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“Project Ahura” is the world’s first all-wheel-drive four-rotor FD Mazda RX-7, and it’s exactly as insane as you’d expect it to be. It was built from a car that YouTuber Rob Dahm had since he was a teenager, and he’s here with a tour of everything under the hood that makes it work. Rotaries—even four-rotor ones—tend to be small, but fitting this build in with an all-wheel-drive drivetrain was a unique challenge that Dahm explains. Garrett’s largest ball-bearing turbo is nearly half the size of the engine, for one. The suspension design was based on Ken Block’s insane Hoonicorn. Dahm says the car ultimately cost several hundred thousand dollars to build, complete with the professionally-built custom 2.6-liter four-rotor engine that was shipped from New Zealand. The ham-fisted jamokes at UPS lost it for months. Bonus: the car was assembled in NHRA hall-of-famer and rotary guru Abel Ibarra’s shop, which has plenty of eye candy of its own. |
This post is a transcript of Around The ‘Verse – Episode 2.04, material that is the intellectual property of Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) and it’s subsidiaries. INN is a Star Citizen fansite and is not officially affiliated with CIG, but we reprint their materials with permission as a service to the community. INN edits our transcripts for the purpose of making the various show participants easier to understand in writing. Enjoy! Around The ‘Verse – Episode 2.04 – Incomplete Transcripts Empire Report – Anti-Xi’An Angst – Bananas. Have we eaten our last one? – Original Systems kicks off A-com, an Arena Commander competition. 01:25 – Intro SG: hey everybody welcome back to Around the Verse I’m Sandi Gardiner. BL: I’m Ben Lesnick SG: This week on the ATV Interview Tom sits down with vehicle artist Paul Dalessi to talk about working at Foundry 42. BL: And we take a Behind the Scenes look at the process behind Star Citizen Alpha 2.0 demo you all saw at CitizenCon. But first Sandi’s home! SG: Sandi is home and I had a great time in the UK; CitizenCon was awesome; first time I’ve ever received a standing ovation for anything. BL: I’ll [something something] one right now [something something] SG: It was kind of overwhelming. I got lots of flowers and compliments and … BL: You’re not resigning right? SG: No, there’s no resigning. Can you imagine you start an event and say “Hey everybody, welcome to the event, let’s have a good time. I’m resigning.” BL: The important question we have here is “What was the food like?” SG: What was the food? I’ didn’t actually get to eat any food, I was so busy that I didn’t even see what the food was. I think I maybe had one shrimp, crumb shrimp but I didn’t really get a chance. SG: Big developments on the road to Star Citizen Alpha 2.0, patch 1.3 is currently available on the PTU. BL: 1.3: it’s their steam merge version so it’s a big deal under the hood. We’ve also added a couple of new weapons and so on to the release that you can play around with. Starting this last weekend on the PTU we are making specific ships, weapons and so on available for free so people can test them and give their feedback without having to spend REC or UEC to unlock them. So this last week we unlocked the Cutlass and the Hornet, as well as the new weapons, so if you are on the PTU go out and test those! SG: Also our concept sale for the Aegis Sabre is now over and everybody seems to have really liked it. It sold like hot potatoes! BL: Yes! Yes it did. The Sabre is our new medium fighter. It’s midway between the Gladius and the Hornet, not quite as heavily armoured as the horned but it has more maneuverability and better speed. And we’re excited to put it into the game. Fast track for that so you’ll be seeing more of the Sabre in the not too distant future. SG: And now let’s check in with News from Around the Verse. 03:44 – News From Around the Verse Santa Monica – Darian Vorlick and Eric Kieron Davis – sent out 1.3.0 PTU on their end. Give them feedback on how balance is. – Gurmukh is working on the P-72 Archimedes concept, the ‘racer’ variant of the Merlin. – It’s a luxury, racer version of the Merlin. More speed, less attack options. – Mark Abent is working on optimizing the Radar system, make it more accurately give feedback. – They found a bug where the pilots head would block the rest of the ship from being detected by the radar, so they’re optimizing things like that. Make it more streamlined and tactile. 6:00 – Austin – Jason Hutchins – Jake Ross is on a short vacation, so we get Jason Hutchins. – No more Denver updates because Illfonic has finished their part of the work. They’ve got some new projects though. Check out their link for Friday the 13th the game. – in Austin, teams are working on SC 1.3, which went to PTU and is updating more constantly. – Concept artists are working more on clothing lines and props. Some of those’ll be visible in jump point. – Also working on hairstyles, Million Mile High club, animations for SC 2.0, the female locomotion set (which should wrap up and start testing in a few weeks) – Jason’s now going to go playtest FPS more. 7:40 – F42 UK – Mike Snowdon and Adam Stephens – Mike has been working on ship damage effects, specifically iterating on the effects, trying to theme explosions and damage based on ship manufacturers. – Tali and Connie have different styles of explosions. Getting that working nicely. – Adam’s been tasked with doing environmental and ambient interior effects for interiors we’ll explore on the AC 2.0 release. Anything that would make the environments look different; thematic to the state of the environment. – Can give mood – dust, clean environments, stuff like that. 9:15 – Frankfurt – Brian Chambers and Jason Cole – Lots of the team is working on optimizations, working on keeping code clean and responsive. – More work on procedural planet tech. Not sure when we’ll see it first, but they’re making good progress on atmospherics as far as when you’re coming into the planet. – AI’s done some stuff, supporting AI code in zone systems, working on extending AI ship nav so they can dynamically navigate around asteroids and such. – Jason will talk about the Bishop speech from Cit Con – Cinematic team did a great job on that. The level still isn’t final, it was a testing ground for the AI systems and animations, so it’ll keep growing. – Lots of the work they did created the foundation that allowed characters simultaneously with body, face, audio, etc… – Now it’s going and growing. Lots of stuff they couldn’t even show at Cit Con, but there are layering animations on top of AI and such. Lots of extra stuff. Fan Video – The Twilight Zone 13:02 – Interview with Paul Dalessi MH: Thanks guys! I’m here today with Paul Dalessi from foundry 42 UK. Paul is a vehicle artist here, how are you going man? PD: I’m doing good, it’s good to be here MH: Yeah It’s good to see you again actually, we have a bit of a similar tie to CIG is that we both got started on the next great starship, I worked as a camera operator on that show. You PD:I was a contestant MH: A contestant, more than a contests, you were on the 4 horsemen, the winning team! PH: Yes I was! MH: What was like that? PD: A lot of fun, very intense, a lot of hard work, quite a rewarding experience MH: Thirty thousand dollars rewarding huh? Did you buy anything cool with prize money? PD: Actually I bought an Oculus Rift dev kit. MH: Very nice, cool! and so now here you are, basically you started out doing it for that thing which was a contest doing it for fun so to speak, here you are making a living, working, helping us make spaceships, what’s that transition been like PD: For me specifically it wasn’t that much of a transition because I’ve been working in this industry for almost a decade at this point. Previous to doing the next great starship I wrapped up working on Ryse. After that what happened what me and a friend wanted to do a bit of a collaborating personal project, we decided we wanted to make a spaceship sort of thing. At the same time the next great starship popped up so we figured we might as well do that and that’s it, the rest is history. MH: Wow, that’s super cool man! So now you’ve been here how long? PD: At this point I’ve been here about 6 months MH Okay, and what are you working on now? PD: Right now I’m working on taking the Vanguard to hangar ready, MH: Oh cool! So you know we just had seen some concept work for the Vanguard, Gurmukh was seeing in Santa Monica get done and it’s just amazing looking artwork, so can you tell me what’s it like taking a ship from a concept phase, getting it to you and starting to make it flyable/hangar ready. PD: In the case of the Vanguard specifically, i was given the 3D concept mesh that Gurmukh made. But usually the concept mesh is really built for the sake of making the pretty picture and it’s not built to be able to work in a game environment. so what I’m doing is I’m rebuilding the ship from the ground up for the game specifically so it can run efficiently in the game MH: Do you work closely then with the design team at this point as well in making sure that how we’re building it for the engine how we’re building it for the game, fits with kind of the design of the gameplay elements? PD: Exactly, there’s also of course game gameplay considerations that may or may not have been taken into account in the concept mesh. Some elements might be swapped around to make more sense in the game, simple placement like the engineering console, where the chair into the turret is going to be, how it’s all going to function you know the concept is great it really is but somethings just need to undergo redesigning to be functional in the game environment. MH: Right so even the concept is what it is, it’s the starting point, it’s not finished until it’s in the game and everything kind of has different, right. PD: Yes, exactly MH: Alright so before I let you go, one last question I want to ask you. What’s going on with the Redeemer? PD: The Redeemer is actually in the pipeline to be upgraded properly because the original Redeemer was made to look good in a video. It’s not the greatest ingame mesh in that sense so it will get you know a makeover at some point and I’m probably going to be the person that’ll have to do it. MH: Well you know it best right? PD: Yes MH: Right on, well thanks for sitting down and talking a little bit with me today it was really nice to see you again after all this time, this once again Paul Dalessi, vehicle artist at Foundry 42 UK. PD: Glad to be here MH: Back to you guys. 19:16 – Behind the Scenes: Alpha 2.0 RJ: Hi, my name’s Ricky Jutley and I work as a project manager here at Foundry 42. My role on Star Citizen Alpha 2.0 was Lead Producer and I’m here to talk to you about how we delivered Star Citizen Alpha 2.0 at CitizenCon. RJ: When we started thinking about all the things we wanted to do for CitizenCon, one of the things we’re thinking is “we’re building up all these features, why don’t we actually get something together for CitizenCon that’s going to be a demo that’s going to showcase all the cool stuff that we eventually want to deliver to the backers in their hands in game. Part of that was just getting together a lot of Chris’ vision and having that interpret all the way down to the designers; the artists, global lead artists that is; coders and necessary leaders of the disciplines that will actually put that stuff together. Marrying with our content complete dates that we are trying to aim for as well we were tying in the necessary high level beats that reach into the demo and my main role is to get those beats together and make sure all the disciplines on a global basis were working towards their unified breakdown goals so that we could deliver that demo to the backers on the event. LP: Straight away we were running into the limitations of the editor. The editor is not built to do the huge coordinates we are working with now. And those were just arbitrarily capped values that Crytek had put in because they only expected developers to be making small, well relatively small, maps. So we had to knock all those caps off straight away in order to reach the billion metre play-space we have at the moment. DS: Because we always try and push as much in as we can, there’s always a risk that you end up breaking things. JG: And we were pushing, pushing, pushing so much that what’s going on in your mind is “what if I’ve missed something out, what if one little element in there I forgot to check in or I forgot to double check?” What if one of the guys runs through and there’s a bit of collision missing on the floor and suddenly he’s falling through into space. That sort of thing can really affect the demo, a live demo like that. Going through my mind is “hoping, hoping, hoping everything’s tight and everything works well”. IL: Now, there’s a fair amount of content in there. The playable area is big. Now one of the main challenges from that is just how do you create that much artwork in a short space of time? LB: I guess one of our biggest challenges from doing a demo like this, is the fact that we deal with an awful lot of change happening right up until the demo comes out. When it gets up against it, our deliverable, I find myself wearing lots of different hats so I’m not just being and audio director, I’m also helping out everyone with technical issues with whatever they are doing . SR: With all this large world technology that we’ve been developing, the way we develop levels is interesting because we have to create a level and then we export that level to a prefabricated part of the level which is something like a space station or even just the module of a space station. GC: As a deadline like that looms you have some many big requests coming where people want staff for Task A, Task B, Demo Run 1, 2, 3, 4; show the designers this part of the game. It’s just being able to sit there with the guys and say “right this is really important, we need to manage our time efficiently; we need to do this, we need to do that, we need to talk to production and just essentially trim out of doing”. In a way just really efficient time and staff management. ZC: You would see me running round the studio, following up issues, trying to make sure people are working on the highest priority issues so we could fix the big bugs, unblock dev so they can carry on working; communicating with the studios to make sure we get the hand offs because we’ve really had contributions from all studios to get that to the place we wanted it to be. IL: It was a fairly big technical challenge and that was pretty much our highest goal to achieve. LP:: So art would do their bit and then I’d have to go in and make sure you could actually EVA through it without getting stuck in pipes or everything they did looked to the player interactable if it needed to be. NE: We’ve got dozens and dozens of features that were all in different states, some in a very early state, but so important to get them into the hands of the community to start getting feedback at an early stage. It was concentrating on making sure that the resources were aiming in this direction and we were getting the maximum focus we could in order to get the systems as far along as we could. IL: Everything you see in the large world map is everything from asteroids, to space stations, to moons : there’s a whole load of content in there. And my guys were responsible for creating all of that. SR: Everyone wanted to make feel like a cool place to visit. They’ve just come from this brightly lit, welcoming environment of the station where you start in, where you spawn. And I wanted them to go to this other station and feel a little bit threatened and it’s a really cool place that you’d want to get in and explore as a player. IL: Probably the biggest space station we’ve ever done so far so this is going to be Port Olisar that you see on the map, and it has many different landing pads and many different interiors. The real key is getting that so you can fly on your ship, land on the pad, walk in the airlock and you’ve got all the interior right there. SR: It was .. to get those elements into it for Saturday for that release. We had a lot of things cooking in the oven. GC: Honestly just before it started I was so nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before, I’ve never been on stage before, especially in front of so many people. CG: As it was running I was quite terrified that the ship was never going to come out of quantum travel or travel through a planet. NE: While it was happening, it was panic because I was editing slides with Chris, probably about 5 minutes before we were going on in typical chris style. But you know once we got going it was absolutely elation and pride, everything seemed to go really well, everyone’s reaction was positive DS: It turned out in the end that the game was remarkably stable considering it was a demo for an event, it was very very solid. LB: I come from mostly triple-A development where you’re locked away for years on end and the nall of a sudden the game comes out and it gets nice feedback and stuff, but to be able to actually show what we’re doing in kind of an incremental way like that and get that feedback, it’s a huge boost to what we do, it just gives you a certain amount of crazy energy to do what we’re doing JG: When I sat there and watched it with everyone else live, it was almost like you get to a appreciate the whole thing and the all the work everyone puts into it as well. LP: To see the fans reaction was amazing, I was like, pride was what I felt. CG: I stood beside one of the backers and he seemed really pleased with the presentation. SR:It’s exciting to know we did a better job than before. DS: We all just wanted it to go smoothly, which thankfully yeah, in the end it did. ZC: You feel like that everybody’s hard work has really been recognized and it just makes you really really motivated now get it out there, you know, you want to get it into these backers hands, you want to get people playing it and get everyone as excited as we’ve been just going through it and playing it in the first place. GC: The cheers that went up for half the stuff we did, when adam got out of the ship into EVA and started flying towards the relay. That was unreal, absolutely unreal, just the roar that went up from the crowd, I absolutely loved it. IL: Tears were coming down their eyes because they’re having so much fun, so many interesting things happened NE: When talking to people later on it was such a positive reaction, it was such a buzz for everyone that had been killing themselves practically for a couple weeks running up to it, to get that out there and actually see the results. RJ: It was a very uplifting feeling, been to a lot of events in general so you know not just game events and stuff but that event was very special and I’ll always remember that. *Cuts back to Studio* SG: Thanks to everyone at Foundry 42 for making that demo possible BL: Yeah and it’s important to point out, you guys see a lot of the Santa monica team here because that’s where our community and marketing happens to be. We have 200+ Folks around the world working on Star Citizen at any time SG: So encourage our other staff to get on camera! Because they are a little camera shy, the UK folks and the german folks, so if any of our staff are watching, please become camera friendly, SG: And now it’s time for this week’s MVP! 28:32 – MVP – KingNerd – realistic SC appear maps for captains and pilots. 29:22 – Art Sneak Peek – BAM WOW BAZOOM Ben’s acting. It’s neat. – There’s… something on screen. NO idea what it is. – Also there’s some stuff on Xi’An tech it looks like. Nice image of the Xi’An Scout. – Lots of cool, nifty images. Looks like the whole Xi’An Scout Style Board. Tune in to RtV tomorrow to find out what that Sneak Peek was! |
Image copyright AFP Image caption Gen Franco's dictatorship came to an end in 1975 Spain's Gen Francisco Franco fought a brutal war against democracy with the aid of Hitler and Mussolini and thereafter presided over a regime of state terror and national brainwashing through the controlled media and the state education system. His investment in terror imbued the collective Spanish psyche with a determination never again to undergo such civil conflict or to suffer another dictatorship. That remains the case to this day, exactly 40 years after his death. However, unlike Hitler's Germany or Mussolini's Italy, where external defeat led to denazification processes, there was no equivalent in Spain - and the shadow of his regime still bedevils politics. Franco's vengeful triumphalism had been fostered in the military academies, where officer cadets were trained to regard democracy as signifying disorder and regional separatism. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Colonel Antonio Tejero brandished a gun as he tried to take over Spain's parliament As the dictatorship was rapidly dismantled, some of its senior military defenders did not share the massive political consensus in favour of democratisation and so endeavoured to turn back the clock at several moments in the late 1970s and, most dramatically, in the attempted coup of Colonel Antonio Tejero on 23 February 1981. Death of a dictator Image copyright Getty Images Image caption November 1975: Franco (1892 - 1975) lies in state at the Pardo Palace in Madrid. General Franco, known as El Caudillo (Leader), died on 20 November 1975 In his last message to the nation the dictator said: "I ask pardon of all my enemies, as I pardon with all my heart all those who declared themselves my enemy, although I did not consider them to be so" Prince Juan Carlos was sworn in as King of Spain on 22 November 1975 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Witness: Death of Franco After the defeat of the coup in 1981, the attitudes of the armed forces were changed by Spain's entry into Nato in 1982, which shifted their focus outwards from their previous obsession with the internal enemy. Scarred by the horrors of the civil war and the post-war repression, during the transition to democracy Spaniards rejected both political violence and Franco's idea that, by right of conquest, one half of the country could rule over the other. However, what was impossible in a democracy was a counter-brainwashing. Residual support Moreover, especially in his later years, Franco did not rule by repression alone: he enjoyed a considerable popular support. There were those who, for reasons of wealth, religious belief or ideological commitment, actively sympathised with his military rebels during the civil war. Then, from the late 1950s onwards, there was the support of those who were simply grateful for rising living standards. Although in the many national, regional and municipal elections that have been held in Spain since 1977, openly Francoist parties have never gained more than 2% of the vote, a residual acceptance of the values of the Franco dictatorship can be found in the ruling conservative Popular Party and its electorate. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Pro-Franco nationalists have never attracted much support in Spain since his death Accordingly, no government has ever declared the Franco regime to be illegitimate. It was not until 2007 that the Law of Historical Memory made tentative efforts to recognise the sufferings of the victims of Francoism. Equally slow has been the process of removing the symbols of the dictatorship, the Falangist equivalent of the swastika - its emblem of the yoke and arrows - on church walls, street names commemorating Franco's generals and, above all, the huge basilica and towering cross of the Valley of the Fallen where the dictator is buried. Image copyright AFP Franco's rule 1936: After coup, right-wing military leaders capture part of Spain leading to three-year civil war 1939: Gen Franco leads Nationalists to power, remains neutral in World War Two First decade of rule sees continued oppression and killing of political opponents 20 November 1975: Franco dies; Franco-era crimes pardoned in 1977 under amnesty law 2007: Historical Memory law passed on removing symbols of Franco's rule 2008: Judge Baltasar Garzon investigates disappearance of tens of thousands of people during Franco era Call for removal of Franco's remains from Valley of Fallen UN presses Spain over Franco-era crimes and mass graves Fate of Franco's Valley of Fallen reopens Spain wounds Today, along with the still open wounds of the civil war and the repression, two other shadows of the dictatorship hang over Spain - corruption and regional division. The Caudillo's rigid centralism and its brutal application to the Basque Country and Catalonia had left more powerful nationalist movements there than had ever existed before 1936. The democratic constitution of 1978 enshrined rights of regional autonomy for Catalonia and the Basque Country with which the right has never been comfortable. Mass pressure in Catalonia for increased autonomy met with an intransigence that has fuelled a campaign for independence. Drawing on a residual Francoist centralism, the Popular Party has fomented hostility to Catalonia in particular for electoral gain. The consequent divisiveness, at times bordering on mutual hatred, is one of the most damaging legacies of Francoism. Image copyright AFP Image caption Support for Catalan independence has been fuelled by Madrid's perceived neglect of the region The other is the corruption that permeates all levels of Spanish politics. Needless to say, there was corruption before Franco and corruption is not confined to Spain. Nevertheless, it is true that the Caudillo used corruption both to reward and control his collaborators. Recent research has uncovered proof of how he used his power to enrich himself and his family. In general, the idea that public service exists for private benefit is one of the principal legacies of his regime. It will thus be many years before Spain is free of Franco's legacy. Paul Preston is Professor of Contemporary Spanish Studies at the London School of Economics and leading writer on Franco. Among his books are Franco: A Biography and The Spanish Holocaust |
