and thoughtful menu. We chatted with Josh a bit while he made our burritos, really cool guy. And then we stuffed our faces, and it was glorious. After living away from California for 7 years, I hadn't had a breakfast burrito in a while, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Everything was the right size so you have a nice mix of textures and tastes. Others have noted that the salsa isn't terribly impressive, and I'd agree, but I alternated between the salsa and spicy Srircha, which I enjoyed. I will definitely be back! I'd like to say I'd try the other menu items (I saw a few sandwiches being made that looked great), but realistically, I don't know if I can stray from that breakfast burrito. PS We signed up for their email newsletters, and this morning I got a list of their specials. 1) I super appreciated that they put the recipients under "BCC", which some small businesses are not so good at doing; and 2) today's special was a breakfast burrito with avocado and pepperjack and bananas foster french toast--the point being, sign up for their newsletter, because those specials sound damn good. This place is quite small, no music in the background, very simple, the food and service was great! I had the Phelan Ciabatta with avocado and organic green tea. Then I decided to purchase one of their homemade red velvet mini cakes Togo... Yummm! If your looking for a really good wholesome sandwich made with great love, here's the place to go. The guy had an awesome attitude and made really good food! I'll definently come back again when I come back to this area. :) FYI , he dosen't mind you playing music off your phone since its pretty quiet there any how. As long as its decently PG-13. ;) I have been to Phelan (feeling) Good 4 times after finding it on Yelp. Two guys own it and are working hard to make a go of it. The food is prepared fresh to order and takes a bit longer than fast food. But is sure is worth the wait. My guests and I have had a range of sandwiches but always get the garlic griddle fries...yes, cooked on the griddle. From breads, to ingredients, it has always been delicious. The selections all seem to have a little unique twist on the ingredients or preparation. But best of all, the prices are very reasonable. Stop by and support the two fellows as they work hard to provide fresh, delicious and reasonably priced food. I'm so glad they've got something good in this location again. I almost cried when North Beach Deli closed last year. While I miss Nick and his awesome soups, I think Phelan Good Cafe may be able to fill the hole that North Beach Deli left when they closed their doors. Owner Josh and cook Jason are both awesome, friendly guys who are eager to please. They'll remember your name and ask you about your day. They also take recommendations (Josh added a vegetarian item to the menu on my request, a portabello mushroom ciabatta sandwich). Everything I've eaten here so far (probably six times in the last month or so since they opened) has been delicious, speedy, and reasonably priced. Don't tell Josh, but I'd pay even more for their food since they're in walking distance to my house, two minutes away. I highly recommend a burrito for breakfast, or a croissant sandwich for lunch. The hot drinks hit the spot for me too. The specials are awesome for lunch or dinner as well. Free wifi is a bonus. Come support this new business and help Josh be successful! You can take my word for it, he's worth it. Wow, this place is tiny. Horrible location, I really feel for them, it is one of the worst locations I've ever seen for an eatery. I think the top of Mt. Fuji gets more traffic, actually, it probably does. Really cool menu though, I wanted to get a sandwich but couldn't decide right away. The only dude working there recommended the breakfast burrito, so I ordered the bacon. It was freakin' massive! Awesome price too, a lil more than $5. It seriously was a bomb in the belly. I had an extra long lunch break, & fell into a post burrito nap after stomach insertion. The tomatillo sauce it came with was forgettable, so I switched it for Sriracha. Definitely wanna go back though, like I said nice menu, burgers & such, and the prices are quite reasonable. Plus, I feel bad for them, like your friend who had to buy 50 tickets to play the Whiskey & is trying to sell them off desperately just to break even. Been meaning to try this place since it opened as I think the name is really clever! Finally came for breakfast this weekend. Had a breakfast burrito with eggs, cheese and potatos - was really good and big! Their hot chocolate is also tasty. Their menu is alittle limited, but it has all the staples. Breakfast has bagel or croissant sandwiches and burritos. Lunch is all burgers and sandwiches. I think they may also be open for dinner on weekends. Inside is really small. There are three 2-seater patio tables and another 1 or 2 outside. Decor is pretty minimal but it works - painted concrete walls and a giant chalk board menu. No sound absorbers, so it gets really loud when they have the fan going. There were 3 people working behind the counter and all were incredibly nice and friendly. I will definitely return and try more of their menu! I am very glad that this Cafe just opened, it is so convenient for me that I am already a frequent customer. Josh, the owner, is very friendly and his service is excellent. The menu is full of things you would normally find in an expensive restaurant, but the prices are affordable, even for a quick lunch. Everything I have tried so far has been excellent, I especially loved the bacon wrapped filet mingon, and all of their breakfast burritos are great. My latest purchase was the "go back to bed (breakfast) burrito" which contains four meats, 6 eggs, 2 salsas, potatoes and cheese. I also had an amazing crossiant stuffed with cream cheese and candied walnuts. Visited, but decided not to eat. The restaurant is under new ownership. I tried ordering from the pictures of food posted by people for this restaurant but the cook did not recognize any of the food items. I tried to order: - the pastrami that's pictured "we don't have that" - the banana fosters french toast "we don't have that". The cook then handed me a menu printed from an ink jet printer in a sheet protector. I menu seems to be scaled back in contrast to the pictures of food items that are posted. For the record, this is less of a café and more like a full service deli. There are only 2 umbrella tables with 2 chairs each out front. . While not impressed with the aesthetics, I did not want to weigh the restaurant down to heavily with an unfavorable review because I did not actually try the food hence, the 3 star rating. The food may in fact be good. But I'll leave that for a more daring yelper to determine. If there's anything YELP could do, the pictures of the food items are inaccurate and misleading. It was the scrolling through the pictures that sold and I decided to navigate to that location. This very tiny cafe is so unassuming but we went because of the 5 star reviews and because all the other places in Redondo were packed at 9:00 on a Sunday morning. The breakfast burrito and sandwich were simple yet amazingly tasty. Went back for lunch and the sandwich I ate was gone in under five minutes. It was so tasty I couldn't resist woofing it down. The Isreali Cous Cous is excellent. The food is fresh, the location may be outta the way but definitely worth going here is you live or work in the area. Rarely do you find a 5 Star / 1 Dollar Sign place and THIS IS IT! As of November 2nd New owners took it over from the liquor store and are doing great, they added different flavors of tortilla shells to the bfast burritos! And they are going to have hot subs and ribs starting in dec!! !! And the new owners are long time locals of north Redondo !! Lots of changes coming to the Phelan Family Cafe!! This place is an a pretty unexpected location. It seems to be in the middle of a neighborhood next to a small convenience store & catering company. I came here to grab a bite with my mom. We both ordered BLTAs (i think), & they were delicious. Staff was friendly. Food was served quickly. I've frequented the Phelan Good Cafe since it opened and I have never been disappointed. The owner is so friendly and so are his staff, and the food is always fresh, delicious and made to order! All the specials are wonderful, especially the weekend breakfast specials. I signed up for their email list and I love waking up to their email specials - Red Flannel Hash, French Toast Sandwich and Chorizo & Egg Scramble, just to name a few. The Frisco burger is amazing and the homemade soups are delicious, filling comfort foods. Walk or ride your bike to Phelan Good Cafe ASAP! :) Glad to have found this on here probably wouldn't have known about it otherwise... Really good breakfast burrito, good quality meat for the price, and excellent espresso! I'll be back for sure. |
