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This article was updated on May 17, 2010. A shakeup is underway at the top levels of Wikipedia, FoxNews.com has learned, as administrators try to deal with the growing controversy surrounding pornographic images that appear on the online encyclopedia and its associated websites. After much pressure from within the Wikipedia community, co-founder Jimmy Wales has relinquished his top-level control over the encyclopedia's content, as well as all of its parent company's projects. Though he remains the chairman emeritus of the Wikimedia Foundation, Wales is no longer able to delete files, remove administrators, assign projects or edit any content, sources say. Essentially, they say, he has gone from having free reign over the content and people involved in the websites to having the same capabilities of a low-level administrator. (See editor's note, at the conclusion of this article.) “He had the highest level of control, he was our leader,” a source told FoxNews.com. When asked who was in charge now, the source said, “No one. It’s chaos.” According to insider sources and publicly available internal listserve discussions, Wikimedia editors have rebelled in the last week against Wales' attempts to remove pornographic images from the nonprofit's websites. Those images have been the subject of heated discussion within the community since their existence was revealed exclusively by FoxNews.com on April 27. On May 7, FoxNews.com reported exclusively that Wales had personally deleted many of the images from Wikimedia's servers, and that he'd ordered that thousands more be purged. Now many of those images have been restored to their original web pages. Hundreds of listserve discussions among Wikimedia board members, administrators and editors reveal the eruption of a heated and chaotic debate over whether to delete the images, which legal analysts say may violate pornography and obscenity laws. The debate heated up when FoxNews.com began contacting high profile corporations and foundations that have donated to the Wikimedia Foundation for comment — including Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Best Buy, USA Networks, Craigslist, Ford Foundation and Open Society Institute. Several of those donors contacted the foundation to inquire about the thousands of images on Wikimedia’s servers that could be considered child pornography. There also are graphic photo images of male and female genitalia, men and women or groups of people involved in sexual acts, images of masturbation and other pornographic material — all of which can be viewed by children at most public schools, where students are encouraged to use Wikipedia as a source encyclopedia. When the donors started calling, Wales immediately called on the sites’ editors to quickly purge any possibly obscene or pornographic content from the sites. This led to outrage among the sites' many volunteer editors and administrators, who charged that Wales’ actions betrayed the essence of the open user-generated online encyclopedia. One lengthy e-mail response read in part: “In essence, right now Jimbo is deleting things based on his singular judgment about what should be allowed…. This is a large change and lack of a clear policy creates a very confusing and frustrating environment for editors. (Multiple Commons admins have already stated their intention to resign and/or retire over this.)” But Wales defended his actions on the foundation listserve, writing: "Much of the cleanup is done, although there was so much hardcore pornography on commons that there's still some left in nooks and crannies…. "We were about to be smeared in all media as hosting hardcore pornography and doing nothing about it. Now, the correct storyline is that we are cleaning up. I'm proud to have made sure that storyline broke the way it did, and I'm sorry I had to step on some toes to make it happen. "Now, the key is: let's continue to move forward with a responsible policy discussion." That post only intensified the debate. One administrator wrote: “If this is an emergency situation requiring a justified, immediate, unilateral, king-like massive action, I regret Mr. Wales didn't take the time to explain the emergency to us. "By rush-imposing his views and decisions on people who are not out of the debate yet, he is browbeating their inner self, ignoring their beliefs and opinions, discarding the value of the Other. "This lack of respect and of equality of vote should be extremely well argumented and the reasons transparently communicated. Otherwise, trust, faith and adhesion to the [Wikimedia Foundation] values dissolve. I don't think we should let this happen. Mr. Wales, I hope you enter reason and dialogue realms again….” By Thursday the discussion had devolved into an all-out war pitting board members against board members, and with top leadership sparring with lower level administrators. EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Jimmy Wales is the president of the Wikimedia Foundation. He is the chairman emeritus. |
Jessie on a Journey What is it like to travel to North America's most northern major city? Not as remote as one may think. While you have access to natural attractions and wilderness, Edmonton's urban space is home to over 1 million people and features numerous districts worth getting lost in. Simply wandering areas like Old Strathcona and Downtown Edmonton will have you stumbling upon discoveries like craft cocktail bars, coffee shops, farm-to-fork eateries and exciting events — many with an offbeat twist. Recently, I was fortunate enough to be invited by Edmonton Tourism to attend the Edmonton International Fringe Festival. I of course jumped at the chance (and was more than excited to escape NYC's blistering heat for a few days). Looking for things to do in Edmonton? Here are some of my favorite offbeat experiences from my recent trip to Alberta's quirky cool capital. Note: Any prices listed below are in Canadian Dollars. Bringing a glass back to my room at the Varscona Hotel on Whyte. Jessie on a Journey 1. Their Hotels Offer Free Wine & Cheese (As All Should) Who doesn't love wine and cheese? That's like saying you don't like to enjoy life chocolate or coffee. But that's not the main reason I think all hotels should offer a complimentary wine and cheese hour each night. As a solo traveler in Edmonton I loved grabbing a glass of white at the Varscona Hotel on Whyte and, within minutes, having other guests come over to chat with me. Interacting with locals and other travelers is one of the major joys of travel; doing it with riesling in hand is pure elation. Along with the wine I really enjoyed the location of the hotel right on lively Whyte Avenue — known for its boutique shopping — in hip Old Strathcona. Other highlights were the free breakfast, complimentary robes and high-speed Wi-Fi, and luxury Molten Brown bath products. Starting rate: $180 CAD per night. 2. They Know How To Put On A Festival (Especially A Zany One!) My main reason for visiting Edmonton was the Edmonton International Fringe Festival, the largest in North America and the second largest in the world after the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. I spent an entire day enjoying free Fringe festivities, from getting a glimpse into other cultures (like South Africa, shown above) to watching buskers juggle swords, throw pies and wear giant plastic boobs outside their clothes (yes, you read that right). I also saw some great performances (only $13 or less per show!), including one with the most awesome title in history: Red Wine, French Toast and the Best Sex You've Ever Had. Fringe Festival festivities. Jessie on a Journey My favorite show of the day was Not Enough,a one-woman performance by Megan Phillips. She did an amazing job taking a lighthearted approach to addressing anxiety, something I struggle with myself. She basically portrayed anxiety as a sort of devil on her shoulder, constantly putting unnecessary worry and doubt into her mind during a 10-day silent meditation retreat. I laughed a lot, but most of all I was blown away by how accurately she portrayed something I always have such a hard time explaining. Check her out. Edmonton's nickname is the City of Festivals, as along with the funky Fringe there are over 60 major festivals throughout the year. And that's not including the little guys! Some others to check out include the Blueberry Bluegrass and Country Music Festival (summer), Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival (summer), Edmonton International Film Festival (fall) and the Edmonton Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival (fall). Meeting the locals of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. Jessie on a Journey 3. You Can Visit Ukraine Without Leaving Canada Festivals aren't the only way to explore culture in Edmonton. A major, major, major highlight of my trip was visiting the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. Now, I'm typically not a museum person, but this was really special. The living museum features over 40 buildings dating back to before 1930 when Canada saw their first major wave of Ukrainian immigration. Almost all the buildings are original, and costume interpreters play actual Ukrainian immigrants — as in, real people they extensively researched — and do not break character for anything. While wandering through a sod house from 1900, a grocery store from 1929 and a hotel from 1929 (rooms were $1 per night then) I truly felt like I'd gone back in time. Another highlight: learning to make pierogies (pyrohy) with the women. Interestingly, in Ukrainian culture the fillings depend on what is available, so there is no "traditional" filling. While one woman made hers with potato and dill, another added blueberries. Yum! Pierogies at Rge Rd. Jessie on a Journey 4. You Can Eat Quirky With Conscience And it's not just the village where you'll explore Ukrainian culture through the palate. Pierogies seemed to be on the menu everywhere I went, including RGE RD. They did theirs in a gourmet fashion stuffed with local Sylvan Star gouda, topped with a warm cabbage slaw for a sweet acidity, and gowned in a white onion cream— so good I used a spoon to drink it like soup! The real reason to visit RGE RD though is their whole animal philosophy, butchering in house and using every part— from organs to skin — so nothing goes to waste. Try the "Questionable Bits," a surprise dish for adventurous eaters (it was beef heart tartar when I was there) as well as their rotating "Kitchen Board." This elevated plate takes charcuterie to the next level, and you might encounter anything from dill gouda to roast leg of lamb. Learning about how bison get handled in Elk Island National Park. Jessie on a Journey 5. You Can Gain A Deep Understanding About Bison Conservation One unique activity I took part in was a behind-the-scenes tour of the Elk Island National Park bison handling facility. Elk Island National Park is known for its work with bison, as well as for being home to more hoofed animals per kilometer than any other wild area in the world. According to my guide Morgan, as recent as 200 years ago there were 30 million bison in North America — literally so many the lands looked completely black. Sadly, by 1890 there were only 1,000 left due to habitat loss from farming, diseases brought by cows and overhunting. Today there are about 40,000 wild bison left around the world, making it a threatened species. Elk Island is passionate about keeping their 1,000 bison safe within the park, but also sending bison around the world to other conservation projects to ensure the species' safety in case of natural disaster and to encourage mating of different types of bison to breed out weak genes. On the tour I saw exactly how staff move the bison from the park in the least stressful way possible through a grid system to get checked out and moved to other places. It was very interesting, and outside of summer you'll likely see bison in the flesh, too! Chef Brad cooking up the local bison for our al fresco feast. Jessie on a Journey 6. There Are Gourmet Long Table Dinners Under The Stars Edmonton is full of delicious restaurants, but one of the most special experiences was dining al fresco in Elk Island National Park with Chef Brad Smoliak. Tickets are pricey at $160 per person and you need to join his mailing list to find out about events, but the thoughtfully-prepared multi-course meal, unlimited wine, park naturalist Q&A before dessert and lake sunset are worth it if you have room to splurge. Before dinner take a canoe, kayak or stand up paddle board trip on Astotin Lake. Even though the food is gourmet, the ambiance is casual (and you can totally wear sweats; I did!). Meditating at Astotin Lake in Elk Island National Park at Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve. Jessie on a Journey 7. National Parks Are Also In The Sky "Dark Sky Preserve"— an area kept free from artificial light pollution— was a term I hadn't heard until visiting Edmonton. Canada has an extensive network of these preserves, and they're excellent for star gazing and full moon kayaking, an activity offered at Astotin Lake within Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve. This is the spot I visited, with an idyllic beach and 14 islands making it all the more beautiful. Reflections on Astotin Lake in Elk Island National Park near Edmonton. Jessie on a Journey 8. You Can Explore The City Before Getting Out Into Nature As stated above, Edmonton is a hip urban city surrounded by wilderness, meaning outdoor adventure is very accessible. I spent an amazing few hours in in Elk Island National Park— only 45 minutes from Edmonton — where you can enjoy water sports and beaches as well as hiking, geocaching, camping, birdwatching and more. Tip: If you want to spot wildlife at Elk Island National Park, your best chances are around dawn and dusk. Jasper National Park is also only 3.5 hours away from Edmonton. Moreover, this city itself is home to North America's largest stretch of urban parkland at 18,286 acres, the North Saskatchewan River Valley. My delicious breakfast (and I didn't even feel guilty!) Jessie on a Journey 9. There's An Up-And-Coming Coffee Scene (With Shops Serving Ice Cream For Breakfast) One mission I always give myself when exploring a new city is finding a great coffee shop. Not only should this shop serve high-quality and interesting caffeinated beverages, but it should also have an inviting atmosphere that makes you want to stay awhile. Oh, and some treats to give me a sugar rush when necessary. In Edmonton, Da Capo Caffe fit the bill perfectly. This spot offers a trip to Italy through traditional espresso, homemade gelato (that also goes into their affogato drinks), wine and a menu that clearly disdains American coffee ("Caffé Americano, weak & diluted"). I opted for the Caffé Canadese (hey, when in Rome Edmonton), a Da Capo creation featuring a full bodied and complex hot drink with two shots of espresso and a technique that pulls maximum flavor out of their Da Capo Cinque blend. I also ordered a scoop of homemade apple and cinnamon gelato with real chunks of caramelized fruit. I didn't even feel bad that it was 9am! Bodie Brothers Root Beer giving out free samples at Edmonton's city market. Jessie on a Journey 10. The Farmer's Market Gets Creative There are 20+ markets in Edmonton, though there were two main farmer's markets I kept hearing about, Old Strathcona and City Market. I opted for the latter after a number of locals touted it as their favorite, and I wasn't disappointed. The market has a festival feel with live performers and tons of local purveyors giving out free samples of peanuts, pickles, body butters, cookies and more. Bodie Brothers Root Beer was one of my favorites, as their old fashioned root beer samples came straight out of the barrel. I also recommend getting homemade Ukrainian crepes at Luba Tortes, Instagram-worthy treats at Moonshine Doughnuts (hello strawberry black sesame!) and bourbon brown sugar-candied bacon at the Bacon Boss. A tasty ancient grains tart. How pretty is it? Jessie on a Journey 11. You Can Nibble Like Royalty On A Budget On my hunt for an amazing bakery I was told over and over that I had to try Duchess Bake Shop. I debated because it was a bit far from my hotel, but in the end I sprung for the 20-minute Uber ride because of all the acclaim. Wow, am I glad I did! Even if I didn't like the baked goods I would have loved this space, which felt like the type of place Queen Elizabeth might frequent (though I've never met her and have no idea if she even eats sweets). The classic French bakery features a whimsical atmosphere with marble tables, antique couches and patterned fabric chairs in browns and royal blues, with dainty pastries to pair. While everyone said I had to try the macarons ($1.50 each), I couldn't't resist the literally gorgeous Ancient Grains Tart ($6.50), filled with almond frangipane and almond cream and gowned in fresh market plums, ancient grain crumb, violets and marigolds. Near the bake shop are also a bunch of design and comic shops if you want to spend more time in the Westmount neighborhood. RGE RD Restaurant, mentioned above, is also nearby. Gummi candy and soda shop. Jessie on a Journey 12. You Can Satiate Your Sweet Tooth Like A Kid For something less refined, Gummi Boutique is a fun candy and soda shop in Old Strathcona with a retro vibe. Along with fun house mirrors and weird painted portraits there are jars of make-your-own-bag candy, unique sodas you won't get at your typical convenience stores, novelties like Pez dispensers and French fry lip balm, and lots and lots of gummies! Fun find: Jelly Belly sodas in flavors like Sour Cherry and French Vanilla. Corn grits laced with slow-cooked meat at Meat. Jessie on a Journey 13. They Know How To Brunch (And Wash It Down With Bourbon!) While boozy brunch may not be the most popular dining trend in Edmonton, the few restaurants that do it do it really well, featuring creative menus paired with special boozy concoctions. I easily fell in love with MEAT and their boozy coffee, morning bourbon cocktails, slow-cooked BBQ meats and homemade sauces. If you want to really drink like a Canadian order a "Ceasar," a cross-the-border take on the Bloody Mary featuring clamato juice. The menu ranges from $13-$16 for a huge and delicious meal, like my corn grits crafted with slow-cooked brisket, sausage gravy and a poached egg that was amazing when broken open and stirred into the dish. Having dinner at El Cortez. Jessie on a Journey 14. Mexican Fusion Meets Art Gallery El Cortez is such a funky space! Brick walls boom reggaeton and Sublime, while a black bar is backed by a gold wall featuring 100% agave spirits peeking out through shallow archway openings lined with skulls and owls. There's a mix of laid-back luxury meeting edgy culture through candelabra chandeliers, neon signs touting "find what you love and let it kill you," a projector showing black and white clips, and giant Virgin Mary murals adding to the mish mosh of cool. Not only is the decor quirky, but the tacos are creative (loved the juxtaposition of textures in the fish tacos with the fried shrimp, as well as the cinnamon in the pulled pork), and the the cocktails are craft! Oh, and they have El Tucateco hot sauce, which my fellow hot heads know is very exciting news! Not surprisingly there is some great street art on the building's exterior, mentioned below. The "World on Whyte" mural at 10443 82 (Whyte) Avenue. Jessie on a Journey 15. It's Fun To Go On A Public Art Hunt Unlike in some cities, Edmonton's street art is spread out, so you'll need to be on the lookout. This photo features the "World on Whyte" mural at 10443 82 (Whyte) Avenue, created to show people the vibrant culture that makes up the area. If you head to El Cortez Restaurant you'll find an 80-foot black and white mural that looks at themes of "human brutality and violence, power and submission" through a bloody sword fight battle. If you're into funky tours, there's also this DIY Edmonton public art tour for download. Also don't miss the rainbow-colored sidewalks, originally supposed to be a temporary exhibit to celebrate Pride Festival in Old Strathcona; however, the city decided to make them permanent. You can find them at: 108 Street and 82 Avenue 106 Street and 82 Avenue 104 Street and 84 Avenue 104 Street and 84 Avenue (looking north) |