Great servers can elevate any dining experience. They can make you happier, more at ease and better informed. And, yes, great service can make the food taste better. Each year, I recognize the very best servers I encountered during my 200-plus restaurant visits because service is a crucial part of the restaurant equation, and it is not celebrated nearly often enough. The servers on the list this year and in years past have much in common. They do their homework. They are personable. They understand the importance of their role. Almost all are serious foodies themselves (in fact, two on this list are also restaurant owners). But more than anything, they seem to have an innate ability for making your restaurant visit a memorable one. Not lost on them is the financial correlation: Great servers earn more money. The servers from last year’s list continue to thrive. Jennifer Lambros, a full-time school teacher, was recognized for her work at Magpie Cafe. She is now at Kru. Chloe Henry, whose fine work at Blackbird put her on the 2013 roster, is now working at Mother and Grange. Quinn Farragher? She continues to be awesome at Hook & Ladder. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee Joe Shay, 26, Trick Pony When I returned to the midtown pizzeria Trick Pony in recent weeks to give it a fresh look and possibly elevate the rating, I was thinking about the pizza. Was the crust going to be improved? Would the pizzas be as good as the competition nearby? I was not expecting to be blown away by great service. Joe Shay, who comes from Illinois and has only been in town for a few months, was excellent. He has been waiting tables since he was 17. In a casual setting like this, he was very friendly and upbeat, knowledgeable without being stuffy, prompt and attentive without seeming overeager. An avid foodie himself, Shay is at his best when you ask him about the food. He knows his stuff and believes in what he is doing. “You can cook dinner at home, so people go out to eat and be waited on and be taken care of,” he said. “I really enjoy wine and food, so I really enjoy getting people to try good food.” To Shay, the ideal customer is “somebody who is open to being guided through the menu.” If you’re looking for that kind of elevated experience and are willing to take his recommendations, drop by Trick Pony and ask for Shay. Alexis Johnson, 30, LowBrau Because I also write a beer column called “Beer Run,” I often visit places with great beer lists. LowBrau, where Alexis Johnson works, is one of them. It didn’t take many visits to realize that she’s a skilled server and fount of beer knowledge. Ask her for a recommendation, and she is able to make informed suggestions because she’s clearly put effort into learning about what she’s serving. If you’re a regular, she will probably recall what you drank last time and, if you ask, can steer you to something different. These days, that’s not easy. There are so many breweries, so many styles of beer and so much to know. In this field, Johnson is a true star, and she has made my visits to LowBrau better. “Once you become educated and learn about something, you become more passionate about it,” she said. “People are stoked to drink beer and eat food. I am just helping them do that. It’s super fun. I just imagine myself on the other side of the table and think about what I would want.” Johnson says she hopes to continue to grow as a server in the years ahead. She also waits tables at Centro Cocina Mexicana in midtown, though I did not have the pleasure of encountering her work there. “It was never a career choice for me,” Johnson said of serving. “Now that I am a beer nerd, I absolutely love it. I want to be involved in the Sacramento restaurant scene, and I want to be involved in what (LowBrau owners) Clay (Nutting) and Michael (Hargis) do.” Adam Chaccour, 58, Moxie Adam Chaccour is destined to go down as one of the great people in Sacramento restaurant history. He is not only the owner of one of the city’s most interesting and endearing restaurants, he is the star waiter. For years, he and Bill Curren owned and operated Moxie and gave the place a very special charm. A couple of years ago, Curren stepped away and Chaccour took over. He is arguably the finest waiter in the city. He is so poised and personable. His gentlemanly Lebanese accent only adds to the charm. Moxie is known for its lengthy list of unwritten nightly specials, presented by Chaccour at the table. He is so good, it is practically a performance piece. To my friends, I refer to him as “Mr. Smooth.” “So many people go into this business because they need the money or because it is a stepping stone to something else,” Chaccour said. “There are not many people left like me who are still doing it after 35 years. We are a dying breed.” Let’s hope there are more Chaccours to come, for his presence and his professionalism make the dining experience significantly better. He takes nothing for granted. He is constantly assessing his performance and looking for ways to get better. “Every night I go to bed, and I feel terrible if I think I have failed anyone,” he said. “Every day is like the first day for me. It’s what I do. It’s who I am. It defines me.” Daniella Jankovic, 21, Nagato Sukiyaki Despite her relatively young age, Daniella Jankovic knows this restaurant, which opened 44 years ago, inside and out. “I’ve been eating here ever since I was born. I love the food,” said Jankovic, who is one-quarter Japanese. I enjoyed the way she handled our table during a recent visit. Not only does she know the menu, she has personal insights into – and enthusiasm about – the food that you simply cannot teach. I also appreciated her quirky sense of humor and quick wit, traits she gets from her father, who she says is forever making people laugh. “I always try to break the ice and make some jokes,” she said. Beyond the personality and personal ties to Nagato, Jankovic is a true pro. “The service is what makes the restaurant, besides the food,” she said. “You have to make everyone happy. I always want people to feel like they are at home.” Azziz Belarbi-Salah, 29, Aioli Bodega Espanola The son of the restaurant’s founder, Azziz Belarbi-Salah has poise and knowledge beyond his years. That comes from hanging out with older waiters who embraced European standards of professionalism and who saw their jobs as helping to provide the full expression of the dining experience. Like Chaccour, he is both a server and an owner, meaning what he says carries an extra degree of gravitas. He tells a customer the kitchen can prepare something off menu, he doesn’t have to go ask permission. If you ask him about the wine, he’s the one who tasted it and decided to buy it. “Basically, we all work in service – we’re all in service to people in one way or another,” he said recently while running errands for the restaurant. “I have a hard time imagining doing anything else. This type of interaction is such an integral part of my life.” Belarbi-Salah is personable. He can be funny. He knows every detail about the food. He talks about wine and pairings like the expert he is. In fact, he can talk to you about nearly anything. In every way, having him as your waiter makes the experience at Aioli something special. In order to show his personality, he has to be able to determine what kind of experience each client is seeking. That’s a skill that comes from many years of experience, of seeing what works – and what doesn’t. “There are cues in body language and smiles and everything,” he said. “The clients will give you everything you need to know about how to serve them. In this day and age, the level of formality, the type of humor, changes from table to table.” |
Qualcomm Says It's Fighting For The Little Guy, While Really Blocking Patent Reform That Would Help The Little Guy from the a-bunch-of-crap dept The reason you haven't sued anyone is you have a huge bundle of patents, and you assert them all at once. And the question is, like Clint Eastwood, with a hundred machine guns, 'you might beat one bullet, but are you going to beat them all?' That versus individual pleading of specific claims, is one of the innovative parts of this bill. We want companies to have to say, specifically, what did you infringe, give it with some specificity, 'we've got enough patents, that you're going to infringe something, and if you go down this road of not taking a license, we're going to get you.' That kind of technological omnibus is pretty good when you've got A&T and Qualcomm and Apple and Broadcomm all trading patents. But for the startup, that cannot necessarily afford to buy a portfolio even if they believe they don't fall under it, it can be devastating. Last week at CES, I had the honor of "moderating" a panel on what was next for patent reform , that kicked off with a short speech from US Patent and Trademark Office Director Michelle Lee, who notes that she's the first ever director of the Patent Office to attend CES (which is). Before Director Lee was appointed to the full job, back when she was just the interim director, I noted that she was the first head of the patent office I'd ever seen who seemed to have a more accurately nuanced view of patents, and recognized how in some cases they could be harmful rather than helpful. She's continued to make that clear since taking over the top job full time, and you can see that in her speech. She, unlike so many in government jobs related to copyright or patents, actually pointed out the full Constitutional clause, and how patents need to be for the promotion of progress, and not just "to help inventors get paid."But Lee is a good politician and didn't say anything all that controversial on either side of the debate. The real fireworks came afterwards on the panel discussion itself, where my "moderation" consisted of asking a single question (other than asking the panelists to introduce themselves), after which the panel turned into a somewhat heated argument over the patent system in which I never had a chance to speak until the end when I had to cut things off. The question I asked: what is the one thing that you think most needs to be fixed in the patent system?Three out of the five panelists -- Kate Doerksen, Lee Cheng and Brian Mennell -- represented victims of patent trolls. Kate and Brian both have experienced the perils of being a small startup and getting hit with patent lawsuits that have the potential to destroy their businesses. You can read Kate's story here , in which she's being sued by a large company trying to keep her startup from competing altogether. It's even reached the point where Kate agreed to something of a deal with the devil: Erich Spangenberg . As we've discussed , Spangenberg, who was one of the most aggressive patent trolls, recently shifted his business into being a sort of reverse patent troll, where he makes deals with small companies like Kate's, taking an ownership stake in the company in exchange for "helping" the company deal with patent trolls, usually by seeking post-grant review to invalidate the patents being asserted against the startups.Mennell has the classic patent troll story of running a startup and getting hit by a patent troll that undermines the ability of the company to stay in business (and also notes that the Supreme Court's Alice decision made him lose a business method patent, though he doesn't seem to see that as problematic).Lee Cheng is Newegg's General Counsel, and someone we've covered for years as an aggressive fighter against patent trolls.And yet... down at the end of the panel row was Laurie Self, a top Qualcomm lawyer. Qualcomm has been a longterm fighter against patent reform -- which isn't all that surprising, as a big part of Qualcomm's business has been licensing its patents. Many people have argued that Qualcomm, in particular, has beendriving force behind blocking patent reform. It's funded think tanks and front groups pretending to "represent inventors." If you see a big patent conference where all of the speakers are basically in favor of expanding the patent system and against reform, there's a better than even chance that the top sponsor of the event is Qualcomm. And so it was little surprise that she presented herself as arguing for "the little guy" on the panel, despite the fact that Qualcomm is a $70 billion companyMeanwhile, the concerns of the three actual representatives of small companies on the panel -- who are actually dealing with patent trolling on a regular basis -- were completely dismissed by Self. When Newegg's Cheng challenged Self to come up with a single specific example of how to stop abusive patent trolling, she came up with nothing, except ideas tothe powers of patent holders to go after companies. Every time people brought up abuse, Self more or less threw up her hands and said "how can you possibly tell what's abuse and what's not" and so, the implication was: why even try to stop abusive trolling?The other representative on the panel was Rep. Darrell Issa, who among other things is the chair of the intellectual property subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, and thus a key person in actually moving forward with patent reform. And, if you watch the panel, you can see his visible frustration with Qualcomm and Self basically being a key player in holding up any progress on that front. He also revealed that, like the other three non-Qualcomm panelists, he too was a victim of a patent troll, back before he was in Congress. It's well known that Issa ran a successful car alarm business before going into Congress and holds a number of patents himself, but less known is the fact that his company was apparently sued by someone holding a ridiculous and vaguepatent.Issa pointed out, quite clearly, that Self was being very misleading in claiming that there was no way to determine what was abusive. He explained a variety of abusive practices, and noted how those specific practices could and should be targeted. Cheng similarly highlighted just how broken things are, and the total failure of Qualcomm to point out any way to deal with the trolls, instead focusing on ways to undermine earlier patent reform efforts. Issa also mocked Self's claim about Qualcomm not suing others for patent reform "in several years" noting that the company doesn't need to, because it just threatens companies with its giant patent portfolio and "like Clint Eastwood with 100 machine guns" tells companies that it'll findthat they must violate:The whole panel is an interesting, if frustrating discussion -- and shows a big part ofpatent reform still hasn't gone anywhere. Giant patent holding companies like Qualcomm are pretending that they "represent the little guy" and are doing everything possible to muddy the waters and block real reform that targets abuse. Filed Under: bryan mennell, darrell issa, kate doerksen, laurie self, lee cheng, michelle lee, patent reform, patent trolling, patents, uspto Companies: ditto, newegg, qualcomm |
Lay down your placards, ladies: the fight for equality is over and we can all go back to the kitchen. The Centre for Policy Studies has just released a "study" entitled "Feminist myths and magic medicine" that claims that there is no evidence that men are paid more than women, that where there is evidence of sex discrimination, that evidence doesn't matter, and that inequality is okay because some women actually choose it. Predictably, the Daily Mail has gone mental, expansively declaring the joyful news that "gender equality is a myth". The report's author, Dr Catherine Hakim, has spent several years positioning herself as the only academic who can save this sick society from the scourge of feminism, one terrifyingly painted-on eyebrow permanently cocked at what she calls the "feminist myths" of equality legislation and "family-friendly" employment policies, presenting her table-rattling propaganda for right-wing think tanks as objective academic research. Hakim, who may or may not have actually met another woman, is best known as the face of "preference theory", the wildly original notion that differences in work outcomes between men and women in the developed world are not the result of enormous, straining patriarchal guns held to the head of every single female in the job market, but because women and girls make "substantively different career choices" from men, opting for part-time work and shorter hours that better enable them to juggle paid work with the pressures of childrearing that still fall largely upon the shoulders of women. It is a sad indictment of the state of modern gender relations that this is seen, by Hakim and her many breathless devotees in the right-wing press, as some sort of staggering insight rather than weary confirmation of the status quo. "Unfortunately, feminist ideology continues to dominate thinking about women's roles in employment in the family," writes Hakim, in a section of this entirely unbiased report entitled "Twelve Feminist Myths", before coming to the conclusion that, because many women actually choose to work longer, more gruelling hours for less pay in order to raise families alone, "Equal opportunities policies have succeeded," and all outstanding quota systems and equal pay. She also opines that the pay differential is entirely women's fault, and that in fact many women and girls just want to marry rich men who will take care of them, and that that choice -- being a free and laudable consumer choice -- should also be applauded. There is, however, a substantial difference between choice and empowerment. Choice is not the same thing as control, and not everyone who has a choice has freedom. Some choices are incredibly difficult, like the choice, faced by nearly all women in the developed world, between giving children the time they need, giving paid employment the time it needs, or -- in most cases -- frantically juggling the two while attempting to retain some some semblance of independent selfhood and sociability. Some choices are distressing, like the choice between professional and personal fulfilment that still mars the lives of many women in a way that it simply never has for men. Presenting these painful decisions as benign lifestyle choices is not just tarting up a hideous social stalemate in the language of consumer indulgence: it's actively cruel. In one key respect, of course, Hakim is right. Equality legislation can only go so far if it does not challenge the frameworks of a profoundly unequal system and there is only so far that one can crowbar women into a labour scheme that already exploits men before something starts to strain to snapping point. On the question of Hakim's loathed "family-friendly" policies, for instance, one can mandate all the maternity leave one likes, but as long as the labour of childcare is still undervalued, underpaid and done largely by women who are expected to be grateful for any concessions made to their "lifestyle choices" by benevolent bosses, "outcomes", in the language of Hakim's report, will continue to be skewed in favour of men, and women will continue to face unpleasant choices that do real harm to their lives and ambitions. Equal pay for equal work is not, whatever soft liberal faux-feminists claim, the one goal of the women's equality movement -- more important to the substance of women's lives is what Judith Butler called "the right to equal work itself". These observations on the limitations of equality legislation might seem to echo Hakim's, but the difference is that I am a revolutionary feminist and Catherine Hakim is a recalcitrant hack academic with a personal vendetta against women who do not know their place and who would not know real social justice if it whacked her over the head with a huge glass ceiling. Her conclusions, lavishly lapped up by the Mail and the Telegraph, are that because legislative reshuffling has not solved equality, we can and should entirely abandon the notion of equality in the home and the workplace. Others, myself included, would rather take this as a signal to tear this unequal labour system into tiny bits and replace it with something that treats human beings as creatures with agency, dignity and pride. The real problem with gender quotas in executive pay and employment is not that they are unnecessary, but that they have been co-opted by the right to convince the public that something is actually being done about sex inequality. It is breathtaking hypocrisy for Theresa May to promise to put more women on the boardrooms of big companies at the same time as helping to engineer public-sector and welfare cuts that will force single mothers to rely on their partners for financial support and abandon millions of women to poverty and unemployment. One cannot ape the postures of liberal feminism while rolling women's rights back two decades and expect to be taken seriously as Equalities Minister by anyone with a pulse -- not even in a government that considers the boardroom its core constituency. It's time we all stopped obsessing over the glass ceiling, not because it doesn't matter, but because there are tens of millions of women huddled in the basement, shut away from power and public concern. Focusing our attention on the glass ceiling distracts us from the fact that the basement is rapidly flooding, and the women who have to live there want more than "choice" -- they want real control over their lives. |
Consequently, a largely fact-free society opinion substituted for facts and that was the path The Economist chose. The crowning glory of that echo chamber was the ringing endorsement of Rahul Gandhi for prime minister – earning Adam Roberts and The Economist a furious backlash on social media – and Rahul reaped the dividends, going on to win a stunning total of 44 Lok Sabha seats. Since then, however, the bile directed at The Economist seems to have largely settled down and – surprise, surprise – their coverage has been much more balanced. Most tweets against The Economist pointed out that the bad execution of demonetisation was a result of the chronic enforcement deficit and bad planning that are a hallmark of Indian government. Save one – Nirupama Rao – India’s former Ambassador to the US and Foreign Secretary, who brought out the ‘foreigners talking down to us’ card. It would seem that the RBI’s decision to bar The Economist from today’s press conference had nothing to do with its negative coverage nor was it the only branch barred from the conference. All up – The Economist seems to have settled down to being significantly less hated. |
He adduces four serious — I’m trying to avoid saying “tectonic” — shifts that have taken place over the last 40 years. Combined, they make “This Town” read like the endgame chapters of Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” In addition to his reporting talents, Leibovich is a writer of excellent zest. At times, this book is laugh-out-loud (as well as weep-out-loud). He is an exuberant writer, even as his reporting leaves one reaching for the Xanax. As for those four big changes: Lobbying. President Obama’s first year in office was the best year ever for the special interests industry, which earned $3.47 billion lobbying the federal government. Ka-ching — your change, sir. There’s a phrase in journalism-speak called “burying the lede,” which Leibovich appears to do by waiting until Page 330 to cite this arresting figure (previously reported by The Atlantic): in 1974, 3 percent of retiring members of Congress became lobbyists. “Now 50 percent of senators and 42 percent of congressmen do.” No one goes home anymore. Cincinnatus, call your office. There are a number of sanctimonious standout “formers” in Leibovich’s Congressional hall of shame, but just to name a few exemplars who gleefully inhabit ethical no-worry zones and execute brisk 180-degree switcheroos on any issue, including the Armenian genocide, so long as it pays: Dick Gephardt, Evan Bayh and Tim Pawlenty. (Christopher Dodd, late of Connecticut, is another beauty. Disclosure: he beat my uncle out of a Senate seat, but judge for yourself if he isn’t loathsome for other reasons.) My own modest proposal is that the media stop referring to these scoundrels as “strategic consultants” or their other camouflage titles and call them what they are: influence peddlers. I know — good luck with that. The other major change took place pari passu with lobbying: the arrival of big money in Washington. “Over the last dozen years,” Leibovich writes, “corporate America (much of it Wall Street) has tripled the amount of money it has spent on lobbying and public affairs consulting in D.C.” Alongside this money comes the tsunami of dollars from presidential campaigns. He reports that during the 2012 contest, the so-called super PACs and megadonors pumped “upwards of $2 billion . . . into the empty-calorie economy of two men destroying each other.” He refers to a datum courtesy of The Huffington Post, which reported in the spring of 2012 that, so far, “the top 150 consulting companies had . . . grossed more than $465 million” during the campaign. All of which has given rise to another unlovely development: political consultants and their concomitant celebrity. This breed has, Leibovich says, essentially replaced the old-style political bosses. One might ask: is it a bad thing that we now have the omnipresent James Carville and Mary Matalin and their ilk? Aren’t we better off for this “celebrity-industrial complex” instead of the smoke-filled rooms of yore? Over to you, but at least the boys in the smoke-filled rooms didn’t yap at us on TV on the Sabbath and endorse Maker’s Mark bourbon. (Honestly, James and Mary. They’re also doing the safety briefing voice-over for Independence Air. Is this a great country or what? Meanwhile, on “Good Morning America” tomorrow, George Stephanopoulos’s guests are. . . .) Bringing us to the fourth change: Pandora’s (cable TV) box. The rise of cable television and the 24/7 news cycle, as well as Facebook, Twitter and the rest of social media, have provided all these people with heretofore unimaginable influence. “Suddenly,” Leibovich writes, “anyone without facial warts could call themselves a ‘strategist’ and get on TV. Or start an e-mail newsletter, Web site or, later, blog, Facebook page or Twitter following — in other words, become Famous for Washington.” It has also enabled journalists to turn themselves into pundits, with all the glittery and greasy emoluments of that lower trade. “Punditry,” he writes, “has replaced reporting as journalism’s highest calling, accompanied by a mad dash of ‘self-branding,’ to borrow a term that had now fully infested the city: everyone now hellbent on branding themselves in the marketplace, like Cheetos (Russert was the local Coca-Cola). They gather, all the brands, at . . . self-reverential festivals, like the April White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, whose buffet of ‘pre-parties’ and ‘after-parties’ now numbers more than two dozen — because a single banquet, it is clear, cannot properly celebrate the full achievements of the People Who Run Your Country.” Tom Brokaw, current wearer of the mantles of Walter Cronkite and Tim Russert, has now publicly declared he’s over and out and done with the damn thing, which has become a grotesque, narcissistic self-parody. The proliferation of “formers” and pundits has resulted in “a high-profile blur of People on TV whose brands overtook their professional identities. They were not journalists or strategists or pols per se, but citizens of the greenroom.” |