3D printing has the potential to disrupt almost every industry that it is involved in. In this respect, the food industry is no different to any other. New and innovative applications for printing food are becoming more and more common. Whether they are printers that can make pancakes or produce chocolate, the machines are becoming more common. Many are still a long way from the consumer market, but here are some of the ways that 3D printing could revolutionise the sector and the world’s food supply. Pizza Drones that deliver pizzas will be made redundant when we can print our own deep-pans without needing to leave the house. This nifty little printer can produce you a pizza. We admit that it doesn’t look the most appetising from this video, but this picture showing the cooked version definitely looks edible. Mechanical engineer Anjan Contractor was given more than $100,000 by NASA to develop the prototype, and it’s hoped that in the future a model that produces food for astronauts will be created. Pancakes PancakeBot is possibly the best name that has ever been given to a 3D printer, and what it produces is equally brilliant. The genius about Pancakebot is that it can make pancakes in any shape, which be designed on a computer first. It traces the outline of a shape in 45 seconds to a couple of minutes, and then goes back to fill in the details. Chewing gum When it’s stuck to pavements and public spaces, chewing gum can be a real problem. But that hasn’t stopped researchers from making a 3D printed version. Students in London produced resin to create the gum. The resin can be combined with flavouring to make the gum to the desired taste of the consumer. Pasta This is the big one. Worldwide food giant Barilla has been experimenting with 3D printed pasta. The company, along with a number of specific partners, is working to create a machine that can produce 15-20 pieces of pasta every two minutes. It’s a slow process and pasta is certainly going to be mass produced for a long while yet. But the ability to print pasta allows for customisation. Restaurants will be able to make pieces of pasta for specific dishes. Recipes with complex sauces can have equally intricately created filled pasta shapes. Chocolate No list about the 3D printing of food can be complete without the inclusion of chocolate. 3D printed chocolate has been around for a while. There are multiple companies that are producing 3D printed chocolate. However, the above example from Hershey’s shows an intricate level of detail in the printing of the sweet. Lollipops Continuing with the sugary theme it’s possible to order 3D printed lollipops that will be delivered in time for a party or event. These lollies from Papbubble and Stuffhub, in the US, are based on a basic mould shape for the lolly, which is then customised with a customer’s design. It’s possible to take your own logo, or design, and send it to the companies, who will then convert it into a raised 3D shape and print it onto the lollies’ surface. A neat piece of branding for any company. |
The AFL wishes to advise the Match Review Panel has reviewed the matches played in week four of the NAB Challenge. The following charges were laid: Rory Sloane, Adelaide Crows, has been charged with engaging in rough conduct against Kane Mitchell, Port Adelaide, during the second quarter of the NAB Challenge match between the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Saturday March 21, 2015. In summary, he can accept a $1000 sanction with an early plea. Based on the video evidence available and a medical report from the Port Adelaide Football Club, it was the view of the panel the incident should be classified as careless conduct with low impact to the head. The offence was classified as a $1500 sanction under the table of penalties. The player has no applicable bad record. An early plea can reduce the penalty to a $1000 sanction. Aaron Young, Port Adelaide, has been charged with attempting to trip Richard Douglas, Adelaide Crows, during the fourth quarter of the NAB Challenge match between Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows at AAMI Stadium on Saturday March 21, 2015. In summary, he can accept a $1000 sanction with an early plea. Based on the video evidence available, speaking to the umpire who laid the match-day report and a medical report from the Adelaide Crows Football Club, it was the view of the panel the incident should be classified as an attempted trip. The offence was classified as a $1500 sanction under the table of penalties. The player has no applicable bad record. An early plea can reduce the penalty to a $1000 sanction. Devon Smith, GWS Giants, has been charged with a second offence of engaging in a melee during the second quarter of the NAB Challenge match between the GWS Giants and the Sydney Swans at StarTrack Stadium on Sunday March 22, 2015. In summary, as he has a previous poor record for engaging in a melee, he can accept a $1500 sanction with an early plea. The offence, as a second penalty for engaging in a melee, was classified as a $2500 sanction under the table of penalties. The player has an applicable bad record. An early plea can reduce the penalty to a $1500 sanction. Callan Ward, GWS Giants, has been charged with engaging in a melee during the second quarter of the NAB Challenge match between the the GWS Giants and the Sydney Swans at StarTrack Stadium on Sunday March 22, 2015. In summary, he can accept a $1000 sanction with an early plea. The offence was classified as a $1500 sanction under the table of penalties. The player has no applicable bad record. An early plea can reduce the penalty to a $1000 sanction. Lewis Jetta, Sydney Swans, has been charged with engaging in a melee during the second quarter of the NAB Challenge match between the Sydney Swans and the GWS Giants at StarTrack Stadium on Sunday March 22, 2015. In summary, he can accept a $1000 sanction with an early plea. The offence was classified as a $1500 sanction under the table of penalties. The player has no applicable bad record. An early plea can reduce the penalty to a $1000 sanction. Rhyce Shaw, Sydney Swans, has been charged with engaging in a melee during the second quarter of the NAB Challenge match between the Sydney Swans and the GWS Giants at StarTrack Stadium on Sunday March 22, 2015. In summary, he can accept a $1000 sanction with an early plea. The offence was classified as a $1500 sanction under the table of penalties. The player has no applicable bad record. An early plea can reduce the penalty to a $1000 sanction. Other Incidents Assessed: Contact between the Sydney Swans’ Kieren Jack and the GWS Giants’ Devon Smith from the second quarter of Sunday’s match was assessed. It was the view of the panel that Smith had tackled Jack and dragged him to the ground. As Smith was completing the tackle, he pulled Jack on top of him and the Sydney player threw back his left arm towards his opponent, making contact with his head. It was the view of the panel the force used was below that required to constitute a reportable offence. No further action was taken. |
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News DAVOS, Switzerland — To listen to the talk here this week, everyone is determined — really, really determined — to save the euro. But no one seems to know quite how. One leader after another marched before audiences at the World Economic Forum to declare an unshakable will to overcome the euro area’s sovereign debt crisis and restore confidence in the common currency. The euro “is more than a currency,” Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany said in a speech in Davos on Friday. “It is Europe. If the euro fails, Europe fails.” Her speech came after an almost identical oath of allegiance to the euro during the last week by the president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. But there still seems to be deep division among European leaders, as well as the big thinkers from economics and academia, about what policies would remove doubts about the euro’s future. Buy back Greek bonds? Increase the size of the European rescue fund? Allow Greece to default? Or just keep muddling through? “If they’re not willing just to write blank checks to the peripheral countries, I don’t see what their strategy is,” said Kenneth Rogoff, an economics professor at Harvard University and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund. Even though many of the key figures in the debate are at Davos, no clear solutions have emerged. In fact, much of the rest of the world seems to have moved on. The most intense economic discussion seems to be about how to resolve the tensions created by the trade deficit of the United States and China’s surplus. Timothy F. Geithner, the United States Treasury secretary, told an audience Friday that the European sovereign debt crisis hurt the United States economy last year when it caused a plunge in stock prices but that the effect was short-lived. “I think it had a significant effect on slowing the recovery at a delicate point,” Mr. Geithner said. “After a brief loss of momentum, the U.S. started to recover.” There does seem to be some marginal progress on what to do about Greece. George A. Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, said in Davos on Friday that he expected the European Union and the I.M.F. to grant the country more time to pay back the money it owed them. “This will be a major asset for calming markets,” he said. Mr. Papandreou also said officials were discussing how to strengthen the European Financial Stability Facility, which is administering a $604 billion rescue fund. One proposal is to give the facility the power to buy government bonds, or to buy Greek debt at depressed market values in a kind of stealth restructuring. The European Central Bank has been buying Greek, Irish and Portuguese bonds to stabilize markets but has made it clear that it wants political leaders to take over the heavy lifting. “There is a strong will to think about how the E.F.S.F. can be more robust,” Mr. Papandreou said. But he continued to reject suggestions that Greece default on its debt or restructure its obligations so that it has more time to pay — measures that Mr. Rogoff and many other economists say are inevitable. Instead, Mr. Papandreou and his finance minister, George Papaconstantinou, insisted that Greece would modernize its tourism and agriculture to restore growth. In addition, they said, Greece will increase revenue by combating rampant tax evasion by the seizing the yachts of wealthy deadbeats, going after assets hidden in foreign banks and other measures. “We sometimes underestimate the capabilities we have,” Mr. Papandreou said. Such measures helped Greece increase revenue 5.5 percent last year, according to government figures. Mr. Rogoff, who has studied the history of sovereign defaults, said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum that Greece might be able to get its debt under control someday but that it would require years of sacrifice that few political systems can endure. The only precedent for such long-term suffering in the service of debt repayment is Romania in the 1980s, Mr. Rogoff said. At the time, the country’s dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, imposed a draconian austerity program on the Romanian people, who later rose up and executed him. Even among the stars of the economics world who have congregated at Davos, there is