The new Internet freedom provision still allows "graduated response" laws and even Internet disconnections, but it does set down a baseline that all countries must follow. According to the new provision, Internet sanctions may "only by imposed if they are appropriate, proportionate, and necessary within a democratic society." In addition, they can only "be taken with due respect for the principle of presumption of innocence and the right to privacy. A prior fair and impartial procedure shall be guaranteed, including the right to be heard of the person or persons concerned… The right to an effective and timely judicial review shall be guaranteed." Raging around the digital copyright debate is the issue of how people who commit piracy ought to be punished. Right now, it is primarily through lawsuits brought by the copyright holders. However, the idea has been floated around to create a "three strikes and you're out" law, whose intention would be to disconnect copyright infringers from the internet altogether by creating national blacklists.The problems with such "three strikes" laws include the difficulty in accurately determining the alleged pirate's identity as well as providing demonstrable evidence of their infringing acts. After all, if someone hacks into your computer, uses it as a proxy, or infects it with a virus or other piece of malware transforming it into part of a botnet, then, even though you didn't do anything wrong, the government could still blacklist you and you would never be allowed to have internet access again.And if you don't even know what some of those things mean, then you might really be in trouble.Europe is further along on this course than is the U.S. Opponents of the EU's "three strikes" law have specifically made pointed criticisms at 1) the presumption of guilt, 2) a disregard for personal privacy, and 3) the lack of judicial review or appeal.Well, last night, a compromise seems to have been reached between the two sides. As Ars Technica reports, all parties have agreed to a new "Internet Freedom Provision" which has been signed off on by the Council of Ministers, the negotiators from the European Parliament, and the European Commission, and looks to go into effect next year.At first glance, this seems like a very reasonable compromise. Unfortunately, there is one giant lingering elephant in the room. As the advocacy group, La Quadrature du Net, argues , the protection granted by this provision only relates to measures taken by governments, not private parties. As a result, private ISPs can still cut people off entirely from the internet without a presumption of innocence, regard for personal privacy, or any appeals process.Clearly, that's a problem. The Internet Freedom Provision should thus be thought of as a positive first step in formulating a compromise solution to the problems of digital copyright infringement... but a first step only. |
The Earth hasn’t seen this kind of widespread extinction since the dinosaurs were wiped out by meteors more than 65 million years ago. (Photo: T-Rex Fossil via Shutterstock) We are in the middle of the first great mass extinction since the end of the age of the dinosaurs. That’s the conclusion of a shocking new study published Friday in a journal called Science Advances. The study, which was conducted by a group of scientists from some of the United States’ leading universities, found that over the past century-plus, vertebrate species have gone extinct at a rate almost 114 times faster than average. See more news and opinion from Thom Hartmann at Truthout here. That’s right – not one, not two, not 50, but 114 times faster than average! The study also found that as many 477 different vertebrate species have disappeared since 1900, a mind-boggling statistic because it usually takes between 800 to 10,000 years for that many species to disappear. In terms of the bigger picture, we really haven’t seen this kind of planet-wide holocaust since an asteroid wiped out Tyrannosaurus rex and friends over 65 million years ago. And that isn’t a coincidence. The scientists behind the vertebrate study say their data reveal an “exceptionally rapid loss of biodiversity during the last few centuries, indicating that a sixth mass extinction is already under way.” So that raises the question: if a sixth mass extinction is under way – what’s causing it? The answer, it turns out, is easy – arrogance, greed and the belief that we as a species can continue to exploit natural resources without any regard for the effect that such behavior has on the world around us. One of the most important points the Pope makes in his new encyclical on the environment is that the source of our current ecological crisis is actually an ideology, the ideology of unregulated capitalism. “The idea of infinite or unlimited growth,” he writes, “which proves so attractive to economists, financiers and experts in technology… is based on the lie that there is an infinite supply of the Earth’s goods, and this leads to the planet being squeezed dry at every limit.” As the Pope goes on to explain, we have now turned unregulated capitalism into the new God, and as result, we now see the Earth as something to dominate as opposed to something we hold in trust as part of the great chain of being. This is really the story of Western civilization as a whole, but things have gotten a lot worse since the Reagan revolution and the “greed is good” era of the 1980s. Before Reagan came to town, we were actually having a conversation about how to moderate our culture’s tendency towards greed and exploitation. The EPA was created, and so was Earth Day. And thanks to people like Rachel Carson, we actually took the time to think about how the hunger for profit was hurting our planet and our health. But ever since the “Reagan Revolution,” we’ve become addicted to the pursuit of “growth.” Instead of thinking about how to become better stewards of the Earth, we now worry about how to make markets more “efficient” – the environment be damned. Unregulated capitalism, also known as Reaganomics, is our new religion, and we’re just as fundamentalist about it as the Taliban are about Islam. And that’s a really important point. Going forward, we’re going to have to make some important policy choices if we want to stop most life on Earth from vanishing forever – including, perhaps, us. We’re going to have to better manage natural resources, abandon fossil fuels and decentralize our energy system. But we also need a revolution in terms of the way we think. As the Pope said, “We need to reject a magical conception of the market, which would suggest that the problems can be solved simply by an increase in the profits of companies or individuals.” For too much of our history, but especially since the 1980s, we in the Western world have seen the planet as something to be exploited for profit. We’re now addicted to an extremist ideology that is literally killing us. So if we want to save the planet, the environment and probably the human race, we’re going to have to let our belief in unregulated capitalism go extinct. |
National Geographic Channel has closed a drama series script development deal with Amblin Television, Sony Pictures Television and CrichtonSun for a global limited series based on the soon-to-be-published Michael Crichton manuscript Dragon Teeth. Crichton, who died in 2008, wrote the novel during his most prolific years as a writer and filmmaker, and the book was discovered in his archives by wife Sherri Crichton. Adapted for television by Graham Yost and Bruce C. McKenna, Crichton’s Dragon Teeth follows the notorious rivalry between real-life paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh during a time of intense fossil speculation and discovery. The story unfolds through the adventures of a young fictional character named William Johnson who is apprenticed first to one, then to the other, and makes discoveries of historical proportion. Crichton uses Marsh and Copes’s heated competition during the “Bone Wars” golden age of American fossil hunting as the basis for a thrilling story set in the American West of 1878. “This epic tale of science, adventure and exploration from master storyteller Michael Crichton is the perfect scripted project for the network,” Carolyn Bernstein, Nat Geo Channel’s EVP and Head of Global Scripted Development and Production. “With Amblin, Sony Pictures Television, CrichtonSun and the distinctive creative voices of Graham and Bruce, we are going to tell the dramatic story of these two passionate mavericks, Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh, and their relentless, passionate, and oftentimes unscrupulous drive in the name of scientific discovery, mixed with the very unique and brilliant Crichton touch and approach.” |
Jeri Ellsworth is a truly impressive individual. She dropped out of high school and went into business for herself. An early commercial success was the creation of a complete Commodore 64 emulator in a joystick that could play 30 classic C64 games. Not a one hit wonder by any stretch, the multi-talented, self-taught hardware engineer also restores vintage pinball machines for fun, built and raced her own stock car, enjoys roller skating, hacked her own Commadore 64 keytar, has a huge following for her YouTube Channel and is a frequent and welcome attendee of Maker Faire. Jeri worked as a hardware developer for the game platform company Valve Software, before leaving to co-found her own company Technical Illusions. She and co-founder Rick Johnson are developing an augmented reality system called castAR, which debuted last year at the Bay Area Maker Faire. The castAR system is looking to be, quite literally, a game-changer. Developers have been hungrily awaiting its release since it was announced. Jeri is an amazing person, who any aspiring engineer or technical entrepreneur can look up to. |
Leicester face title rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday He has offered Leicester players the extra incentive of a luxury holiday Owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha is targeting a first title for the club The Foxes were widely tipped to be relegated but are top of the table Leicester are exceeding expectations in the Premier League this season Leicester players will be whisked off on an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas if they win the Premier League. The Foxes travel to Arsenal on Sunday where victory would see them extend their lead over the Gunners at the top of the table to eight points. It emerged last week that Claudio Ranieri’s squad would not be earning any extra cash bonuses over those agreed for finishing up to 12th if they completed one of the most remarkable stories in English football history. Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha will reward Leicester players with a luxury holiday if they can win the league title Leicester midfielder N'Golo Kante is hugged by team-mate Nathan Dyer during a training session Foxes defender Robert Huth (left) competes for the ball alongside Marc Albrighton in training on Friday Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri and his side are exceeding expectations in the league this season Leicester defender Christian Fuchs warms up in training ahead of Sunday's game against Arsenal Leicester are top of the Premier League table However, they have been promised an all expenses paid trip to Sin City if they pull off the mission impossible. The club's billionaire owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, flanked by his son Aiyawatt, have dangled the carrot as an extra incentive in their bid for title glory. They can afford it, of course, Srivaddhanaprabha Snr is worth £1.5billion. Nevertheless, it is the latest show of generosity from the Srivaddhanaprabha family - who have been know to provide free beer for supporters at the King Power Stadium on match-days. Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez (left) has been one of his side's key players in their title charge this term |
Ford Motor is suing Nissan Motor in Brazil for airing an eye-popping TV commercial that accuses Ford of price-gouging (see video, below). It's noteworthy any time a carmaker directly challenges a competitor in its ads. But this particular commercial draws attention for entirely different reasons. In it, sexy bikini-clad women dance around, sipping champagne, while two rappers dressed as Ford engineers show off their gold rings and chains while boasting about all the money they make by overpricing the Ford Focus hatchback. In the background is a silver Focus. The lyrics, translated from Portuguese, go something like this: "All the luxury that I got, I got it with your money. Don't weep because you're paying extra money -- your money was well spent, look what I do with it." |
In a snowy field near Barrie, a group of young Muslim men listened intently to the eloquent voice emanating from the laptop. Anwar al Awlaki preached in perfect Arabic and flawless English about the need to fight in the name of religion, because the "world is united in fighting Islam." A Facebook page for Anwar al Awlaki has 4,800 fans. He has been cited as an inspiration for extremist plots. ( FACEBOOK ) The time for jihad is now, no matter your training, he told members of the group that would later become known as the Toronto 18. Six months following that "training camp," those youths were rounded up in Canada's largest post-9/11 terrorism investigation and charged with plotting to blow up downtown Toronto and military targets. Zakaria Amara, the leader of that group, entered a surprise guilty plea earlier this month. A date for his sentencing is to be set on Tuesday. Awlaki's role in allegedly inciting "homegrown terrorism" was just a footnote in the volumes of evidence submitted in the Toronto case. Article Continued Below But in recent months, as Awlaki's name has popped up in terrorism cases in Canada, the U.S. and Britain, intelligence services are closely monitoring the U.S.-born cleric. "Awlaki is an exceptionally smart person," says FBI consultant and terrorism researcher Evan Kohlmann, who has studied the 38-year-old for years. "He has the strongest statements of any English-language site." Most websites with purported connections to Al Qaeda or various extremist groups are largely indecipherable to English-speaking Western youths. Awlaki's appeal, Kohlmann argues, is he understands American culture and speaks directly to young people. A Facebook page devoted to him has 4,800 fans. One of Awlaki's most popular video series is "Constants of Jihad," in which he translates and interprets a well-known Arabic book promoting fighting in the name of Islam. "Whenever you see the word terrorist, replace it with the word mujahid," he says on the video. "Whenever you see the word terrorism, replace it with the word jihad." RCMP informant Mubin Shaikh, one of the Crown's star witnesses against the Toronto suspects, was at the December 2005 training camp when the video was played. Article Continued Below "Guys like Anwar al Awlaki provide do-it-yourself Islam," Shaikh told the Star. "He's building a fantasy and then pushing them over the edge. It appeals at a very basic level. It's like sheep food and they gobble it up." The use of the Internet to spread propaganda and recruit the impressionable is well documented. But people like Awlaki illustrate the challenges faced by governments when balancing security concerns with the rights of free speech – and the practical problems of even finding these online preachers and prosecuting them. His comments are also open to interpretation, so even mounting a case against him would be difficult. Awlaki's whereabouts are unknown, but he's believed to be in Yemen. A Star reporter and photographer tried to interview Awlaki this summer in Yemen. An English-speaking female reached by phone at his family's home said at first he was out of the country, then later agreed to pass on a message and local cellphone number. Awlaki was born in New Mexico but returned with his family to Yemen when he was young. In 1991, he came back at 20 to study engineering at Colorado State University. He received a master's degree in education in San Diego and later enrolled in a human resource development PhD program at George Washington University. During his time in the U.S. he was an imam at San Diego's Rabat mosque, a Muslim chaplain in Washington and an imam at the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Va. Following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the FBI interviewed Awlaki (also spelled Aulaqi) owing to his connections to two of the 9/11 hijackers. "(Nawaf al) Hamzi and (Khalid al) Mihdhar reportedly respected Aulaqi as a religious figure and developed a close relationship with him," the 9/11 Commission Report concluded. Investigators with the Congressional Joint Inquiry said meetings with Hamzi in San Diego and Virginia "may have not been coincidental," but said they were unable to learn enough about their relationship "to reach a conclusion." In 2002, Awlaki moved to London. Two years later he was back in Yemen, where he lectured at a university run by Shaikh Abdul Majeed al Zindani, a controversial scholar who was allegedly Osama bin Laden's spiritual adviser and put on the U.S. terrorism watch list in 2004. Awlaki was arrested and spent a short time in jail on unspecified terrorism accusations, but was released without charges. Since his release, his public views have become more radical. "It's like the leash has been taken off," Kohlmann says. In December, Awlaki addressed the militant Somali group al Shabaab in one of his blog entries. Al Shabaab has pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda and is listed as a terrorist group in both the U.S. and Canada. "We are following your recent news and it fills our hearts with immense joy," Awlaki wrote to the group, which sanctions amputations for defectors and the stoning of criminals. A reply claiming to be from al Shabaab thanks him and attacks the media's reporting of the rape and stoning death of Asho Duhulow, a 13-year-old Somali girl, by al Shabaab. "The reality and truth is that she was over 20 years old, married and practising adultery," the posting said in justification. (A month before that entry, the Star reported on the stoning. It talked to witnesses who confirmed she was only 13.) Kohlmann said he recently addressed U.S. Department of Justice officials in Washington to warn of Awlaki's growing ability to both incite attacks on Western soil and inspire youths to join jihad abroad. Three of five men convicted this year of plotting an attack against U.S. soldiers in Fort Dix were allegedly inspired by his "Constants of Jihad" lecture, a court was told. Six American youths from Minnesota's Somali community have been killed in Somalia after secretly travelling there to join al Shabaab. They too had watched Awlaki's videos, their families reported. |
It was a night in which 50 points were allowed by Texas, but a play that didn’t contribute to that total is what’s sticking with me the most. Sure, the sports journalist in me recognizes that the ‘Horns’ loss can largely be attributed to the secondary being methodically picked apart for nearly 400 yards in the air. I should be pondering how Texas’ performance against Cal mirrored the 5-7 2015 season, and how there are a myriad of issues the ‘Horns must fix to still enjoy a successful year. But I’m not thinking about this. See, the fan in me aches not because of the Davis Webb-to-Chad Hansen touchdowns or Texas’ sloppy tackling. I could endure highlights of Hansen sporting the dreaded “horns down” taunt after a touchdown, and I could even re-watch the Swoopes and Buechele interceptions with minimal desire to turn my head away from the replay. However, I simply can’t watch Cal running back Vic Enwere’s fumble again. For those somehow unaware of what happened, Enwere bursted up the field on third down with just over a minute to play with his team up by seven, surely destroying Texas’ hopes as the Longhorns had no time outs. The smart move for Enwere would’ve been to have fallen down after the first down so that Cal could take a knee and end the game, but the Texas native instead went straight for the end zone. The running back in celebration dropped the pig-skin at the 1-yard line and the Longhorns subsequently casually picked up the ball. However, the refs ruled that since there was no “immediate recovery”, that the Golden Bears would receive the ball at the 1-yard line. This angered me for a plethora of reasons including: 1. Getting the ball at the 1-yard line actually increased Cal’s chances of winning. The minuscule chances of Texas performing a miracle touchdown-onside kick-touchdown were effectively destroyed by the Golden Bears getting the ball back at the one. While 14 unanswered Texas points in a minute surely wouldn’t have happened, I would’ve rather seen Sterlin Gilbert’s high powered offense go down swinging. Games ending in an opponent taking a knee are always the most painful defeats. 2. Texas did recover the ball, and pretty immediately. I have no doubt that what made Texas’ recovery “not immediate” wasn’t the time that had passed before Dylan Haines picked the ball up (which was only a second or two), but the way the Texas safety grabbed the fumble. If Haines had snatched the fallen fumble with intent and tucked it away rather than grabbing it in a fairly lack-luster, one-handed manner, Texas would’ve been awarded the ball. It’s pretty silly that the game essentially came down to Dylan Haines’ body language when picking up the dropped ball. 3. Texas hadn’t gotten a turnover all game. A combination of poor positioning and bad luck has resulted in the ‘Horns recording only one turnover in three games. The Longhorns even jarred the ball loose on a Cal kickoff return, but failed to recover (the Golden Bears ended up getting a go-ahead touchdown). While saying that recovering Enwere’s fumble would’ve jump-started the defense to cause more turnovers in the future is a stretch, it is fair to say Texas was certainly due for a game changing play on defense. Cal’s two interceptions were timely and crucial, but Texas didn’t get the chance to capitalize on the opponent’s mistake for themselves. 4. A one touchdown game with a chance to tie would’ve been thrilling. Texas fans yawned through their Saturday nights for a mess of a game when we could’ve been watching Netflix. At the very least, Longhorn fans deserved a finish as exciting as that of, say, Breaking Bad or Stranger Things, rather than a conclusion to the game that sputtered out more disastrously than the Dexter finale. * * * I know Texas didn’t deserve to win last Saturday, and I knew even before the match began that the ‘Horns weren’t worthy of the No. 11 ranking they boasted. But this was Texas’ chance to reverse the bad luck which began against Cal in 2015 after Nick Rose missed an extra point to tie the game in the waning seconds. Every sports fan should expect untimely errors, officiating mistakes, and pure heartbreak to plague his or her team, but this felt like the season the burnt orange would cause misfortune for other teams, not be the recipient of it. Somehow before the Cal game last Saturday, I got caught up believing this would be the year where the only weight on Texas players’ shoulders would be Charlie Strong being lifted in celebration. Now Strong is back to earth, and missed opportunities hang heavy on the young unit’s shoulders yet again. |