AMD’s next generation AM4 Zen APU “Raven Ridge” will reportedly feature 4 Zen cores, a 1024 core Vega GPU & stacked High Bandwidth Memory. All inside a compact 210mm² die with a thermal design power target of 95-35 watts. According to the same report from Bitsandchips.it, The company is also working on a smaller ~170mm² variant of Raven Ridge with 768 Vega GCN cores and no high bandwidth memory, just good old DDR4. The beefier chip of the two will be compatible with the desktop AM4 socket. While the leaner, HBM-less, version will mainly go into notebooks. APU Raven Ridge FP5 Raven Ridge AM4 Socket FP5 AM4 TDP 4-35 W 35-95W CPU uArch Zen Zen Core/Thread 4/8 4/8 GPU uArch Vega Vega GPU CUs 12 16 IMC DDR4 DDR4+HBM2 Process Node 14nm FinFET 14nm FinFET Die Size ~ 170 mm2 ~ 210 mm2 AMD Bringing APUs With PS4 Gaming Grade Graphics And High Bandwidth Memory To Market In 2017 Last year we brought you an exclusive detailing the company’s entire APU plans for the post-bulldozer 2017+ era. And they include everything from the dual core 10 watt 7nm “Grey Hawk” to the insanely powerful HPC APU featuring the extraordinary 32 Zen core “Naples” chip and a 4096 stream processor “Greenland/Vega10” GPU. We also brought you some key details about the HBM equipped Raven Ridge APU. Including the fact that it will feature 128GB/s of memory bandwidth and deliver Playstation 4 class graphics performance. With 1024 Vega GCN cores and plenty of memory bandwidth to feed them Raven Ridge can in fact easily outperform Sony’s 1.84 TFLOPS PS4 graphics engine. In fact, AMD has just introduced a 35W mobile GPU based on Polaris 11 with 1024 stream processors and 2 teraflops of graphics horsepower. The chip in question is the Radeon Pro 460 and it’s featured in Apple’s new Macbook Pro lineup. With everything we know about Vega being significantly more power efficient, we can expect Raven Ridge’s integrated graphics engine to easily surpass the PS4. AMD’s Die Stacking Program Is At Full Tilt This isn’t the first time that we’ve actually caught wind of AMD working on next generation products featuring HBM and die stacking technology in general. In fact, going all the way back to 2012, the company’s head of the die stacking program ,Bryan Black, gave a public talk titled “Die Stacking and the System” on die stacking technology and the pivotal role it’s going to play in all of the company’s future products. Besides the paper that detailed how HBM is going to work with Raven Ridge last year we’ve also spotted another paper back in 2014 detailing AMD’s “Fast Forward Project” to implement die stacking across all of the company’s product lines. It included a demonstration of an APU with integrated stacked high bandwidth memory in addition to stacked non-volatile memory cells. These memory cells would act as the system’s storage system and would essentially replace SSDs. This integration would offer several key advantages in compact low power mobile devices. The paper also described a fascinating new innovation called “Processor-in-Memory” which strives to push the performance of the device and reduce power. This is achieved by doing more of the computational work inside of the memory, instead of moving data across the chip and back which is quite wasteful. The company publicly disclosed plans in 2015 to develop an HPC APU. A paper came out later that described what this chip would look like. It demonstrated the use of stacked memory in a super-processor based on the 32 core Naples CPU and 4096 GCN core Vega 10 GPU. This type of processor could prove extremely effective at a host of applications. Including deep learning workloads which is a near-perfect pairing to this kind of heterogeneous system architecture enabled chip. AMD APU Roadmap WCCFTech Raven Ridge Banded Kestrel Horned Owl Snowy Owl Gray Hawk Process 14nm FinFET 14nm FinFET 14nm FinFET 14nm FinFET 7nm 14nm FinFET Type APU APU APU APU APU Segment Mainstream Mainstream Mainstream Server Mainstream CPU Zen Zen Zen Zen Zen+ GPU Vega Vega Vega Vega Navi Packaging FP5 BGA / AM4 FP5 BGA FP5 BGA / AM4 AM4 AM4+ Expected Arrival Date 2H 2017 1H 2018 2H 2017 1H 2017 2019 |
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea will fire across a land border with South Korea if Seoul continues its anti-North psychological campaign, the North’s official media said on Sunday ahead of an annual, joint military drill between the United States and South Korea. A North Korean soldier on the northern side of the truce village of Panmunjom looks south in the demilitarised zone that separates North Korea from South Korea in Paju, north of Seoul January 19, 2011. REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won South Korea’s military has been dropping leaflets into North Korea about democracy protests in Egypt and Libya in a bid to encourage North Koreans to think about change, although analysts remain skeptical that the move would prompt residents in the isolated state to rise up to similar protests. “The on-going psychological warfare by the puppet military in the frontline area is a treacherous deed and a wanton challenge to the demand of the times and desire of all the fellow countrymen to bring about a new phase of peaceful reunification and national prosperity through all-round dialogue and negotiations,” KCNA news agency said. “We officially notify that our army will stage a direct fire at the Rimjin Pavilion and other sources of the anti-DPRK psychological warfare to destroy them on the principle of self-defense, if such actions last despite our repeated warning.” The Rimjin Pavilion is an area in South Korea near the heavily armed Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) which separates the two Koreas. DPRK is North Korea’s official name, standing for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. North Korea will also be on a heightened state of alert for possible provocation during the joint military drill between the United States and South Korea which starts on Monday, KCNA said. North Korea will respond to the planned military drills with “all-out war” if there is any provocation, it added. “If the aggressors launch provocation for a “local war” the world will witness unprecedented all-out counteraction on the part of the army and people of the DPRK,” KCNA said, adding that it could use its nuclear capability as needed. Pyongyang has often raised the rhetoric and has wielded its nuclear capability threat in the past, but analysts do not expect it to launch a nuclear device. “North Korea reacts very sensitively as it thinks the power of psychological leaflets is bigger than that of a nuclear bombing,” a South Korea’s news agency Yonhap quoted a local analyst as saying. ANNUAL JOINT MILITARY DRILLS Tensions on the divided peninsula rose to the highest level in years after 46 sailors were killed in an attack in March on a South Korean naval vessel. North Korea, which has denied responsibility, shelled the southern island of Yeonpyeong in November, killing four people. But the two sides have since renewed a dialogue aimed at easing relations. Their first attempt at talks broke down earlier in February dealing a setback to plans to resume international disarmament talks with the North. North Korea has said it wants to return to the broader six-party aid-for-disarmament talks, but Seoul and Washington have questioned its sincerity about denuclearizing — pointing to its revelations in November about a uranium-enrichment program. While the two Koreas are not talking, analysts have said that the risk of what both sides call a “provocation” increases, and acts of brinkmanship by the North could include military drills or attack, or the testing of a missile or nuclear device. The South’s Yonhap news agency said a week ago that North Korea was digging tunnels at a site where it has launched two nuclear tests, suggesting it is preparing a third. |
Shaakira Dorsey (pictured), 16, was allegedly teasing a another teenage girl for passing gas before being pummeled to death, KAIT-TV reports. The young girl died shortly after the beating and her unidentified teen attacker is facing a murder charge. SEE ALSO: Top 9 Qualities To Hate In Rappers The two Warrensville Heights, Ohio young teens were reportedly arguing outside an apartment complex which was spurred on by Dorsey’s chiding of her classmate over the allegedly passing gas jokes. A fight erupted between Dorsey and the other teen. According to witnesses, the unidentified girl, who was on top of Dorsey, began punching her across the face. SEE ALSO: Barack X: Race And The Obama Presidency Spectators told police that adults stood by as they watched the young girls fight. A 911 call describing the incident reveals what took place during the brawl. SEE ALSO: Nicki Minaj Denies Threatening Mariah Carey “At the end of my driveway, it’s some kids fighting, and it’s adults there watching … it’s adults, grown-ups there watching them fight,” the caller reported. Eventually, Dorsey’s unidentified stepfather who was on the scene separated the battling girls. After the two were pulled apart however, Dorsey began to pace back and forth on the grassy lawn of the apartment complex. Minutes after the fight, she fell face forward onto the grass. When police officers arrived, they found an ambulance already there with paramedics trying to treat the high school junior. When officers questioned Dorsey’s stepfather he was evasive and did not mention the fight at first. According to News Net 5, an officer stated on a police report that “When I asked [blank] what Shaakira had been doing prior to talking on the lawn he became very evasive and would not provide any information. As I spoke with [blank] Shaakira’s mother [blank] arrived on scene. She had not been notified of the situation but also confirmed Shaakira had no pre-existing medical conditions.” Even though the teen who fought Dorsey was charged with the fatal beating, detectives are still delving into whether there were other people involved in the teen’s brutal death. Also On News One: |
When it comes to pranking, TruTV's Impractical Jokers are the real MVPs. The series finds the four lifelong buddies -- Sal Vulcano, Joe Gatto, James "Murr" Murray, and Brian "Q" Quinn -- go to insane lengths to not only make their BFFs look like fools in public, but also punish them in bizarre yet hilarious ways. With April 1 revered as April Fools' Day, Billboard hopped on the phone with Q to discuss the best prank to pull on the music fan in your life (Warning: There's some Hanson and Smash Mouth involved.) He also discusses Sal's Jaden Smith tattoo [Joe punished Sal, Q and Murr with permanent tattoos of his choice on a 2014 episode], his friendship with *NSYNC's Joey Fatone, and his love for Wu-Tang Clan and Taylor Swift. Whose idea was it to punish Sal with a Jaden Smith tattoo -- and why Jaden Smith of all the people? I think the answer's in the question. I don't know a more bizarre tattoo that a man in his late 30s, early 40s could have than an almost life-size, accurate Jaden Smith tattoo, so I think that's what Joe was going for. So no one in the crew is a hardcore Jaden Smith fan? I think the world at large is a Jaden Smith fanatic. Fair point. As a Staten Island native, I noticed that you put "Shaolin" in your Twitter bio. Are you into Wu-Tang Clan? Oh my god, Sal and I -- I mean "obsessed" is more of a word. We're huge Wu fans, we've seen them dozens of times. We grew up on Staten Island, so when [Wu-Tang Clan] hit, the '90s was my decade of growth. I started high school in 1990 and I would see the guys on the island. I still see Meth [Method Man] on the island from time to time. Before they even got picked up and signed to a label, they sold "Protect Ya Neck" on vinyl at their shows, like that they just made on their own, and I have one that I had gotten back then. They're the best. [Their 1993 debut, Enter The Wu-Tang] 36 Chambers, specifically, is just life-changing to me. It put me in a way that I don't think you could do today. I think the way the climate is going right now, I don't know if that album would get made. I don't know if a 14, 15-year-old white kid could get into it like I got into it back then. That album was just breathtaking. Have you ever tried to secure Method Man, RZA or any Wu-Tang member on Impractical Jokers? We've become friendly with Meth. I'll text him from time to time and he said he'd be on, but Meth's a busy guy -- he keeps working. So hopefully he'll eventually be on the show. He said he'd be willing to do it. We had his nephew actually, U-God's son on. There was a bit where the four of us are walking down the street and we replaced Murray with a young, black kid -- and we don't even mention it. We just do the bit as if Murray's there. Former *NSYNCer Joey Fatone has also been on the show. You tagged him in to take on your challenge. How did you two become friends? Sal and I occasionally do a podcast together called What Say You? and on it, he makes fun of my tattoo. I have a Superman tattoo. He was actually with me when I got it when I was 24. Sal's funny. When we got it when we were kids, I was like, "I'm gonna get a Superman tattoo," and he's like, "That's a great idea. You should get it." We went and we got it together in New Orleans, and the second the guy was done, Sal was like, "That is the lamest tattoo I've ever seen in my life. What kind of an asshole gets a Superman tattoo?" It was awesome. So we were talking on the podcast one day and he's like three people have Superman tattoos -- Joey Fatone, Shaq and Bon Jovi. That's great company to be in. That was my point. I said, "Are you kidding me? You're just making me feel better." By the way, since then, we've gotten to meet Shaq -- he's an amazingly nice guy. Bon Jovi's a fan of the show -- his family has come to set to hang out and watch it. And Fatone's become a friend so Sal could suck it. So we were talking about it on the podcast and somebody on Twitter said, "Hey, Fatone, they're making fun of you" and through that, we kind of bonded. We've met a lot of people doing this show like movie stars, actors and music people, and I gotta say, Fatone has become a true friend. Such a nice guy like you wouldn't even believe what a good guy he is. So I'm happy with my tattoo. I mean you have to be at this point. It's on your body forever. So when the boy band era was popular, were you an *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys loyalist? I mean, I probably wasn't going in either direction that strongly, but both of them have undeniable hits that were like the soundtrack to my life. I did buy and listen to *NSYNC's album, especially No Strings Attached. That was a big one that I had. I've always been more of a classic rock type of guy but I never was a hater like, "They suck," or anything like that. When Impractical Jokers did an interview with Billboard in 2015, you mentioned going to a Bruno Mars concert. What's your take on 24K Magic? I actually did not go that to Bruno Mars show. I'm the only one who hasn't met Bruno Mars. The other guys have actually hung out with him and gone to his show. I know he's a force. I know he's a great guy and everybody that works with him loves him, but I don't have any personal experience with the guy yet. According to Twitter, you've seen Maroon 5 plenty of times though. What do you love most about the band? What I love most about the band is that my buddy, she loves them and she doesn't have a boyfriend, so I will go with her [to the shows]. We're talking about five, six years now that I've been going as a sort of surrogate boyfriend for my friend, Stacey. So there you go -- I guess it's because I love my friends, but I'll tell you what. In the beginning, I was like what is this sh-t and now I know every song and love 'em all. Now I get there, I'll throw up Friday night lights like the rest of the crowd and just rock out. I don't know if they have a fan name but I'm totally it. At this point I've probably seen @maroon5 more than any other band besides Tom Petty. What am I gonna do? My buddy loves them. https://t.co/J0GsUJRXrh — Brian Q Quinn (@BQQuinn) March 8, 2017 My music taste -- like I said, I love the Wu-Tang, the Rolling Stones. I like things that are a little bit more of the past era than now, although you won't believe how much I love Taylor Swift. Please do tell how you became a Swiftie. It was 1989 that brought me in. I always kind of appreciated it from afar. I'll tell you exactly what happened -- there's a great, great rock band called Monster Magnet and the lead singer is Dave Wyndorf. Wyndorf had said that he will occasionally, for two weeks at a time, listen to nothing but [New York radio station] Z100 and pop music because he doesn't wanna lose touch and he doesn't wanna become the guy that's just like, "All new music sucks," so he would sort of detox from classic music he loves and force himself to listen to new music. I was like, "You know what? That is a good, open-minded idea. I want to try that." So I did it. At the time, they were just playing every song from 1989 every other song, so I was like, let me listen to the album. So I downloaded the album and then it was like let me listen to the album again. Now it's like I know every word to every song and I just pop it in while I'm driving. Any favorites? I know it's the wrong choice to say, but I really do love "Blank Space." I know it's the big one. I skip "Welcome to New York Now." I'm not as into it anymore, but I would say "Blank Space" still gets me going every time. Now let's say all four of the Impractical Jokers were in a rap battle. Who would win? Good question. Murray doesn't even have a shot. Murr might as well not even show up to the stage. I would say probably Sal, then Joe, then me. But I'll be honest, they made me do a rap thing for something that hasn't aired yet and everybody was impressed. Nobody thought I would be able to pull out what I pulled out, so I'm gonna say that I'm the wild card, but it'd probably have to be Joe or Sal. Did you ever have dreams of being in a band? You hear my voice, right? I sound like Joe Pesci and Frankenstein had a baby. There was no shot that I was ever going to be in a band -- ever. It was never a possibility for me. You might as well say, "When are you going to space?" It never even occurred to me to even try it. I don't even know what a note is, I can't carry a tune. My voice is horrible so no. Lastly, it's April Fools' Day. What's the perfect prank to pull on a music fan? I would go into their iPhone and I would make a playlist, but I think it would backfire. Here's my idea -- you go in there and you put a playlist of the songs that everybody quote-unquote hates but secretly loves. You got your "MMMBop"'s, Harvey Danger "Flagpole Sitta" and Smash Mouth "All Star" on there. It's the songs everyone makes fun of, but when you stop and listen to them, you're like this is pretty f--king awesome even though I can't admit it to anybody. So it might actually be a gift. I would go in there, create that playlist and change all their ringtones to "MMMBop," their text tone to "All Star," stuff like that. That's the way I'd go but I do think, in the end, they'd thank me. Catch Impractical Jokers all day on TruTV on Saturday, April 1 for an April Fools' Day marathon. |
When a white supremacist murders blacks or Jews, no one doubts that his murders are driven by his hateful, bigoted ideology. When homophobes attack a gay youth, we rightly label this a hate crime. But when a man filled to overflowing with hatred of women acts upon this hatred and launches a killing spree targeting women, many people find it hard to accept that his violence has anything to do with his misogyny. They’re quick to blame it on practically anything else they can think of – guns, video games, mental illness – though none of these things in themselves would explain why a killer would target women. In the case of Elliot Rodger, who set out on Friday night aiming, as he put it in a chilling video, to “slaughter every single spoiled, stuck-up, blonde slut” in a popular sorority house at the University of California, Santa Barbara, some Men’s Rights activists and other manospherians are doing their best to convince the world that misogyny had nothing to do with it. On A Voice for Men, for example, Janet Bloomfield (who goes by the name JudgyBitch), notes that Rodger killed more men than women, and thereby declares that Elliot was an equal opportunity hate monger, torn between wanting to kill women and wanting to kill men. … Jessica Valenti proclaims that “misogyny kills”, blithely unconcerned with the fact that more men than women were killed. Killing men is misogyny? That’s an interesting interpretation. Bloomfield ignores the reason more men were killed than women: Rodger’s planned massacre of sorority women failed. He was unable to get inside the sorority house. And so he was forced to improvise. On Twitter, meanwhile, cultural commenter Cathy Young, long sympathetic to Men’s Righsters, seems to think that Rodger’s rampage was entirely due to “mental illness” and argues that connecting Rodger’s rampage to a wider culture of misogyny is a form of “anti-male hate speech.” Even more strangely, the proudly racist Steve Sailer – a hero to Heartiste and others in the “alt-right” wing of the manosphere – has declared that Rodger wasn’t motivated by misogyny but rather by “anti-Blondism,” and that his targeting of “ blonde sluts” in a popular sorority house was “an extremely intentional racial hate crime.” Never mind that the half-Asian Rodger idolized blonde women as superior (even as he hated them) and that his comments online are littered with rather crude, rather traditional racism against people who weren’t white. But Sailer’s claim is little more than an attempt at a derail. The fact is that Rodger made his misogyny very clear — in his videos, in his internet postings and most of all in his 140-page “manifesto,” which is filled with angry denunciations of women and elaborate fantasies of violent “retribution” towards them. As with many misogynists, his misogyny was largely driven by thwarted sexual entitlement: he desired women intensely but they (wisely) wanted nothing to do with him. Consider the following passages from his manifesto. I’ve put some of the most disturbing bits in bold. The most beautiful of women choose to mate with the most brutal of men, instead of magnificent gentlemen like myself. Women should not have the right to choose who to mate and breed with. That decision should be made for them by rational men of intelligence. If women continue to have rights, they will only hinder the advancement of the human race by breeding with degenerate men and creating stupid, degenerate offspring. This will cause humanity to become even more depraved with each generation. Women have more power in human society than they deserve, all because of sex. There is no creature more evil and depraved than the human female. Women are like a plague. They don’t deserve to have any rights. Their wickedness must be contained in order prevent future generations from falling to degeneracy. Women are vicious, evil, barbaric animals, and they need to be treated as such. … All women must be quarantined like the plague they are, so that they can be used in a manner that actually benefits a civilized society. … The first strike against women will be to quarantine all of them in concentration camps. At these camps, the vast majority of the female population will be deliberately starved to death. That would be an efficient and fitting way to kill them all off. I would take great pleasure and satisfaction in condemning every single woman on earth to starve to death. I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds just a little bit like misogyny. Rodger saw his “Day of Retribution” as part of a war against women. Elsewhere in his manifesto he wrote: Women’s rejection of me is a declaration of war, and if it’s war they want, then war they shall have. It will be a war that will result in their complete and utter annihilation. I will deliver a blow to my enemies that will be so catastrophic it will redefine the very essence of human nature. Now, there is no question that he also hated certain kinds of men and boys – the “obnoxious brutes” he so often saw with the “pretty blonde girls” he simultaneously desired and despised. His manifesto is dotted with denunciations of them, as well as with denunciations of humanity as a whole. At one point, he posted a fantasy on PUAhate about killing all the men on earth with a virus so he could have all the women for himself. But he thought about, and wrote about, killing women all the time. Indeed, even when he was bullied as a youngster, he directed most of his anger not at the bullies themselves but at their girlfriends. Remembering one bullying incident from high school, he wrote Some boys randomly pushed me against the lockers as they walked past me in the hall. One boy who was tall and had blonde hair called me a “loser”, right in front of his girlfriends. Yes, he had girls with him. Pretty girls. And they didn’t seem to mind that he was such an evil bastard. In fact, I bet they liked him for it. … The most meanest and depraved of men come out on top, and women flock to these men. Their evil acts are rewarded by women; while the good, decent men are laughed at. … I hated the girls even more than the bullies because of this. Rodger was not only a misogynist; he was explicitly an enemy of feminism. While he doesn’t seem to have ever identified as a Men’s Rights activist per se – the only “rights” he seemed to be interested in were his own – his postings online echo the extreme and ignorant denunciations of feminism seen amongst MRAs and other manospherians. This, too, has been denied by Men’s Rights activists. On AVFM, the “non-feminist” would-be “philosopher” Fidelbogen declares that We have no evidence yet that Elliott Rodger was anything but apolitical in regard to feminism as such. He was not outspoken about feminism … He was only a sexually frustrated chump with mental issues, who apparently “hooked up” with PUA literature, and websites like “the Manhood Academy”. In fact, Rodger attacked feminism explicitly in a number of comments on PUAhate, where rabid antifeminism is essentially the default ideology. In one comment, he declared bluntly that “feminism must be destroyed.” In another he predicted that One day incels will realize their true strength and numbers, and will overthrow this oppressive feminist system. Start envisioning a world where WOMEN FEAR YOU. And while he saw PUAhate itself as “a putrid pit of despair,” he argued that it does give a view of what the world is really like, what women are really like, and the evils of a feminist society. Every male should read the posts here so that they can be awakened. There are too many delusional males worshipping women who would only spit in their faces. There is no question that Rodger was a very disturbed man. I’m not a psychiatrist, nor do I have access to his medical or psychiatric records. But I would not be shocked to find that he was struggling with some sort of mental disorder or disorders. He was seeing several therapists, and a psychiatrist prescribed the antipsychotic Risperidone for him; he refused to take it. This prescription in itself doesn’t prove he was psychotic; psych meds are often prescribed for off-label uses, and Risperidone is also used to reduce irritability in people with autism. (Rodger was reportedly diagnosed as having aspergers.) But, as someone who has himself dealt with depression for decades, I cannot help but think, reading through his manifesto, that his thinking was, as mine has sometimes been, distorted by depression. He was also clearly a narcissist, in the colloquial sense if not necessarily in the clinical sense, whose resentment of others was driven by narcissistic rage. And some of his pronouncements, particularly towards the end of his life, were so grandiose it’s hard to know whether these reflected his tendency towards melodrama, fueled by his love of fantasy literature and video games, or if they are symptoms of a delusional disconnection from the real world. I don’t think, given the considerable evidence there is of his troubled state of mind, that raising these issues detracts from the main point, and that is: Rodger was a misogynist through and through. In many ways his misogyny was his life. If you watch his videos and read his manifesto, you’ll see that he related anything and everything in his life to what he saw as the grand tragedy of his rejection by “girls,” a state of affairs he blamed entirely on the girls of the world and not on his own “magnificent” self. He was utterly consumed by his sexual obsession with “pretty blonde girls” and their utter lack of interest in him, and, increasingly, by his elaborate fantasies of “retribution” against them, which ultimately led to his killing spree on Friday night. To deny that he was driven by misogyny makes as little sense as denying that Hitler was driven by anti-Semitism. The evidence is as clear-cut as it can be on this point. Anyone who can’t or won’t admit this is either an ideologue or a liar – or both. — Thanks to Melody and several other readers for pointing me to some of the examples used in this post. Share this: Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr Email More Google Pinterest LinkedIn Pocket Print Like this: Like Loading... |