disagreement about if and when Greece should default. Some advocate a restructuring as soon as possible. “The longer you delay it, the higher the stakes,” said Daniel Gros, director of the Center for European Policy Studies, a research organization in Brussels. “An orderly default of Greece is not such a bad thing. But do this now.” Others fear that a restructuring would heighten fears that Ireland, Portugal and even Spain could also default, alarming markets and risking a much bigger crisis. “To me the precedent of a default of a euro country is pretty bad,” said Robert J. Shiller, professor of economics at Yale. There is one solution that everyone agrees would work, at least in the short term. Other European countries would simply give Greece and Ireland money to pay off their debts. But that solution is considered politically unacceptable in Germany. Many economists agree that letting Greece off the hook would reward bad fiscal behavior, raise borrowing costs for other countries and eventually destabilize the European monetary union. “It means that the incentive for Greeks to get their house in order is lowered,” said Dennis J. Snower, president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Kiel, Germany. “Ultimately if any country misbehaves, then the risk premium in other countries rises because they are among those who pay for the mess.” There was, at least, no shortage in Davos of moral support for the beleaguered euro area. “Britain has a real interest in the euro succeeding,” David Cameron, the prime minister of Britain, said at the forum on Friday. Noting that euro members account for 44 percent of British exports, Mr. Cameron said, “A weak euro zone that doesn’t confront its difficulties is not good for us.” But he also sounded glad that Britain still has its own currency. “There are times when different countries need different monetary policies,” he said, “and I want us to have a monetary policy that suits our needs.” Liz Alderman contributed reporting. |
Occasionally, the wrong advice at the wrong time can have devastating effects on a photographer’s confidence. Such was the case in 1974, when Will Brown, then 37, showed his photographs to John Szarkowski, the Museum of Modern Art’s legendary curator. The pictures were made in his neighborhood in Philadelphia, and Mr. Szarkowski was not impressed. “He said: ‘You should find your own way of photographing. Your own voice. These look like someone else’s voice.’ That was very discouraging,” Mr. Brown said. So he put the pictures in a box and built a career photographing other people’s artwork. The pictures sat in that box for decades and would most likely be there still, if not for the vagaries of fate. In 1967, Mr. Brown and his wife had bought a broken-down, Federal-style home in the Southwark neighborhood. The area was being rebranded as Queen Village, presumably an early effort to spur gentrification. Mr. Brown, who was working as a sculptural restorer at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, was good with his hands and planned to renovate the home to its 19th century glory, when the area was an upper-middle-class enclave. He and his wife, both reared in the Philadelphia area, planned to help revitalize the neighborhood and be a positive influence; a force for good. But it didn’t quite work out like that. “We were two blocks from this huge project, which was seething with crime,” he said. “We were robbed often, burglarized often. I was mugged. People threw things through our windows.” Photo Still, Mr. Brown reveled in the opportunity to walk the neighborhood streets, in the early morning, captivated by the cool light, searching for formal compositions. Those pictures, which were quickly tucked away, are now the subject of a solo exhibition at the Laurence Miller Gallery in New York, and were recently published in a book, “The Picture That Remains,” alongside poetry by Tom Devaney. Mr. Brown, it appears, is having a late-career renaissance. It’s not surprising, despite Mr. Szarkowski’s non-endorsement: The photographs represent a lyrical yet bleak look at a neighborhood in transition. More than that, they depict a slice of America, as the nation shifted from the expansionist postwar era to the turmoil of the late 1970s. There are old immigrant tailor shops, tobacco stands and hot dog joints that sit beside burned-out buildings and boarded-up businesses. It was the early ’70s, and Mr. Brown’s prophetic vision of urban renewal was decades on, the nostalgic history of an optimistic urban America decades in the past. Mr. Brown exhibited the photographs locally a couple of times, and a museum colleague, Anne D’Harnoncourt, bought several pictures for $25 each. She eventually became the director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for many years, and donated those photographs to the museum’s collection shortly before her death. Photo She told Mr. Brown, “You’re going to hate me for what I’ve just done,” which seems like a strange way to deliver the news. In 2009, the museum’s curator, Peter Barberie, discovered the photos and chose to exhibit them in “Common Ground, Eight Philadelphia Photographers of the 1960s and 1970s.” The rest, as they say, is history, and Mr. Brown is now receiving recognition, belatedly, in the 21st century. The photographs evoke Walker Evans and Eugène Atget, two photographers Mr. Brown admired. (It was their style to which Mr. Szarkowski referred.) Mr. Brown channels the sense of a time receded into the distant past, although the images were made in the 1970s. To the contemporary eye, they appear to have been made much earlier, although the style of automobiles occasionally breaks the illusion. These days, Mr. Brown, 77, is back to making art, shooting a project about hidden horse troughs he finds around Philadelphia. They were carved out of stone, meant to offer water to the city’s working horses in a world that now seems hard to fathom in our obsessively digital age. When asked what it’s like to be appreciated so late in life, Mr. Brown turned philosophical, which was a departure from most of the interview. “I think, sometimes,” he said, “that it’s better to have had this kind of acclaim at the end of your life, because you don’t have to have these peaks and then the valleys, which often happen after you have success.” “I’m having a lot of fun with it so far.” Photo Will Brown’s “A Tender Light” is on exhibit at the Laurence Miller Gallery in New York until Dec. 20. Jonathan Blaustein is an artist and writer based in New Mexico. He contributes regularly to the blog A Photo Editor, and you can follow him @jblauphoto and @nytimesphoto on Twitter. Lens is also on Facebook. |
Two senior officials with direct access to the information say new intelligence shows that Putin personally directed how hacked material from Democrats was leaked and otherwise used. The intelligence came from diplomatic sources and spies working for U.S. allies, the officials said. Putin's objectives were multifaceted, a high-level intelligence source told NBC News. What began as a "vendetta" against Hillary Clinton morphed into an effort to show corruption in American politics and to "split off key American allies by creating the image that [other countries] couldn't depend on the U.S. to be a credible global leader anymore," the official said. Read alsoReuters Exclusive: Top U.S. spy agency has not embraced CIA assessment on Russia hackingUltimately, the CIA has assessed, the Russian government wanted to elect Donald Trump. The FBI and other agencies don't fully endorse that view, but few officials would dispute that the Russian operation was intended to harm Clinton's candidacy by leaking embarrassing emails about Democrats. The latest intelligence said to show Putin's involvement goes much further than the information the U.S. was relying on in October, when all 17 intelligence agencies signed onto a statement attributing the Democratic National Committee hack to Russia. The statement said officials believed that "only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities." That was an intelligence judgment based on an understanding of the Russian system of government, which Putin controls with absolute authority. Now the U.S has solid information tying Putin to the operation, the intelligence officials say. Their use of the term "high confidence" implies that the intelligence is nearly incontrovertible. |
Spoilers for The Ides of March to follow. Your background is in politics. Were the people you'd worked with concerned when they heard you were writing a play on this subject? A lot of them didn't even know I was a playwright, and I didn't work on any campaigns thinking, "Oh, I'm going to use this for some kind of material." I worked on the campaigns because I believed in the candidates, and I wanted to see them get elected. And I was so obscure and unknown as a writer. I don't think anyone was shaking in their boots if they heard I was writing a play about it. Let's talk about adapting the play for the screen. How did your co-writers, George Clooney and Grant Heslov, first come to the project? When I first wrote the play in 2004, I sent it to about 40 theaters across the country on my own. I didn't have an agent at the time. Months and months and months went by. A lot of them didn't even respond at all, and those who did said "thanks but no thanks." So I figured "all right, this isn't the one," and put the play back on the shelf. Why did you take it off the shelf again? I teamed up with my current agent, and he read my work and wanted to send it out. I said, "Good luck. Maybe you'll have better luck than I did." And he did. I think part of it was the fact that an agent was sending it out, and part of it was it was getting close to two years out until the 2008 presidential election. Politics was in the air, it was a very important election for obvious reasons, we were at war. And I'd like to think a little bit of it had to do with the play connecting with readers, and people actually liked it. So at that time you weren't trying to make it as a film? I first teamed up with Jeff Richards, who produced Spring Awakening and Homecoming. He came out to lunch with me and said, "I want to put your play on Broadway." So boldened by that, we sent out the play to L.A. I don't know exactly how—I still haven't been able to figure it out—but somehow it made it into the hands of the folks at Warner Brothers. I got that fairytale phone call from my agent one day: "Look, Warner Brothers wants to option your play into a movie, and by the way, George Clooney and Leo DiCaprio's companies want to produce. How does that sound?" I probably didn't respond with actual words—I think it was more like sounds. Were you brought on to the adaption right away? Was it always the idea you'd adapt your own play? Yes. That was part of the deal from the beginning. We said that right away. My agent said, "Beau would like to adapt it," and they said, "Great, we want him to." That's also another rare thing. I wrote the first few drafts of the screenplay, and then George decided he wanted to direct the movie. And when he directs movies, he always likes to have a hand in the script. So I turned my screenplay over to George and his writing partner, Grant, and they did a few drafts. |