The volunteers will also target the failure of Delhi government in their social media campaigning aggressively. The Bharatiya Janata Party has been the best at utilising social media campaigns for elections in the country, and it is not letting up when it comes to civic polls in the Capital. The party has set up a mammoth IT cell with a grand team comprising 80,000 members, who are operating from 272 wards and three IT chambers under the guidance of 280 social media wizards. The IT cell is located inside the BJP state office on Pandit Panth Marg. The chamber accommodates 15 senior-level cyber warriors who have been monitoring and leading social media campaigns in Delhi for over eight months now. A map bearing the delimitation of municipal wards in Delhi in 2017 graces the wall next to the door. Volunteers between the ages of 22 and 40 emphasise on the party's mass-contact game plan. "We will reach every voter through social media. For a person without Whatsapp, we have a booth level worker and for a tech-savy Delhiite, we are on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter," said a volunteer. THE PLAN OF ACTION The team, operating in Delhi's 14 districts, is constantly active on 8,000 WhatsApp groups where the graphics of party's achievement in last 10 years are being spread. The crew's strategy - largely to push forth the pro-development tone -has a three-fold formula. Prime focus will remain on reminding Delhi residents of the work done by BJP leaders across the nation. The second will be to highlight the development work done by BJP government for Delhi. The third will be to push PM Modi's latest digital initiative and "New India" mantra to target the aspirational Delhiite. The volunteers will also target the failure of Delhi government in their social media campaigning aggressively. The BJP's decision to field all fresh faces for the civic polls and invite applications has also added to their work. Going the extra mile, the party workers will present the voters with the candidate's profile, just like a resume. The party received nearly 5,000 applications till last week, but the figure shot up to 33,675 within six days of announcement on fielding fresh faces, party's spokesperson Tajinder Bagga told Mail Today. "People want to know about candidates in detail. We will popularise every candidate's agenda for their ward in a profile on Facebook and their mail." Also read: MCD polls: BJP, Congress turned Delhi into garbage house, says Kejriwal in video message Also read: MCD polls: After UP, BJP now plans aggressive campaign to retain power in Delhi Also read: Delhi MCD polls: BJP won't field a single sitting councillor for re-election Also watch: Delhi civic polls likely in April, parties raise concern over EVMs |
Cold Rain & Snow-> My Brother Esau-> Althea-> CC Rider, Bird Song, Looks Like Rain-> Deal Terrapin Station-> Playin' In The Band-> China Doll-> Drums-> The Wheel-> Throwing Stones-> Not Fade Away, E: It's All Over Now Baby Blue Source: SBD>MC>DAT>CDR>WAV>SHN - entire first set except for aud splice during LLR. First three tracks of second set are SBD with the remainder from an unlineaged FOB audience recording. SBD>MC>DAT>CDR>WAV>SHN - entire first set except for aud splice during LLR. First three tracks of second set are SBD with the remainder from an unlineaged FOB audience recording. SBD>MC>DAT>CDR>WAV>SHN - entire first set except for aud splice during LLR. First three tracks of second set are SBD with the remainder from an unlineaged FOB audience recording. Source SBD>MC>DAT>CDR>WAV>SHN - entire first set except for aud splice during LLR. First three tracks of second set are SBD with the remainder from an unlineaged FOB audience recording. plus-circle Add Review comment Reviews Reviewer: JamsOnly - favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 9, 2018 Subject: Dank Show Deep and Dark 2nd Set Jam Highlights: Playing In The Band, Jam, Drums, Space - March 9, 2018Dank Show Reviewer: kee-zee - favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 9, 2014 Subject: Bezerkeley~!~!~!~! WHITE FLUFF Great sound here..The boys were haven fun in this intimate setting. Taping was officially OK'd during this run. I love this little stint and the playing was pretty tight with a flaw or two..who fucking cares! I don't seek perfection..I seek the sound. Always fun in Berkeley and this show does not disappoint..so please.GIVE IT A WHIRL.Forever>Grateful>Forever Dead…LIFER@!@!@!@!@! - March 9, 2014Bezerkeley~!~!~!~! WHITE FLUFF Reviewer: jjg4762 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 13, 2013 Subject: Best Recording Love the nonsense of ragging on others on this website, We all have our thoughts on any giving show. So who is to say who is rite or wrong? I wont names but I think the person might get the jest of who am speaking of. These shows were the balls, POWERFULL B C T run in 84. I like these shows here better then the next 2 years they played there. I too was at each and everyone of these shows, but that doesn't make me an expert on sound or performance. The ones who taped these shows sure know there stuff. I give it 5 stars because of the sound and trippyness " ya I know it's not a real word " Rock on DARK SIDE you hit it rite on the nose. - December 13, 2013Best Recording Reviewer: Donna_Sucked and We All Know It - favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 30, 2013 Subject: The Force? Silly hippy drippy nonsense below aside, this was a great run, was at all 6, and this was my favorite after 11/2. This is a very underrated show. Great year, '84 and '85 were fantastic years on tour then the stadium bs started in '86 then dylan covers and in the dark and nitrous and touch heads and it was all over. I had a good rode from '72-'85 so I won't complain, even saw some real good shows after '85 the crowd was just horrible at that point. Check out all of these BCT shows. - October 30, 2013The Force? Reviewer: enardi - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 3, 2010 Subject: Great show fantastic show, not a bad song in it. Terrapin>Jam is truely amazing give it a listen. very powerful show all around. As for the sound quality, the soundboard is great, as is the FOB, really it took me a some time to notice the source had changed, and theres no jarring cuts. Finally as for jerry man he is on, voice aside of course but its not too bad i suppose. - May 3, 2010Great show Reviewer: tonedef - favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 11, 2008 Subject: Well done. Nice! My favorite part has to be where Jer's riffing on J.S. Bach during the space. What a loss. - April 11, 2008Well done. Reviewer: stealthhippy - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 23, 2005 Subject: where have we all been??????????? whata find...not a bad tune on the entire set..short show..but wow!!!!!!!terrrapin-playin-the best damn china doll you'll ever hear..and jerry and phil are just wailing on every song..ll rain..althea...even esau..and the jamming...this ain't the DARK SIDE...this is the force baby!!!!!!!!A MUST HAVE SET!!!!!!!A1 an super sound except for a few audience patches.......5++ - March 23, 2005where have we all been??????????? Reviewer: Steinbergerman - favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 19, 2004 Subject: heavy, man The Terrapin>Playin>China Doll is some of the darkest, heaviest shit you will ever hear. The dark side of the force. - July 19, 2004heavy, man |
Flour tortilla recipe with step by step photos. Absolutely soft, so tasty homemade flour tortilla in just 30 minutes and 4 ingredients + water. Flour,oil,salt and baking powder that’s it! If you are wondering what are tortillas, those are unleavened flat bread cooked on a skillet, very prominent one in Mexican cuisine and often used for quesadillas, burritos, fajitas etc. Though tortilla are easily available in stores, these are super easy to make at home and very economical too. I usually make whole wheat tortilla (very thin phulka) to make quesadilla at home but I wanted to try flour tortilla for a long time. I have heard from my friends that flour tortillas are very tasty and very very soft. I recently picked up a recipe for vegetable fajitas from a cook book and that called for flour tortillas. The homemade flour tortillas, fresh tomato salsa and paneer vegetable filled fajitas were so good that we finished the whole thing in minutes and we were literally scraping for bits at last 🙂 To make flour tortilla at home you can use all purpose flour alone or a combination of wheat flour and all purpose flour. If you want to make it healthy use only wheat flour, but tortilla made with flour are softer and light than the ones made with wheat flour. Usually lard or any shortening is used for making flour tortilla but here I have used olive oil, one more key to get very soft tortilla is use boiling water for kneading the dough. You can serve tortilla wrapped with any filling you fancy, right from vegetables sauteed, paneer etc, or use it to make quesadillas, you can make baked tortilla chips or even serve it plain with any dip and fresh tomato salsa. I used this batch of homemade flour tortilla to make veg-paneer fajita and served it with some fresh tomato salsa, we loved this meal to the core! Here is how to make homemade flour tortilla recipe, do try out it is so easy, tasty and hygenic than what you get from stores! If you are looking for more mexican recipes do check veg tacos recipe, mango salsa, veg quesadillas. Flour tortilla recipe with step by step photos! 1. Bring about 1/2 cup of water to rolling boil. 2. Take flour,salt, baking powder and olive oil in a mixing bowl. 3. Mix very well to distribute the oil uniformly. 4. Add how water little by little (about 2 tablespoons at a time) and mix well with a spoon. 5. Once you are able to handle the heat, start kneading. The dough should be very elastic, soft and non sticky. Adjust water/flour quantity. 6. Rest the dough for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. 7. Take one portion and roll into a very thin disc. 8. Heat a tava, the tava should be very hot before you place the rolled tortilla. 9. Place the rolled tortilla on the hot tava and cook for 10 seconds. Flip and cook till golden brown dots appear, press well to cook the edges. 10. Repeat the same with the remaining dough, once done stack the flour tortillas and gently wrap in kitchen towel before using. Flour tortilla recipe card below: 5 from 2 votes Print Flour tortilla recipe | How to make tortilla recipe Prep Time 40 mins Cook Time 15 mins Total Time 55 mins Flour tortilla recipe, easy recipe to make super soft and thin flour tortillas at home with just 4 ingredients! Course: main Cuisine: Mexican Servings : 6 Calories : 298 kcal Author : Harini Ingredients (1 cup=250 ml) 1 cup all purpose flour 2 tablespoons olive oil About 1/2 cup boiling water Salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder More flour for dusting. Instructions Bring the water to a rolling boil. Take all the ingredients except water in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add water slowly and mixing well. Knead to a very soft and smooth dough. Rest the dough for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 portions Heat a tava/skillet Take one portion of the dough and roll into a thin disc. Place on the hot tava and cook from both sides till slight golden spots appear. Serve or store flour torilla as required. Recipe Notes 1. You can use wheat flour along with maida. 2. You can add any oil or butter in place of olive oil. 3. Do not add oil while cooking the tortillas. Sharing is caring! |
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a chance to finally win one of the more volatile divisions in football in 2016 – are they actually going to do it? After months of well-deserved hype and almost overt praise, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally start their regular season journey this Sunday afternoon as they host the Green Bay Packers. Expectations are understandably high for a team that made wholesale changes to one of the worst defenses in football. While every team in the NFL has reason to believe they improved in the offseason, the Jaguars made an unprecedented amount of significant changes. For the first time in the better part of a decade, some analysts are actually expecting the Jaguars to flirt with a winning record. Pete Prisco over at CBS Sports went through every single game of the NFL schedule and predicted the final score. Let’s take a look at how he has the Jaguars performing in each contest and how I feel about his prognostications, as well as providing my own prediction. The season starts off pretty tough with a game against the best quarterback in the league… |
Bill Maher panel 080114 [youtube] Real Time host Bill Maher argued on Friday that that U.S. funding for Israel’s defense efforts and NATO is creating the “culture of dependency” that Republicans like to complain about domestically. “You know what? Putin is NATO’s problem. Israel can take off the training wheels,” Maher said. “We got Guatemalan kids and Ebola on our border. We just can’t afford this sh*t anymore.” CNBC host and New York Times financial columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin agreed with Maher that Israel didn’t technically need the $3.5 billion it gets from the U.S. — its gross domestic product (GDP) is growing faster than that of the U.S. — but argued that the U.S. continued to provide funding for both Israel and NATO as part of its efforts to buy political “friendships” internationally. “If I paid your credit card, Bill, every single month, you’d take my phone call, I think,” Sorkin said. The discussion became heated, however, when Doug Heye, former spokesperson for Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), defended the funding by saying Israel’s “existence is at stake” by political instability around the Middle East. “They can absolutely stand on their own,” author Reza Aslan shot back. “This idea that Israel’s ‘existence is at stake’ because of Palestinian terrorism is absurd.” “Islamic extremism that we’re seeing in Iran, that we’re seeing in Syria,” Heye said before Aslan cut him off. “Israel is the most powerful nation in the Middle East,” Aslan said. “It has 500 nuclear weapons. It’s fine.” “I don’t think people in Israel think they’re fine,” Heye retorted. Aslan further argued that the U.S. was not getting anything from its agreement with Israel, pointing out the recent criticism directed toward Secretary of State John Kerry. “By the way, if we didn’t give Israel the money, they wouldn’t have to listen to Kerry,” Maher chimed in, before joking, “Haven’t they suffered enough?” Later, Sorkin and Aslan clashed over Israel’s claims that the Palestinian group Hamas was using civilians as human shields. “That is nonsense,” Aslan told Sorkin. “These are terrorists who have a two-front war going on against Israel and their own people,” Sorkin argued, to which Aslan countered that Amnesty International did not find any evidence supporting that argument after conducting a month-long review. “It’s a war that Hamas started,” Maher said. “And somehow when Israel reacts to this, they have to do everything in a way that doesn’t kill any civilians. People die in wars.” Watch the debate, as posted online on Friday, below. |
New Delhi: The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the setting up of the 15th Finance Commission, which will decide on the distribution of tax proceeds among centre, states and local bodies in the post-goods and services tax (GST) era. A finance commission is set up every five years. The government had allocated Rs10 crore in the 2017-18 budget to the 15th Finance Commission. Finance minister Arun Jaitley said the terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission will be notified in due course. “The next step will be to finalize the members and chairperson of the finance commission after which it will start functioning," he added. Jaitley said it was but natural that the exercise under the 15th Finance Commission will be slightly different compared to previous finance commissions after the implementation of GST on 1 July took away the taxing authority of state governments. “Let’s not prejudge the situation. India is a union of states and the union also has to survive," Jaitley said when asked whether the 15th Finance Commission will continue the practice of higher devolution of taxes to states. The recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, chaired by former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Y.V. Reddy, are valid from 2015 to 2020. The recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission will be implemented in the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2025. The 14th Finance Commission is considered to have fundamentally reset the centre-state fiscal relationship by raising the untied share of states in net central taxes to 42% from 32% after ending discretionary resource transfers from the centre to the states. Economist Indira Rajaraman, who was a member of the 13th Finance Commission, said the job of the 15th Finance Commission will change considerably after GST was implemented. “The FFC has to submit its recommendations in consultation with the GST Council, especially about whether petroleum, which is a major revenue source for states, will be brought into the GST ambit or not. I don’t see scope for any increase in the revenue share of states after the quantum jump under the previous finance commission. The FFC will be more about issues such as efficiency in tax collection," she added. In another decision, the cabinet approved a new scheme Mahila Shakti Kendra to empower rural women through community participation. The scheme will target an improvement in the declining child sex ratio and provide rural women an interface to approach the government for availing their entitlements, an official statement said. Under the umbrella scheme, 190 working-women’s hostels will be set up to accommodate an estimated 19,000 working women. The cabinet also approved a wage policy for the eighth round of wage negotiations for workers in central public sector enterprises (CPSEs). According to an official statement the management of CPSEs will be free to negotiate wage revisions but no budgetary support for a wage increase will be provided by the government. The cabinet also approved India’s membership of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The membership will enhance India’s international profile and help India’s private sector leverage technical assistance and financial opportunities, said an official statement. Ahead of home minister Rajnath Singh’s 27-29 November Russia visit, the cabinet on Wednesday gave the go-ahead to sign an agreement between the two countries for “combating all forms of terrorism and organized crime". Shaswati Das contributed to this story. |
Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars! Tags: apples, cream cheese Sharing my Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars with you today! They are perfect for Fall and Winter baking. So simple to prepare and packed with goodness! Cookie bars are so much fun to make. Your options are endless! These bars are packed with sweet tart apples, cream cheese and caramel that make for the perfect sweet treat. This simple little Fall dessert is gooey and “appley” delicious with warm soft caramel oozing off the sides. Hope you all enjoy! For other delicious Picky Palate bar recipes try Fruity Pebbles Cookie Bars and Kitchen Sink Cookie Bars. Be sure to follow Picky Palate on Instagram for sneak peeks on what’s coming next to the blog! I used a refrigerated sugar cookie crust for this recipe, however you are free to use a homemade sugar cookie recipe if you’d like. Tips For Softening Cream Cheese There are many times I find that I don’t have a few hours to set out my cream cheese to soften at room temperature on it’s own. Here are some simple tips to speed up the process when you need softened cream cheese pronto 🙂 Did you know you can soften cream cheese in about 15 seconds? Unwrap your cream cheese and place it onto a microwavable plate. Microwave on high for 15 seconds. If it is not soft, you can microwave it for an additional intervals of 15-20 seconds. Mix it through; it may be a little cooler in the middle but the warmer sides may help it soften evenly and completely in just a minute or so. You can also chop the cold cream cheese bloc into a few chunks, and then microwave it. This speeds up the process a bit. Print Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 40 mins Course: Dessert Cuisine: American Keyword: apple, bars, cake mix cookies, caramel, dessert Servings : 9 Calories : 408 kcal Author : Jenny Ingredients 3 Tablespoons melted butter 3 Cups Golden Graham Cereal ground in food processor 1 Roll Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough or 2 pkgs Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Dough Mix prepared and divided into 2 equal parts 8 oz softened cream cheese 1/4 Cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 21 oz can apple pie filling 1.5 oz package Nature Valley Oats N' Honey Crunchy Granola Bars 2 count, crushed (I use a rolling pin to crush them right in the bag before opening) 9.5 oz Kraft Caramels 1/2 Cup half and half Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine melted butter and ground cereal into a large bowl; press into an 8x8 inch baking dish lined with foil that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven. Crumble half of the cookie dough over partially baked crust. Place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla into a mixer; beat until smooth. Pour over crumbled cookie dough layer. Bake for 25 minutes then remove from over. Top with 3/4 of the apple pie filling (I chose to just add part, but you can add the whole can if desired). Next top with remaining cookie dough, breaking off into little pieces evenly over top. Sprinkle with crushed granola bars and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center. Let cool completely then cut into squares. Melt caramels and half and half according to package directions. Drizzle over each bar. Refrigerate leftovers. Nutrition Facts Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars Amount Per Serving Calories 408 Calories from Fat 153 % Daily Value* Total Fat 17g 26% Saturated Fat 9g 45% Cholesterol 44mg 15% Sodium 293mg 12% Potassium 197mg 6% Total Carbohydrates 60g 20% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Sugars 40g Protein 4g 8% Vitamin A 15.1% Vitamin C 4.9% Calcium 13.2% Iron 14.1% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Pin Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars FOLLOW PICKY PALATE ON INSTAGRAM! Show me what recipes you're making from Picky Palate by using #pickypalate. Other recipes you may enjoy... Strawberry Milk Chipsters Strawberry Milk Chipsters Cinnamon Toast Crunch Macarons Cinnamon Toast Crunch Macarons Birthday Boy Peanut Butter Hidden Chocolate Cupcakes Birthday Boy Peanut Butter Hidden Chocolate Cupcakes Candy Bar Crusher Cookies 124 Responses | Comments RSS |
To the best of my knowledge, no complete database of MPAA numbers is available to the public. This list represents the best of my abilities to track down as many films as possible from various sources. Some film numbers begin with a 0, possibly as a method of sandwiching a film between two movies that already received a certificate number. Sometimes two films are apparently assigned to one number; I have arbitrarily labeled them (A) and (B). Many… The Motion Picture Association of America gives each film it rates a unique number (the numbers have now moved past 50,000). Here are the films assigned Nos. 1 to 100, all of which were released between 1932 and 1936 (most in 1934). The Motion Picture Association of America gives each film it rates a unique number (the numbers have now moved past 50,000). Here are the films assigned Nos. 1 to 100, all of which were released between 1932 and 1936 (most in 1934). To the best of my knowledge, no complete database of MPAA numbers is available to the public. This list represents the best of my abilities to track down as many films as possible from various sources. Some film numbers begin with a 0, possibly as a method of sandwiching a film between two movies that already received a certificate number. Sometimes two films are apparently assigned to one number; I have arbitrarily labeled them (A) and (B). Many numbers have no film attached to them, or the film is unknown. Films not in the Letterboxd database are listed below. If you notice any errors or omissions, I'd appreciate knowing. Thanks! No. 2: Handy Andy (1934) No. 6: She Was a Lady (1934) No. 7: Grand Canary (1934) No. 11: Beyond the Law (1934) No. 12: The Notorious Sophie Lang (1934) No. 14: Elmer and Elsie (1934) No. 44: Syncopated City (1934) No. 92: Romance in the Rain (1934) Numbers Without Films Attached / Unknown (50 Total): Nos. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67, 76, 77, 78, 79, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 94, 97, 98, 99, 100. NOTE: Click "Read Notes" to see the attached MPAA number. |
Members of an indigenous people living on both sides of the Brazil-Peru border in the remote Amazon say they are prepared to fight with spears, bows and arrows if companies enter their territories to explore for oil. The Matsés have publicly opposed operations by Canada-based firm Pacific Rubiales Energy for at least five years, but they say that neither the company nor Perupetro, the government body which granted the licences to two oil concessions in Peru, are taking any notice. "It seems that the [Peruvian] state is a child", says Dora Canë from the most remote Matsés village on the Peruvian side of the border, Puerto Alegre. "It doesn't listen. We say no, but it just carries on. It wants to extinguish us." "We have told the company no, but it isn't listening", says Nestor Binan Waki, another Puerto Alegre resident. "Our patience is running out. We have nothing more to say. The only thing we have is our spears." "They should respect indigenous peoples' rights, but in my view they're not doing so", says Lorenzo Tumi, also from Puerto Alegre. "We've been saying no for many years. The only weapon we have is to kill one of them. We could kill one of the company." Support promised from over the border in Brazil The Matsés based in Brazil are equally concerned about the concessions - partly because they consider the Peruvian side of the border their territory too and partly because of the potential impacts on the Brazilian side where they live in the protected Javari Valley Indigenous Territory. "We don't want the oil company", says Waki Mayoruna, the head of the remotest Matsés village, Lobo, in Brazil. "If they don't listen to us, if they don't understand our no means no, there'll be conflict that'll lead to people being killed. That will always be my position." "We'll always fight against the invasion of our territories", says José Tumi, from Sao Meireles in Brazil. "If they don't listen, we could fight like we have done in the past, with bows and arrows. We could attack anyone who invades our territory. We're not afraid of dying." "The government is not listening, not respecting, our decision", says Juan Bai, another Sao Meireles resident. "One day our patience could run out. We have our limits. If they invade the only thing to do will be this [to fight]." A violent past Many Matsés stress that previous generations were forced to fight against rubber-tappers, loggers, road-builders and soldiers invading their territories, and that they could do the same again now. "Before contact [in the late 1960s] there was always conflict in this region", says Romulo Teca from Puerto Alegre in Peru. "It could come to that again. We are the sons of those fighters. We can defend ourselves with arms like they did. I'll always fight to ensure no oil companies enter." "Our fathers had to defend our territories and fought with other tribes, mestizos and soldiers", Felipe Reyna Regijo, from Remoyacu village in Peru, told a bi-national meeting held by the Matsés last month. "Why don't we continue that position, given that we are the sons of fighting fathers?" The bi-national meeting concluded with the "total rejection" by the Matsés of both oil concessions, and the signing of a statement saying the decision was "unanimous" and stressing the social and environmental impacts of oil operations elsewhere in Peru. Raimundo Mean Mayoruna, from Soles village in Brazil and president of the General Mayoruna Organization (OGM), says that the Matsés don't want conflict, but it is possible if their rights are not respected. "We don't want this, but if there is a lot of anger it could happen", he says. "My message to the companies is that they respect our decision and understand we've lived here for a long time and want to live in peace. We didn't come from any other place. We're from here." Empty threats? Or are the Matsés for real? Many of the most aggressive statements were made by Matsés men wielding and thrusting long spears or carrying bows and arrows - leading one man, Rafael Shaba Maya, a teacher in Puerto Alegre, to remark, "It's true they will fight. When they say something, they do it." That opinion is shared by the former president of the Matsés community in Peru, Ángel Uaqui Dunu Maya, who stresses the potential environmental impacts and the Matsés's past experience of oil operations in the 1970s when "many people died of illnesses" as a result. "Yes, in my opinion, it's certain that [this] is going to create a lot of conflict between the Matsés and the state", he says. "Why? Because the Matsés don't want hydrocarbon activities in their territories but the state wants to explore." Brazilian anthropologist Beatriz de Almeida Matos, who has worked with the Matsés for 10 years, says that "without a doubt" they will do "whatever it takes to defend their territory" from anything threatening their way of life and existence. "It wasn't so long ago, in the 1970s and 1980s, there were conflicts between Matsés and non-indigenous people in their territories, with deaths on both sides", she says. "If they're not consulted and their decisions not respected, they'll understand dialogue is over and defend themselves by taking up arms again, rather than using the law." The Matsés say they were not consulted by Peru's government before the two concessions were established in 2007 - as is their right under a legally-binding agreement ratified by Peru in 1994 - but Pacific Rubiales claims this right has only applied since 2012. Billion barrel oil concessions overlap indigenous territories, protected areas According to Peruvian NGO CEDIA, one of the concessions, Lot 137, includes 49% of the Matsés's titled community land in Peru and 36% of a supposedly 'protected natural area' called the Matsés National Reserve, which they consider their territory too. The other concession, Lot 135, also includes community land, the reserve, and other areas considered Matsés territory, as well as a huge chunk of a proposed reserve for indigenous people living in what Peruvian law and indigenous organizations call 'isolation' or 'voluntary isolation'. The eastern boundary of Lot 135 and part of Lot 137 is the River Yaquerana - which acts as the Brazil-Peru border and many Matsés from both countries rely on for drinking water, cooking, washing, bathing and fishing. Together the two concessions cover almost 1.5 million hectares and have been estimated to hold almost one billion barrels of oil. Some exploration has already been done by Pacific Rubiales in Lot 135, starting in late 2012, which involved conducting seismic tests and drilling wells. Pacific Rubiales says it "fully respects" the Matsés's position and is therefore not currently "performing any exploration activities" in Lot 135 and Lot 137, but declined to respond to a question from The Ecologist why it still holds the licences to both concessions. According to Brazilian NGO Instituto Socioambiental, there are almost 3,500 Matsés - 1,700 of whom live on the Peruvian side and almost 1,600 on the Brazilian side, although movement across the borders is common. David Hill is a freelance journalist and environment writer based in Latin America, writing for the Guardian, The Ecologist and other publications. For more details see his website: www.hilldavid.com or follow him on Twitter: @DavidHillTweets |
Image copyright AP Image caption Mr Obama and Mr Trump met at the White House two days after the election US president Barack Obama has said he may speak out after leaving office if he feels his successor Donald Trump is threatening core American values. By convention, former presidents tend to leave the political fray and avoid commenting on their successors. Speaking at a news conference at the Apec summit in Lima, Peru, Mr Obama said he intended to assist Mr Trump and give him time to outline his vision. But he said that, as a private citizen, he might speak out on certain issues. "I want to be respectful of the office and give the president-elect an opportunity to put forward his platform and his arguments without somebody popping off," Mr Obama said. But, he added, if an issue "goes to core questions about our values and our ideals, and if I think that it's necessary or helpful for me to defend those ideals, then I'll examine it when it comes". The president described himself as an "American citizen who cares deeply about our country". Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Obama spoke at a news conference at the Apec Summit in Lima, Peru Speaking at a news conference to mark the end of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, Mr Obama reiterated that he would extend to Mr Trump's incoming administration the same professional courtesy shown to his team by his predecessor George W Bush. Mr Bush has refrained since leaving office from commenting on Mr Obama's presidency. "I don't think it does any good," he told CNN in 2013, after Mr Obama was elected for a second time. "It's a hard job. He's got plenty on his agenda. It's difficult. A former president doesn't need to make it any harder. Other presidents have taken different decisions; that's mine." More on the US election Mr Bush's stance falls in line with tradition. US presidents tend to avoid criticising predecessors or successors. Mr Obama was clear that he would not weigh in on Mr Trump's decisions while he is still in office. But his suggestion that, as a private citizen, he would seek to defend "core values" comes amid mounting concern among civil rights groups and others about Mr Trump's political appointments. The president-elect's chief strategist, Steve Bannon, was previously the head of Breitbart, a website which has been accused of promoting racism and anti-Semitism. And Mr Trump's national security adviser, General Michael Flynn, has previously likened Islam to a "cancer" spreading through the US. Enable it in your browser or download Flash Player here Sorry, you need Flash to play this. Who is Steve Bannon? Exit player Media caption Who is Steve Bannon? Mr Trump's nominee for attorney general, Jeff Sessions , was rejected from becoming a federal judge in 1986 because of alleged racist remarks. Mr Obama said he believed that the intense responsibility of the presidency would force Mr Trump to moderate some of the more extreme policy positions he advocated during his campaign. 'Smarter message' Asked about the failure of the Democratic party's campaign under Hillary Clinton, Mr Obama was critical of what he described as the "micro-targeting" of "particular, discreet groups", rather than reaching out to the entire country. Mrs Clinton has been criticised for focusing her energy on certain demographics, including Latinos and women, who were believed to support her, at the expense of a broader campaign. That approach "is not going to win you the broad mandate that you need", Mr Obama said, adding that the party needed a "smarter message". |
Feminist News All | National News | Global News December-18-09 Senate Dems Negotiate HC Bill; Bishops Dictate Terms Senate Democratic leadership has delegated to Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) the task of winning over Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), in an attempt to secure the sixty votes necessary to prevent the fillibuster of the healthcare reform bill. Nelson, a longtime reproductive rights opponent, has threatened to join the Republicans in blocking the healthcare reform vote and is demanding that extreme anti-abortion language be added to the bill. Last week, Nelson attempted to virtually ban insurance coverage for abortion through the Nelson/Hatch amendment, which mirrored the extreme language of the House bill's Stupak/Pitts Amendment. The Nelson/Hatch Amendment was defeated on December 8th by a vote of 54-45. A statement from Nelson's office indicated that the proposed compromise from Casey includes "new teen pregnancy initiatives and tax credits for adoption," but does not include the extreme language banning abortion that Nelson has demanded. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which played an unprecedented role in dictating the terms of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment in the House, continues to lead the anti-abortion charge in the Senate. Richard Doerflinger, a spokesman for the Conference, told the New York Times that the bishops were in favor of many of Casey's proposals, but that they will not be satisfied until Nelson/Hatch-style language is added to the bill. The Catholic Church runs the largest adoption and foster care system in the United States. Feminist Majority President Eleanor Smeal, reacting to the overt role the Bishops have played in the healthcare negotiations, said "This fight has exposed the raw power of the Catholic Bishops to dictate the healthcare options for all American women, whether Catholic or not." Media Resources: Interview with Eleanor Smeal 12/18/09; Feminist Daily News 12/9/09; New York Times 12/9/09; Statement from the office of Senator Ben Nelson 12/17/09 |
Update: Thompson issues statement on 'scumbag' comment Perry County residents and officials want Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson to apologize for a derogatory comment she made during a news conference Wednesday. "[She's] calling people scumbags who she knows nothing about," said Ted Houtz of Landisburg. "She’s said a lot of dumb things over the course of her tenure, but this has to be one of the worst things I’ve ever heard her say." Houtz was referring to a comment Thompson made during a news conference Wednesday about privatizing waste collection in the city. "We're not opening up our flood gates for some scumbag that comes from Perry County who … comes here and wants to dump for free," Thompson said. Several attempts to reach Thomson, who is facing a competitive re-election this year, Wednesday night and Thursday morning were unsuccessful. City officials have said that litter and illegal dumping have become a major problem in the city. Some of the "perpetrators" drive in from out of town, ditch their bulk items and leave – an issue with which Thompson and other officials have repeatedly stated frustration. By early evening, however, Twitter and other social media networks had erupted with residents reacting to the sound byte. Perry County Commissioner Stephen Naylor – who said his wife first alerted him to the remarks he described as "crude" and "offensive" – called for an apology. "We have a lot of people that work down there, they put a lot of money into the area," Naylor said. "They work government jobs, and they pay right-to-work taxes and they pay for parking. … You just don't expect to hear those sorts of things from a city leader." Naylor said he hadn't spoken directly to his fellow Democrat. "I think she's gonna feel some heat overnight and [Thursday], and some pressure to take back what she said. But it might be a little late at that point," Houtz said. PennLive reporter Jeremy Arias contributed to this story. |
A UPS driver, who delivered the new iPhone X to a Florida home, was caught on video stealing the device just two hours later. Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office identified the driver as Jason Mohn, 47, who was working as a contractor for UPS. Mohn delivered the $1,000 iPhone X to Jovita Acute-Parker's home on Tuesday, but then allegedly came back to steal it. A UPS driver (pictured right), who delivered the new iPhone X to a Florida home, was caught on video stealing the device just two hours later The $1,000 iPhone X was delivered by the UPS driver (pictured) to Jovita Acute-Parker's home on Tuesday Surveillance video installed at Acute-Parker's home shows Mohn delivering the package on time. But another clip from her home shows a man, wearing the same clothes as Mohn wore earlier in the day, picking up the package from her St Pete Beach home and hiding it under his clothes. Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office identified the driver as Jason Mohn (right), 47, who was working as a contractor for UPS The man is then seen turning toward the camera as he runs off into the darkness. Acute-Parker watched the surveillance footage with her sister. They both said they were shocked when saw the man on video taking the package from her front porch. 'As soon as she pulled up the video, she's like OMG somebody's stealing your box. It's an iPhone that they're stealing because there are two big other envelopes there,' Acute-Parker told ABC Action News. Mohn was fired after his supervisor found the iPhone X in his personal belongings at work on Wednesday, according to a police report. Acute-Parker said the phone 'was $999 plus tax so it's $1,068 something dollars' and she planned to give it to her friend as a Christmas gift. Mohn was charged with grand theft. Another clip from her home shows a man (pictured), wearing the same clothes as Mohn wore earlier in the day, picking up the package from Acute-Parker's St Pete Beach home |