Not long ago, though, when space travel was still one of humanity's most epic and frantic goals, the concept itself -- sending a man into space! -- alarmed people. Particularly those people who were responsible for making the travel happen in the first place. Space was tantalizingly, terrifyingly new -- and we simply did not know what would happen to an earthly body when it was shot outside of the Earth itself. There were legitimate fears of radiation poisoning. There were less-legitimate fears of "space madness." There were concerns about the considerable psychic and political consequences should something go wrong. The Soviets, like their American counterparts, wanted to be first to space -- but they wanted, more specifically, to be the first to make it back again. Gagarin had to make his historical orbit around the Earth; he then, just as importantly, had to return to Earth intact. No other outcome would be tolerable. So the engineers of the U.S.S.R. tested and then re-tested and then re-tested their technology. And, to make sure space travel was as safe as possible for organic creatures like themselves, they sent fellow animals -- mice and cats and dogs and chimps -- as sacrifices to the cause of space. Ivan Ivanovich was the culmination of that testing: He was as human-looking a thing as they could send short of sending a human. And he had an important job to do. The Korabl-Sputnik satellite -- the spacecraft that would carry Ivan and, later, Gagarin into space -- wasn't equipped for soft landings. It required its passenger to eject sometime after re-entry into Earth and sometime before collision with it. A parachute, it was hoped, would take care of the rest. To convert that "hope" into considerably-more-reassuring "expectation," Ivan would take two flights: the first, on March 9, and the second, on March 25. He would operate as a high-tech crash-test dummy. And so, for a few heady weeks in 1961, all the hopes and fears of space's vast new frontier were embodied, quite literally, by a doll. If Ivan failed, leaders might conclude that it wouldn't be worth the risk of swapping him out for a human. If he succeeded, though, all systems were go. Gagarin -- and all those who would follow him -- could launch. Ivan was, Joyce Chaplin writes in her book Round About the Earth, "a dummy human to represent the human space travelers to come." 'So Much Like a Human Being' Ivan was made, for the most part, of metal, with bendable joints that allowed for ease when it came to dressing him and situating him within his tiny spacecraft. He had "skin" of synthetic leather. His detachable head -- engineers connected it to his body through his open helmet -- was made primarily of metal, too. Ivan was, and this was the whole point, humanoid. |
Contractors ordered to post DOD fraud hotline info Make room on the bulletin board near contractor coffee makers and break rooms. The Defense Department now requires its defense contractors to post the DOD inspector general’s fraud hotline posters in common work areas. The rule took affect Sept. 16, according to a notice in the Federal Register the same day. The DOD IG didn't think the old rules went far enough because the Federal Acquisition Regulation allowed a contractor to not post any other agency’s hotline numbers other than those of the Homeland Security Department if the company had its own business ethics program with a means of reporting fraud or waste. However, the DOD IG believes the FAR might be limiting the use of its own hotline. Without a poster, an employee wouldn’t know the IG’s phone number. “According to the DOD IG, some contractors’ posters may not be as effective as the DOD poster in advertising the hotline number, which is integral to the fraud program,” the notice explained. The DOD IG is also revising its poster to tell employees of federal whistleblower protections. The rule amends the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, or DFARS. In response to the proposal in May, some experts were concerned that the new hotline posters could replace the contractor as the first line of defense against waste and fraud. It would also get the IG involved in what often turns out to be human resource issues or concerns about day-to-day activities that may need immediate attention. But the IG said its staff knows the difference between an urgent matter about a defense contract and a routine personnel issue. The rule applies to contracts and subcontracts that exceed $5 million. It does not apply to purchases of commercial items or for work that will be performed entirely outside the United States if the contract exceeds $5 million. |
Count Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., among Republicans who don’t think the White House has taken the Ebola threat seriously enough. While campaigning for Republicans in New Hampshire on Oct. 16, Paul told Concord News Radio that President Barack Obama "has so tried to downplay the transmissibility of" the Ebola virus that it’s putting people at risk. "This is an incredibly contagious disease," Paul said. "People in full gloves and gowns are getting it. So really they need to be honest — this is a very transmissible disease." Paul added: "They’re still learning about this. We’re all still learning about this. But this is not something that is hard to catch, this is something that appears to be very easy to catch." Is the Ebola virus "incredibly contagious," "very transmissible" and "easy to catch"? We decided to check it out. Paul’s office said his comments implied that he was talking about how easy it is to get the virus from contact with an infected individual. In a lengthy response to PolitiFact, spokesman Brian Darling said that "exposure to even a small amount of virus can cause infection." The 2014 outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa is the largest in history, according to the World Health Organization. It’s also the first time the virus has made its way to the United States; health officials confirmed the fourth U.S. case Thursday in a doctor returning to New York from treating Ebola patients in West Africa. So far, though, only two individuals — both Texas health care workers that treated an African man who later died from the disease — have contracted the virus on U.S. soil. This despite the fact that infected individuals have come into contact with dozens, if not hundreds, of people while they purportedly had the disease, including close family members . That seems to dispel, at least anecdotally, the idea that the disease is "incredibly contagious" and "easy to catch," even from an infected person. But let’s get into the nitty gritty. How does Ebola spread? Ebola is not an airborne infection. For example, it is rare — if it’s even possible at all — that the disease would spread through coughing or sneezing (which are not even symptoms of Ebola, as our colleagues at PunditFact recently noted). According to the World Health Organization, Ebola spreads through "human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people." This means that the most common way Ebola is spread is direct contact with vomit, blood or fecal matter of an infected patient. Individuals who have such contact are at high risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says "being within approximately 3 feet of an (Ebola) patient or within the patient’s room or care area for a prolonged period of time," is also potential cause for concern. But the organization noted the risk is low. There is also potential risk of transmission through contaminated surfaces and objects, however the World Health Organization notes the danger is, again, low, and most studies from previous Ebola outbreaks show that "all cases were infected by direct close contact with symptomatic patients." Finally, experts note that individuals are not infectious — meaning they cannot spread the virus — until they are showing symptoms, which takes between 2 and 21 days. Symptoms start with a fever, followed by vomiting and diarrhea. So to be at a high risk of contracting Ebola, you need to come into contact with the blood, feces or vomit of someone who is showing symptoms. The number of people who find themselves in this situation are relatively small. There is potential for it to spread other ways — such as being in close range with someone who has the disease or touching an object contaminated by an infected person — but the risk is low, because "as an enveloped virus, it has a low tendency to stay viable outside the body," said Thomas Fekete, a professor of infectious diseases at the Temple University School of Medicine. "And because it is not aerosolized it isn't especially easy to catch through the respiratory tract." How contagious is it? The CDC defines contagious as "a very communicable disease capable of spreading rapidly from one person to another by contact or close proximity." In Africa, the disease has claimed so many victims because of poor health systems that lack supplies and safeguards and because of burial practices where people directly handle bodies without necessary protections. This is what caused such a large outbreak there. Burials are especially problematic because the near dead or recently dead have very high levels of the virus and are "very infectious as a result," said Christopher Whalen, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Georgia College of Public Health. But even in the worst outbreak Africa has experienced, health care officials have noted that the disease does not spread from one host to many others. The basic reproduction number, or R0, of a disease is calculated as the average number of secondary cases resulting from an infected individual entering an uninfected population. The higher the R0 is above 1, the greater the chances it has of spreading. The R0 of the Ebola virus in Africa during the recent outbreak has ranged from 1.20 to 2.02, depending on the country. That’s in line with historical data on the disease. How does that compare to other viruses ? Well, HIV, which is only transmitted by sexual intercourse and blood transfers, has a R0 of 4. The measles has a R0 of 18. Meaning, while the disease has the potential to spread, "minimum requirements for the containment of Ebola are far less severe than for the containment of more contagious diseases, such as measles," according to the World Health Organization Ebola Response Team. Rachael Jones, a professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health, told PolitiFact: "The epidemiological evidence suggests that Ebola is less infectious than many other viruses that commonly affect people, such as influenza." What if you come in contact with someone who has Ebola? Ebola is "easy to catch" in the sense that you don't need prolonged contact with infected fluids to pick it up, Fekete said. However, not many people come in contact with these infected fluids. And, the evidence shows some people who do spend time around an infected patient don’t get the virus, either. "It seems as though even a brief exposure to the virus can lead to a transmission event, as some patients describe one contact event with an ill patient," Whalen said. "But, on the other side, think of all of the family members of Ebola patients who were exposed in the household of a case, but didn’t develop the disease. We tend not to hear about them, yet they constitute an important part of our understanding the attack rate." But Paul’s spokesman, Darling, argued, "The reason why doctors and nurses who come into contact with an infected individual wear 100 percent protection then have to go through a thorough disinfection process, is because it is ‘easy to catch’ from somebody who is showing symptoms." That’s not necessarily the case, according to health experts we spoke with. For one, health care workers are in close contact with infected individuals at their most infectious state and are handling bodily fluids known to carry higher concentrations of the virus. That puts them at greater risk than someone sitting next to a person who is infected, even if that person is showing symptoms. Further, unlike much more contagious diseases, Ebola causes death in 50 percent of patients. That sparks extra precaution. "These recommendations arise from the seriousness of the infection, not from the infectivity of the pathogen," Jones said. Given the high mortality rate from the disease, if it was "incredibly contagious" and "easy to catch," the United States would likely have more deaths already. "The joke that more Americans have been married to Kim Kardashian than have died of Ebola would not be true if it were so easy to catch," Fekete said. Our ruling Paul called Ebola "incredibly contagious," "very transmissible" and "easy to catch." A person who comes into contact with bodily fluids from an Ebola patient for a short period can contract the virus. In that limited sense, Ebola is "easy to catch." Health care workers and individuals handling patients at or near death are also at greater risk, because that appears to be when the disease is at its most infectious, experts said. However, the overwhelming evidence shows that Ebola is less contagious and transmissible than many other diseases. By the numbers, Ebola patients go on to infect relatively few people. This is because a patient only spreads the disease while showing symptoms; the virus cannot be spread through the air; and people don’t often come into contact with the bodily fluids of other individuals. Contracting the disease through other methods, like touching surfaces or standing close to infected patients, while possible, are rare and present a low risk. Ebola is a serious and deadly disease that is absolutely capable of spreading if necessary precautions aren’t taken. But in using words like "incredibly," "very" and "easy," Paul vastly inflates the virus’ ability to move from person to person. We rate his statement Mostly False. |
The New York Times on Sunday published a lengthy report concluding that al Qaeda played virtually no role in the September 11, 2012 attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The report focused on the role of local militias and a spontaneous protest sparked by anger over an anti-Islamic film. That conclusion though directly contradicts the interim findings of a House GOP-led investigation that unequivocally states that “militias composed of al Qaeda-affiliated extremists attacked U.S. interests in Benghazi.” While what constitutes “al Qaeda ties” is interpreted differently from one intelligence source to another, key Democrats in the past also reached far different conclusions about al Qaeda's connection to the attack than the Times article. House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., was asked during a press conference on Nov. 16 if initial briefings by U.S. intelligence agencies described Benghazi as a “terrorist attack.” “Yes. Clearly that was said at all times because of the people involved in the group were affiliates of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups,” said Ruppersberger. Ruppersberger was asked if the initial description of Benghazi was a terror attack contradicted the administration’s claim that the violence was the result of a spontaneous demonstration provoked by an anti-Islamic film. “Well, I think if you look at the facts and what we learned yesterday is as far as the film is concerned, the first incident was a lot different than the second incident in the annex,” he responded. “When you look and see what was there, you had individuals coming into the compound who were looting. There was no command and control evaluating where we're going to go, how we're going to go. But there also were people that were attacking and putting buildings on fire. “But the second incident - that was entirely different,” Ruppersberger continued. “That was well-organized, [you can see] command and control, and that people who had experience in attacking and are al Qaeda and other extremists. They knew how to shoot mortars and hit targets.” Statements from Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., were more careful and evolved over time. On November 18, 2012 a little more than two months after the attacks, Feinstein told NBC's “Meet the Press” that intelligence officials told her in closed briefings that they were reluctant to name any particular terrorist group without being certain of its involvement. But she said it was clear that the assault was a terrorist attack by definition, even though the administration didn't consistently label it as such in the initial weeks. “I do know that the answer given to us is we didn't want to name a group until we had some certainty. Well, where this went awry is anybody that brings weapons and mortars and RPGs and breaks into an asset of the United States is a terrorist, in my view. I mean, that's pretty clear,” said Feinstein. Later, a CBS News report on Dec. 2, 2012 quoted Feinstein as saying the CIA edited the administration's initial Benghazi talking points and removed references to al Qaeda's role because the agency feared compromising a contact or security. “And so al Qaeda was pulled out of it,” she said. “I do not believe the intelligence community should prepare these talking points,” she added. Feinstein's committee has concluded its investigation into Benghazi and plans to release its final report in early 2014. |
China executed 2,400 people last year according to a human rights group – more than triple the rest of the world combined. Dui Hua, who have offices in Hong Kong and San Francisco say their estimate is based on data published in Southern Weekly, one of the biggest newspapers in China, that is “consistent with information provided to Dui Hua by a judicial official earlier this year”. “China currently executes more people every year than the rest of the world combined, but it has executed far fewer people since the power of final review of death sentences was returned to the SPC in 2007,” a spokesperson added. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. “Since then, the number of executions nationwide may have dropped by more than a third.” Death by shooting or lethal injection can be used as the punishment for 55 offences, including “counter-revolutionary crimes”, treason, embezzlement, drug smuggling, money counterfeiting, rape and murder. Dui Hua’s figure is more than three times Amnesty International’s estimate of 778 international executions in 2013, which excluded China. Amnesty also estimated “thousands” of people were killed in the Communist state, which keeps the figures secret. Their research showed Iran had executed 369 people in the year, Iraq 169 and Saudi Arabia at least 79 people. A spokesperson said that despite the global trend towards abolishing the death penalty, executions were up by almost 15 per cent compared to 2012 because of “an increasingly isolated group of entrenched executioners,” including the countries above. Indonesia, Kuwait, Nigeria and Vietnam have recently resumed state executions but over the last 20 years, the number of nations with the death penalty has dropped from 37 to 22. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads. Subscribe now |
A United Nations economist was arrested on Tuesday on charges that he brought a household worker from Bangladesh to New York, where he underpaid and overworked her and also took steps to cover up his scheme. The economist, Hamidur Rashid, a Bangladeshi, had obtained a special visa for the employee after submitting a signed contract to the United Nations stating that he would pay her $420 for a 40-hour workweek, or $10.50 an hour, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in Federal District Court in Manhattan. The contract said Mr. Rashid, 50, would also pay the woman, who had once worked in his home in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for overtime hours and not charge her for food or lodging, the complaint added. But Mr. Rashid then had her sign a second contract that said she would be paid only $290 a week, or $7.25 an hour, and that he could deduct up to $75 per week from her salary for food and lodging, the authorities said. |
Edge Magazine is one of the oldest gaming magazines in the world. It is famous for the quality of its reviews, all of which were available online up until a few years ago, when their website was closed. The magazine continued its life in print and digital subscription format only. I really liked the content they produced, so I decided to purchase a one year subscription for the digital version. Every time I buy some digital content online, the first thing I do is creating backup of it and making sure that I can use it without the official client application (if it exists). Most of the technical literature I buy comes in PDF format without DRM (InformIT, O’Reilly, No Starch Press). Amazon Kindle books come with DRM that is easy to remove, and the same thing goes for Audible books. For the Dark Horse Comics I wrote a little tool that converts their proprietary format into CBZ, which is a format that every comic book reader supports. Digital version of the Edge Magazine came with its own app, and there was no known way to backup the magazines. Application didn’t have any interactivity, so I assumed that it was just a viewer for PDF, EPUB or some other book format. If that was true, there had to be some way to extract the content from it. First step towards that goal was to reverse the application’s API. Reversing the API I’ve written about reversing private APIs in the post Reversing Runtastic API, so I won’t get into the details again. I’ll just give you a tour of the API, with the annotated requests and responses. API server is located at https://api.futr.efs.foliocloud.net. All requests are POST requests, with the URL encoded parameters. Responses are JSON formatted. The exchange starts with client sending the request to the /createAnonymousUser/ endpoint. Request contains hard-coded appKey and secretKey parameters. appKey: RymlyxWkRBKjDKsG3TpLAQ platform: iphone-retina secretKey: b9dd34da8c269e44879ea1be2a0f9f7c Server responds with the random ID that the client must include in all following requests. { "data" : { "uid" : "05681280014840428595874b26b8ab4f9991495580" } } Client sends its email address and password in the /login/ request. api_params: {"identifier":"imateapot@mailinator.com","password":"imateapot"} uid: 05681280014840428595874b26b8ab4f9991495580 Server responds with the download ticket number. That’s unusual response for a login request. { "data" : { "download_ticket_no" : "00649540014842485615877d5f10fdbf6313623950" } } This is the moment where things get interesting. When the login request is completed and the client receives a download ticket, login process is only halfway done. Next step is to call the /getDownloadUrl/ endpoint with the download ticket. ticket: 00649540014842485615877d5f10fdbf6313623950 uid: 05681280014840428595874b26b8ab4f9991495580 Server will respond with status field initially set to -1. After that, client sends the getDownloadUrl repeatedly, until the server responds with status set to 1. I never established how it finally decides to let you in. { "data" : { "uid" : "05681280014840428595874b26b8ab4f9991495580" , "status" : 1 } } Congratulations, you are logged in! Your status is now attached on the server to the ID you received in the initial request. Next step is to download list of all issues that you purchased. That is done via /getPurchasedProductList/ endpoint. uid: 05681280014840428595874b26b8ab4f9991495580 Server responds with the list of all available issues, along with a bunch of metadata that is of no interest to us. Only one field is of relevance, and that is SKU. It contains the unique name of a magazine issue. { "data" : { "purchased_product_list" : [ { "sku" : "com.futurenet.edgemagazine.300" } ] } } Finally, after we have the list of all purchased issues, we can ask for the download URL of a single issue by calling the /getEntitledProduct/ with the SKU parameter. sku: com.futurenet.edgemagazine.300 uid: 05681280014840428595874b26b8ab4f9991495580 Server will respond with the product title and download URL. { "data" : { "sku" : "com.futurenet.edgemagazine.300" , "product_title" : "Christmas 2016" , "secure_download_url" : "http: \/\/ cdn.futr.efs.foliocloud.net \/ com.futurenet.edgemagazine.300.zip" } } That’s it! When you have the download link, you can download the file without any authentication, so I didn’t include its real value in the example response. After downloading the file for one of the issues that I had purchased, I discovered that it consists of bunch of PDF files named page-0.pdf, page-1.pdf, etc. That confirmed my initial theory. I was happy because all that was left was to somehow merge the files. Unfortunately, when I tried to open one of the PDFs, I was asked to provide the password. That came unexpected! The good thing was that archive files were obviously statically hosted on the server (no user dependent data in the download URL), so there was only one password involved (in the more secure scheme, they could have generated the PDFs on the fly with the different password every time). All of that meant that the password was hard-coded in the application code in some way (either directly or derived from some other hard-coded values using some algorithm). My next step was to extract the application binary from my phone and somehow retrieve the password from it. But this turned out to be harder than expected. iOS jailbreaking Edge Magazine app was available only on iOS and Android, so decompiling .NET like I did in the case of Runtastic app was not an option. What was even worse, there was no standalone app on Android. Edge Magazine is downloaded via Google Play Newsstand, so I couldn’t just download the APK file and decompile it. That left native iOS application as my only choice. To extract the binary from the phone, I had to jailbreak it. My iPhone had the latest available iOS version, for which the jailbreak was not available. Even if it was available, I would be reluctant to jailbreak my primary cell phone. I had an old iPad with the iOS 9.3.5 installed on it, but I soon discovered that all available jailbreak methods supported only iOS up to 9.3.3. Versions 9.3.4 and 9.3.5 were actually minor updates specifically designed to prevent known jailbreak methods. The only solution left was to buy some cheap old iPhone, preferably already jailbroken. While I was looking through online ads, I suddenly remembered that my girlfriend had an old iPod