We decided to terminate our contract with Jordan "Leviathan" Thwaites after our disappointing performance in the playoffs. The results and more importantly the development of our team over the course of the Spring split are overall unsatisfactory. As of now, we have not found a suitable replacement, therefore finding a new Head Coach is our primary goal during the mid-season. We would like to thank Jordan for his efforts and we wish him luck in his future endeavours. Read: LCS EU Spring'15 Finals It is valid to note that our loss in the playoffs came down to questionable decision making in certain scenarios, as well as individual misplays. Having said that, we have faith in our players' ability to compete with the top European teams and achieve the ultimate goal of qualifying for Season 5 World Championship. Dmitry "Moo" Sukhanov, Team Manager: "Today we bid farewell to our Head Coach, who was in charge of our team throughout an entire Spring split. Our decision was based on our results at IEM Katowice, regular part of the season and the playoffs, as well as individual conversations with our players. We believe that Jordan had a successful start as a Head Coach of our team, but in the past couple of months he lost his interest and was dedicating more and more time to his image in social networks, instead of working with our team. Our players are as professional as one can get, therefore they require the same level of commitment from their support staff. We want our coach to be not only sociable and capable of resolving conflicts – tasks Jordan had coped with well, but also be a self-motivated specialist with organizational capabilities, extensive LoL game knowledge and an ability to set his priorities straight." |
Iran protestors stone Saudi consulate Tehran - Hundreds of Iranians have stoned the Saudi consulate in the north-eastern city of Mashhad to protest the killing of Shi'ites in Bahrain, a local daily reported. Nearly 700 people gathered outside the consulate on Friday in protest at "the killing of Muslims in Bahrain" by Saudi and Emirati military forces, the Khorasan newspaper said on its website on Saturday. The government of Bahrain, supported by troops and armoured vehicles from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has declared martial law and rounded up dissidents at gunpoint in midnight raids. Four protesters have been killed during the violent crackdown this week. Despite the heavy presence of security forces protecting the consulate, the angry protesters smashed the consulate windows and chanted slogans against Saudi Arabia and its king, Abdullah. Support Khorasan said police fired tear gas to disperse the angry demonstrators, who still managed to "pull down the consulate's sign and hoist the Bahraini flag at the top of its gate". Elsewhere, thousands of Iranians marched in Tehran after Friday prayers in support of the revolts rocking Bahrain, Libya and Yemen. They chanted "Death to America", "Death to Israel" and "The Saudis are committing crimes and the US supports them", according to state television. International pressure is mounting on Bahrain to exercise restraint and ensure the safety of opposition leaders arrested during a violent crackdown on month-old pro-democracy protests. Iranian officials have severely criticised the violent crackdown , as well as the dispatch of Saudi and Emirati troops there to help confront Shi'ite-led protests. Predominantly Shi'ite Iran has also recalled its ambassador from Bahrain, a tit-for-tat move after Manama slammed Tehran for "blatant interference" in the Gulf kingdom's internal affairs and recalled its envoy. |
[D]uring the meeting this week a few interesting tidbits have made their way to us through the Great Firewall. Most are trivial (did not know: the Lightning connector is waterproof!) but one big one is not. According to our source at the event, Apple intends to make compliance with its supplier code of conduct a condition of MFi licensing. [...] Pushing it out to the larger accessory ecosystem would be a concrete example of Apple using its 800-pound-gorilla status in the consumer electronics space to influence more companies to behave ethically on worker rights, environmental issues and more. As we noted several weeks ago, Apple scheduled a meeting with members of its Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad (MFi) program for November 7-8 in Shenzhen, China to brief them on the latest developments with the new Lightning connector standard. With Apple having moved rather slowly to bring accessory manufacturers up to speed, Lightning-equipped accessories have been slow to appear and it was not until this week that the first official Lightning products were even announced TUAW now reports on a few details that have leaked out of the meeting, including the fact that the Lightning connector is waterproof and that all MFi accessory manufacturers must agree to abide by Apple's supplier responsibility code The report notes that details on requirements for adherence to the code and potential penalties are not yet known, and speculates that U.S.-based accessory companies may have an advantage in compliance with stricter controls already in place. |
The components are pretty simple, so why does the EpiPen cost so much? Boston mom Denise Clark has been buying EpiPens annually for the past 16 years, ever since her son was diagnosed with a serious peanut allergy. Problem is, he won’t carry his EpiPen around with him — because it won’t fit into his pocket. “It’s large and it’s impractical,” Clark said. “Where’s he going to put it?” This underscores a simple truth: EpiPens just aren’t that great. advertisement They’re reliable, sure. They’ll buy a patient who’s in the midst of a severe allergic reaction a few crucial minutes to make his way to the hospital. But they’re also bulky. Their epinephrine solution isn’t particularly shelf-stable, and will easily degrade in temperatures that are too low or too high. They expire after about a year. And they’re not so user-friendly. Though EpiPens come with a practice kit, users in the midst of an allergy attack have mistaken which end’s the pointy end — and stabbed their thumbs instead of their thighs. The devices have come under fire in the past month for their escalating sticker price: a pack of two EpiPens now lists for $608. Mylan, which owns the EpiPen brand (though the device itself is actually manufactured by Pfizer) notes that it redesigned the product in 2009, added features including the flip-top case, and is “investing substantial amounts in research into additional improvements, such as a formulation with a longer shelf life.” But critics say Mylan has little incentive to improve EpiPens: “If you’re the monopolist, and you’ve got a product that expires every year, and it’s not super easy to carry around so the safest thing to do is have several tucked away in different places — I don’t see why there would be any pressure to innovate,” said Nicholson Price, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan Law School who studies health care regulation and patent law. “EpiPen’s flaws seem like features, not a bug,” Price said. Competitors have tried to make runs at the EpiPen. And more are trying now that there’s such a spotlight on the product. But it’s unclear if anything can displace the familiar auto-injector with the bright orange cap. Here’s why: 1. Mylan has patent protection that lasts through 2025 Epinephrine, as a drug, was first synthesized more than a century ago. It’s been used for various medical applications since then, and was first packaged in an auto-injector (to protect soldiers against chemical warfare) back in the 1970s. But Mylan has a lock on the particular EpiPen design that millions of patients, parents, and school nurses have come to trust. The company’s main innovation has been a bright orange cap that covers the needle, but releases automatically when a patient pushes an EpiPen against her thigh, so there’s no need to stop and unscrew the cover in the midst of an allergy attack. The very fact that the EpiPen has been dominant for so long makes it hard for challengers to come in with a radically different design. (Mylan is now pledging to make a generic version, which it says will be identical except for the label.) “If you’re a parent, and your child’s suffering from an allergic reaction, you have to give them an injection — and don’t want to read the instructions in that moment,” said Matthew Allen, head of drug delivery for Cambridge Consultants. “You just have to know how to use it.” Allen’s work at Cambridge Consultants centers around designing other forms of auto-injectors. He said the Food and Drug Administration has rules to standardize the way these life-saving devices work. Those rules keep consumers safe. But they also make it difficult to come up with design that can meet the standards — without infringing on Mylan’s patent. “It would not be very difficult to create an EpiPen product, in terms of engineering,” Allen said. “It’s not rocket science. It’s purely the patent that stops us.” 2. There’s no room for error when