by Paris. June 5 marked the 48th anniversary of the “preemptive” attack on Egypt with which Israel launched the fateful “Six-Day War” that permitted the Zionist movement to complete its conquest of historical Palestine. As the “State of Palestine” (the legal designation for the 22% of historical Palestine conquered in 1967, which is now recognized as a state by 136 other states and the United Nations) enters its 49th year of an apparently perpetual occupation by the State of Israel, the Israeli government and its friends in the United States are mobilizing to fight a new war – a “Legitimacy War” against the “delegitimization” of “Israel”. The quotation marks around “Israel” are intended to emphasize a fundamental point: When Israelis and their friends speak of the “delegitimization” of Israel or of Israel’s “right to exist”, they are not referring to the legitimacy or continued existence of any physical territory or of any group of people. They are referring to the legitimacy or continued existence of the particular ethno-religious-supremacist political system established in 1948 on the territory previously named Palestine, a territory in which the current population is roughly 50% Jewish and 50% Palestinian. Why has “delegitimization” suddenly become such an existential threat to “Israel”? Until relatively recently, very few people seriously questioned the continued existence of “Israel” – either because they considered the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the dispossession and dispersal of the Palestinian people to make room for a “Jewish State” to be a good thing or because they considered it, like the genocide of the indigenous peoples of North America to make room for European colonists and their African slaves, to be a irreversible injustice, not worth thinking about any more. Until relatively recently, the world’s attention has been focused on ending the occupation of the portion of Palestine conquered in 1967, in large part because that more recent injustice was assumed to be reversible through a “two-state solution”. However, as Israeli leaders have become more honest and explicit about the perpetual nature of their occupation of the State of Palestine and about their deeply held belief that there is no difference between the portion of Palestine conquered in 1948 and the portion of Palestine conquered in 1967, both being their god’s gift to them and to them alone, the world’s attention has begun to broaden, both regarding the possibilities of the future and regarding the realities of the past. In the face of the clear Israeli intention to maintain the current undemocratic and discriminatory system of “one state with two systems”, many people have started to look again at the seminal injustice, the original sin, of 1948 and at the inherent nature of political Zionism and to think seriously about the desirability of reforming and transforming ethno-religious-supremacist “Israel” into a fully democratic state with equal rights and human dignity for all who live there – the same political system which Western governments profess and proclaim to be the ideal form of government for all other states. Of course, nothing would be more likely to make Israelis question the sustainability of their very comfortable status quo and become seriously interested in actually achieving a decent “two-state solution” than a realization that both Western public opinion and Western governments are starting to question both the “rightness” of how “Israel” came into existence and the legitimacy in the 21st century of an ethno-religious-supremacist regime, whether it calls itself “the Jewish State” or “the Islamic State”. Hence the sudden rise of the existential threat of the “delegitimization” of “Israel”. No one has done more to delegitimize “Israel” in the eyes of the world than Prime Minister Netanyahu. Perhaps those who seek equal rights, equal human dignity and some measure of justice, whether in two states or in one, should hope that Mr. Netanyahu keeps up his good work in the “Legitimacy War”. John V. Whitbeck is an international lawyer who as advised the Palestinian negotiating team in negotiations with Israel. |
EVEN in light of the recent focus on health-care reform, it's a bit astonishing how little attention has been paid to the wrangling in the Senate over three important Patriot Act powers set to expire at the end of the year. While some Democratic senators had initially shown interest in using the occasion to review the broad edifice of post–9/11 surveillance powers granted the executive branch, legislators now seem poised to move ahead with reauthorisation absent even the mildest additional civil-liberties safeguards. The Obama administration had requested reauthorisation of all three "sunsetting" Patriot-Act powers: roving wiretap authority; license to spy on so-called "lone wolf" terror suspects under the broad aegis of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance act; and "section 215" orders, which allow investigators to compel the production of business records or any other "tangible thing". Yet the Justice Department had also signaled its openness to "modifications" designed to protect the privacy of Americans and check potential abuses. Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks. Russ Feingold took them up on the offer with an ambitious proposal that would have substantially overhauled the new foreign-intelligence-surveillance architecture. More modest was a proposal by Patrick Leahy, the Judiciary Committee's chairman, that would have somewhat constrained the scope of both 215 orders and the controversial "national security letters", which internal probes found to be subject to endemic misuse. Yet even the more moderate reforms proved a bridge too far for Dianne Feinstein, who swooped in at the last minute before last week's legislative mark-up session with her own substitute bill, stripping away even the feeble restraints Mr Leahy had supported. The reason was the purported fear of FBI officials that these constraints might interfere with a number of "ongoing investigations", intimated to have sprung from the arrest of suspected bomb plotter Najibullah Zazi. Over Mr Feingold's objections, Ms Feinstein's language was made the template for renewal legislation, and the committee is expected to report a final draft out to the full Senate on Thursday. It would be a serious mistake for the Senate to forgo a golden opportunity to revisit the broad array of surveillance powers created over the past eight years—at first in the panicked aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and then in the shadow of a bellicose administration quick to tar opponents as soft on terror. It is hardly a surprise that investigators prefer the greatest possible latitude in carrying out their inquiries—and there may well be reason to grandfather investigations already in progress under the current rules. But if the standard practice of the intelligence agencies now involves programmes that cannot proceed without authority to conduct dragnet acquisition of records without even a tenuous secondhand connection to suspected terrorists or their activities, as Mr Leahy's original bill would have required, there is something wrong with that practice. The parlous incentive for legislators in the intelligence sphere is always, alas, to defer to the executive: Abuses of power will, by definition, occur in secret—while any intelligence failure is apt to be both visible and blamed on any who had the temerity to call "halt". The stage then seems set for yet another show of war-on-terror "toughness" born of cowardice. |
In general PRs and journalists have a decent working relationship, or at least I like to think we do. But new research by Pressfeed highlights the fact that we have differing opinions over what should be included in a press release. Almost half (45%) of the PRs polled said that visual elements with a news story are not important at all to journalists, while 39% said it wasn’t necessary to add images, videos or graphics to a news release. But 80% of the journalists included in the survey said it was important or very important to have access to photographs and visual images and 75% wanted video content. We get hundreds of press releases at Econsultancy, some good, some not so good. So here’s 11 friendly tips on how PRs can make their press releases more effective, and more likely to be opened and read… |
1. When it’s all said and done, you have like $5 to spend in the first place. 2. When people recommend cool, trendy restaurants for you to go to, your pleasant nod impressively masks what you’re really feeling–that life is just a cruel, sick joke. 3. You hype up staying in out of necessity. 4. You didn’t start from the bottom. But your “here” suddenly doesn’t seem too far away from the bottom. 5. You’re starting to say things like “I’ve been destroying the leftover game,” and “If it wasn’t Trader Joes, I don’t know what I would do.” 6. You’ve become one of those people who gets really infatuated with the security deposit. 7. Keeping track of your expenses isn’t so much exhausting; it’s just depressing. 8. You keep your long-since expired student ID at the forefront of your wallet. Need those rates. Need to be a deceiving douchebag who cheats people out of money. (Note: there’s a decent chance they’re doing the same to you, so it’s ok.) 9. You look at prices for clothes, and wholeheartedly wonder how anybody under the age of 28 has ever been able to buy clothes. 10. When eating out, you spend the end of meals furtively eying your friend’s checks in desperate hope that they aren’t severely overtipping. 11. Also when eating out, your favorite foods have suddenly become the foods that aren’t in the truly terrifying $16-25 range. 12. You’re a pro at pulling the old “use your parents money for a shared task, and have your friend chip in for the cost of that task.” Like clockwork. 13. You don’t date. Bad for your budget. 14. One of the worst days of your life will be the day you’re no longer on your parent’s cellphone plan. 15. Sunday is your designated day to lock yourself in your apartment, and pledge that you’re not going to spend more than X dollars for the entire week. The subsequent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are banner days for your frugality. Thursday is not. 16. You’re strongly considering dropping certain “expensive” friends due to their unhealthy fiscal upkeep. 17. One shot at the bar is about the size of your nightly budget. You bought four. 18. People are beginning to notice that you’ve been wearing the same three “going out shirts” for the past three years. 19. You get very excited upon receiving emails for great alumni events that would probably really help you in your quest to be that person you always thought you’d be. Your heart sinks when they cost $125, 20. Airline Fares = Public Enemy Number One 21. Amtrak Fares = Public Enemy Number Two 22. “It actually wasn’t that bad!” – You, telling everyone about the Megabus you just spent 7 hours on. 23. You find yourself somewhat resenting yourself for being dumb enough to follow your dreams instead of gunning for paycheck that would let you buy fresh mozzarella. Of course, you don’t actually. Yet. 24. Chipotle has become a luxury. But the extra guac is out of the question. 25. You actually aren’t sure if you’re able to spare some change. 26. If your coffeemaker breaks, it’s time to give up. 27. When it comes to maintaining your bank account balance, best just to close your eyes and hope for the best. 28. You constantly feel like you’re legitimately missing out on seminal life events due to the fact that shelter and feeding yourself have to happen. 29. You constantly feel like you’re about to start missing out on seminal life events, because you couldn’t not go out last night. Living your life consistently seems to be a dumb move. 30. Planning a vacation is significantly more stressful than that vacation is relaxing. Actually you only assume that, because you haven’t ever paid for your own vacation. 31. You stay late at the office not to get work done or appear impressive. You stay late at the office because there are free snacks, and no one’s there to judge you. 32. You’ve thought about doing a “homeless test run,” so if it actually happens you’ll be a bit more prepared. 33. You’ll never resort to selling drugs, but shit would that fix everything. 34. Why are candy bars $1.50? It’s a fucking butterfinger. 35. You’ve turned into that asshole who doesn’t buy candy for halloween. 36. You really need to man up and walk the five blocks to the cheap liqour store. The 12 packs at CVS are killing you. 37. All your money concerns are stressing you out to the point where you might need a therapist. You then consult the internet to find out how much money you need to pay for a therapist. 38. You consider buying food at the movie theater/a concert/a sports game the 9th circle of hell. 39. The prospect of being more “successful” than your parents is becoming increasingly laughable. 40. You’ve come to terms that success isn’t defined by how deep your pockets are. Though this is mostly out of personal convenience. |
CLOSE Texas Public Safety authorities say the Sutherland Springs church shooting appears to have stemmed from a "domestic situation." It's not the first domestic incident involving suspected gunman Devin Kelley. USA TODAY Well-meaning experts risk their credibility by asserting a link between domestic abuse and mass shootings. Statistics simply don't back it up. Sutherland Springs Baptist Church in Texas Eric Gay, AP (Photo11: Eric Gay, AP) The gun-pointing has predictably shifted to finger-pointing since the Texas church shooting in which 25 parishioners were killed, including a pregnant woman whose unborn baby also died, and many others were wounded. Could this atrocity have been prevented by better follow-through on the gunman’s history of violence, which included abuse of his ex-wife and stepson? The horrific nature of this crime gave advocates for various causes the opportunity to push their well-meaning agendas. The gunman’s violent past was especially telling for experts on domestic violence. More: Will concealed carry stop next Sutherland Springs slaughter in gun-toting Texas? More: The day of the Sutherland Springs massacre, I went to buy a gun. I got a lesson instead. Appearing on the PBS NewsHour the day after the shooting, Deborah Epstein, co-director of the Domestic Violence Clinic at the Georgetown University Law Center, claimed there is a strong correlation between domestic violence and mass shootings. “If you look at all the mass shootings that have occurred on U.S. soil,” said Epstein, “the vast majority of them have been committed by people who have perpetrated domestic violence against an intimate partner, a series of intimate partners, or are in the process of dealing with domestic violence.” In a one-week follow-up story about the church shooting, a headline in the San Antonio Express-News read, “Are mass killings and domestic violence linked? It depends who you ask.” You'd think such a determination would be a matter of fact, not opinion. Unfortunately, in the media version of the children’s game of telephone, the message is easily misinterpreted as it gets repeated from one news source to another. “There is an obvious link between mass shootings and domestic violence,” suggested Susan Higginbotham, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She at least cited her evidence: “A study last year by Everytown for Gun Safety, which used FBI data and media reports to analyze mass shootings from January 2009 to December 2016, showed that 54% of the perpetrators of these horrific mass killings had a history of domestic or family violence.” Higginbotham was only partially correct, misconstruing the most important point. The Everytown study did indeed find that 54% of mass shootings involved intimate partners or family members as victims. In this majority, however, the domestic violence was the mass shooting of family members, and not necessarily a history of previous domestic violence. Everytown’s case summaries of 156 shootings from 2009 through 2016 (in which four or more victims are killed), reveal 85 incidents in which a gunman murdered at least some current or former intimate partners or family members. Of these, 41% were preceded by other acts of domestic violence. Among the entire pool of mass shootings, only 25% revealed any indication of prior domestic violence. Even if a majority of mass shootings were preceded by violence against intimate partners or family, that still would hardly serve as a reliable predictor of mass murder. There are, unfortunately, at least 10 million incidents of domestic violence every year, according to estimates reported by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. By contrast, there are, on average, about 22 mass shootings annually with at least four fatalities. Were we to predict mass murder on this basis of domestic violence, we would be wrong well more than 99% of the time. More: Chris Matthews: RFK came around to pushing gun control. We should too. POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media To be very clear, domestic violence is a serious concern. It causes significant emotional and physical pain, and sometimes escalates to murder. It should never be ignored or taken lightly. We need to do whatever possible through prevention strategies in terms of socializing children and intervention efforts, including arrest and gun confiscation, when it does occur. This is the right thing to do, but let’s get straight concerning why. There are at least 10 million reasons to elevate our vigilance in responding to domestic violence. We shouldn’t need an occasional mass killing in which the assailant had been charged with spousal or family abuse to motivate us. I applaud the efforts of those dedicated folks who have made domestic violence prevention the focal point of their careers. But please don’t diminish your credibility by abusing the data to make your case. James Alan Fox is the Lipman Professor of Criminology, Law and Public Policy at Northeastern University, a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors and co-author of Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder. Follow him on Twitter: @jamesalanfox You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2AIXUvo |
After more than 50 hours of deliberation over six days, jurors could not reach a consensus on charges that the 79-year-old comedian drugged and raped a woman in 2004. Matt Slocum / AP NORRISTOWN, PA — Bill Cosby's rape case ended in a mistrial on Saturday after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision on charges that he drugged and raped a woman, Andrea Constand, at his home in 2004. The sequestered jury of five women and seven men spent more than 50 hours over six days reviewing testimony as they tried to reach a verdict, often working late into the night. But inside a packed courtroom outside Philadelphia on Saturday, jurors said they remained deadlocked. All jurors agreed there was "hopeless deadlock that cannot be resolved on further deliberations." Cosby attorney Brian McMonagle immediately moved for a mistrial, which was granted by the judge. "A mistrial is just the justice system at work," Judge Steven T. O'Neill told the jurors. "Don't feel that you let the justice system or anyone down." The 79-year-old comedian clutched his cane and sat with his eyes closed. Constand hugged her supporters and other Cosby accusers, some of who were crying. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele immediately announced the prosecution would retry the case. "We appreciate the efforts and the seriousness that the jury took to their role," Angela Agrusa, another Cosby attorney, told BuzzFeed News. "And while we were hoping for an acquittal, we accepted the deadlock. We were satisfied with the deadlock because it feels that people can finally acknowledge that the accusations against him aren't what they necessarily were perceived to be," she said. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AFP / Getty Images Bill Cosby holds up the hand of his defense attorney Angela Agrusa. Outside the court, Cosby declined to take questions, but a publicist read a statement from his wife, Camille. "I'm grateful to any of the jurors who tenaciously fought to review the evidence which is the rightful way to make a sound decision. Ultimately that is a manifestation of justice based on facts, not lies," she said. Camille Cosby also accused the "overtly arrogant" judge of colluding with the "exploitatively ambitious" district attorney. Cosby spokeswoman reads a statement from comedian's wife, Camille: "a manifestation of justice based on facts, not… https://t.co/ZFXvwkLEFO Attorney Brian McMonagle said he was proud to represent the star. "We came here looking for an acquittal but like that Rolling Stone song says, you don't always get what you want, sometimes you get what you need," he said. District Attorney Steele praised Constand for her courage and said her facing Cosby in court was "a good outcome." "We will evaluate and review our case. We will take a hard look at everything involved and then we will retry it," he vowed. "We hope that doing this and moving forward in this case sends a strong message that victims of these type of crimes can come forward and can be heard," he said. Da Steele said he hopes this case shows victims of sexual assault they can come forward Steele said it was important to re-try the case, even if it costs taxpayers money. "You can't put a price tag on justice, and if you do, you're saying that because somebody's wealthy or famous, that they don't deserve the same kind of justice that everybody else does," he said. Constand's lawyers, Dolores Troiani and Bebe Kivitz, thanked the jury for their service. "We are confident that these proceedings have given a voice to the many victims who felt powerless and silenced," the attorneys said in a statement. Gloria Allred, the high-profile Hollywood lawyer representing other Cosby accusers, implied the jury was swayed by the "blinding power of celebrity." She said she hopes other Cosby accusers would be allowed to testify in any future retrial. "In other words, it's too early to celebrate, Mr. Cosby. Round two may be just around the corner. And this time, justice may prevail," she said. The mistrial spares Cosby for now from what could have been 30 years behind bars, but it will likely do little to salvage his legacy as America’s Dad with more than 50 women having accused him of also drugging and sexually assaulting them. He also still faces multiple civil lawsuits filed by his accusers. Cosby's spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, said earlier outside the courtroom that the case "should never have been here in the first place." "All we have ever asked for is a fair and impartial trial and a fair and impartial jury of his peers and I think we got that," Wyatt said. "We got a fair and impartial jury, but we didn’t really get a fair and impartial trial.” He also accused District Attorney Steele of using the case to further his own political ambition. “Kevin Steele should have never brought this case forward. It should have never have happened," Wyatt said. "He has used Mr. Cosby's name, credibility, his good name, to catapult his ambitions — maybe to attorney general. Maybe he wants Jeff Sessions' job and wants to get Trump to appoint him." Gilbert Carrasquillo / WireImage Protesters outside the Montgomery County Courthouse during the Bill Cosby trial. The chief accuser in the criminal case, Andrea Constand, testified for the prosecution that she had come to know and trust Cosby while running the women’s basketball program at the comedian’s alma mater, Temple University. Cosby, who was 37 years her senior, developed a paternal friendship with Constand, who said she eventually accepted his offer to meet at his home in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, to discuss her career plans. She testified that after she arrived, Cosby offered her three blue pills, which he allegedly said were herbal. Soon after, Constand testified that her speech became slurred and she began to lose control of her body. She said she didn’t remember passing out until she was “jolted awake” and felt Cosby’s hand groping her breast and his hand inside her vagina as he masturbated. Pool / Getty Images Andrea Constand walks from the courtroom during jury deliberations. “In my head, I was trying to get my hands and my legs to move, but I was frozen,” she testified. Her testimony was bolstered by her mother, who told jurors that Cosby assured her on the phone that there had been no “penile penetration, only digital.” But the case ultimately came down to who the jury of five women and seven men believed more: Constand or Cosby? In fact, Cosby’s attorneys were so honed in on discrediting Constand on cross-examination that when it came time to present their own case, they took less than six minutes to call just one witness to the stand — a strategy that appeared so limited the judge put Cosby under oath to make sure he had approved. During the trial, Cosby’s defense portrayed Constand and another accuser who testified, Kelly Johnson, as opportunistic and untrustworthy by trying to pin them down on a handful of inconsistencies between the current testimony and statements made to authorities decades ago. Cosby’s team insisted his interactions with Constand had been romantic and consensual, pointing to phone records that showed numerous phone calls between the two. Cosby never testified in his own defense, but in his 2005 deposition that was introduced in court, the comedian said he had only given Constand Benadryl to help her relax because she told him she had been having trouble sleeping. Mark Makela / Getty Images Bill Cosby lead attorney Brian McMonagle. |
Japan has filed a protest with South Korea over a plan to place a “comfort women” memorial statue on disputed islets in the Sea of Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said. The plan is “extremely deplorable and unacceptable in light of our position on the sovereignty of Takeshima,” Chief told a news conference Tuesday, referring to the islets controlled by South Korea but claimed by Japan. A group of South Korean local assembly members announced Monday they plan to place the statue on the islets — called Dokdo in South Korea — according to South Korean media, following weeks of heightened tensions over the issue of the women procured for Japanese military brothels before and during World War II. A statue dedicated to the women outside the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, depicting a girl in traditional Korean clothing sitting beside an empty chair, has irked Japan since it was erected in 2011. In a landmark deal in December 2015, aimed at settling the comfort women issue, South Korea said it would “strive to solve” the matter of the Seoul statue “in an appropriate manner.” But tensions flared late last month when a statue of the same design was put up in front of the Japanese Consulate General in the southern port city of Busan. In response, Japan recalled its ambassador, who has yet to return to South Korea. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida called the latest statue plan “unacceptable.” “In the first place, Japan’s position is that Takeshima is our inherent territory, both under international law and historically,” Kishida told a news conference Tuesday. South Korea promptly lodged a protest over Kishida’s remarks, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck saying it was “deeply deplorable that Japan, once again, made the unjust (territorial) claim.” Speaking at a press briefing, Cho urged Japan to “halt repeating the futile claim over the territory, which is clearly an integral part (of South Korea).” South Korea has controlled the islets since the 1950s. The assembly members from Gyeonggi province in South Korea’s northwest said they will raise funds for the statue, aiming to erect it on the tiny islets by December, according to South Korean media reports. Many of the women procured for Japanese military brothels were from the Korean Peninsula, which was under Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945. A Japanese government study in the early 1990s concluded that many of the women were procured against their will. |
Businesses of the Monitor Township DDA The Charter Communications building at 1480 S. Valley Center Drive in Bay County's Monitor Township. (Yfat Yossifor | MLive.com) BAY CITY, MI -- Five ex-Charter Communications employees claim that the cable provider illegally fired them for trying to form a union. Weeks after he was fired in October 2014, Jonathan French, a Saginaw resident who worked two years as an auditor for Charter, was the first to file a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board. Four employees within five months of their termination filed unfair labor practice charges. The case has made its way to a federal administrative law judge to determine if Charter violated the National Labor Relations Act. Proceedings have taken place in Bay City this past week. Terry Morgan "It is our theory that the people involved in this case were discriminated against because they supported the idea of forming a union," said Terry Morgan, regional director of Region 7 of the National Labor Relations Board in Detroit. Attorneys representing Charter declined to comment. According to court documents, In September 2014, Charter learned some of its employees were stealing from the company by performing activities on company time that weren't related to the cable operator's business. Specifically, Charter learned that a manager, "routinely pulled employees out of the field to complete personal, directed non-Charter tasks," according to court records. Charter determined the five employees who were interviewed during their investigation, including French, were "dishonest," and "interfered with the integrity of the investigation" by withholding information," according to court records. Charter officials went on to say the employees were also "disrespectful and generally uncooperative during the investigation." They were all later fired. French contends he never worked to organize a union during work hours. "You don't fire employees who are doing good work," he said. "I had my reviews to prove that I was a good employee." French, 37, said he wanted to form a union for "employee fairness." He contends Charter technicians are paid less for the same work that is done at competitors, such as Comcast or Time Warner. "It's an issue of fair wages," he said. French and the four other employees are asking for full reinstatement of their jobs plus back pay. Morgan, with the NLRB, anticipates court proceedings to last several more days. The Federal Communications Commission this week approved a deal for Charter to buy Time Warner Cable, making it the country's second-largest home Internet and cable TV provider. |
Homicide investigators found gun accessories, including a full magazine, as well as syringes in the apartment of the University City man who shot seven people before San Diego police killed him, court documents show. A search warrant affidavit also reveals that a sister of gunman Peter Selis rushed to the Judicial Drive apartment complex on April 30, fearing that he might be involved. Eve Selis told officers that her brother lived there and was “extremely distraught and depressed” over a recent break-up with his girlfriend, the document says. The affidavit by San Diego police homicide Detective David Spitzer set out facts of the case to support the need for a warrant to search Peter Selis’ apartment. A Vista judge authorized the warrant about 1 a.m. on May 1. Among the items seized that day from a bedroom were a full gun magazine, found in the pocket of a chair, and a gun-cleaning kit in the closet. A gun lock was on a desk. Lying on the bed were a box for the lock, a bag containing a holster and gloves, and a cardboard box containing syringes. A computer tablet lay on the floor. A black bag of miscellaneous pills was in the bathroom.The affidavit did not describe the syringes or their possible purpose. Selis, a 49-year-old auto mechanic, was deeply in debt after two bankruptcies and had been threatened with jail for an unpaid debt. Late on Sunday afternoon, he went to the pool at the La Jolla Crossroads Apartments with a duffel bag and sat in a lounge chair. The area was crowded, and many of the people were attending a birthday party. Selis drank from a beer bottle, then pulled a pistol from the bag, the affidavit says. He started shooting shortly after 6 p.m., and after firing two rounds, he called his ex-girlfriend and told her what he was doing and that police were coming. One of his victims, Monique Clark, 35, a mother of three, died. The search warrant document said she was shot once in the chest. Victims were sprawled everywhere, bleeding. Others in the crowd scattered, screaming, and called 911 at 6:06 p.m. A police helicopter got there seven minutes later. The helicopter crew told the first officers to head to the pool immediately. They did, and when the shooter saw them “a gun battle began,” the affidavit says. Sgt. Michael McEwen and officers Jonathan Ferraro and Luke Hammond fired at Selis and he fired back. He was wounded several times and died there. No officers were wounded. As news reports of the shooting were broadcast, Eve Selis rushed to the complex and described her brother for police, the court record says. Her description matched the shooter’s. She also gave police his apartment number. “Fearing Selis may have potentially harmed any roommates or his ex-girlfriend, the decision was made to enter” his apartment, the affidavit says. Seven officers went in, but found no victims and left right away. Officers guarded the unit overnight until the warrant could be obtained. |
(Reuters) - Confidence in police in the United States has dropped to the lowest level in more than two decades, with just 52 percent of Americans expressing “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence, according to a Gallup poll released on Friday. Police line up shortly after the deadline for a city-wide curfew at North Ave and Pennsylvania Ave in Baltimore, Maryland April 30, 2015. REUTERS/Eric Thayer The confidence level in police matched the low seen in 1993, when Gallup first began measuring it as a federal civil rights trial got underway over the 1991 beating of black motorist Rodney King by white Los Angeles police officers. Since 1993, American confidence in police has ranged from the low of 52 percent to a high of 64 percent in 2004, the Gallup poll found. The annual poll on confidence in U.S. institutions was taken earlier this month with a random sample of 1,527 adults aged 18 and older living in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The findings come amid heightened scrutiny of the treatment of African-American men by police in the United States, an issue that flared last year after the killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City and elsewhere. “These events likely contributed to the decline in confidence in police, although it is important to note that Americans’ trust in police has not been fundamentally shaken - it remains high in an absolute sense, despite being at a historical low,” Jeffrey Jones of Gallup said in an accompanying report. Eighteen percent said they have very little or no confidence in police, the poll found, the highest level Gallup has measured to date. Gallup said that African-American confidence in police has averaged 30 percent over the last two years, well below the national average of 53 percent, and much lower than any other subgroup. African-American confidence is down six points from 2012-2013, which is similar to the four-point drop among all Americans, the poll found. One reason African-American confidence has not changed disproportionately over the last two years is that their confidence in police was already low, the report said. The largest change was seen among Democrats, whose confidence in police dropped 13 percentage points over the last two years compared with 2012-2013, the poll found, noting that blacks are disproportionately likely to identify as Democrats. Independents’ and Republicans’ confidence in police did not change over the same period of time, the poll found. |
More and more direct-energy weapons appear to be the wave of the future. True to Newton’s Third Law on Motion, weapons development is a constant battle of adaptation with one side unveiling new technology only for the other to respond with countermeasures. Very few platforms in recent years have been as influential or attracted as much publicity as have unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which have greatly enhanced surveillance capability while giving their owners the ability to target enemies thousands of miles away at relatively little cost. But just as ballistic missiles are being tested with the development of more sophisticated air-defense systems, so too will UAVs in the not-so-distant future, as arms manufacturers are hard at work — and are indeed testing — laser devices to zap them down. Science fiction movies aside, laser beams (the technical term is directed-energy weapon, or DEW) have been around, if only in labs — and for much longer in people’s imaginations — for some time now. The Soviet Union first experimented with them in the 1960s. Two decades later the U.S. military explored the technology as part of Ronald Reagan’s much criticized Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program. A more recent example is U.S.-based Raytheon Corp’s laser close-in weapon system (CIWS). First unveiled publically at the Farnborough Airshow in July 2010, the company demonstrates its ability to disable a variety of objects including aircraft, drones, rockets and surface ships, using a 50kW solid-state laser beam. Coupled with last-line of defense equipment such as the U.S. Navy’s Phalanx radar-controlled CIWS, which uses a multiple-barreled 20mm Gatling gun to shoot down approaching objects, the laser CIWS has the advantage of longer range and, theoretically, unlimited ammunition. Northrop Grumman Corp is also developing the Gamma, a high-energy, solid-state laser (HEL) for the purpose of destroying incoming anti-ship cruise missiles, and is cooperating with the U.S. Air Mobility Command and the Air National Guard on a KC-135 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures-based pod that uses laser beams to disable incoming surface-to-air missiles. The U.S. Navy also has systems under development that are intended to shoot down enemy drones homing in on surface vessels. Similarly, the U.S. Army announced last year that it was working on a device known as the Laser-Induced Plasma Channel (LIPC), which can fire a laser-guided, 50 billion watt “lightning bolt” at a target. Now German defense firm Rheinmetall Defence has unveiled its own system that can “shoot down” airborne objects that are thousands of meters away (no altitude was given). Like Raytheon’s device, the German system uses a 50kW beam and uses radar — part of the time-proven Skyguard fire control unit — to track incoming objects. During the latest trial, held at the company’s Ochsenboden Proving Ground in Switzerland, the device successfully shot down “several” nose-diving drones moving at 50 meters per second (mps) at a distance of about 2 km. In a different test, the cannon was used to track and destroy a 82mm steel ball traveling at 50 mps, which was designed to replicate an incoming mortar round. Tests have also demonstrated that the laser beam can also cut through a 15mm-thick steel girder at a distance of nearly 1,000 meters. Rheinmetall said it had tested the system in a variety of weather conditions, including snow, sunlight, and rain. Bad weather conditions, high humidity and reflective surfaces have long plagued designers’ efforts to turn laser beams into effective weapons. Rheinmetall says it plans to make the laser system mobile and to combine it with a 35mm revolver cannon. A smaller version is also in development to provide ground troops with protection from air fire. Of course, the U.S. and Europe aren’t the only countries to see the many advantages of HELs provide for force protection. In recent years, Russian and Chinese physicists have also made major advances in high-power solid-state lasers, and reports indicate that Russia is at work developing a system that can shoot down missiles and aircraft. China, which reportedly first researched laser weapons during the 1960s as part of its Project 640 missile defense program, is now believed to have a state-of-the-art HEL program. It might be a few years still before laser beams become fully operational, but after decades of research, the day when science fiction becomes reality is approaching. Stay tuned for countermeasures. |