Touch that she stopped using some time ago, so it was available for me to play with. It was iPod Touch 4th Generation, with the ancient iOS 6.1.6. Remember this? Edge Magazine app required at least iOS 7, but I decided to try to install it anyway. Somehow it was still being displayed in the app store. When I tried to download it, I was informed that it didn’t support my iOS version, but I was offered to install older version of the app instead. Good enough for me! Now that I had the application installed, I could proceed with the jailbreak process. It was a very painful experience. There are two available tools for jailbreaking iOS 6.1.6, p0sixspwn and Redsn0w. I found a tutorial on iPhone Hacks webpage, but both tools failed spectacularly on my Mac, one by requiring some really old version of iTunes, and other by giving me some unknown errors. I tried them both on Windows 7 virtual machine, where I already had some old iTunes installed, but that also failed. This time one of the jailbreak tools simply crashed every time, and the other continued to give me errors. I finally managed to jailbreak my iPod Touch using some other laptop with Windows 10 installed and one of the previously mentioned tools. Jailbroken device was only one of the many steps in the process of extracting the binary. Next thing I had to do was to enable remote access to the device by installing OpenSSH. If you want to access terminal directly on the device, you can install MobileTerminal too. Extracting the binary With all the prerequisites installed, I was back on track and started looking for the location of the application’s binary. I was not familiar with the iOS file system hierarchy, so I just did a grep search for edge. That gave me multiple results in the directory /private/etc/var/mobile/Applications/A043BAFC-8C87-40B1-BA0E-A8A673F377F0 . That looked like the root directory of the app. I could have just started exploring the directory from the terminal, but I preferred doing that in some GUI. Back when I was using Windows, I liked WinSCP, but on the Mac OS X I still haven’t tried any alternative. Google search quickly found Cyberduck, which looked well-designed, so I downloaded it. I connected to the device with the default root credentials (alpine is the default root password on every iPhone) and navigated to the folder I found. I assumed the application was in the folio.app directory (it had the app extension, after all). The folder had a bunch of files and folders that looked like some kind of application resources. Among them was one file called folio, with the size of about 15MB. That was probably the binary! But you can’t just copy the binary and disassemble it. All the applications on the iOS are encrypted, so I had to find a way to decrypt it. There are several available decryption tools and I randomly picked Clutch. Current version supported only iOS 8 or newer. Luckily, the app was hosted on GitHub and all of the previous releases were still there. I found the one that supported iOS 6.1.6 and copied it to the device. It was super simple to use, so I had the binary decrypted and copied to my machine in no time. I was ready for the disassembling. Disassembling the binary This was my first attempt at doing static analysis of a native application. I had experience in reversing managed applications, but that was a much easier task. On top of that, iOS runs on ARM architecture, and I was not familiar with ARM assembly at all. IDA is without a doubt the best disassembler currently available, but it’s aimed at professionals, and that shows in its price. Much more affordable solutions for the hobbyist hackers are Hopper and Binary Ninja. I’ve heard a lot of good things about both, but the prevailing factor in my decision to choose Hopper was that it had the support for retrieving Objective-C information from the analyzed files, which was useful for a novice like me. I downloaded Hopper and opened the application binary in it. First screen that I encountered looked very intimidating. Fortunately, Hopper’s user interface was relatively intuitive, even though it contained a lot of information. On the left side you can see the list of all functions and strings in the analyzed program. That was a good starting point for me. Middle part of the screen contained the most important part of the analyzed program: assembly code with the decompiled Objective-C code in the comments. On the right side there were a bunch of options, but the most interesting ones were Is Referenced By and Has Reference To, which looked very useful for navigation between functions. My first step was to try to find which part of the code was doing the PDF decryption. I assumed that the function doing that would contain PDF in its name, so I did a search for PDF in the Proc. pane. There were hundreds of functions doing PDF operations. Instead of looking through that large list, I tried to narrow down the search by searching for password. That helped a lot, because the results could fit on the screen this time. Skimming through the list I quickly noticed the function CGPDFdocumentUnlockWithPassword. The name said everything. I was not interested in the function itself, but rather in the parameters it received. One of them probably had to be the password. Is Referenced By section proved helpful by showing that the function was called in two places, located at addresses 0x3dc3b6 and 0x3dc428. I navigated to the first one. That call to CGPDFdocumentUnlockWithPassword was located inside one huge function. I started going through it line by line. First thing I noticed was that the function was using a bunch of weird looking strings in blocks of instructions, looking like this: 003dc01e movw r6, #0x2ddc ; @"\\\"F0rdbCCI", :lower16:(0x5cee08 - 0x3dc02c) 003dc024 movt r6, #0x1f ; @"\\\"F0rdbCCI", :upper16:(0x5cee08 - 0x3dc02c) 003dc0ac movw r6, #0x2d60 ; @"vo*t3hGw", :lower16:(0x5cee18 - 0x3dc0b8) 003dc0b0 movt r6, #0x1f ; @"vo*t3hGw", :upper16:(0x5cee18 - 0x3dc0b8) 003dc116 movw r0, #0x2d04 ; @"KUC%3p1c", :lower16:(0x5cee28 - 0x3dc124) 003dc11a movt r0, #0x1f ; @"KUC%3p1c", :upper16:(0x5cee28 - 0x3dc124) 003dc14e movw r0, #0x2cdc ; @"SjPJ&h0nkY!\\\"", :lower16:(0x5cee38 - 0x3dc15c) 003dc152 movt r0, #0x1f ; @"SjPJ&h0nkY!\\\"", :upper16:(0x5cee38 - 0x3dc15c) These strings looked like they were being combined into a password. First one started with the escaped quote, and the last one ended with the exclamation mark and escaped quote. I tried concatenating them in various ways in attempt to form a valid password for the PDF files, but had no luck. At this point I knew that finding the password was just a matter of time. I could have invested some time in learning the basics of ARM v7 assembly, but I wanted to try a few more things before that, because I felt that I was very close to a solution. I opened the Strings pane and navigated to the place where the four strings of interest were located, hoping that I would see something interesting in their vicinity. 004dcff9 db "\"F0rdbCCI", 0 ; DATA XREF=cfstring__F0rdbCCI 004dd003 db "vo*t3hGw", 0 ; DATA XREF=cfstring_vo_t3hGw 004dd00c db "KUC%3p1c", 0 ; DATA XREF=cfstring_KUC_3p1c 004dd015 db "SjPJ&h0nkY!\"", 0 ; DATA XREF=cfstring_SjPJ_h0nkY__ 004dd022 db "SavedPasswords", 0 ; DATA XREF=cfstring_SavedPasswords There was a string SavedPasswords right next to them. Could it be that the password is being saved somewhere? I connected via SSH to the device again, this time searching for files containing the string SavedPassword. I had one hit! The file was called com.futurenet.edgemagazine.plist . If looked promising, because plist is the default configuration file format in Apple software system. I copied it to my Mac using Cyberduck, because Mac OS has a nice viewer for plist files. Looking through the contents of the file I found this: The password was the concatenation of the strings that I found before, with some of the characters removed: “F0rd bCCIvo *t3h GwKUC %3p1c SjPJ &h0nkY!” I was overjoyed! It goes without saying that the password worked on downloaded PDFs. Unlocking and combining the individual PDF pages My job was still only partially done. What I had at the moment were individual PDF pages and the password that could decrypt them, but I still had to write the application that would produce single PDF that combined the decrypted pages. I started looking for PDF libraries written in Go. After some time, I stumbled upon UniDoc. Among the features listed on the features page there were Merge PDF and Unlock PDF. That was exactly what I needed! What was even better is that the authors of the library had separate GitHub repository with examples that included both merging and unlocking PDFs. With that knowledge, it was just a matter of hours before I had fully functional application for downloading Edge Magazine issues. You can download it here. |
Building a hybrid car is almost exactly the same as building a conventional car, requiring high-tech and highly automated assembly lines. This type of manufacturing process requires tremendous inputs of energy, particularly the forging of materials like steel, aluminum, glass and plastic. Interestingly, lightweight vehicles can sometimes be more energy-intensive to build than heavier cars because lighter metals like aluminum are harder to forge than stainless steel [source: Moon]. Experts estimate that 10 to 20 percent of a vehicle's total lifetime greenhouse gas emissions are released during the manufacturing stage alone [source: California Energy Commission]. Toyota admits that the production of its lightweight Prius requires more energy and emits more carbon dioxide than the production of its gas-only models [source: Williams]. The major reason is because hybrids like the Prius include more advanced components than a conventional car, including a second electric motor and heavy battery packs. Batteries are an essential component of hybrids. Regenerative braking lets hybrids generate and store their own energy to power the vehicle at low speeds and while idling. Unfortunately, both nickel-hydride batteries and the newer lithium-ion batteries rely on the mining of nickel, copper and so-called rare earth metals. The production of lithium-ion batteries account for 2 to 5 percent of total lifetime hybrid emissions and nickel-hydride batteries are responsible for higher sulfur oxide emissions, roughly 22 pounds (10 kilograms) per hybrid compared with 2.2 pounds (about 1 kilogram) for a conventional vehicle [sources: Samaras and Burnham et al]. There are additional environmental concerns related to those rare earth metals, like those used in the magnets of hybrid batteries. In recent years, rare earth metals like lithium have been imported almost exclusively from China, which was able to lower its prices enough to monopolize the industry [source: Strickland]. One of the reasons China could sell lithium so cheaply was because it widely ignored environmental safeguards during the mining process. In the Bayan Obo region of China, for example, miners removed topsoil and extracted the gold-flecked metals using acids that entered the groundwater, destroying nearby agricultural land. Even the normally tight-lipped Chinese government admitted that rare earth mining has been abused in some places. A regulator at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China went so far as to tell The New York Times, "This has caused great harm to the ecology and environment" [source: Bradsher]. Although hybrid vehicle production is more energy-intensive and results in higher production emissions, hybrid vehicles are still the greener choice overall. Read more about hybrid lifetime emissions on the next page. |
During the Republican debate Wednesday night, Donald Trump said he was on the record as being actively against the Iraq War before the invasion in 2003. "I am the on this dais -- the only person that fought very, very hard against us -- and I wasn't a sitting politician going into Iraq," Trump said. "Because I said going into Iraq -- that was in 2003." Trump said it would be easier to find "25 different stories" of him being against the war before the invasion. "You can check it out, check out -- I'll give you 25 different stories," said Trump. "In fact, a delegation was sent to my office to see me because I was so vocal about it. I'm a very militaristic person, but you have to know when to use the military. I'm the only person up here that fought against going into Iraq." "I think it is very important," he continued. "I think it is important because it is about judgment. I didn't want to go into Iraq, it is about judgment. Because what I said, you're going to destabilize the Middle East and that's what happened." An extensive BuzzFeed News review was unable to find any Trump statements on the Iraq War before the invasion in March 2003, but did find two statements he made the week the war started, one calling it "a mess" and one saying it would have a positive impact on the stock market. Trump was quoted by the Washington Post as saying, "The war's a mess." He said on Fox News the weekend the war started, "I think the market's going to go up like a rocket." Trump did turn against the war in 2004, calling it a disaster. Trump was slightly more aggressive about Iraq in his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, saying he had wished then-President George H.W. Bush had finished the job during the Gulf War. "We can learn something here from George Bush and see how good a president he was," wrote Trump. "He wasn't afraid to use American power when he figured out that Saddam Hussein posed a direct threat to American interests in the East. I only wish, however, that he had spent three more days and properly finished the job. It is this kind of will and determination to use our strength strategically that America needs again in dealing with the North Koreans." Trump also wrote in his book that if we attack Iraq we should "carry the mission to its conclusion," and that "Iraq remains a threat." Consider Iraq. After each pounding from U.S . warplanes, Iraq has dusted itself off and gone right back to work developing a nuclear arsenal. Six years of tough talk and U.S. fireworks in Baghdad have done little to slow Iraq's crash program to become a nuclear power. They've got missiles capable of flying nine hundred kilometers—more than enough to reach Tel Aviv. They've got enriched uranium. All they need is the material for nuclear fission to complete the job, and, according to the Rumsfeld report, we don't even know for sure if they've laid their hands on that yet. That's what our last aerial assault on Iraq in 1999 was about. Saddam Hussein wouldn't let UN weapons inspectors examine certain sites where that material might be stored. The result when our bombing was over? We still don't know what Iraq is up to or whether it has the material to build nuclear weapons. I'm no warmonger. But the fact is, if we decide a strike against Iraq is necessary, it is madness not to carry the mission to its conclusion. When we don't, we have the worst of all worlds: Iraq remains a threat, and now has more incentive than ever to attack us. That's it. That's the whole record of Trump on Iraq until he came out against the war in 2004. |
A small earthquake shook parts of northwest Georgia near the Tennessee line early Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The 2.8-magnitude quake struck at 1:47 a.m., the USGS said. It was felt strongest north of Dalton, in Whitfield County near the towns of Cohutta and Varnell, which were closest to the epicenter. It was also felt across the state line in Apison and Collegedale, Tenn., east of Chattanooga. “I felt my whole house shake from southside to north and the china in my cabinet rumbled,” Livi Roberts posted on WRCB-TV’s Facebook page. Tammy Blassingame Farmer of Cohutta described a “bomb-like noise.” No major damage or injuries were reported. According to the USGS, the eastern Tennessee seismic zone, which extends across Tennessee and northwestern Georgia into northeastern Alabama, is one of the most active earthquake areas in the Southeast. Saturday’s quake was not as powerful as a 4.3 quake that struck eastern Kentucky last November and was felt in many parts of metro Atlanta. |
By Gunay Hasanova Azerbaijan has accepted a proposal put forward by France on a meeting of foreign ministers in the format of "3 + 2" in the framework of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg on December 9. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov made this statement during the meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault on November 17, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend. During the meeting ministers also discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They noted the importance of continuing the negotiation process for the early achievement of a political settlement of the conflict, the ministry said. Moreover, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed during the telephone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault. The ministers discussed the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, established to broker a settlement of the conflict. While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of the due attention of the international community for years. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Bridget Brink has warned that the ongoing status quo on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unstable. “We really believe that the status quo is unstable,” said Brink. She noted that work is needed to strengthen confidence-building measures, the resumption of negotiations. Baku has repeatedly stated that it supports the substantive negotiations on a phased settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in accordance with the spirit of the meeting of the Presidents in Vienna and St. Petersburg. In the contrary, the Armenian side violating the international rules and norms keeps the Azerbaijani lands under occupation, making every effort to obstacle the peace talks. Despite a ceasefire agreement achieved between the sides, Armenia regularly shells the Azerbaijani positions in an effort to tense the situation. Despite the calls of Azerbaijani side, as well as the international community to follow the armistice, Armenia continues its destructive actions thereby showing its disrespect to the peace process. --- Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz |
Check out the full update for the upcoming Berserk – Skull Knight 1/6 Scale Figure coming from ThreeZero. The figure, which goes up for pre-order on September 12th at 9:00 AM Hong Kong Time, will cost $260. The price includes free shipping. The Skull Knight includes interchangeable hands, a wired black cape, a shield and the Sword of Thorns. The ThreeZero exclusive version will also include the Sword of Actuation. The head sculpt includes full LED light up features for the eyes. The Skull Knight will stand over 14″ tall. You can see the photos and more details for the Berserk – Skull Knight 1/6 Scale Figure by reading on. 1/6th scale Skull Knight collectible has been in development for a while, and today we are enthusiastic to share our work with you all. Berserk Skull Knight stands at 14inches/35.5 cm tall, features highly detailed and fully articulated armor and LED light-up eyes (batteries not included). The skull armor features a realistic metallic paint application with a black wired cape. Accessories include the Skull Knight’s shield with rose detail, the Sword of Thorns, and six exchangeable hands: 1 pair of fists, and 3 gripped hands, and 1 open palm clawed hand. 1/6th scale Berserk Skull Knight collectible figure will be offered for pre-order at threezerostore.com for a limited time starting from September 12th 9:00AM Hong Kong time. Berserk Skull Knight price at www.threezerostore.com is 260USD/2025HKD with worldwide shipping included in the price. Berserk Skull Knight purchased at Threezero Store, will be coming with Sword of Actuation. For all those, who missed 1/6th scale Berserk Guts collectible, we will offer it one more time for pre-order at our store, starting from September 12th 9:00AM Hong Kong time for 230USD/1790HKD with worldwide shipping included in the price. You can find additional Berserk Guts images and full details in the listing at our store and in this album with hands-on photos (taken by Dick.Po) of already released Berserk Guts collectible: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1465518563473967.1073741968.697107020315129&type=1&l=9686dc357c 1/6th scale Berserk Skull Knight Collectible Details: – Skull Knight stands at 14” / 35.5cm; – Detailed and Fully-Articulated Skull Armor; – Head with LED light-up eyes (3 x AG1 batteries needed for the feature and not included); – Comes with Six Exchangeable Hands: 2 fists (1 right, 1 left), 3 grip hands (2 right, 1 left) and 1 claw hand (right); – Black Cape with wire; – Shield with rose detail; – Sword of Thorns. Threezero Store Exclusive: – Sword of Actuation * Final product may vary from prototype images. |
Uh oh! The gloves are coming off at the first Democratic debate of 2016! On Jan. 17, Bernie Sanders got fed up with Donald Trump pretending climate change isn’t real, and he went for the throat! We have all the details, right here. Bernie Sanders, 74, is not messing around when it comes to climate change! During the debate on Jan. 17, he brutally blasted Donald Trump, 69 for sweeping the issue under the rug by saying he actually thinks it’s a “hoax”! We have the scoop on the tense moment here. Wow, we did not see this coming! The debates have definitely been heating up as we near the actual primary elections. Now that we’re just months away from choosing the two candidates that will face off in Nov. for the title of President of the United States, it makes sense that things might get a little tense, and Bernie is definitely going on the attack toward GOP candidates that are pretending the scientifically-proven issue of climate change isn’t real. Bernie has been a major supporter of trying to fix the issue of climate change throughout his entire campaign, and he is definitely sensitive to Donald acting like it isn’t real. So, when asked about what he would do to curb the effects of burning tons of damaging fossil fuels, he said that ignorance is the biggest problem, referring to “Donald Trump, who thinks climate change is a hoax invited by the Chinese.” He followed up his seemingly ridiculous claim with a tweet that said “It’s amazing that Republicans are so owned by fossil fuel contributors that they don’t have the courage to listen to science. # DemDebate“ It's amazing that Republicans are so owned by fossil fuel contributors that they don't have the courage to listen to science. #DemDebate — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 18, 2016 The crazy thing is that despite the science and proven negative effects of climate change, Donald actually did say that the Chinese made up the term to hurt American business. He tweeted on Nov. 6, 2012, “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” Bernie isn’t the only one who’s sick and tired of politicians ignoring this huge, dangerous problem. Martin O’Malley also supported his fellow Democratic candidates by saying “we actually believe in science.” Burn! The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012 The debate still didn’t get quite as intense as the GOP debate on Jan. 14. During the Fox Business Network showdown, Donald went so far as to say he does’t believe that Ted Cruz is technically a natural born US citizen, which garnered him a wave of boos. Them Ted mocked Donald’s “New York values,” saying “everyone understands the values in New York City are socially liberal, not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan.” Yikes! We’re sure there are plenty more attacks to come as we get closer to the primaries. What do you think, HollywoodLifers? Was Bernie’s comment warranted, or did they go too far attacking Donald? Let us know in the comments below! |
I'm soooo ignorant. There are so many things I don't know. Like when I found this piece of Javascript code: for (var i=0; i<6; i++) { var row = document.querySelector("table").insertRow(-1); for (var j=0; j<6; j++) { var letter = String.fromCharCode("A".charCodeAt(0)+j-1); row.insertCell(-1).innerHTML = i&&j ? "<input id='"+ letter+i +"'/>" : i||letter; } } var DATA={}, INPUTS=[].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll("input")); INPUTS.forEach(function(elm) { elm.onfocus = function(e) { e.target.value = localStorage[e.target.id] || ""; }; elm.onblur = function(e) { localStorage[e.target.id] = e.target.value; computeAll(); }; var getter = function() { var value = localStorage[elm.id] || ""; if (value.charAt(0) == "=") { with (DATA) return eval(value.substring(1)); } else { return isNaN(parseFloat(value)) ? value : parseFloat(value); } }; Object.defineProperty(DATA, elm.id, {get:getter}); Object.defineProperty(DATA, elm.id.toLowerCase(), {get:getter}); }); (window.computeAll = function() { INPUTS.forEach(function(elm) { try { elm.value = DATA[elm.id]; } catch(e) {} }); })(); First look at what the code does and then comeback. OK, it's a spreadsheet that supports an Excel-like formula. But there are some things I couldn't understand quickly when inspecting this code. I spent 3 minutes looking at it and couldn't tell a thing about what was happening. I knew it was something, taking into account it was really short and accomplished so many things. I had a disadvantage since I'm not a JavaScript expert and hadn't seen some of the syntax and functions used in this piece of code. But I got ready to unveil what was happening under the cover. For this, I pair-reviewed it with a friend of mine, and both of us got ready to attack it without looking for further information, just based on intuition, logic and experiments. I leave you with our review: At the end of this article there is a roadmap image showing our thoughts didactically. It might help you understand better and faster how we went through this, in case you get bored. OK, where is the magic coming from? I can't see a formula parser- I said- Ah wait, there's the eval function, and above it has an if (value.charAt(0) == "=") clause that's detecting if value is a formula. That's the only occurrence of eval, so there must be happening most of it. But, what's that with that with clause?. What does it mean?- I asked. Let's do an experiment for something I'm suspecting -said my friend. And after some tweaks we got this: var z; with({ a:1, b:2, c:3 }) z = eval("(a + b) * c"); alert(z); 9!!!. That's it. At least we know now how the eval function works with a with clause in front of it. This is new for us. Great. Now, what is DATA?. What value could it possibly have that works with the with clause?- I asked- It must hold the values of every cell in the sheet, right?. But what if a formula references a cell that also contains a formula. I don't see any recursion here. Now we are stock... Let's investigate more on DATA. Let's point out an occurrence of DATA and let our editor highlight every other occurrences. It's declared as an empty object. Then it's...mmm. I don't see it being assigned a value anywhere. Rare. And what does that line of code means?: Object.defineProperty(DATA, elm.id, {get:getter}); Well, reading it looks like it defines a property in the DATA object, and also establishes a callback to the getter function for when the property is accessed -we both agreed. Yeah, but what does that give us?- I questioned. Nothing up to what I know -I responded myself. Let's move on. When is the moment when a formula calculation triggers?. Ah, there it is: the onblur event of the cell (input element: elm). It stores the cell value inside localStorage (which was something new to us too, but something that wouldn't entertain us) and then calls computeAll function... and computeAll function is supposed to compute the values of every cell for what I see, isn't it?. But it doesn't call anything further!!!. What's happening here?. Aha, each cell is assigned a supposedly precomputed value in DATA[elm.id]. Could it be that the getter function is called when we access an index in DATA, right at this time, just as we guessed before?. That must be it -said my friend. Yeah, and the getter function returns an evaluation of an expression previously stored inside localStorage, taking into account the index of the cell -I replied. If it's a formulal, it uses DATA as the datasource to evaluate the expression. But again, DATA isn't assigned any value... or perhaps it's being used just as a justification or placeholder for calling the getter function, which is the one that makes the actual calculations using localStorage?. DATA is proxying localStorage? DATA is proxying localStorage!!!- asserted my friend, almost screaming. Of course!!!- I did scream. And the recursion happens as soon as Javascript tries to access the indexes in DATA when it executes the with(DATA) clause, which iterates through the needed DATA's properties. It starts calling the getter function inside the getter function, a.k.a. recursion. That must be it -said my friend. OK, OK, OK. Wait. Let's do the following: var target = {a:1, b:2, c:3, d:"(a + b) * c"}; var proxy = {}; ["a", "b", "c", "d"].forEach(function(idx) { var getter = function() { with (proxy) return eval(target[idx]); }; Object.defineProperty(proxy, idx, {get:getter}); }); alert(proxy["d"]); |