you’re treating anaphylaxis Chris Stepanian is CEO of Windgap Medical, a Boston startup that’s been working on a next-generation epinephrine auto-injector for the past five years. Windgap’s device is meant to improve upon the EpiPen: It’s supposed to be smaller, about the size of a Bic lighter, with a much more stable formulation of epinephrine intended to survive in a pants pocket without getting overheated. But that’s proving easier said than done. Stepanian said he’s at least a few years away from bringing his newfangled auto-injector to market. Though EpiPen components look pretty basic, Mylan notes that it is made up of 26 parts and must be able to deliver the drug with a sterile needle within seconds. Stepanian agrees that it’s more complicated than it seems at first glance: “It’s really challenging to make a reliable auto-injector — and surprisingly hard to make a combination drug product,” he said. “It’s a tough thing to nail down the drug supply chain, the plastics and design, and then incorporate that all together, and put the drug inside it — and then regardless of how the user uses it, get the appropriate dose within the acceptable limits of the FDA,” Stepanian added. “At least Mylan and Pfizer have done a good job of making a pretty reliable one.” One EpiPen alternative that did make it to market: The Auvi-Q, an epinephrine auto-injector shaped like a bulky credit card. But Sanofi recalled the devices last year over concerns that patients weren’t getting the correct dose every time. It returned the commercial and marketing rights to Kaleo, from whom it licensed the auto-injector in 2009. A representative from Kaleo said that it’s “in the process of evaluating when and how” to bring the Auvi-Q back to the market — but Sanofi is no longer involved. 3. It doesn’t take an auto-injector to get epinephrine into the body — but it sure helps In the wake of the recent outrage at Mylan, Los Angeles-based MannKind Corporation announced it’s developing an inhalable form of epinephrine. “We could make something very tiny, that you could carry on a keychain — much smaller than an EpiPen or auto-injector by far,” MannKind CEO Matthew Pfeffer said. MannKind already has an inhalable insulin product, called Afrezza, on the market, which gives diabetics an alternative to injections. But it’s proved exceedingly tough to get patients to switch from a format of insulin intake they’re familiar with to an inhaler. Sales have been far below expectations. The same problem could stymie an epinephrine inhaler, especially since one of the frightening features of an anaphylactic attack is that the airways constrict — which, in theory anyway, could make it hard for a patient to use the inhaler in a moment of crisis. 4. The regulatory process is slow and expensive A lot of the challenge lies in the regulatory system, said Mark Baum, CEO of San Diego-based Imprimis — a compound pharmaceutical company that’s working on a cheaper alternative to the EpiPen. It can take a long time, and a lot of money, to get FDA approval for a new product. “The only time it makes economic sense to take the risk of going through these clinical trials is when you have a situation like this,” Baum said. “But when the market was more normalized — when the EpiPen was only retailing around $100 — competitors questioned whether it was worth taking that risk.” Public anger at EpiPen is so high right now that Baum figures it is worth taking the risk. Imprimis has had its eyes on the epinephrine auto-injector market for about two years now; it’s finally going to go for it. “We’re just focused on being that competition,” he said. 5. The public hasn’t spoken (loud enough) Denise Clark, whose son has that peanut allergy, is a consultant with Boston MedTech Advisors. She helps medical device companies with design, market analysis, and regulatory strategy. But though she works in the field every day, she says she never even thought much about the flaws of the EpiPen design — or the lack of innovation — until the product started hitting headlines. “It’s something that’s always been irritating to me, but not to the point that I’ve looked at it closely — until I had to start paying all this money,” Clark said. Granted, the Federal Trade Commission has been fielding complaints about Mylan’s pricing for years, and complaints about the device’s clunkiness are no secret. But since the EpiPen is generally covered by insurance, many customers have simply gone with it. That means there’s been little pressure from the paying public for innovation. “I guess Mylan’s motto is, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’” Clark said. “They have such a monopoly, so why would they bother improving the EpiPen?” This story has been updated to include comment from Mylan. |
Management responded Tuesday night with its own statement, saying, "The FWSO is extremely disappointed and surprised that the musicians rejected that agreement and voted tonight to authorize a strike that benefits no one ... To be clear, the FWSO does not want a work stoppage, but it also has an obligation to operate the orchestra in a fiscally responsible manner. We cannot allow a threat from the union to coerce us into fiscal irresponsibility." There was that little matter of the entire orchestra needing to vote on the negotiated contract. And indeed, the musicians voted Sunday night to, in the words of the union, "reject a concessionary contract offer" from the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association. Stewart Williams, president of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 72-147, added this: "The rejected four-year agreement included substantial cuts in annual income for the musicians in its first three years -- ranging from a 7.5 percent cut in year one to a two percent cut in year three. By the fourth year of the agreement, musicians' income would still be more than five percent below what the musicians earned in 2010." |
Russia’s seizure in international waters of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, the arrests, refusal of bail and charges of piracy for activists and crew alike has provoked worldwide outrage. But what are the reasons for Moscow’s heavy-handedness; and why has the official western response been so muted? The young girl with long hair stands behind the bars, holding on to them and occasionally breaking down into tears. Her lawyer gives her a bottle of drinking water, but the woman guard grabs it and takes it away from her…These pictures of the Greenpeace campaigner, Faiza Oulahsen, who was arrested on that day two months ago, have come to symbolise the case against Greenpeace. The young girl with long hair stands behind the bars, holding on to them and occasionally breaking down into tears. Her lawyer gives her a bottle of drinking water, but the woman guard grabs it and takes it away from her…These pictures of the Greenpeace campaigner, Faiza Oulahsen, who was arrested on that day two months ago, have come to symbolise the case against Greenpeace. Almost a month has elapsed since the Greenpeace volunteers tried to board the Prirazlomnaya oil platform. This was just one in a long line of memorable Greenpeace protests: from occupying the Shell Brent Spar oil platform in 1995 to flying a paraglider over the French nuclear power station Bugey last year. Unlike these other protests, however, this protest has escalated into a dramatic head-to-head with Russian authoritarianism. The government seems determined, as it was with Pussy Riot, to make an example out of the Greenpeace protesters. The arrests were highlighted in a loud propaganda campaign on TV and state media. It was claimed that the Greenpeace protest was financed by the US State Department, bragging that ‘at last Russia had taken the Greenpeace eco-blackmailers down a peg or two’, and maintaining that ‘their battle is not with Gazprom Oil & Gas, but with Russia itself…’ Polling data shows 60% of Russians approve of their government’s action and 8% consider it too lenient. And the campaign seems to be working. VTsIOM (Russian Centre for Studying Public Opinion) data shows that 60% of Russians approve of their government’s action and 8% consider it too lenient. Moreover, two-thirds of Russians are convinced that any attempts by foreign ecological organizations to halt Russian development of the Arctic should be stopped. It’s almost as if, with this huge propaganda campaign, Russia is preparing for a new cold war with the West. Greenpeace has 12 active campaigns in Russia: from forest fires to the protection of Lake Baikal. It has organised a great number of protests and many people have have been inconvenienced by them. So why, then, have the security services waited until now to react, and react so forcefully? The precursor The Prirazlomnaya protest is not, by the way, the ecologists' first encounter with the FSB. A year ago Greenpeace activists somehow managed to chain themselves to an oil rig, staying there for fifteen hours. Igor Podgorny, who took part in the protest, recalls how the radio interceptors picked up rig operatives, coastguards and the FSB shouting, swearing and panicking... Like the shocking pictures of the Pussy Riot girls before her, the image of Faiz Oulahsen behind bars is a PR disaster for the Kremlin (c) Igor Podgorny/Greenpeace 'You could hear them on the platform, alternately trying to get through to the coastguards, asking what they should do, yelling ‘flush them off into the sea’, or swearing that we would drown and they would be held accountable… there was general panic and confusion.' ‘Revenge is only one possible explanation for why the ‘Arctic 30’ have ended up in remand prison; the reality is that no one knows the real reason.’ The coastguards never did show up, so the platform operatives spent several hours trying to get the activists off the rig and into the water. They turned fire hoses on them and showered them with metal objects. The activists' suspended tents were ripped off; one person's helmet was smashed by a piece of iron; and the protest had to be stopped for safety reasons. Eventually, the protesters returned to the Arctic Sunrise. The border guards were prepared for the next attempt. Igor Podgorny is sure that this time everyone on Prirazlomnaya knew exactly what kind of ‘pirate’ ship was approaching the platform and what to expect. They were ready and it was payback time. But revenge is only one possible explanation for why the ‘Arctic 30’ have ended up in remand prison; the reality is that no one knows the real reason. ‘An integral part of Russia’ President Putin has had his say following the arrest. 