Although The Legend of Zelda series remains as one of the most critically acclaimed gaming series, there have been some instances when a game, in one or another way, motivated scandals in media, as well as within the Zelda fanbase. Some reasons for this might include religious or content issues, radical changes that concern longtime fans, and opinions during interviews. Religious content and censorship A Link to the Past is known in the Japanese version as The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods ( Zeruda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Toraifosu ). During the SNES era, Nintendo of America had an active policy against religious references in video games (though the first two Zelda games had some anyway), so the title of the game was changed to A Link to the Past . The game also showed Egyptian characters read on the inscriptions to be translated by the Book of Mudora, but were changed to random symbols when the game was exported overseas. is known in the Japanese version as ( ). During the SNES era, Nintendo of America had an active policy against religious references in video games (though the first two games had some anyway), so the title of the game was changed to . The game also showed Egyptian characters read on the inscriptions to be translated by the Book of Mudora, but were changed to random symbols when the game was exported overseas. Ocarina of Time , in the original Nintendo 64 version, had two major religious references: The Fire Temple's music sampled a group of men chanting Islamic prayer. This was removed from later versions of the game by Nintendo because of the religious association. The name of 'Allah' can clearly be heard at one point. Another Arabic allusion that was deciphered was "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah". It was replaced by a MIDI Synthesizer in later releases, ports, and remakes. , in the original Nintendo 64 version, had two major religious references: The Fire Temple's music sampled a group of men chanting Islamic prayer. This was removed from later versions of the game by Nintendo because of the religious association. The name of 'Allah' can clearly be heard at one point. Another Arabic allusion that was deciphered was "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah". It was replaced by a MIDI Synthesizer in later releases, ports, and remakes. The second religious reference in Ocarina of Time was the Crest of the Gerudo, which was far more widespread as it appeared as a motif on several elements through the game, including blocks, switches, and the Mirror Shield. This symbol was similar, but not identical, to the Star and crescent symbol that is prominent in the Islam, the Muslim community in general, and several national flags in Asia. Some of the differences between the two symbols include: The Islamic version has a 5-point star, while the Gerudo version has 4 points; the Islamic crescent faces to the right, and is not as "complete" or "closed" as the Gerudo one, which faces to the left; and many Islamic crescents have the star deeper in it, not at the edge like the Gerudo version does. In any case, due to the religious meaning of the symbol, Nintendo edited it out in all of its spots in the game, with a single exception. The newer Gerudo Symbol has since been a staple in modern revisions of Ocarina of Time . was the Crest of the Gerudo, which was far more widespread as it appeared as a motif on several elements through the game, including blocks, switches, and the Mirror Shield. This symbol was similar, but not identical, to the Star and crescent symbol that is prominent in the Islam, the Muslim community in general, and several national flags in Asia. Some of the differences between the two symbols include: The Islamic version has a 5-point star, while the Gerudo version has 4 points; the Islamic crescent faces to the right, and is not as "complete" or "closed" as the Gerudo one, which faces to the left; and many Islamic crescents have the star deeper in it, not at the edge like the Gerudo version does. In any case, due to the religious meaning of the symbol, Nintendo edited it out in all of its spots in the game, with a single exception. The newer Gerudo Symbol has since been a staple in modern revisions of . Another Ocarina of Time issue revolved around Ganondorf's blood. In the original version, after his defeat at the top of his lair, he vomited red blood; after Link stabs the Master Sword in his forehead, blood drops shed as well. In later versions, the color of the blood was changed to green. Controversial changes within the games In a 2009 conference in Spain, Eiji Aonuma had commented that Ocarina of Time had not aged very well, claiming that it had a slower presentation and outdated graphics, and that the subsequent games in the series were technically superior. This caused controversy among longtime fans of the series, who started arguing whether or not he was right. This was compounded by the fact that, in a previous 2008 interview with Nintendo Power, he had stated that he would keep working on the series until surpassing the aforementioned game. had not aged very well, claiming that it had a slower presentation and outdated graphics, and that the subsequent games in the series were technically superior. This caused controversy among longtime fans of the series, who started arguing whether or not he was right. This was compounded by the fact that, in a previous 2008 interview with Nintendo Power, he had stated that he would keep working on the series until surpassing the aforementioned game. When Skyward Sword was revealed in E3 2010, Shigeru Miyamoto made a public demonstration of it during the conference. However, due to wireless interference, the controls did not respond very well, making Miyamoto realize unintended commands in the game. Though the journalists later managed to play the game better on the demo floor, the previous incident had arisen concerns regarding the effectiveness of using motion controls to play the game to the point that some fans asked for traditional controls instead, which has affected the expectations since. Longtime community debates Sheik's gender. Due to the character's masculine appearance in Ocarina of Time , as well as Princess Ruto referring to "him" as a male person, it was thought by fans that Princess Zelda had undergone a gender change while hiding from Ganondorf during the seven-year skip. Even after Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl referred to the character as female (despite the games not being considered canon in the first place), and Ocarina of Time 3D provided Sheik with a more feminine body, fans still debate over the character being male or female. , as well as Princess Ruto referring to "him" as a male person, it was thought by fans that Princess Zelda had undergone a gender change while hiding from Ganondorf during the seven-year skip. Even after and referred to the character as female (despite the games not being considered canon in the first place), and provided Sheik with a more feminine body, fans still debate over the character being male or female. Voice acting. After Twilight Princess was revealed without full character speech, fans started debating whether future games should have voice acting. Detractors often cite the Phillips CD-i games as a reason not to feature this element in the games. Breath of the Wild will be the first in the series to feature significant voice acting.[4] |
A post shared by Justin Baldoni (@justinbaldoni) on Jun 19, 2017 at 8:41am PDT There he was, in the middle of a Whole Foods, grocery shopping with his family when his toddler daughter threw herself onto the floor in the midst of a full-blown temper tantrum. And what did this dad do? Absolutely nothing. Justin Baldoni posted to Instagram about the ordeal and included an image of "two men, standing together in silence, forever bonded by an unconditional love for both each other and this brand new, raw and pure soul who we would both go to the ends of the earth for." The proud dad remarked that it's "now one of my favorite photos ever of me and my dad." It's not his most-loved photo because of the ridiculous, can't-help-but-laugh situation — quite the opposite. To Justin, the image is about one thing only: "Being comfortable in the uncomfortable." ADVERTISEMENT His dad taught him this valuable lesson by example. There are no perfect parents, but one thing my dad taught me is to not parent based on what anyone else thinks. My dad always let me feel what I needed to feel, even if it was in public and embarrassing. I don't remember him ever saying "You're embarrassing me!" or "Don't cry!" It wasn't until recently that I realized how paramount that was for my own emotional development. Our children are learning and processing so much information, and they don't know what to do with all of these new feelings that come up. I try to remember to make sure my daughter knows it's OK that she feels deeply. "It's not embarrassing to me when she throw tantrums in the grocery store, or screams on a plane," he added. "I'm her dad . . . not yours. Let's not be embarrassed for our children." His final point was one all parents need to hear: "It doesn't reflect on you. In fact, we should probably be a little more kind and patient with ourselves, too. If we got out everything we were feeling and allowed ourselves to throw tantrums and cry when we felt the need to, then maybe we could also let ourselves feel more joy and happiness. And that is something this world could definitely use a little more of." |
PADANG/JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) - All 22 of the early-warning buoys Indonesia deployed after the 2004 tsunami disaster were inoperable when a massive undersea earthquake struck off the coast on Wednesday, a National Disaster Mitigation Agency official said. The 7.8 magnitude quake did not trigger a tsunami, and there were no deaths and no major damage, but it did expose gaps in the systems put in place to prevent a disaster similar to the Indian Ocean quake that killed more than 200,000 people 11 years ago. In addition to the malfunctioning of buoys designed to warn of massive waves, authorities said there were not enough evacuation routes or shelters in Padang, a Sumatra island port city of around one million people that felt the quake. “There was definitely panic last night, that cannot be denied,” said Zulfiatno, the head of the disaster management agency in Padang who uses only one name, adding that shelters had the capacity to only hold around 200,000 people. “But the situation has improved from previous years. People have started to understand how to evacuate safely.” The 9.15 magnitude quake of December 2004 opened a fault line deep beneath the ocean, triggering a wave as high as 17.4 meters (57 feet) that crashed ashore in more than a dozen countries to wipe some communities off the map in seconds. Indonesia straddles the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the earth’s crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes. The province of Aceh on the northwest tip of Sumatra bore the brunt of the 2004 tsunami, with at least 168,000 killed. “WE CAN EASILY FORGET” Soon after that disaster, Indonesia introduced a sophisticated early warning system using buoys, sea-level gauges and seismometers that can send alerts to countries’ tsunami warning centers within 10 minutes of a quake. Residents ride a motorcycle to higher ground after an earthquake struck off the west coast of Sumatra in the city of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia March 2, 2016. REUTERS/Iggoy el Fitra/Antara Foto Officials said the procedure is to issue a tsunami warning if a quake of more than 6.5 magnitude and with its epicenter less than 20 km (12 miles) deep happens at sea, and that went smoothly on Wednesday. But the buoys, which measure the force and speed of water movement, were a missing link in the chain. Authorities delayed the lifting of their tsunami warning because of the inoperable buoys, which cost around $2.3 million a year to maintain. “We can easily forget. After the quake in Aceh we wanted to do everything, but by 2015 we don’t have money allocated (to fix the buoys),” Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, told reporters. “Most of (the buoys) were broken by vandalism,” he said. Although there were some strong aftershocks on Thursday, normal life largely resumed at daybreak in Padang. There were 11 aftershocks during the night following the main quake, but authorities called for calm as they had diminished in strength. “We do not believe that there will be an earthquake of greater strength,” the National Meteorological Agency said on its Twitter account. “And so residents are urged to keep calm and not be taken in by rumors.” Fears ran high on Wednesday evening when it was reported that the tremor had measured 8.2 and authorities issued evacuation alerts on loudspeakers, radio and TV. Patients at hospitals in Padang were evacuated and there were traffic jams as panicking residents tried to leave. However, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) revised the magnitude down to 7.8 and within two hours of the quake striking the tsunami warnings were canceled. USGS said the epicenter was 808 km (502 miles) southwest of Padang. “If we had tried to evacuate outside the city it would have been difficult. Everybody grabbed their bikes and tried to (flee) but it was too much,” said Febridal, a street food vendor in Padang who briefly went to an evacuation shelter after seeing the tsunami warning on TV. Slideshow (2 Images) Others ignored all warnings and remained by the shoreline, watching the waves for signs of a tsunami. “We never heard any alarm, but we saw on TV that there was potential for a tsunami,” said Mulyaman, whose family runs a small seaside restaurant. “We didn’t see any signs of big waves so we decided to stay.” (This story has been refiled to edit first paragraph) |
Islamic views on slavery represent a complex and multifaceted body of Islamic thought,[1][2] with various Islamic groups or thinkers espousing views on the matter which have been radically different throughout history.[3] Slavery was a mainstay of life in pre-Islamic Arabia and surrounding lands.[1][4] It was in this social milieu that Islam emerged, whence the Quran and the hadith (sayings of Muhammad) address slavery extensively, assuming its existence as part of society but viewing it as an exceptional condition and restricting its scope.[5][4] Early Islamic dogma forbade enslavement of free members of Islamic society, including non-Muslims (dhimmis), and set out to improve conditions of human bondage. The sharīʿah (divine law) regarded as legal slaves only those non-Muslims who were imprisoned or bought beyond the borders of Islamic rule, or the sons and daughters of slaves already in captivity.[4] In later classical Islamic law, the topic of slavery is covered at great length.[3] Slaves, be they Muslim or those of any other religion, were equal to their fellow practitioners in religious issues.[6] In theory, slavery in Islamic law does not have a racial or color component, although this has not always been the case in practice.[7] Slaves played various social and economic roles, from domestic worker to high-ranking positions in the government like Emir. Moreover, slaves were widely employed in irrigation, mining, pastoralism, and the army. Some rulers even relied on military and administrative slaves to such a degree that they seized power. In some cases, the treatment of slaves was so harsh that it led to uprisings, such as the Zanj Rebellion.[8] However, this was an exception rather than the norm, as the vast majority of labor in the medieval Islamic world consisted of free, paid labour.[9] For a variety of reasons, internal growth of the slave population was not enough to fulfill the demand in Muslim society. This resulted in massive importation, which involved enormous suffering and loss of life from the capture and transportation of slaves from non-Muslim lands.[10] The Quran provides for emancipation of a slave as a means of religious atonement for sins.[11][non-primary source needed] The Arab slave trade was most active in West Asia, North Africa, and Southeast Africa. In the early 20th century (post World War I), slavery was gradually outlawed and suppressed in Muslim lands, largely due to pressure exerted by Western nations such as Britain and France.[5] For example, Saudi Arabia and Yemen only abolished slavery in 1962 under pressure from Britain; Oman followed suit in 1970, and Mauritania in 1905, 1981, and again in August 2007.[12] However, slavery claiming the sanction of Islam is documented presently in the predominantly Islamic countries of Chad, Mauritania, Niger, Mali, and Sudan.[13][14] Many early converts to Islam were the poor and former slaves. One notable example is Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi.[15][16][17][18] Slavery in pre-Islamic Arabia Slavery was widely practiced in pre-Islamic Arabia, as well as in the rest of the ancient and early medieval world. The minority were white slaves of foreign extraction, likely brought in by Arab caravaners (or the product of Bedouin captures) stretching back to biblical times. Native Arab slaves had also existed, a prime example being Zayd ibn Harithah, later to become Muhammad's adopted son. Arab slaves, however, usually obtained as captives, were generally ransomed off amongst nomad tribes.[5] The slave population increased by the custom of child abandonment (see also infanticide), and by the kidnapping, or, occasionally, the sale of small children.[19] There is no conclusive evidence of the existence of enslavement for debt or the sale of children by their families; the late and rare accounts of such occurrences show them to be abnormal, Brunschvig states[5] (According to Brockopp, debt slavery was persistent.[20]) Free persons could sell their offspring, or even themselves, into slavery. Enslavement was also possible as a consequence of committing certain offenses against the law, as in the Roman Empire.[19] Two classes of slave existed: a purchased slave, and a slave born in the master's home. Over the latter the master had complete rights of ownership, though these slaves were unlikely to be sold or disposed of by the master. Female slaves were at times forced into prostitution for the benefit of their masters, in accordance with Near Eastern customs.[5][21][22] The historical accounts of the early years of Islam report that "slaves of non-Muslim masters ... suffered brutal punishments. Sumayyah bint Khayyat is famous as the first martyr of Islam, having been killed with a spear by Abū Jahl when she refused to give up her faith. Abu Bakr freed Bilal when his master, Umayya ibn Khalaf, placed a heavy rock on his chest in an attempt to force his conversion."[20] Slavery in the Quran The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the slaves and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarer; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise.[23] The mainstream view is that the Quran accepts the institution of slavery. It may be noted that the word 'abd' (slave) is rarely used, being more commonly replaced by some periphrasis such as ma malakat aymanukum ("that which your right hands own"). However the meaning and translation of this term has been disputed. W.G. Clarence-Smith has highlighted the point of view of Ghulam Ahmed Pervez on this issue, who argued that the term is used in the past-tense in the Quran, thus signalling only those individuals who were already enslaved at the dawn of Islam. This slight change in tense is significant, as it allowed G.A. Parwez to argue that slavery was never compatible with the commandments of the Quran and is in fact outlawed by Quranic Law.[24] The mainstream view; however, is that the Qur'an recognizes the basic inequality between master and slave and the rights of the former over the latter. The historian Brunschvig states that from a spiritual perspective, "the slave has the same value as the free man, and the same eternity is in store for his soul; in this earthly life, failing emancipation, there remains the fact of his inferior status, to which he must piously resign himself."[5][25] According to Lewis, the Quran urges kindness to the slave[26] and recommends their liberation by purchase or manumission. The freeing of slaves is recommended both for the expiation of sins[27] and as an act of simple benevolence.[28] It exhorts masters to allow slaves to earn or purchase their own freedom (manumission contracts)."[29] Slaves are mentioned in at least twenty-nine verses of the Qur'an, most of these are Medinan and refer to the legal status of slaves. The legal material on slavery in the Qur'an is largely restricted to manumission and sexual relations.[20] According to Sikainga, the Qur'anic references to slavery as mainly contain "broad and general propositions of an ethical nature rather than specific legal formulations."[30] The Quran accepts the distinction between slave and free as part of the natural order and uses this distinction as an example of God's grace,[31] regarding this discrimination between human beings as in accordance with the divinely established order of things.[20][32] "The Qur'an, however, does not consider slaves to be mere chattel; their humanity is directly addressed in references to their beliefs,[33] their desire for manumission and their feelings about being forced into prostitution.[34] In one case, the Qur'an refers to master and slave with the same word, rajul. Later interpreters presume slaves to be spiritual equals of free Muslims. For example, verse 4:25[35] urges believers to marry 'believing maids that your right hands own' and then states: "The one of you is as the other," which the Jalaalayn interpret as "You and they are equal in faith, so do not refrain from marrying them." The human aspect of slaves is further reinforced by reference to them as members of the private household, sometimes along with wives or children.[36][20] The Prophet ordered slave-owners to address their slaves by such euphemistic terms as "my boy" and "my girl" stemmed from the belief that God, not their masters, was responsible for the slave's status.[37] There are many common features between the institution of slavery in the Quran and that of neighboring cultures. However, the Quranic institution had some unique new features.[20] Bernard Lewis states that the Qur'anic legislation brought two major changes to ancient slavery which were to have far-reaching effects: presumption of freedom, and the ban on the enslavement of free persons except in strictly defined circumstances.[29] According to Brockopp, the idea of using alms for the manumission of slaves appears to be unique to the Quran, assuming the traditional interpretation of verses [Quran 2:177] and [Quran 9:60]. Similarly, the practice of freeing slaves in atonement for certain sins appears to be introduced by the Quran (but compare Exod 21:26-7).[20] The forced prostitution of female slaves, a Near Eastern custom of great antiquity, is condemned in the Quran.[22][38] Murray Gordon notes that this ban is "of no small significance."[39] Brockopp writes: "Other cultures limit a master's right to harm a slave but few exhort masters to treat their slaves kindly, and the placement of slaves in the same category as other weak members of society who deserve protection is unknown outside the Qur'an. The unique contribution of the Qur'an, then, is to be found in its emphasis on the place of slaves in society and society's responsibility toward the slave, perhaps the most progressive legislation on slavery in its time."[20] According to Maurice Middleberg, "Sura 90 in the Quran states that the righteous path involves 'the freeing of slaves.'"[40] Muhammad's traditions The most notable of Muhammad's slaves were: Safiyya bint Huyayy, whom he freed and married; Maria al-Qibtiyya, given to Muhammad by a Sassanid official, whom he freed and who may have become his wife;[41] Sirin, Maria's sister, whom he freed and married to the poet Hassan ibn Thabit[42] and Zayd ibn Harithah, whom Muhammad freed and adopted as a son.