Now Bitcore Nodes Can Switch to Any Bitcoin Implementation — Even Forks The company Bitpay has been busy lately dealing with the recent blockchain split, the possible upcoming fork, and dealing with the drama over using Segwit2x software. Now the firm has released a preview of its Bitcore version 5.0 protocol which enables any user to run a bitcoin application using any implementation of the Bitcoin protocol. Also Read: Bitkan Announces the 2017 BTC & Blockchain International Summit Bitcore’s Modular Nodes Allow Users to Switch to Any Bitcoin Implementation On August 29 the Bitpay development team revealed a preview release of Bitcore 5.0, a modular full node for Bitcoin and blockchain applications. With the release, users will be able to run any software implementation of the Bitcoin protocol and even forked versions. Previous versions of Bitcore depended on custom extensions of the Bitcoin software, explains Bitpay, but now any client can be used if it can successfully connect to the network. “Now you can change your Bitcoin client, upgrade it or downgrade it, whenever and however you want — As long as your client can talk to the Bitcoin network, Bitcore can use it,” explains Bitpay’s announcement. To switch underlying Bitcoin implementations, you can point Bitcore to any full node which supports the Bitcoin P2P protocol, even another fork of Bitcoin. And since you won’t need to fork Bitcore’s code base to do it, switching implementations is easier than ever. Javascript Bcoin Protocol Creates More Functionality Bitpay says that by default, Bitcoin runs on a node of the Bcoin implementation, a full Node.js-based client. The firm says that the default to Bcoin allows for more functionality and is easily extendable to create other Bitcore services. “With Bcoin, your Bitcore instance also now automatically supports Segregated Witness (Segwit),” Bitpay details. Bitcore’s Bcoin implementation makes deploying a block explorer simple. Spin up a Bcoin-based Bitcore full node and block explorer in two easy steps. Bitcore Users Can Also Designate a Bitcoin Cash Node After Bitpay announced the latest version of Bitcore 5.0, an individual on Reddit asked the company if Bitcore would support the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) fork. Bitpay’s James Walpole responds by explaining that Bitcore can be set to a BCH node. “If you are running a bitcoin application (like a block explorer) using Bitcore, you can designate a Bitcoin Cash node,” Walpole details. “This would mean that your own block explorer would now query the Bitcoin Cash blockchain. This would not impact any Bitpay services whatsoever. You can only change the implementation your own Bitcore instance is using.” What do you think about Bitpay’s Bitcore 5.0 software being able to support multiple clients? Let us know in the comments below. Images via Shutterstock, and the Bitcore logo. Want to create your own secure cold storage paper wallet? Check our tools section today. |
Vandals smashed windows, damaged homes, and targeted several high-end cars in Kensington. The criminals left behind a sign that read “Gentrification is death. Revolt is life,” at the scene. NBC10’s Denise Nakano has more on the vandalism spree and the message behind it. (Published Tuesday, May 2, 2017) Two people were charged after a large group of vandals who police described as “anarchists” damaged high-end cars and newly developed buildings and left behind an anti-gentrification message in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood Monday night. Investigators told NBC10 around 20 high-end vehicles and several properties were vandalized in the area of 2nd and Jefferson streets — a few blocks from Northern Liberties. Several witnesses said a group of at least 30 people smashed the windows, spray painted anarchy symbols and caused other types of damage to newly developed properties and cars in the area around 9 p.m. “I was just inside watching TV with my girlfriend and [I heard] a really loud pop and the sound of glass breaking,” said victim Jeremy Mackey, whose home was damaged. “I saw at least 10 of them in the back kind of turning around the corner.” Police say a man and a woman were both taken into custody in connection to the vandalism. Both suspects had masks and spray paint in their possession, according to officials. Patricia Monahan and Geoffrey Suchocki face criminal mischief charges. Photo credit: Philadelphia Police On Tuesday, police announced criminal mischief, conspiracy, risking a catastrophe and related counts against Geoffrey Suchocki, 45, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania and Patricia Monahan, 28, of Philadelphia. A banner which read, “Gentrification is Death, Revolt is Life,” was also left behind at the scene of the vandalism. Witnesses say a banner that read, "Gentrification is Death, Revolt is Life," was left behind at the scene of the vandalism. Photo credit: Anonymous “They left us some messages that said that they weren’t happy with our gentrification and they weren’t happy with us building,” Amberlynn Kabana,the property manager of one of the damaged buildings, told NBC10. “That was their overall intention from what I gather.” The property manager said the vandals only targeted high-end vehicles. “They only attacked the Mercedes, the BMWs, the higher end cars,” she said. “Their message was pretty clear.” Property Manager Speaks on Anti-Gentrification Vandalism in Philly Vandals damaged several cars and buildings along the border of Northern Liberties and Kensington in Philadelphia Monday night. Witnesses claim the group left behind an anti-gentrification message and specifically targeted high end vehicles as well as new developments in the area. NBC10 spoke to the property manager of one of the targeted buildings. (Published Tuesday, May 2, 2017) Kabana said several newly developed properties are located in the area where the vandalism took place. “About 100 properties here and I’m also part of the new construction so their overall attack is they know that there is a large group of builders that is rebuilding in the area,” she said. “So they knew by whatever source because they hit all of my properties. So I think it was very intentional. Very well aimed.” While no injuries were reported, Kabana said residents in the area could have easily been hurt if they had confronted the vandals. “When you have 50 people coming down a block and their intention is to cause harm, their intention is to cause a message,” she said. “When they emptied their pockets there were dangerous weapons. They were caught with hammers. They were caught with very intimidating objects and their intention is to instill fear.” Both the property manager and another victim told NBC10 they believe at least some of the culprits had participated in a rally earlier in the day in the city, though police have not yet confirmed this and are looking into whether the vandals were part of a larger group. “It looks like it was from the anti-Trump rally,” the property manager said. “They came and I guess their intention was to break windows to entice them to come outside.” Police looked at surveillance video from a nearby store owner. They continued to investigate Tuesday as neighbors cleaned up debris. |
A mental vision is often like a physical vision. Our eyes point out. And we tend to focus on things outside as well. Especially when things aren't going well. We look for somebody/something outside to blame for the problem. And if you'll have act the whole world straightend out in order to be happy, well, it would never happen; you'd die first. And as it turns out that's not where the real problem is. The problem is inside. As the Buddha said, we suffer because of craving and ignorance. And one of the major issues in ignorance is not seeing where we are causing ourselves suffering. When they say ignorance of the four noble truths, that's precisely what they mean: We don't see our own craving, we don't see our own ignorance, and so we keep doing things to cause suffering, and we don't know. Or when we happen to do things right where we're not causing ourselves suffering we haven't figured it out why that's happening. We don't see the connections. And this ignorance is not all that mysterious. As the Buddha pointed it out in his instructions to Rahula. Lesson one in the Dharma. One, he said: "be truthful", and two: "look at your intentions". Look at your actions, look at the results of your actions. Precisely that is where we don't like to look. It's a lot easier to lay the blame on other people than it is to say, well maybe something is wrong with our motivations, maybe something is wrong with our intentions. Partly because as children we're taught to lie about our intentions. To get away from being punished: "I didn't mean to do it", "I didn't think that would happen". Many times you did mean to do it. Many times you did think what would happen. But you can't tell that to your parents. Otherwise you'd get punished. Or we deny that some harm happened because of our own actions. Again, fear of punishment. This gets internalized, even when there is nobody standing over us to punish, as we learn not to look at our own intentions, we learn not to look at the results of our actions. And as a result, huge areas inside the mind become unknown territory, big blank spaces. And it is precisely those areas there that we need to know about if we're going to gain any headway and put an end to suffering. It's not a question of learning about emptiness, or Buddha nature, or anything abstract like that, but just looking at: "Look, what am I intending right here right now. What's my motivation?" Looking again, and again, and again. Each time, preferrably before you act. So you can check yourself in time. And then see what's happening as a result of your action. And an important way to approach this is to have the right attitude towards your mistakes. Many times you don't like to admit mistakes. So that just buries them deeper and deeper in ignorance. But the Buddha, when he's teaching Rahula, taught: You should be open with your mistakes, tell them to other people, I mean. Not to get yourself all tied up in remorse. Cause that just makes the problem worse. When you get tied up in remorse it lowers your energy level, lowers your self-esteem, and it gets harder and harder to decide to do the right thing. And what the Buddha says of what he calls shame over the mistakes you've made is not (...) you should have a low opinion of yourself. Actually you should have a high opinion of yourself, that you're a better person, and that you're not the sort of person who normally does that and wants to continue that kind of thing. And you are honest enough to want to look for help. That's why it's best to be open. That's why the monks confess their offenses to each other. That is why the practice is not a solitary fare. You want to learn from the wisdom of others. And the best way to do that is to be open. And then you take what you've learned from your own experience, you take what you've learned from the wisdom of others and: try again, try again. Keep trying. Because if you don't keep trying then things start backsliding. And this large area of ignorance in the mind just stays in the dark. So this is the basic principle in Dharma principle, if you keep looking inside what's wrong that doesn't mean there's nothing wrong outside. There's plenty of things wrong outside. But if you focus on them all the time you miss the areas where you are actually responsible for. That is: What are your intentions. How do you choose which ones to act on? You want to be transparent to yourself in this way. Otherwise, if you keep looking outside, as Ajahn Lee said, you never see the Dharma, all you see is the world. Seeing the Dharma comes from looking inside. It all depends on the directions, and the directions on which we're mentalized and focussed. So this is why we meditate, to get more and more sensitive to our intentions and their results. Very simple, focus on the breath. See how long you can stay with your breath, see what other things come up and push you off. And then learn to be quick to come back, and learn to get quicker, so that you don't get pushed off. Usually at the beginning this is one of the most disconcerting parts of the meditation, to see how hard it is to stay focussed on something simple like this. But it's an important lesson. There are a lot of currents flowing through the mind. The Buddha calls them asavas, or fermentations, effluents, things that come flowing out. And if we are not careful they become floods, overhwelming the mind. You're sitting here, telling yourself to focus in on the breath, and all of a sudden you're far away someplace else. And the mind's been flooded. But fortunately it doesn't have to stay that way. You can pick yourself out of the flood and come back. Keep at this until you find that you can catch these outflows when they're still small, and (turn off this ... ?). On the one hand puts you in the right place to see your intentions and also gives you the strength to withstand intentions that you might ordinarily give into if you develop more and more a sense of wellbeing here with the breath. The compulsion to go after a particular idea, or a particular thought, or a particular sight, smell, taste, tactile sensation, whatever, gets a lot less when you have a good comfortable place to stay. It's like the difference of having a good home to stay in as opposed to a really harsh and punishing home, or near miserable home. It's the kids from the miserable homes who are out on the streets. Kids with the good homes tend to stay home more. It's the same with the mind. Create a good space inside the mind where you can stay right here right now, it's easier to stay here, you're more inclined to stay here, and you see more and more what's going on in the mind. And if you discover there are people dealing in drugs in the backrooms, well, here you know now. And (if you want them to?) not get established here then you can expel them from the backrooms. So that more and more this home of the mind more and more does become like a home, and less and less like a bus station. Otherwise you have control of who comes in, who comes out, what happens inside the home. And you get more and more confident being truthful with yourself. And the sense of wellbeing you develop makes it more and more amenable, nicer to keep focussed inside. In the past when you focussed inside all you saw was a mess. And so you didn't want to look there. But now you look inside, and you've got a nicer and nicer place to stay, nicer and nicer place to look at. This gets your inner eyes focussed in the right direction. Because if you really want to see the Dharma, this is where you have to look. |
Indonesia could ban gay sex after accepting a judicial review petition. The Family Love Alliance is adovcating that a law banning any sex between an adult and a minor of the same gender should be expanded to inclulde all adults as well. The largely Islamic conservative group claims same-sex relationships is leading to "moral degradation" in the densely populated archipelago nation. Family Love Alliance chairwoman Rita Hendrawaty said last week that the group’s goal is not trying to criminalize lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. "The real reason is so that we have much clearer norms," she said. "We are not intending to criminalize those who have a deviant sexual orientation. That is not the point. They can be free to live but not show their lifestyle." Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, but the LGBT commnunity still risks discrimination for coming out. In 2013 a global survey found that 93 percent Indonesians believe that homosexuality should be rejected by society. Earlier this year, Indonesian activist Yuli Rustinawati received an award at the United Nations' first LGBT Gala for her work dealing with the new waves of conservative backlash that exist in the country. |
Unicorns, those magnificent mythological creatures may in fact have existed, that is if you believe anything that comes from North Korea. The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat’s beard and cloven hooves. First mentioned by the ancient Greeks, it became the most important imaginary animal of the Middle Ages and Renaissance when it was commonly described as an extremely wild woodland creature, a symbol of purity and grace, which could only be captured by a virgin. In the encyclopedias its horn was said to have the power to render poisoned water potable and to heal sickness. Until the 19th century, belief in unicorns was widespread among historians, alchemists, writers, poets, naturalists, physicians, and theologians. The elusive beast is often used to stimulate discussion between theists, and non-theists, as in this example. Under most circumstances North Korea‘s official state news agency is the place to go for reports ranging from the reclusive totalitarian state’s unparalleled scientific achievements to the limitless love which its inhabitants reserve for their successive leaders. Yet in what appears to be a genuine world exclusive, the inimitable Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has now broken the incredible news that archaeologists in Pyongyang have discovered a unicorn’s lair. Or rather, the report says that they have “recently reconfirmed” the lair of one of the unicorns ridden by the ancient Korean King Tongmyong, founder of a kingdom which ruled parts of China and the Korean peninsula from the the 3rd century BC to 7th century AD. The KCNA goes on to state that the location happens to be 200 meters from a temple in the North Korean capital, adding: “A rectangular rock carved with words “Unicorn Lair” stands in front of the lair.” “The carved words are believed to date back to the period of Koryo Kingdom (918-1392),” says the report. Archaeologists from the Academy of Social Sciences at North Korea’s History Institute were credited with making the discovery. Follow MadMike’sAmerica on Facebook and Twitter, and don’t forget to visit our HOME PAGE. If you liked our story please share it at REDDIT.COM and PINTEREST as well as TUMBLR. |
1. A view of the game Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO 2. Muse bass player Chris Wolstenholme with fans as he arrives for the game Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO 3. Muse bass player Chris Wolstenholme in action Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO 4. Muse bass player Chris Wolstenholme with his sons and team mates ahead of the game Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO MUSE TOOK ON a Cabinteely XI in a charity game at Kilbogget Park, Dublin tonight. The rock band, represented by bass player Chris Wolstenholme, ultimately prevailed 9-8 in a tightly contested match. Manager Eddie Gormley was among those to line out for the Irish side, who said that the connection comes from Wolstenholme’s 16-year-old son Alfie, who is a former Cabinteely player. The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add! |
The second album for any band is a hefty mark to step up to. For bands like Circa Waves, who find themselves firmly within the restrictive walls of indie, there is added pressure in not mimicking their previous selves – or anyone else for that matter. Add a year of waiting in between the release of 2015’s ‘Young Chasers’ and last Friday’s release of ‘Different Creatures’ and you’re sure to witness notorious Second Album Syndrome. However, the Liverpudlian foursome have by far exceeded expectations with their new, more defined, crisper record. The opening track ‘Wake Up’ showcases new skills musically and lyrically, boasting a previously unseen maturity along with a battle cry of “We’ve returned and you’re going to listen”. While the lyrical themes still revolve strictly around love and loss, there is a twinkle of renewed energy that was somewhat lost on the first album - a new-found belief in the words being sung. With punchy one liners like “Where do you get off? I hope it’s the next stop” courtesy of the track ‘Goodbye’, you won’t have to look much further than this album for your new Twitter bio. Along with the sharp, confident riffs up for offer throughout the album, slower tracks such as ‘Love’s Run Out’ are reminiscent of early Jamie T days. While this could have been a dangerous move, they’ve managed to pull this off in a way that doesn’t mimic, and only respects. ‘Different Creatures’ is certainly aptly named, as the whole record sheds the skins of four boys messing around with guitars - and welcomes four musicians who demand to be taken seriously. Circa Waves have raised the bar once more. 7/10 Words: Laura Copley - - - - - - |
Yes, it’s an April’s Fool joke, but what a joke. This is the BMW M3 Pickup, announced today (1 April). And it’s not a Photoshop either: it’s a real, bonkers 414bhp ute. Mixing utility with performance has always appealed at Top Gear. This might just have reset the bar. It’s been spotted testing around the Nurburgring this week (clocking a claimed 186mph in the process), and while it’s not going into production, it was the result of a private commission from somebody who is also real. Somebody with good contacts, deep pockets and slightly odd taste… Based on the convertible due to its extra bracing, this pick-up is a targa, with a flat-bed and tow bar. It’s also 50kg lighter than the M3 Coupe. BMW has in fact done something like this before. In 2007 at an M workshop, we spotted an E30 pick-up with a four-pot M3 motor and limited-slip diff. Whether the same bonkers Bavarian engineers are involved isn’t known. All we know is, we want a go. |
7 Folds of Winter Never a fan of epic fantasies, Carolyn McCray shows in the hands of a master, even those who won't read them will be holding their breath with each turn of the page. One thing learned reading this book no matter that the future is foretold, fate is fickle. What looks certain one second can turn on the wing of an eagle. The Rush Mia seems to be, in this novella, strong enough to stand her ground with other McCray/Hopkins heroes. Gets into trouble unexpectedly and gets out not without some difficulty but with style and fun. More Mia please Rook: Let's Stop the Apocalypse People I really, really enjoyed this one. A cozy little band of very different souls having to stop Armageddon. I hope there are more of this group! Such fun, and Fannie is the best! Ambush: 30 Pieces of Silver One of my very favorite stories, introducing us to McCray's first and best extraction teams I read. The group is serious business, but each having fun in their own way. Love this story. The one that started them all for me. Anatomy: A Plain Jane Prequel The first story I've read with Harbinger. The way he solves crimes makes Sherlock seem as a pre-teen at the last One Direction concert (with a tip of the hat to the Robin Hood Hacker series). Fine beginning. Pet Holiday Miracles A series of very short stories consisting of exactly what the title implies. Get a hankie out. Pet Whisperer This story, co-written with Ben Hopkin, a pet psychic story is one of the best in this omnibus. It has heart, humor, and warmth. I truly enjoyed this (and the holiday miracles stories) and hope there are more! Don't be surprised if there are cross-over characters from the Pet Holiday Miracles. Hacked This is the prequel to the Robin Hood Hacker series. We are introduced to two of the best hackers in the world (only in the series there seem to be two others who may say they are part of four) and the FBI agent determined to catch them. Close, oh so close. There IS something here for everyone. One thing shines through each of these stories: Ms. McCray writes stories you want to read. One of the best authors you probably haven't heard of . . . yet. |