'It’s obvious Greenpeace aren’t pirates’, he noted. ‘But formally speaking, they tried to seize an oil platform. And our law enforcement agencies and coastguards didn't know who might have been attempting to board the rig under the auspices of Greenpeace.' It was an unexpectedly mild comment that gave Greenpeace activists cause for optimism, and many expected that the ecologists would soon be released. Alas, the President’s words do not seem to have counted for much. In all only two government departments have commented on the arrests. The FSB stated that in conjunction with other security services it was preparing to take 'coordinated measures to ensure the safety of the platform crew and the defence of Russia's interests in the Arctic region.' At the same time, Vladimir Markin from the Russian Investigative Committee has declared that 'such actions are not only a violation of our country's sovereignty, but a threat to the ecological safety of the whole region.' This seems to be the key to understanding Russia’s aggressive reaction towards the Greenpeace protesters. 'Whether they knew it or not, it was not Gazprom that the activists were attacking, but the state,' says Irina Borogan, an expert on Russian security services and deputy editor of the site Agentura.ru. ‘Gazprom, Lukoil and Rosneft are strategically important companies whose business interests are equated with the national interests of the country. The state identifies with these corporations, so to attack them is to attack the Kremlin.' Greenpeace location data showing the Arctic Sunrise in international waters (more than 12 nautical miles from the coast). On 27 September an interesting piece of information appeared in the Russian media. Andrei Patrushev, a former FSB officer and son of the influential Secretary to Russia's Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, had been made Vice President of Gazprom Dobycha Shelf, a Gazprom subsidiary. According to Irina Borogan, the children of security service officers are often appointed managers in oil companies. ‘It’s a cushy number as well as being a way of controlling big business,’ she says. ‘Oligarch capitalism and the security services are very closely linked, and Gazprom needs Andrei Patrushev – for his connections with the Presidential Administration, rather than the security services. This appointment is yet more proof of how important Gazprom is to the Kremlin.’ It subsequently emerged that Andrei Patrushev had taken up his new job some two months before. These appointments often remain secret in Russia and the information about Patrushev had obviously been leaked to journalists. The message was clear: guys, do you have any idea who you’ve attacked? ‘Arresting foreigners was Russia’s way of telling the world to keep its hands off anything Russian’ ‘Arresting foreigners was Russia’s way of telling the world to keep its hands off anything Russian,’ says Borogan. ‘Russia will not countenance demonstrations or peaceful protests. If members of the Russian opposition had protested in this fashion, there is no doubt that they would have ended up in prison. Now the Kremlin is making it clear that foreign passports won’t save you either. Oil and gas sites are OURS and should be left well alone. For Putin the Arctic is of paramount importance: he’s proud of the projects and he is personally outraged that foreigners would encroach upon them in this way.’ Moreover, it would appear that Greenpeace chose a particularly bad moment to initiate this protest. From 3 to 12 September a division of ten warships from the Northern Fleet were passing through the Arctic, led by the nuclear guided-missile cruiser Peter the Great. This was part of the Defence Ministry programme to return Russian troops to the Arctic. The ‘Russian Arctic’ has officially been declared a matter of national security. Thus, from the Russian government’s standpoint, the Greenpeace activists had violated Russia’s sovereignty, crossed the business interests of the security services, and, on top of that, done so at a time when the Arctic was full of atomic icebreakers. Perhaps it isn’t a matter for fifteen years in prison (the sentence for piracy in Russia), but some time in prison seems very likely. A bowl of soup once every three days... The Greenpeace representative in Murmansk sounds sad and unsure. Later, her Moscow colleagues explain that the telephone line is tapped, so she has to watch her words. ‘They’ve increased the temperature in the cells, so it’s warm there now’, says Anna Smirnova, Greenpeace representative in Murmansk. ‘There’s no separate food for the vegetarians, but once every three days they get vegetable soup they can eat…’ She sounds sad and unsure. Later, her Moscow colleagues explain that the telephone line is tapped, so she has to watch her words, and the lawyers for those under arrest try to avoid any contact with journalists. They explain only that they will be appealing to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) about the conditions in which the activists are being held. They say they have a strong chance of winning, but it’s not quite clear how this will help the campaigners, who are currently only able to eat vegetable soup once every three days. That the Murmansk remand prison is no hotel is quite clear without the confirmation of the ECtHR. It’s cold and dirty, letters can only be sent by snail mail (ordinary Russian postal service), and to put through a call to relatives an application has to be lodged in Russian! Video cameras have been installed inside the prison, covering the whole space, including the toilet. For a long time the Finnish activist, Sini Saarela, who has no thyroid gland, was refused her essential medication and the Argentinian consul stood for five hours in the rain outside the Investigative Committee to get permission for a meeting with Miguel Hernan Perez Orzi, an Argentinian citizen. He subsequently travelled the 25km from Murmansk to Severomorsk, only to discover that a special pass was needed to gain entry because it’s a border town. A half-hearted response from the West... There were eighteen nationalities on the Arctic Sunrise. As soon as they had been arrested, eighteen foreign diplomats went on board. Anna Smirnova has said that representatives of Argentina, Italy and the UK are still in Murmansk. Amnesty International and Reporters without Borders may have demanded the immediate release of the ecologists, but the diplomats are still not united. We try to grasp which of the eighteen countries have gone into battle for their detained citizens. The list is not very long ‘Brazil and Argentina have made very strong representations, but in Turkey only the opposition has protested’, says Greenpeace Russia lawyer, Mikhail Kreindlin. Together, we try to grasp which of the eighteen countries have gone into battle for their detained citizens. The list is not very long. Indeed, it would seem that the piracy case is proceeding with the tacit consent of the European Union, and Western nations have not been compelled either to unite or to formulate a single position. One of the main questions now is not only why the Russian authorities have reacted so strongly, but why the countries whose citizens are currently sitting in Murmansk remand prison are not reacting more strongly. Protests against the arrest of the 'Arctic Thirty' by Russian authorities have sprung up across the world yet most governments have remained 'surprisingly' quiet on the subject. Photo (c) Demotix/Rodrigo Garcia At the time of writing, only the Netherlands, under whose flag the Arctic Sunrise sails, have issued a sharp rebuff. Frans Timmerman, Foreign Minister, announced that they would be taking Russia to an international maritime dispute court to challenge the legality of Arctic Sunrise seizure. The case has already been submitted to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Support was subsequently forthcoming from Denmark and Germany. The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine also issued a strongly-worded statement (crew member Ruslan Yakushev is one of those detained). ‘The US Embassy has not made a public statement, but a team has been set up to work on the case,’ says Kreindlin. ‘The Canadian Prime Minister (there are two Canadians amongst the protesters) is the only person to have said that the offenders should be punished, but we are in a conflict with Canada over shale gas and Greenpeace is not popular there.’ Indeed, it has become increasingly clear that Greenpeace is not particularly popular anywhere. Most nations have issues with the ecologists and many would like to see them punished, so this is one of the rare instances when the interests of Russia and the West coincide. Vested interests Another important factor is Gazprom and Rosneft’s offshore oil production partnership with US ExxonMobil, Italy’s Eni and Norwegian Statoil, which means that all these companies have a vested financial interest in increased offshore production. There were no Norwegians on the Arctic Sunrise. Italy’s Foreign Minister, Emma Bonino, called a meeting of EU ambassadors in Moscow, but Italy is also not hurrying to make loud noises about releasing its citizens. Nor is the US. Finnish citizen Sini Saarela can’t count on much help either because Gazprom owns 25% of the Finnish state gas monopoly Gasum Oy, and Lukoil owns 33% of Finnish filling stations. So a dispute is in no one’s interest. There are, however, other suggestions as to why diplomatic reaction has been so feeble. Irina Borogan is sure that a struggle over the ecologists has already begun: ‘The activists have become hostages in an auction,’ she says. ‘They can be used for exerting pressure on the diplomats: don’t do this, don’t support that…I’m sure that negotiations behind closed doors are already happening.’ Political considerations certainly have a part to play, but the foreign diplomats are simply underestimating the problem. They think that two months in pre-trial detention is not so terrible, and the activists will soon be released by the court. Not many people remember that Russian courts acquit fewer than 1% of cases. Anyone who gets into a Russian remand prison can bid goodbye to his or her freedom for a long time. This article was updated on November 12 to remove an inaccurate caption |
Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, called on the Trump administration Monday to consider barring Equifax from entering into any government contracts, the latest in the fallout from the credit reporting firm's massive data breach. The Ohio senator asked the Treasury Department to review whether the firm's breach, which compromised the information of 145.5 million people, could constitute grounds for "debarment," which would prevent the company from winning or renewing contracts with the government. "This simply is not a company that deserves to be trusted with Americans' personal data or taxpayer dollars," Brown wrote in a letter to Treasury debarment official Iris Cooper. His letter argued that the breach shows that Equifax is too out-of-control to be trusted with government contracts. Brown's letter was released shortly after the Social Security Administration contracted with Equifax to help manage an online portal for beneficiaries. Last week, Republicans criticized the IRS for awarding Equifax a short-term contract to protect the confidentiality of taxpayers. The company faced a series of hearings on Capitol Hill to face lawmakers with questions about the breach. |
The title says it all. If you have a Verizon 4G LTE phone, you likely do not have service right now (Is this the 3rd outage this year? ). Well, you may have 3G, but you sure as hell aren’t going to be crushing downloads or streaming movies for a bit. We have heard from a number of readers who have spoken with VZW support reps and the word isn’t all that positive. No word yet on when this will return. Calling support though, isn’t going to get you anywhere. This is one of those that you will have to sit back and wait out. Keep it here as we will update it as we hear anything. Also, if you network comes back on, be sure to drop us a comment. Update 9:00PM: It appears to be back up and running. Update 11:11PM: According to our Twitter timeline and the comments, it’s not up everywhere. Sorry folks, this one is going to be hard to track. I would suggest just continuing to hang out in the comments to see if your area comes back up. Cheers Mike, J, R and T! |
Filed under Day Trips, Photography by mpowell Set along a slope in the mountains of Alto Palancia, Jérica is a beautiful village with an abundance of sights. Easily reachable from Valencia by regional train, it makes an excellent day trip. No more than 200 meters from the railway station (“Jérica-Vivier” on the C5, one stop past Navajas), Jérica has a population of less than 2000 people, but offers plenty to see. The first stop should be to the tourist office, unmissable & found near the entrance to the city walls. Apparently, Jérica is not exactly overrun with tourists — the man working in the office absolutely came to life when we entered, brushing the cobwebs off his shoulder and eagerly launching into his long forgotten art of Advice Giving. The first dated accounts of a settlement in Jérica are from Muslim times, in the 11th Century. The city towers — its most recognizable and impressive landmarks — date from this time. Walking around Jérica means a lot of ascending and descending. The city is small enough to make getting lost nearly impossible, and around nearly every curve, something else impressive reveals itself… an old church, a covered alleyway, a strange Christ icon, an old lady selling olive oil from her window, an ancient gate. It makes for a great couple hours of exploration. Once you’ve had lunch (we enjoyed an excellent €8 menú del día at Tonico), you’ll have the necessary strength to walk up to La Torreta, an abandoned watchtower in need of repair set on Jérica’s highest point. From here, you’ll have an amazing view of the region. To the northwest you can see Viver, a similarly-sized town 2 kilometers away, and an impressive cliff face and valley to the south. A round trip ticket on the Renfe train costs around €8,40. Jérica itself doesn’t demand more than a few hours, but there’s excellent hiking and biking opportunities in the area, as well. In that case, you’d probably want to stay the night. This was a wonderful day trip. I think next time, we’ll be taking our hiking boots — the Alto Palancia area has a lot to offer the intrepid. More images from Jèrica: Jérica’s Official Website |
Teenage Star Witness Against George Zimmerman Has Tweeted About Case, Getting High, And Her "Court Nails" Share Tweet 6/26 UPDATE: Dozens of incriminating posts were deleted last night from the Twitter account of Rachel Jeantel, a female acquaintance of Trayvon Martin. The 19-year-old woman began testifying this afternoon in the George Zimmerman murder trial. The government’s star witness in the George Zimmerman prosecution is a 19-year-old Miami woman who has used her Twitter account to occasionally comment about the murder case and this week tweeted followers a photo of her new manicure with the caption “Court nails.” Rachel Jeantel is expected to soon testify about a phone conversation she had with Trayvon Martin moments before the unarmed teenager was shot to death by Zimmerman on February 26, 2012. Pictured at right, Jeantel, who has been referred to as Martin’s girlfriend, has not been fully identified in advance of her testimony. She has only been referred to in court and legal pleadings as “Rachel,” or, more commonly, “Witness #8.” This afternoon, after TSG sent messages to several of Jeantel’s Facebook friends and Twitter followers, 14 tweets (and 13 linked Twitpic photos) were deleted from Jeantel’s "@MsRachel_94" account. Included in the deleted material were recent posts mentioning her “Court nails” and the time that had passed since Martin’s death (“16months later wowww I need a drink”). One deleted tweet linked to a sexually suggestive series of photos, while another posting included a link to a photo of liquor bottles and the message “Wat will happen I mix everything uhmmmm.” In an April 2012 interview with Florida investigators, Jeantel recalled that a “scared” Martin told her he was being followed by a white man as he walked through a gated community in Sanford, Jeantel contends that she heard Martin ask the man, “Why you following me for?” The “old man,” she added, replied “What you doing around here?” Thereafter, Jeantel claimed, she heard someone “bump” Martin, and “next thing I hear…the phone is shut off.” Prosecutors handling the second-degree murder case want to use Jeantel’s testimony to portray Zimmerman as the aggressor in the confrontation which left the 17-year-old Martin dead from a single gunshot to the chest. Before even taking the stand, Jeantel has caused problems for prosecutors. Earlier this year, government lawyers had to acknowledge that Jeantel lied under oath when she claimed that the reason she did not attend Martin’s funeral was due to a hospitalization. On March 5, when Jeantel’s lie was disclosed during a court hearing, the teenager made a pair of Twitter posts apparently referring to the revelation. “Jus got home n hear wat was going and I’m angry,” she wrote. In her next tweet, Jeantel--who uses the handle "@MsRachel_94"--wrote “remember who cause the funeral to happen keep it 100% Mr. ass hoe.” She added, “damn they p*ssed me off… and I’m sick too “HELL NAW.” In a February 24 tweet, Jeantel appears to reference Martin’s killing nearly a year earlier. “In church wit friends n im jus think bout last year sunday wow I should have been in church the whole day and night omg made lord be with me.” A following tweet noted that “they black ass laugh bout last year…they ass goin to hell for laugh bout that shit.” In other posts that Sunday, Jeantel referred to smoking, drinking, and getting high. “Lol we going to hell for smoke on Sunday I need some more drink,” one tweet noted. A follow-up tweet read, “I hope I dnt hit no one tonight lord plz watch my driving.” On February 26, the one-year anniversary of Martin’s death, Jeantel tweeted, “Omg people calling n praying n shit lol I need a drink smoke and a pray my head killing me right now cannot wait when this day end.” In mid-April, Jeantel--whose Twitter profile photo is captioned “Ms. Diamond”--noted, “Shit always happen when u doin Gud wit life .last year I had to deal wit people dyin n I’m tired of all those shits makin me not think right.” On April 21, she wrote, “I do not know if I want to be a homicide detective u got to tell the family they love one died n shit they crying n shit oh lord I dnt kno.” In posts over the past ten days, Jeantel seems to be preparing for her turn on the witness stand at the Zimmerman trial. On June 16, a list of seven items she posted included the notations “3.get ready for count” and “4.deal with the bull come with it.” It appears that she misspelled “court” in the first item. She also wrote, “7.I’m going need a lot of drinks for dis summer oh lord.” Last Thursday, Jeantel tweeted, “Plz plz lord dnt make me start next week.” On Friday, she linked to a photo of numerous liquor bottles from a tweet that reported, “16 months later wowww I need a drink.” Later that day she wrote, "CNN and HLN is killing me bro.” Both cable networks have been offering extensive coverage of the Zimmerman case, which concluded jury selection last week. In a post Sunday, Jeantel wrote “Court nails” and included a link to a photo (seen at right) showing fingernails with fresh orange polish. On her Facebook page, Jeantel uploaded a photo Sunday showing an empty bottle of Hennessy cognac, along with the caption, “Last drink for the week long ass week too.” According to her Facebook profile, Jeantel attended Miami Norland Senior High School and has “studied criminal justice at Miami University.” As for where she works, Jeantel reported, “My mama n daddy do all the work I just spend it.” |