Much has been written about the myth of the late Brazilian star. He was an enigma in so many ways, and left die-hard fans scratching their heads at some of the decisions he made on and off the track. With a manic drive to succeed, Ayrton Senna was a slightly unbalanced man whose life could’ve gone many ways, but his karting hobby quickly became an all-consuming passion, for which he would dedicate his life entirely. From the tender age of four until thirteen, Senna practiced his karting skills on the weekends, and from thirteen on, his competitive streak was sated with formal racing. His obsession with karts would eventually take him to Europe five years later, but it was no simple task getting there. Though the man would be known for his prowess when the heavens opened up, he was not a natural in the rain. His first wet race, as legend has it, ended terribly. If anything could be said about Senna, it was that he was a perfectionist. After that frustrating race, he went to the track to practice every time it rained. Even from a young age, Senna was wholly, almost desperately, committed to his craft. This urge to perfect his driving and support from his wealthy father carried him through to the Karting World Championship – an event he never won – but it was a willingness to sacrifice personally that helped him jump the gap into the world of full-sized cars. After a recommendation from Emerson Fittipaldi, Senna crossed the Atlantic with his father’s support to race Formula Fords in England, the Mecca of motorsport. In doing this, the 20-year-old left behind family and friends, warm weather, and his wife-to-be. Liliane Vasconcelos joined Senna in England during his first season in Formula Ford, and immediately realized the life of a racing driver’s fiancee was dull, lonely, and worrisome. The two agreed to part, and so Senna began a solitary, self-involved experience far away from home. Willing to forgo healthy relationships in the name of his career, Senna was clearly a tough man, and possibly a very lonely one. Perhaps that was what allowed him to go to dangerous lengths at times. Talent and tenacity saw him through the lower formulae with little difficulty, though his towering self-belief and commitment would occasionally get the best of him. While leading the Formula 3 season, he careened off-course at the 10th round at Cadwell Park. After leaving the track, he kept his foot flat to the floor, insistent he would somehow get back to the track in one-piece, but crashed violently into the barriers and nearly killed himself. This confidence took him into territory some drivers would avoid for the sake of their own mortality, and though Senna was aware of the dangers, he seemed to disregard the risk and push his limits consistently. After winning Formula Three, Senna cleverly took a seat at Toleman to assure a smooth entry into F1 with less financial pressure. It was at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1984 that he showed the world his talent. During a shower of biblical proportions, Senna used his superhuman sensitivity to pilot the mediocre TG184 – a car with an all-or-nothing, turbocharged power delivery – through the unforgiving Monte Carlo streets, passing the likes of Lauda and Prost and ultimately finishing second. He had formally arrived. For 1985, he joined Lotus, and became known for his incredible pace; gaining seven pole positions and winning two races: Estoril and Spa. Not only were his wet-weather skills incredible, but with his Renault engine cranked up for qualifying, he seemed able to harness 1,200 horsepower in a way one or two others could. Especially when the grip level was low, he could simply dance with the car; making it look alive as it slithered and hopped. After a few successful but not-successful-enough years with Lotus, he moved to McLaren to take the seat beside Alain Prost – a man respected by all and someone who Senna had set his sights on beating as far back as his F3 days. Prost cemented himself firmly in the middle of the English team, which did not faze the young Brazilian, who had been told to play second fiddle to the established Prost. Instead, Senna used his charisma and political maneuvering to shift the focus towards himself. Self-absorbed and completely self-confident, he began usurping the Frenchman’s throne. Within two years, the team was his own. That manifested with a dangerous shove at the 1988 Portuguese Grand Prix. Barreling side-by-side down the front straight, Senna nearly pushed Prost into the pit wall. Senna’s reckless attempt at intimidation did not make Prost flinch, but showed everyone that he was not content with remaining the number two driver, and was willing to put others at risk to reach his aim. His aggressive, attacking, all-consuming approach took him to the title that year after an epic final race at Suzuka, where, after stalling at the start, he clawed his way through the field on a rain-soaked surface and eventually passed Prost for the win. The next year would end in acrimony. At the finale at Suzuka ’89, Prost violently closed the door on Senna at the Casio Chicane, and the two collided. Prost left the scene, but Senna continued for a new nosecone and went on to win the race, only to be disqualified. Political chaos ensued, and for the first time, the public got a chance to see the indignant, infallible Ayrton Senna. His complex character was given further insight the following year in a tit-for-tat move against Prost. Again, the finale was held at Suzuka, and now Prost had to finish to win the title. Feeling shortchanged after his pole position had been moved to the dirty side of the track and sensing politics at work, Senna rammed Prost at the start. The two cars spun off at 160 mph. For years after, Senna denied his culpability, claiming Prost had turned in on him in the first corner. Opinions were then divided on Senna. Some saw him as an overly aggressive, reckless man who believed God was on his side. For instance, he punched Eddie Irvine off his chair after being blocked at the ’93 Japanese Grand Prix. Gerhard Berger plying him with whiskey beforehand might have contributed somewhat to that. However, others saw him as a saint; his contributions to Brazil’s poor, his insistence on improving safety, and his concern for certain drivers made it hard to get a clear take on the complicated man. To some he was petulant, and to others, wise and determined. The reclusive superstar, now twice world champion, continued his success; winning the championship again in 1991, and moving to Williams once the McLaren could no longer carry him to the title. The Williams was not an easy car to drive, thanks to an abrupt change in regulations that removed the electronic devices and made the car unpredictable at speed. It was at Imola ’94 that his car, without warning, veered off into the wall outside the Tamburello Corner. A suspension arm pierced his helmet, and the injury would take his life shortly thereafter. It was a wholly inappropriate death, an almost routine accident, for someone who had flirted with danger so often and so successfully, and seemed almost invulnerable thanks to his prodigious talent. Senna had become a bonafide legend in Brazil. His funeral was a national affair, and even to this day, the nation sees him as their foremost sporting hero, perhaps even more so than Pele. His controversial behavior would always leave the astute fan perplexed. He was charitable, sensitive, compassionate, and yet, could be a ruthless competitor. A complicated man, Ayrton Senna drove himself to abnormal lengths to achieve the monumental success he did. It made him a supposed madman, but also a warm soul, and even today, that duality of character attracts fans the world across. |
Plot Edit In 1938, Maria is a free-spirited young Austrian woman studying to become a nun at Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg. Her love of music and the mountains, her youthful enthusiasm and imagination, and her lack of discipline cause some concern among the nuns. The Mother Abbess, believing Maria would be happier outside the abbey, sends her to the villa of retired naval officer Captain Georg von Trapp to be governess to his seven children—Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl. The Captain has been raising his children using strict military discipline following the death of his wife. Although the children misbehave at first, Maria responds with kindness and patience, and soon the children come to trust and respect her. Liesl, the oldest, is won over after Maria protects her from discovery when she is nearly caught sneaking back into the house after meeting with Rolfe, a messenger boy she is in love with. While the Captain is away in Vienna, Maria makes play clothes for the children and takes them around Salzburg and the surrounding mountains, and teaches them how to sing. When the Captain returns to the villa with Baroness Elsa Schraeder, a wealthy socialite, and their mutual friend, Max Detweiler, they are greeted by Maria and the children returning from a boat ride on the lake that concludes when their boat overturns. Displeased by his children's clothes and activities, and Maria's impassioned appeal that he get closer to his children, the Captain orders her to return to the abbey. Just then he hears singing coming from inside the house and is astonished to see his children singing for the Baroness. Filled with emotion, the Captain joins his children, singing for the first time in years. Afterwards, he apologizes to Maria and asks her to stay. Impressed by the children's singing, Max proposes he enter them in the upcoming Salzburg Festival but the suggestion is immediately rejected by the Captain as he is opposed to his children singing in public. He does agree, however, to organize a grand party at the villa. The night of the party, while guests in formal attire waltz in the ballroom, Maria and the children look on from the garden terrace. When the Captain notices Maria teaching Kurt the traditional Ländler folk dance, he cuts in and dances with Maria in a graceful performance, culminating in a close embrace. Confused about her feelings, Maria blushes and breaks away. Later, the Baroness, who noticed the Captain's attraction to Maria, hides her jealousy while convincing Maria that she must return to the abbey. Back at the abbey, when Mother Abbess learns that Maria has stayed in seclusion to avoid her feelings for the Captain, she encourages her to return to the villa to look for her life. After Maria returns to the villa, she learns about the Captain's engagement to the Baroness and agrees to stay until they find a replacement governess. The Captain's feelings for Maria, however, have not changed, and after breaking off his engagement the Captain marries Maria. While the Captain and Maria are on their honeymoon, Max enters the children in the Salzburg Festival against their father's wishes. When they learn that Austria has been annexed by the Third Reich in the Anschluss, the couple return to their home, where a telegram awaits informing the Captain that he must report to the German Naval base at Bremerhaven to accept a commission in the German Navy. Strongly opposed to the Nazis and the Anschluss, the Captain tells his family they must leave Austria immediately for Switzerland. Many of the Von Trapps' friends are prepared to accept the new regime, including Rolfe, whom Liesl is devastated to see has joined the Hitler Youth. That night, as the von Trapp family attempt to leave, they are stopped by a group of Brownshirts waiting outside the villa. When questioned by Gauleiter Hans Zeller, the Captain maintains they are headed to the Salzburg Festival to perform. Zeller insists on escorting them to the festival, after which his men will accompany the Captain to Bremerhaven. Later that night at the festival, during their final number, the von Trapp family slip away and seek shelter at the nearby abbey, where Mother Abbess hides them in the cemetery crypt. Brownshirts soon arrive and search the abbey, and the family is discovered by Rolfe. Upon seeing Liesl, he hesitates raising the alarm long enough to allow the family time to flee, and the family is able to escape using the caretaker's car. When the soldiers attempt to pursue, they discover their cars will not start as two nuns have removed parts of the engines. The next morning, after driving to the Swiss border, the von Trapp family make their way on foot across the frontier into Switzerland to safety and freedom. Cast Edit Background Edit Production Edit Release Edit Historical accuracy Edit Soundtrack Edit Accolades Edit Television and home media Edit Notes Edit ^ Die Trapp-Familie and Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika, dubbed them in English, and released them as a single 106-minute film titled The Trapp Family, which was released on April 19, 1961.[9] Twentieth Century Fox also purchased the rights to the two German films for distribution in the United States. Fox combined the two films,and, dubbed them in English, and released them as a single 106-minute film titled, which was released on April 19, 1961. ^ Maria's morning run back to Nonnberg Abbey would have been about 11 miles (18 km). ^ [64] At the conclusion of filming at Schloss Leopoldskron, 20th Century Fox left behind the original gazebo as a gift to the city. The film's later popularity, however, led many fans to trespass onto the private and secluded lakefront property. To provide fans easier access to the famous structure, the city moved it to its present location at Hellbrunn Palace Park. ^ Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, The Sand Pebbles, The Guns of Navarone, and the 1967 theatrical re-release of Gone with the Wind.[68] He is also known for his numerous magazine covers and his paintings of the American West and the Plains Indians.[68] Terpning also created the poster artwork for, and the 1967 theatrical re-release ofHe is also known for his numerous magazine covers and his paintings of the American West and the Plains Indians. ^ [75][76] Pauline Kael's review for McCall's generated a significant negative response from readers and contributed to her dismissal from the magazine. ^ [79] In Albany, New York (population 156,000), 176,536 tickets were sold in twenty-seven weeks.[79] In Orlando, Florida (population 88,135), 105,181 tickets were sold in thirty-five weeks.[79] In Salt Lake City, Utah (population 199,300), for example, 309,000 tickets were sold in forty weeks.In Albany, New York (population 156,000), 176,536 tickets were sold in twenty-seven weeks.In Orlando, Florida (population 88,135), 105,181 tickets were sold in thirty-five weeks. ^ The Sound of Music remained the highest-grossing film of all time for five years until 1971, when Gone with the Wind recaptured the crown following its successful 1967 widescreen rerelease. References Edit Bibliography Edit |
In the coming days, Android Auto 2.0 is coming to every Android OS 5.0 or better phone in over 30 countries, so even if you don’t have a fancy modern car you can enjoy the ‘connected experience.’ Android Auto. It’s Google’s answer to Apple’s Car Play, and it competes for your attention if you have a modern fancy car with a swanky large screen display so you can drive more smoothly. Of course, to use Android Auto in the past, you needed one of these modern cars. But no more. Google is opening up Android Auto so it works on your smartphone as well as in-car displays, opening up the experience to millions of ‘older cars,’ too. The news comes from a blog post by Google’s Android Auto product manager, Gerhard Schobbe, entitled ‘Android Auto: now available in every car.’ Noting the original launch of Android Auto was two years ago, Schobbe notes that the goal was ‘to better integrate phones and cars, and give drivers an easier way to access the information they need.’ Indeed, Schobbe proudly boasts that there are now ‘over 200 new car models supporting Android Auto offered from more than 50 brands, and many more launching every day.’ However, those millions of older cars not previously compatible with Android Auto are out there, many with no screens at all, thus pushing Google to ‘bring the same connected experience to these drivers too.’ So, Schobbe has announced on behalf of Google that the new way to use Android Auto is ‘right on your phone screen!’ Schobbe states ‘this update allows anyone with an Android phone (running 5.0 or later) to use a driver friendly interface to access the key stuff you need on the road ― directions, music, communications ― without the distraction of things that aren't essential while driving.’ You can see an image of what this looks like at the end of this article. Schobbe explains further, stating: “Whether your phone is connected to a compatible car display, or placed in a car mount on the dashboard, Android Auto brings your favourite apps and services into one place, making them accessible in safer and seamless ways. “You can bring your music with you with apps like Spotify, Pandora or Google Play Music, and make calls or send messages with hands-free voice commands. And of course, get turn-by-turn directions to your next destination with Google Maps. “This update also brings the ability to automatically start the app when the phone is paired with Bluetooth. While you can put your phone in any car mount, please keep an eye out for Bluetooth-supported car mounts such as Logitech’s SmartCar mount, which is coming soon to the Google Store and select retail locations. “We’re also enhancing the support for hands-free voice commands in the coming weeks. You will soon be able to easily access existing features like maps, music and messaging by just saying “Ok Google” so you can stay focused on the road.” Schobbe concludes by noting that the latest 2.0 version of the Android Auto phone screen experience “will be rolling out in the coming days to more than 30 countries where Android Auto is currently available”, and that if you want to receive an email when the update is available for your personal Android 5.0 or better smartphone, you can sign up for the notification service at the Android Auto website here. |
Image caption Gloria Arroyo pleads not guilty and ''feels the case is an injustice'' Former Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has pleaded not guilty to electoral fraud before a court in Manila. She was escorted under tight security to court from a military hospital where she is being detained while undergoing treatment for a spine condition. She was arrested in November 2011 after trying to leave the country to seek medical treatment. Mrs Arroyo is accused of rigging a 2007 election in favour of her candidates. Prosecutors say she helped a powerful local clan leader rig senatorial elections in a southern region where 12 candidates she backed swept to victory. The poll rigging charge is the first of several cases expected to be brought against her. The trial is seen as a landmark case in the country and a test for her successor, President Benigno Aquino III, a reformist who has promised to weed out corruption. Mrs Arroyo insists that Mr Aquino is waging a personal vendetta against her, says the BBC's correspondent in Manila, Kate McGeown. Mrs Arroyo, herself the daughter of a former president, has been surrounded by corruption allegations for years, and survived several attempts to have her impeached while in office. If convicted Mrs Arroyo, who was president from 2001 to 2010, could face life in prison. But it could be some time before the verdict is known. Trials in the Philippines take a long time, says our correspondent. Mrs Arroyo's predecessor Joseph Estrada's trial for corruption lasted six years. Her husband, Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, delivered a short statement to reporters at the court, saying that his wife "feels the case is an injustice". He maintained that she is still suffering from back pain that requires medical treatment abroad. |
While onstage at the Surface Pro 3 event, Microsoft vice president and Surface creator Panos Panay cited a pretty surprising statistic: 96 percent of iPad owners also own a laptop. Tablet and laptop ownership relationships are studied constantly, but I'd never before heard it phrased in such a way that made me feel so dumb for owning both. That was all I needed to hear at the time to buy the argument that tablets should be more like laptops in the quest to unify them, at least for the duration of the presentation. From Microsoft's perspective, a tablet and a computer can and should be the same device. "We’re still carrying around a tablet and a separate laptop, and our take is that Surface Pro 3 is a tablet that can replace your laptop," Jordan Guthmann, a PR representative for Microsoft, told Ars. This felt new as Panay said it, but to look back a couple of years, it's not a new narrative for Microsoft to push: Windows 8 has been the near-sole driving force behind tablet/laptop hybrids, and many hardware manufacturers have come at the hybrid form factor from every conceivable angle . They have yet to take off. While the 96-percent statistic seems to support Microsoft's narrative that tablets and laptops are a redundancy that hardware manufacturers have a duty to fix, overwhelming evidence suggests that is not true. Few people try to or want to use tablets like laptops, save for when they feel like they have to justify the cost and get every last inch of mileage out of it. Tablet popularity arose in a place where people were using laptops like tablets, or smartphones like tablets, but in suboptimal ways that showed a tablet was better. Why the tablet is popular Ever since the iPad landed in the market as a clear luxury item without a specifically defined use case, market researchers have been tracking it, alongside other tablets, to figure out what we actually use them for and where. In short, we use tablets almost everywhere we don't use laptops, or where we would use laptops in an absolute pinch but would prefer not to: bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. Tablets have filled in a particular kind of pared-down computer experience everywhere the laptop wasn't, or everywhere that it might have been incidentally but not quite suited to the job—sitting open and waiting to be spilled on, or nestled in some blankets on a couch or in a bed, the less-than-capacious battery trickling away. The 96-percent figure, which Microsoft says is "proprietary research," seems a bit high compared to similar available figures. A study from last fall found that 58.5 percent of people buying tablets did so to use in addition to their laptop, not to try to replace it. That leaves another 42 percent who either don't use a laptop as a computer, have never owned a computer, or who were trying to replace a laptop with a tablet. But if we reconcile Microsoft's 96-percent figure with the 58.5 percent one, we see that the grand majority of people intend their tablet and laptop for distinct purposes, to be used in tandem. Microsoft's assumption is that the difference of purpose is for lack of a laptop that can act enough like a tablet. But this denies the tablet the niche that it made itself from whole cloth. The tablet interest explosion was born out of the launch of the iPad, a device that was met with serious and unflinching derision and cost a good deal more upfront than a smartphone, when smartphones can largely fill the same role of casual e-mail reading, browsing, and gaming, and are bested by tablets only in screen size. Now smartphones are regularly horning in on the tablet space too, with the increasingly common, 5-inch-plus-screened monsters from Samsung and HTC. Gadgets big and small want in on that idle time that tablets so seamlessly hijacked over the last few years. Can two become one? Microsoft is not necessarily wrong that maybe now tablets and laptops are similar enough, hardware-wise, that we can move around from home to office with one device plastered to our sides. But Microsoft's other selling points for the Surface, like its cloud integration, are also a vote in favor of multiple devices. It doesn't matter if you keep a separate tablet on your couch and leave your laptop at home; everything data-related is everywhere anyway. The last consideration is price. As we mentioned, tablets have long been a luxury item, even if they have a pretty well-defined, casual-use niche by now. Surely it would make more sense for a customer to buy a device that can fulfill both tablet and laptop functions, if possible. But the Surface can't quite cover that base, either. The device starts at $799 for a modest Core i3 model, and goes up to $1,949 for the highest-end Core i7. That's not including the Type Cover keyboard (an extra $130). Tablets are cheap enough now that it is possible to cover both device the tablet and laptop bases for under $1,000. Tablets as a category are still growing, but the growth has slowed. PCs are also still growing worldwide, but at a much slower rate. Microsoft's latest Surface pitch has a chance to succeed with people who are either frustrated with having to choose between a laptop and a tablet, or who have both but see them as impractical. But despite the seemingly damning 96-percent statistic, that is not most people who are interested in tablets anyway. Many people purposefully have both devices because a tablet fills a distinct need, and because of the cloud, the only difference between having two devices and one is that you have to carry one around. So, like with all of the convertible laptop-tablets that have come before, we won't be surprised if this pitch's initial effect doesn't play out to a grand success. Listing image by Casey Johnston |
Alesia Alesia is a delightful West Coaster who was once called a “g cold priestess” after exhibiting an uncanny ability to be rude to strangers. Her background in Gucci Mane has landed her a j-o-b at a community based nonprofit focused on ending poverty. In her free time she can be found avoiding youths, writing haikus about bronzer, and talking very loudly about gentrification in wine bars. Fatima Fatima is a broke ass writer. She has a deep commitment to being fly and is a soldier in the fight against the devastating epidemic of Sad Eyebrow Syndrome. Her academic qualifications consist of a Master’s degree in Hateration and a PhD in Side-Eye Studies, among other things. By day, she’s a community development worker and by night she is a rapper. That last part is false. She’s a rapper all day, every day (in her mind). When she ventures outside of the internet, you can find her riding around her city on her bike —which she has named Prince Rogers Nelson —and stuffing her face with tacos. Aurelia Aurelia, aka MC Lipgloss, aka DJ Stretch Pants, aka Ghostface Huxtable, is a twentysomething bon vivant spicing up the US East Coast. She majored in screen and stage performance and creative writing, so she could drop a mixtape and be her own video girl, but she started podcasting instead. She has a great day job that’s none of your business, and also can be seen in regional screen and stage endeavors, as well as being an active advocate for social responsibility in arts and entertainment. TL;DR: I am a professional rude girl, and also devastatingly gorgeous, so just trust me. Ramou Ramou is equal parts Midwestern and Bostonian in the sense that she will wave to strangers and drop kick a bro who refuses to take his backpack off on the train in the same day. She studied broadcast journalism and political science at a college on Long Island (a college that is mentioned in a Childish Gambino song in a way that kind of hurts her feelings) with the hopes of becoming Oprah. Her fingers are still crossed. During the day she works with criminals (allegedly) and pretends to be a graduate student by emailing her thesis director every few days with subject lines similar to, “Read this. Validate me.” When she’s not getting her felon or thesis on, she’s writing for HelloGiggles and The Conversation. But really, Googling gifs of kids falling down. She has been a registered member of OkCupid for 5 years. Ramou is single. Last show: |