Nemo alerted me (after in turn being alerted by Calculated Risk) to a recent paper by Thomas Hoenig, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, brilliantly entitled “Too Big Has Failed.” Here is an excerpt: [T]he current path is beset by ad hoc decision making and the potential for much political interference, including efforts to force problem institutions to lend if they accept public funds; operate under other imposed controls; and limit management pay, bonuses and severance. If an institution’s management has failed the test of the marketplace, these managers should be replaced. They should not be given public funds and then micro-managed, as we are now doing under TARP, with a set of political strings attached. You could call this a free market argument in favor of temporary nationalization. Here’s another: [F]or failed institutions that have proven to be too big or too complex to manage well, steps must be taken to break up their operations and sell them off in more manageable pieces. We must also look for other ways to limit the creation and growth of firms that might be considered “too big to fail.” And my favorite: [S]ome are now claiming that public authorities do not have the expertise and capacity to take over and run a “too big to fail” institution. They contend that such takeovers would destroy a firm’s inherent value, give talented employees a reason to leave, cause further financial panic and require many years for the restructuring process. We should ask, though, why would anyone assume we are better off leaving an institution under the control of failing managers, dealing with the large volume of “toxic” assets they created and coping with a raft of politically imposed controls that would be placed on their operations? This is coming from the head of a Federal Reserve member bank, not some blogger working on too little sleep. Calculated Risk speculates about the significance: This strikes me as a break in the ranks, and although Hoenig is speaking for himself (not the Fed), this might indicate a change in direction. The paper is only 15 pages and is very accessibly written. |
IRELAND’S FIRST FGM clinic will open today, with an aim of providing treatment to the almost 4,000 women who have suffered female genital mutilation. The clinic will be Ireland’s first specialist support service for FGM and will be officially opened at an event attended by the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA), AkiDwA – the Migrant Women’s Network, and the HSE National Social Inclusion Office. Some of the blunt and dirty tool used to carry out female genital mutilation (FGM) which were surrendered to Afnet, the anti-female genital mutilation network in Dodoma, Tanzania. Source: PA Archive/Press Association Images The service will be officially opened in the IFPA Clinic, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1 by the Minister of State with Responsibility for Primary Care, Alex White TD. IFPA Medical Director Dr Catriona Henchion said: This service will provide high quality medical and psychological care to the more than 3,780 women and girls in Ireland who have undergone FGM. The first specialist primary care service of its kind in the country, it is a landmark step forward in Ireland’s efforts to address the issue of FGM. What is FGM? FGM “includes procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons”, explains the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO points out that the procedure has no health benefits for girls and women, and can cause severe bleeding and problems urinating. It can also lead to cysts, infections, infertility and complications in childbirth. FGM is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It is usually carried out for cultural, social, or religious reasons and usually without pain relief or proper medical care. More than 125 million girls and women alive today have been cut in the 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East where FGM is generally practiced, says the WHO. It is carried out on young girls, at any stage between infancy and 15. Occasionally, it is carried out on adult women. Is FGM legal in Ireland? FGM was officially made illegal in Ireland in March 2012. The legislation prohibits the practice, but also means that anyone resident in Ireland who takes a girl abroad to have FGM performed on her can be prosecuted in Ireland. The bill had been first proposed by Ivana Bacik. She said at the time: “This is a pressing issue in this country, particularly for migrant women and girls and their families.” The new service is funded by the HSE National Social Inclusion Office and lead by the Irish Family Planning Association, with the support of AkiDwA. |
7:08pm: Morgan can earn over $1MM if he makes the roster and reaches the incentives in his contract, Crasnick reports on Twitter. 6:34pm: Nyjer Morgan has signed a minor league deal with the Indians, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal includes a Spring Training invitation, Crasnick notes. Morgan recently became a client of Team One and Millenium Sports. Morgan played in Japan last year after seeing action in parts of six seasons, putting up a .294/.361/.434 line in 424 plate appearances for the Yokohama Bay Stars. In 2012 with the Brewers, Morgan mustered only a .239/.302/.308 triple-slash in 322 plate appearances. While his last look at the bigs was subpar, however, Morgan did put up OPS marks of over .750 in both 2009 and 2011. At 33, Morgan's legs may not be quite what they once were. He notched 42 and 34 stolen bases over the 2009 and 2010 seasons, respectively, but barely mustered double-digits in his last two seasons of big league action and had just three for the Bay Stars last year. It remains to be seen, also, whether he can continue to add value as a plus defensive center fielder. It could be a tall order for Morgan to break camp with the Indians. Michael Bourn is entrenched in center, and the club already has left-handed bats in Michael Brantley and David Murphy at the corners. |
Returning to the airwaves after the funerals of two murdered NYPD officers, the leader of one of the city’s most influential police unions said that Mayor Bill de Blasio needs to humble himself to heal the glaring rift between cops and City Hall. Edward Mullins, the president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, said a meeting between Mr. de Blasio and the city’s police unions broke down last week because the Democratic mayor would not denounce his ally, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, for wearing an “I can’t breathe” shirt, a symbol of the movement to reform police practices. Mr. Mullins also insisted Mr. de Blasio further angered cops when he reappointed a Brooklyn criminal court judge who set no bail for a teenager accused of threatening police. “The mayor had a golden opportunity last week,” Mr. Mullins told radio host Joe Piscopo on AM 970 The Answer. “The City Council speaker, who was wearing a ‘I can’t breathe’ t-shirt, he was asked if he would denounce her actions of doing that and the sit down that they had at the City Council and he defended it with, ‘They have a First Amendment right.’ She’s not his puppet and she felt very strongly about the grand jury decision.” “What he did was reason her actions. But the question was, ‘Would you denounce her actions?’ And he didn’t answer that,” Mr. Mullins added. Mr. Mullins, a registered Republican and frequent critic of the mayor, said Mr. de Blasio’s decision days later to reappoint Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Laura Johnson, who was criticized for releasing 18-year-old Devon Coley of Brooklyn after he was charged with making terroristic threats on social media, threw more salt in his union’s wounds. “The mayor needs to be humble. He needs to realize that his philosophical view of coming into the role of mayor of New York, [his] personal view is not the view of all eight million people,” Mr. Mullins charged. “And he needs to tone that in a different way, channel it in a different way with some type of an apology.” Mr. Mullins said that Mr. de Blasio—who has infuriated cop unions leaders for supporting anti-police brutality protests, attempting to reform the NYPD and explaining to the public that he has warned his biracial son about interacting with police—must understand that his rhetoric is being perceived as anti-police. Mr. Mullins’ union and the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association are also locked in contract negotiations with City Hall. “His actions need to demonstrate his belief that he is a supporter of the police and not just through words,” he said. Mr. de Blasio’s office did not immediately return a request for comment. |
Coming Soon Tales of the City Middle-aged Mary Ann returns to San Francisco and the eccentric friends she left behind. Based on Armistead Maupin's books and starring Laura Linney. Living with Yourself A man who's burned out on life and love undergoes a mysterious treatment, only to find that he's been replaced by a better version of himself. Huge In France Famous comedian Gad Elmaleh moves to LA to reconnect with his son and must learn to live without the celebrity perks he's accustomed to in France. Virgin River After seeing an ad for a midwife, a recently divorced big-city nurse moves to the redwood forests of California, where she meets an intriguing man. No Good Nick A family finds their lives turned upside down when a young, street-smart grifter shows up on their doorstep, claiming to be a distant relative. Sharkey The Bounty Hunter Bounty hunter Sharkey tracks criminals across the galaxy in his converted, rocket-powered ice-cream truck -- with help from his 10-year-old partner. Invisible Cities While investigating a murder, a detective is drawn into a battle between the visible world and an underground realm inhabited by mythical creatures. Messiah When a man in the Middle East appears to be performing miracles, a rift breaks out over whether he's the Messiah or a fraud in this suspenseful drama. |
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