Sharon Binger points to a crack on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 in the basement of her home in Clintonville, Wis. Binger said it was caused by vibrations and booms that city officials are unable to explain. Sleepless families in the small Wisconsin town longed for quiet Wednesday after mysterious booming noises over the past few nights roused them from bed and sent residents into the street — sometimes still in pajamas. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger) MILWAUKEE (AP) — A minor earthquake occurred this week near the eastern Wisconsin city where researchers have been investigating a series of unexplained booming sounds, federal geologists said Thursday. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 1.5-magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday just after midnight in Clintonville, a town of about 4,600 people about 40 miles west of Green Bay. Geophysicist Paul Caruso told The Associated Press that loud booming noises have been known to accompany earthquakes. It's possible the mysterious sounds that town officials have been investigating are linked to the quake, he said. Earthquakes can generate seismic energy that moves through rock at thousands of miles per hour, producing a sonic boom when the waves come to the surface, Caruso said. "To be honest, I'm skeptical that there'd be a sound report associated with such a small earthquake, but it's possible," he said. Those reservations didn't stop Clintonville City Administrator Lisa Kuss from declaring "the mystery is solved" at a news conference Thursday evening. She said USGS representatives described the event as a swarm of several small earthquakes in a very short time. "In other places in the United States, a 1.5 earthquake would not be felt," she said. "But the type of rock Wisconsin has transmits seismic energy very well." The U.S. Geological Survey says earthquakes with magnitude of 2.0 or less aren't commonly felt by people and are generally recorded only on local seismographs. Caruso said the Tuesday earthquake was discovered after people reported feeling something, and geologists pored through their data to determine that an earthquake did indeed strike. Local residents have reported late-night disturbances since Sunday, including a shaking ground and loud booms that sound like thunder or fireworks. City officials investigated and ruled out a number of human-related explanations, such as construction, traffic, military exercises and underground work. Clintonville resident Jordan Pfeiler, 21, said she doubted an earthquake caused the noises. She said the booms she experienced were in a series over the course of several hours and not continuous as she might have expected if they were caused by an earthquake. Still, she said, "It's a little scary knowing Clintonville could even have earthquakes." Steve Dutch, a geologist at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, said a 1.5 magnitude earthquake produces the energy equivalent of 100 pounds of explosives and could produce loud sounds. But he was reluctant to describe Tuesday's event as an earthquake, saying the term is generally used to refer to widespread stress in the earth's crust. What happened in Wisconsin could be near the surface, perhaps caused by groundwater movement or thermal expansion of underground pipes, he said. Still, Dutch said it was possible that the event could produce a series of sounds over time. "If you've got something causing a little bit of shifting underground, it may take a while for whatever is causing it to play itself out," he said Caruso, the U.S. Geological Survey scientist, said Tuesday's event was confirmed as an earthquake because it registered on six different seismometers, including some as far as central Iowa. Jolene Van Beek, 41, had been jarred awake several times by late-night rumbling this week. When asked by telephone Thursday whether she thought the noises were caused by an earthquake, she joked that she was at a nearby lake "waiting for the tsunami to hit." "Anything to do with earthquakes is going to freak people out," she said. "You'd never expect it in Wisconsin." ___ Dinesh Ramde can be reached at dramde(at)ap.org. |
Star Trek: New Voyages/Phase II has been going strong for 13 years now, and it feels like they are just hitting their full stride. With nine full episodes under their belt and three more in various stages of production they’re turning back to the fans to help them keep moving along at warp speed with a fresh Kickstarter campaign. Taking a page from Star Trek: Axanar, they’ve set the initial bar low and readily achievable so that they can pay to shoot their upcoming episode, Torment of Destiny. As additional stretch goals are reached, it will feed directly into additional sets and episodes. With two weeks left to go, they’ve already handily passed their first goal of $20,000 and are just past the halfway point to their $50,000 first stretch goal. Their episodes continue to be recognized at film festivals with nominations as well as awards, as they did when Clay Sayre recently won the Best Supporting Actor award from the Star Trek Independent Film Awards for his portrayal as the Klingon Kor in the episode Mind-Sifter. The independent Star Trek film and series projects continue to see newcomers entering the pack, and for most of them they are learning from each other and the level of production quality as well as performances continues to step up. Original cast members have been part of many of the episodes, including Walter Koenig, George Takei, Grace Lee Whitney, and Denise Crosby to name a few. With a nod to classic tastes as well as new, their most recent episode, Mind-Sifter was made with both styles of ship models and effects, so if you’re someone who prefers the classic 60’s-era look, you can watch that version, or if you’re more of a later films fan, then you’ve got another variant which will do your 3-axis maneuvering heart good. Visual effects artist, Tobias Richter and his company, The Light Works, are fans themselves first, so they continue to create scenes that they would love to watch themselves. The perks range from $1 to $8,000, with a number of the $5,000 range donors receiving actual pieces from their bridge set. If you’ve always wanted to have Uhura’s or Spock’s full sized stations from the bridge of the Enterprise, this is your chance (note you have to come pick it up yourself from their set in New York). Sadly there are no producer or associate producer slots available, but if custom made costumes or signed scripts speak to you, then those are available as options. So many beloved series have been swept away before their time (Firefly and Farscape both leap to mind), and it’s through fan-produced continuations of the series that networks can best realize that there’s still a hunger for more stories in those universes. If you’re a lover of Trek, check out their episodes if you haven’t done so already, since it’s by supporting and watching independent efforts that will keep the flag flying. UPDATE: It seems the lack of the Associate Producer perk was an oversight and they’ve now added it into the mix. Thanks guys! |
If you were North Carolina the Saturday just gone odds are you were at the Spider-Gwen launch party, because why on earth not! If you were there you would’ve met Spider-Gwen creators Jason Latour, Robbi Rodriguez and Rico Renzi. You also would’ve met Spider-Gwen’s band ‘The Mary Janes’ (really Married With Sea Monsters) And if you were really lucky you would’ve purchased a jazzy vinyl LP of The Mary Jane’s first single ‘Face it Tiger’ which blew up on the internet after Edge of Spider-Verse #2 was released. The Vinyl cover was designed by Robbi Rodriguez and the vinyl disc itself is Spider-Gwen patterned. In other words it’s so pwetty! Which is obviously why people are paying an arm and a leg to get it on Ebay! Here’s some proof! I’ve never been so bummed to not have been in NC on a Saturday night. @MaryJanesBand @heroesonline #SpiderGwen pic.twitter.com/tseTuITt7E — Very Exciting (@VeryExciting) March 2, 2015 Don’t have enough money to get them? Fear not! Heroes Online and the band themselves have promised that some will be made available online, presumably at more affordable prices, but who really knows! “@VeryExciting: I’ve never been so bummed to not have been in NC on a Saturday night.” Don’t worry. Help’s coming. — THE MARY JANES (@MaryJanesBand) March 2, 2015 However if the Vinyl proves too expensive you can always just get one of the band’s T-shirts. Sure, you wouldn’t have been there and don’t that but at least you’ll have gotten the T-shirt. |
De facto martial law in Ferguson, Missouri 20 August 2014 The state of Missouri, with the full backing of the Obama administration, has responded to continuing protests against the police murder of Michael Brown, an unarmed African American teenager, by imposing de facto martial law on the largely working class city of Ferguson. Residents have been stripped of the constitutionally guaranteed right to assemble, reporters have been arrested or banished in violation of freedom of the press, police checkpoints have been set up at major intersections. A massive force of military vehicles, helicopters, sound cannon, flash grenades, tear gas, SWAT teams wielding assault weapons and local cops backed by National Guard troops has been deployed to intimidate, terrorize and crush social protest. On Monday night, the crackdown on overwhelmingly peaceful protesters demanding justice in the killing of Brown was stepped up. Seventy-eight people were arrested ostensibly for failing to obey a police order, for which there is no legal or constitutional basis, to disperse. The scale of the repression is vastly disproportionate to the supposed threat from what the authorities are calling “criminal elements.” At a 2:20 am Tuesday press conference, Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson, who was put in charge of security operations last week by Democratic Governor Jay Nixon, could point only to two hand guns, one Molotov cocktail and some water bottles allegedly captured by the police to justify that night’s violent crackdown and mass arrests. He advised “peaceful protesters” to stay home Tuesday night so that the police could identify all those on the street as “outside agitators” and arrest them. The arbitrary and disproportionate use of force has characterized the entire crisis. Brown, who was not carrying a weapon, was shot six times at point-blank range. Peaceful protests by outraged residents were met with a military-style crackdown, mass arrests, the declaration of a state of emergency, and the imposition of what amounts to martial law. As video reports posted on the World Socialist Web Site show, residents of Ferguson are making the connection between the military-police occupation of their city and the use of similar methods by the United States government in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are pointing to the hypocrisy of Washington’s claim to be defending democratic and human rights in the Middle East and Central Asia, while at home it responds to any sign of social opposition by employing the same anti-democratic and violent means it cites as the reason for overthrowing foreign governments. This is the very point the WSWS made just days before the police murder of Brown. In an August 4 Perspective column entitled “The slaughter in Gaza: A warning to the international working class,” the WSWS wrote: “The Israeli onslaught in Gaza is a forewarning of the measures that will be used in every country against working class resistance to war, militarism and the agenda of austerity. The methods developed in the course of a decade of the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to terrorise hostile populations will also be used against workers fighting to defend their jobs, living standards and basic democratic rights.” The resort to police state methods in Ferguson is the outcome of the protracted decay of American democracy. This process entered a new stage with the theft of the 2000 presidential election. It was accelerated after 9/11 and the declaration of the so-called “war on terror.” From the start, that phony war was used to justify an eruption of imperialist war abroad and an unrelenting assault on democratic rights within the US. The past 13 years have seen a massive buildup of the repressive powers of the state at the expense of democratic rights, resulting today in the existence of a police state in waiting. The USA Patriot Act, which sanctioned the unbridled expansion of government spying on the people of America and the world, was followed by the establishment of the Homeland Security Department, which has coordinated and funded, along with the Pentagon, the transformation of local police into paramilitary counterinsurgency forces. The Northern Command, the first ever military command covering the territory of the United States, was set up. These innovations were accompanied by countless studies and plans developed by military and intelligence agencies and think tanks for urban warfare and mass repression to quash social protest in the US. The 2013 Boston Marathon bombings were seized on as an opportunity to put such plans to the test. For the first time in American history, a major urban area was placed under a military-police lockdown and civil liberties were effectively suspended. The absence of any significant protest from any section of the political or media establishment confirmed the collapse of any commitment to democracy within the ruling class. The assault on democratic rights under George W. Bush has been accelerated under Barack Obama. The current president has not only shielded the authors of torture programs and the Guantanamo gulag from prosecution, he has asserted his right to indefinitely detain and even assassinate US citizens without due process, and admitted to having done so. The driving force behind these advanced preparations for a police state is the immense growth of social inequality. A quasi-criminal corporate-financial elite, which enriches itself on the basis of speculative activities of a parasitical nature while destroying the industrial infrastructure and decent-paying jobs, arrogates to itself an ever greater share of the national wealth. This form of criminality is inextricably linked to a criminal foreign policy based on aggression, war and plunder. Every democratic and social demand of the working class collides with the social interests of this new aristocracy. It views every manifestation of social protest as a threat to its interests that must be immediately smashed. The vast and unaccountable military-police-intelligence apparatus that has been built up over the years functions as the guarantor of the interests of this criminal capitalist elite. A political analysis of the events in Ferguson must begin not with the empty and insincere rhetoric of Obama and other politicians, but with what they are doing. In the interests of the financial oligarchy they serve, they are mobilizing the repressive violence of the state to terrorize the working class in Ferguson and set a precedent to be used in cities all across the country. This is the reality of America. Not accidentally, the most socially unequal of all advanced industrialized countries is also the most undemocratic. The root cause is the capitalist system itself, which is incapable of meeting the basic needs of the working class, the vast majority of the population. Barry Grey Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. |
The video will start in 8 Cancel Get the biggest West Brom FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email If you can't beat them join them. Well, that saying is turned on its head when it comes to Callum Morton, the newest recruit in the West Bromwich Albion academy. How did Morton come to Albion's attention? The 17-year-old striker scored a screamer in Yeovil Town's 3-2 FA Youth Cup win over the Baggies at the Hawthorns in December. Albion onlookers were so impressed with Morton they invited him for a trial involving games against a Shanghai SIPG XI and Derby County. "I got a phone call from the academy manager at Yeovil a week or so later to tell me Albion were interested in me," Morton told Albion News, the club's official matchday programme "When a Premier League club comes calling you don't ignore it." Morton proved his Youth Cup performance was no fluke and the Baggies snapped him up on a first-year scholarship last month. "I must have done okay because they wanted me to stick around," he said. How hard was it to leave Yeovil? "I knew it was going to be a tough decision to leave the lads at Yeovil," he said. "We've been through a lot together and we'd built up a really strong connection. "But that said, I knew the move to the Albion was too good an opportunity to turn down if I want to develop as a footballer and as a man." What's changed for Morton? Morton has left the family home in Torquay to pursue his dream. It was a "daunting" move, but he now feels more settled living with other scholars. "I'm looking forward to the future," he said. "Everyone back home is happy for me and I'm committed to make the most of this opportunity." How different is life with the Baggies? It would be fair to say the training ground at West Brom is a step up to what he was used to in Somerset. "We didn't really have one at Yeovil," he said. "We were just on-site near the stadium in a Portakabin. "We didn't mix with the first team either which is something I've noticed already about life at the Albion. "You get exposure to everyone. There's a real family feel around the place." Who are his biggest inspirations in football? Morton believes his lower league beginnings will keep him grounded and ensure he doesn't take anything for granted. He's a "hard worker" on the pitch - a trait head coach Tony Pulis would inevitably admire - who likes to "chase everything" and "run in behind". "I base my game on the likes of Jamie Vardy and Shane Long," he said. "Obviously if I can get anywhere near that level, then I'll be thrilled." (information courtesy of Albion News) |
As the GOP push to pass “tax reform” starts to heat up, policymakers will debate whether the corporate tax rate is too high or too low. A standard but misleading talking point for those wishing to give more tax breaks to corporations is that the United States has one of the highest statutory rates in the world at 35 percent. This is misleading because what corporations actually pay (their effective rate) is far lower. The corporate tax code is riddled with loopholes, most notably the deferral loophole which allows large multinational corporations to avoid paying their taxes indefinitely on profits they make offshore. And despite some recent claims to the contrary, a recent CBO report doesn’t overturn, but rather bolsters the research showing that corporations pay less than a 35 percent tax rate. Economic Snapshot Actual U.S. corporate tax rates are about half the official 35 percent rate : Comparison of statutory U.S. corporate tax rate and three estimates of what corporations actually pay on average Source Tax Rate Statutory rate 35.0% Effective rate (CTJ estimate) 19.4% Effective rate (Zucman estimate) 12.5% Effective rate (GAO estimate) 14.0% Chart Data Download data The data below can be saved or copied directly into Excel. The data underlying the figure. Sources: Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) and EPI analysis of McIntyre, Gardner, and Phillips (2014a, i); Zucman (2014, 132–133); and GAO (2016, 13) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image Due to data limitations, it’s hard to come up with one conclusive rate. But multiple studies with distinct methodologies have found effective federal corporate tax rates that range between 13 and 19 percent— far smaller than the rate corporations are supposed to pay. Real tax reform would close the deferral loophole and ensure that large multinational corporations cannot continue to dodge the taxes they owe. Instead, the Trump administration has reversed its position on commitments to close the deferral loophole, and their most recent proposal followed congressional Republicans’ plans to institute a territorial tax system, which would no longer tax multinational corporations’ offshore profits at all. At its core, a territorial tax system makes the deferral loophole permanent. This would cause an enormous revenue loss. In hopes that Congress would pass a repatriation tax “holiday” (as happened in 2004), large multinational corporations have used the current deferral loophole to book $2.6 trillion in profits offshore. The corporate tax base is likely to erode far more if this deferral loophole were made permanent. The United States could benefit from real tax reform that clawed back the taxes that large multinational corporations have been dodging. Instead, the Trump administration is offering to make the deferral loophole permanent and to open up new loopholes for the rich. If policymakers wanted to help working people through tax reform, they would broaden the tax base by closing loopholes and make corporations pay their fair share. |
The League of Ireland is back next weekend and, as ever, the challenge is to convince a sceptical population to be interested in the sentence which follows that factual statement. The League of Ireland is back next weekend and, as ever, the challenge is to convince a sceptical population to be interested in the sentence which follows that factual statement. This is part of the brief that comes with covering the domestic beat. It's always about selling to the punter that is presumed to represent the average reader. Searching for an angle to make them care. From tomorrow, a survey on the FAI website will look for feedback from the public as part of a wider consultative process. Declan Conroy, who is overseeing the project, wants dormant or disinterested fans to contribute. Media outlets know that the stiffest task is generally getting them to proceed past the entry point when they see the subject matter. This mindset is embedded. A fresh message is required, yet it's easier said than done on a stage where the script rarely alters. The repetitive theme in previews of a fresh campaign is the uttering of unoriginal sentiments about spreading the word, enhancing profile and exercising turnstiles. By chance, the process of decluttering the apartment this week uncovered the official 2005 season preview. Merger FAI chief executive John Delaney, then in the process of negotiating the association's takeover of the league - 'the merger' - penned his thoughts. "I am delighted that all clubs have been awarded licenses and the process of drawing down funding for infrastructural developments can now commence," he wrote. "The groundbreaking five-year TV rights deal, which was announced recently, will see unprecedented exposure of the domestic game on television and it will enables the FAI to increase the prize fund pool to €400,000." A decade on, there remains an element of suspense about whether all clubs will meet the licensing requirements; it's an unflattering news story even when they do. Ground improvements remain an aspiration, and it's hard to wag the finger at Abbotstown when some of the worst facilities belong to clubs that have spent unnecessary fortunes on wages in the intervening period. TV exposure continues to be flagged as one of the main achievements, even if clubs have developed extremely mixed feelings on live broadcasts. And prize-money? Well, you won't find those figures on the press releases these days. Cuts have made it an extremely expensive league to play in with very little reward. Those who cannot afford to battle for honours will receive a chunk of the prize fund that is less than their affiliation fee. These are the themes which linger. Like an unclaimed piece of baggage on the airport carousel, lovers of the league are condemned to the twists and turns of the same journey again and again and again. Sweeping issues under a carpet serve no purpose in the long run, but it's understandable that a focus on the negatives frustrates the dedicated audience. There is a danger of doing a disservice to the product by consistently attempting to look at it through the eyes of the outside observer. From personal experience, the most grounded and astute criticism of the league tends to be in-house. Crucially, as they are invested in a committed relationship, they can see the good side too. "All the people involved in our league love our league," stressed St Pat's manager Liam Buckley on Friday. "People who do come to matches tend to get caught up in it." Confidence is attractive, which is why giving people a reason to go to games is a smarter strategy than pushing the guilt-trip approach. And here's the thing; within Airtricity League circles, there is actually quite a bit of positive energy around the big kick-off. The better clubs from last term have largely succeeded in consolidating rather than pressing the reset button and that continuity without a dramatic budget increase is the only desirable form of progress. Dundalk and Cork served up a thrilling title race last term which culminated with an amazing climax. And the Leesiders have strengthened after that disappointment. Liam Miller's arrival was a headline-grabber and it unquestionably helps to have individuals involved whose name rings a bell with the floating football fan. The winter move of Keith Fahey from St Patrick's Athletic to Shamrock Rovers adds another edge to their rivalry and both should be part of the league battle. (Alas, the fact he is one of the multitudes suspended for Friday's opener between the sides for the crime of four yellow cards across last season is an embarrassment.) Sligo Rovers have turned a few heads in pre-season too. Granted, the inequality between top and bottom is bad news for participants who can plausibly only aim for mid-table at best. Still, the spread of talent across the top five should lead to a competitive fight for the crown and raise the standards. "The league is picking up again," suggests Sligo boss Owen Heary. "We have young players who've matured that have the experience of the last four or five seasons and the quality is improving." Geographical spread offers another reason for encouragement. It's 24 years since the Premier Division featured Galway, Cork, Limerick, Derry and Sligo, while there are just three Dublin teams. On top of presenting the image of a truly national league, there is also a certain security in knowing that the crowds will come if the regional representatives are doing well. In Dublin, where apathy is a major concern, there is no such guarantee; the largest concentration of lapsed fans is in the capital. This weekend, it shouldn't be an issue anywhere. The only good thing about the mammoth off-season is that it builds anticipation and swells crowd levels for the first set of fixtures. That's what makes it an exciting couple of days for those who do care. Friday marks the return of an alternative version of normality, and there's genuine cause to believe that an entertaining year lies ahead. Optimism reigns, for now at least. Indo Sport |
In the bitterly cold mountains to the south there lies a nation of shambling corpses and assorted undead fiends. Travellers hope only to avoid meeting them on the open road, whilst would-be heroes and naive soldiers are eager to meet them in battle. They are the Felheim Legion, and they are governed by the necromancer Valder. Control over the vast masses of the undead falls to whoever wields the Fell Gauntlet, and Valder secured it at a young age. A master in the necromantic arts, Valder even created the commander Ragna from the remains of countless skilled warriors, so that he can designate military matters to her. To him, the bloodthirsty hordes of skeleton soldiers are like his children, even if they tend to lack proper etiquette (and some brains). If called to battle, Valder strikes using the powerful magic within the Fell Gauntlet to wipe out his opponents with a single hand. He might not fear death, but his enemies would do well to fear him… |
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