[43] Islamic jurisprudence Traditional Islamic jurisprudence Principles In Islamic jurisprudence, slavery was an exceptional condition,[additional citation(s) needed] with the general rule being a presumption of freedom (al-'asl huwa 'l-hurriya — "The basic principle is liberty") for a person if his or her origins were unknown.[5][page needed] Lawful enslavement was restricted to two instances: capture in war (on the condition that the prisoner is not a Muslim), or birth in slavery. Islamic law did not recognize the classes of slave from pre-Islamic Arabia including those sold or given into slavery by themselves and others, and those indebted into slavery.[5] Though a free Muslim could not be enslaved, conversion to Islam by a non-Muslim slave did not require that he or she then should be liberated. Slave status was not affected by conversion to Islam.[44] Treatment In the instance of illness it would be required for the slave to be looked after. Manumission is considered a meritorious act. Based on the Quranic verse (24:33), Islamic law permits a slave to ransom himself upon consent of his master through a contract known as mukataba.[5] Azizah Y. al-Hibri, a professor of Law specializing in Islamic jurisprudence, states that both the Qur'an and Hadith are repeatedly exhorting Muslims to treat the slaves well and that Muhammad showed this both in action and in words.[45] Levy concurs, adding that "cruelty to them was forbidden."[46] Al-Hibri quotes the famous last speech of Muhammad and other hadiths emphasizing that all believers, whether free or enslaved, are siblings.[45] Lewis explains, "the humanitarian tendency of the Qur'an and the early caliphs in the Islamic empire, was to some extent counteracted by other influences,"[3] notably the practice of various conquered people and countries Muslims encountered, especially in provinces previously under Roman law. In spite of this, Lewis also states, "Islamic practice still represented a vast improvement on that inherited from antiquity, from Rome, and from Byzantium."[3] Murray Gordon writes: "It was not surprising that Muhammad, who accepted the existing socio-political order, looked upon slavery as part of the natural order of things. His approach to what was already an age-old institution was reformist and not revolutionary. The Prophet had not in mind to bring about the abolition of slavery. Rather, his purpose was to improve the conditions of slaves by correcting abuses and appealing to the conscience of his followers to treat them humanely."[47] The adoption of slaves as members of the family was common, according to Levy. If a slave was born and brought up in the master's household he was never sold, except in exceptional circumstances.[46] Sexual intercourse In Islamic law (Sharia), Ma malakat aymanukum is the term for slaves or captives of war. The purchase of female slaves for sex was lawful from the perspective of Islamic law, and this was the most common motive for the purchase of slaves throughout Islamic history.[48] Al-Muminun 6 and Al-Maarij 30 both, in identical wording, draw a distinction between spouses and "those whom one's right hands possess", saying " أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ" (literally, "their spouses or what their right hands possess"), while clarifying that sexual intercourse with either is permissible. Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi explains that "two categories of women have been excluded from the general command of guarding the private parts: (a) wives, (b) women who are legally in one's possession".[49] Concubinage Slave women were required mainly as concubines and menials. A Muslim slaveholder was entitled by law to the sexual enjoyment of his slave women. While free women might own male slaves, they had no such right.[50] The property of a slave was owned by his or her master unless a contract of freedom of the slave had been entered into, which allowed the slave to earn money to purchase his or her freedom and similarly to pay bride wealth. The marriage of slaves required the consent of the owner. Under the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools of jurisprudence male slaves could marry two wives, but the Maliki permitted them to marry four wives like the free men. According to the Islamic law, a male slave could marry a free woman but this was discouraged in practice.[51] Islam permits sexual relations between a male master and his female slave outside marriage. This is referred to in the Qur'an as ma malakat aymanukum or "what your right hands possess".[52][53] There are some restrictions on the master; he may not co-habit with a female slave belonging to his wife, neither can he have relations with a female slave if she is co-owned, or already married.[5] In ancient Arabian custom, the child of a freeman by his slave was also a slave unless he was recognized and liberated by his father.[54] In theory, the recognition by a master of his offspring by a slave woman was optional in Islamic society, and in the early period was often withheld. By the High Middle Ages it became normal and was unremarkable in a society where the sovereigns themselves were almost invariably the children of slave concubines.[55] The mother receives the title of "umm walad" (lit. mother of a child)[56], which is an improvement in her status as she can no longer be sold. Among Sunnis, she is automatically freed upon her master's death, however for Shi'a, she is only freed if her child is still alive; her value is then deducted from this child's share of the inheritance.[5] Lovejoy writes that as an umm walad, they attained "an intermediate position between slave and free" pending their freedom, although they would sometimes be nominally freed as soon as they gave birth.[57] There is no limit on the number of concubines a master may possess. However, the general marital laws are to be observed, such as not having sexual relations with the sister of a female slave.[5][57] In Islam, "men are enjoined to marry free women in the first instance, but if they cannot afford the bridewealth for free women, they are told to marry slave women rather than engage in wrongful acts."[58] One rationale given for recognition of concubinage in Islam is that "it satisfied the sexual desire of the female slaves and thereby prevented the spread of immorality in the Muslim community."[59] A slave master could have sex with his female slave only while she was not married. This attempt to require sexual exclusivity for female slaves was rare in antiquity, when female slaves generally had no claim to an exclusive sexual relationship.[60] According to Sikainga, "in reality, however, female slaves in many Muslim societies were prey for members of their owners' household, their neighbors, and their guests."[61] In Shiite jurisprudence it is unlawful for a master of a female slave to grant a third party the use of her for sexual relations. The Shiite scholar Shaykh al-Tusi stated:ولا يجوز إعارتها للاستمتاع بها لأن البضع لا يستباح بالإعارة "It is not permissible to loan (the slave girl) for enjoyment purpose, because sexual intercourse cannot be legitimate through loaning"[62] and the Shiite scholars al-Muhaqiq al-Kurki, Allamah al-Hilli and Ali Asghar Merwarid made the following ruling: ولا تجوز استعارة الجواري للاستمتاع "It is not permissible to loan the slave girl for the purpose of sexual intercourse"[63] Under the legal doctrine of kafa'a(lit."efficiency"), the purpose of which was to ensure that a man should be at least the social equal of the woman he marries, a freedman is not as good as the son of a freedman, and he in turn not as good as the grandson of a freedman. This principle is pursued up to three generations, after which all Muslims are deemed equally free.[64] Lewis asserts that since kafa'a "does not forbid unequal marriages", it is in no sense a "Muslim equivalent of Nuremberg Laws of Nazi Germany or the apartheid laws of South Africa. His purpose, he states, is not to try to set up a moral competition - to compare castration and apartheid as offenses against humanity."[5][65] Legal status Within Islamic jurisprudence, slaves were excluded from religious office and from any office involving jurisdiction over others.[66] Freed slaves are able to occupy any office within the Islamic government, and instances of this in history include the Mamluk who ruled Egypt for almost 260 years and the eunuchs who have held military and administrative positions of note.[67] With the permission of their owners they are able to marry.[68] Annemarie Schimmel, a contemporary scholar on Islamic civilization, asserts that because the status of slaves under Islam could only be obtained through either being a prisoner of war (this was soon restricted only to infidels captured in a holy war)[3] or born from slave parents, slavery would be theoretically abolished with the expansion of Islam.[67] Fazlur Rahman agrees, stating that the Qur'anic acceptance of the institution of slavery on the legal plane was the only practical option available at the time of Muhammad since "slavery was ingrained in the structure of society, and its overnight wholesale liquidation would have created problems which it would have been absolutely impossible to solve, and only a dreamer could have issued such a visionary statement."[69] Islam's reforms stipulating the conditions of enslavement seriously limited the supply of new slaves.[3] Murray Gordon does note: "Muhammad took pains in urging the faithful to free their slaves as a way of expiating their sins. Some Muslim scholars have taken this mean that his true motive was to bring about a gradual elimination of slavery. An alternative argument is that by lending the moral authority of Islam to slavery, Muhammad assured its legitimacy. Thus, in lightening the fetter, he riveted it ever more firmly in place."[70] In the early days of Islam, a plentiful supply of new slaves were brought due to rapid conquest and expansion. But as the frontiers were gradually stabilized, this supply dwindled to a mere trickle. The prisoners of later wars between Muslims and Christians were commonly ransomed or exchanged.[citation needed] According to Lewis, this reduction resulted in Arabs who wanted slaves having to look elsewhere to avoid the restrictions in the Qur'an, meaning an increase of importing of slaves from non-Muslim lands,[71] primarily from Africa. These slaves suffered a high death toll.[3][71] Patrick Manning states that Islamic legislations against the abuse of the slaves convincingly limited the extent of enslavement in Arabian Peninsula and to a lesser degree for the whole area of the whole Umayyad Caliphate where slavery had existed since the most ancient times. He however notes that with the passage of time and the extension of Islam, Islam by recognizing and codifying slavery seems to have done more to protect and expand slavery than the reverse.[72] In theory free-born Muslims could not be enslaved, and the only way that a non-Muslim could be enslaved was being captured in the course of holy war.[51] (In early Islam, neither a Muslim nor a Christian or Jew could be enslaved.[73]) Slavery was also perceived as a means of converting non-Muslims to Islam: A task of the masters was religious instruction. Conversion and assimilation into the society of the master didn't automatically lead to emancipation, though there was normally some guarantee of better treatment and was deemed a prerequisite for emancipation.[57] The majority of Sunni authorities approved the manumission of all the "People of the Book". According to some jurists -especially among the Shi'a- only Muslim slaves should be liberated.[74] In practice, traditional propagators of Islam in Africa often revealed a cautious attitude towards proselytizing because of its effect in reducing the potential reservoir of slaves.[75] Rights and restrictions "Morally as well as physically the slave is regarded in law as an inferior being," Levy writes.[76] Under Islamic law, a slave possesses a composite quality of being both a person and a possession.[5] The slave is entitled to receive sustenance from the master, which includes shelter, food, clothing, and medical attention. It is a requirement for this sustenance to be of the same standard generally found in the locality and it is also recommended for the slave to have the same standard of food and clothing as the master. If the master refuses to provide the required sustenance, the slave may complain to a judge, who may then penalize the master through sale of her or his goods as necessary for the slave's keep. If the master does not have sufficient wealth to facilitate this, she or he must either sell, hire out, or manumit the slave as ordered. Slaves also have the right to a period of rest during the hottest parts of the day during the summer.[77] Evidence from slaves is rarely viable in a court of law. As slaves are regarded as inferior in Islamic law, death at the hands of a free man does not require that the latter be killed in retaliation.[78] The killer must pay the slave's master compensation equivalent to the slave's value, as opposed to blood-money. At the same time, slaves themselves possess a lessened responsibility for their actions, and receive half the penalty required upon a free man. For example: where a free man would be subject to a hundred lashes due to pre-marital relations, a slave would be subject to only fifty. Slaves are allowed to marry only with the owner's consent. Jurists differ over how many wives a slave may possess, with the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools allowing them two, and the Maliki school allowing four. Slaves are not permitted to possess or inherit property, or conduct independent business, and may conduct financial dealings only as a representative of the master. Offices of authority are generally not permitted for slaves, though a slave may act as the leader (Imam) in the congregational prayers, and he may also act as a subordinate officer in the governmental department of revenue.[5][79] Masters may sell, bequeath, give away, pledge, hire out or compel them to earn money.[46] By the view of some madh'hab (but not others), a master may compel his/her slave(s) to marriage and determine the identity of their marriage partner(s)[80][81] The mahr that is given for marriage to a female slave is taken by her owner, whereas all other women possess it absolutely for themselves[82] Manumission The Qur'an and Hadith, the primary Islamic texts, make it a praiseworthy act for masters to set their slaves free. There are numerous ways in which a slave may become free. One way is through expiation for certain sins committed by the master, such as involuntary manslaughter or perjury. Other ways include emancipation through becoming an umm walad[56], who is freed upon her master's death along with her children, or an independent act of piety by the master, as recommended by the Quran. It is also commendable to manumit a slave who demands his freedom and is considered worthy of it; however, Richard Francis Burton states in a footnote to the "Tale of the Second Eunuch", commenting on the proposed emancipation of a slave without employable skills, that "Here the slave refuses to be set free and starve. For a master so to do without ample reasons is held disgraceful. I well remember the weeping and wailing throughout Sind when an order from Sir Charles Napier set free the negroes whom British philanthropy thus doomed to endure if not to die of hunger."[83] Another method is the mukataba contract: Levy states that "the slave may redeem himself if his master agrees and contracts to let him go on payment of a stipulated sum of money, which may be paid in two or more instalments, or on the giving of stipulated services or other consideration. If the consideration is a sum of money, the master must grant the slave the right to earn and to own property."[5][84] If the master makes a declaration of the slave's freedom, whether in jest or earnest, in the presence of the slave or another, then such a declaration becomes legally binding. Similarly, the master may promise manumission (verbally or in writing) that the slave is to be freed upon the former's death. Lastly, a slave is also freed automatically if she or he comes into the possession of a master who is directly related to her or him.[84] Gordon opines that the Quran in particular and Islamic jurisprudence in general have not placed a premium on manumission but held it out as one way for atonement of sin. He states that "Manumission was only one of several virtuous observances that the pious could avail themselves of and was by no means the most important,"[85] noting that other options include reaffirming faith in God and giving food to the poor. He concludes that "there was no contradiction between being a devout Muslim and a slave-owing one as well."[86] Modern interpretations Abolitionism The abolition movement starting in the 19th century in England[87] and later in other Western countries influenced the slavery in Muslim lands both in doctrine and in practice.[5] One of the first religious decrees comes from the two highest dignitaries of the Hanafi and Maliki rites in the Ottoman Empire. These religious authorities declared that slavery is lawful in principle but it is regrettable in its consequences. They expressed two religious considerations in their support for abolition of slavery: "the initial enslaving of the people concerned comes under suspicion of illegality by reason of the present-day expansion of Islam in their countries; masters no longer comply with the rules of good treatment which regulate their rights and shelter them from wrong-doing."[5] According to Brunschvig, although the total abolition of slavery might seem a reprehensible innovation and contrary to the Qur'an and the practice of early Muslims, the realities of the modern world caused a "discernible evolution in the thought of many educated Muslims before the end of the 19th century."[5] These Muslims argued that Islam on the whole has "bestowed an exceptionally favourable lot on the victims of slavery" and that the institution of slavery is linked to the particular economic and social stage in which Islam originated. According to the influential thesis of Ameer Ali, Islam only tolerated slavery through temporary necessity and that its complete abolition was not possible at the time of Muhammad.[5] According to Brockopp, some modern interpreters have accused the medieval interpreters of having subverted the Qur'an's demand for manumission contracts (see Mukataba). They have used the dramatic change in the institution of slavery in the 7th and 8th centuries to argue that the Qur'an would not have condoned the slaving practices common in Islamic history. Others[who?] have argued that the original intent of the Qur'an, when understood properly, was to abolish slavery altogether.[20][page needed][additional citation(s) needed] The idea that Islam only tolerated slavery due to necessity has to some extent found its way into the circle of the Ulema.[20] It has been unable to gain support among the Wahhabis.[5] Islamist opinions Earlier in the 20th century, prior to the "reopening" of slavery by Salafi scholars like Shaykh al-Fawzan, Islamist authors declared slavery outdated without actually clearly affirming and promoting its abolition. This has caused at least one scholar (William Clarence-Smith[88]) to bemoan the "dogged refusal of Mawlana Mawdudi to give up on slavery"[89] and the notable "evasions and silences of Muhammad Qutb".[90][91] Sayyid Qutb, the scholar of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood said in his exegesis (Tafsir) of the Quran: And concerning slavery, that was when slavery was a world-wide structure and which was conducted amongst Muslims and their enemies in the form of enslaving of prisoners of war. And it was necessary for Islam to adopt a similar line of practise until the world devised a new code of practise during war other than enslavement.[92] Qutb's brother Muhammad Qutb contrasted sexual relations between Muslim slave-owners and their female slaves with (in his view), the widespread and depraved practice of casual consensual sex in contemporary Europe: Islam made it lawful for a master to have a number of slave-women captured in wars and enjoined that he alone may have sexual relations with them ... Europe abhors this law but at the same gladly allows that most odious form of animalism according to which a man may have illicit relations with any girl coming across him on his way to gratify his animal passions.[93] Abul A'la Maududi of Jamaat-e-Islami has said: Islam has clearly and categorically forbidden the primitive practice of capturing a free man, to make him a slave or to sell him into slavery. On this point the clear and unequivocal words of Muhammad are as follows: "There are three categories of people against whom I shall myself be a plaintiff on the Day of Judgement. Of these three, one is he who enslaves a free man, then sells him and eats this money" (al-Bukhari and Ibn Majjah). The words of this Tradition of the Prophet are also general, they have not been qualified or made applicable to a particular nation, race, country or followers of a particular religion. ... After this the only form of slavery which was left in Islamic society was the prisoners of war, who were captured on the battlefield. These prisoners of war were retained by the Muslim Government until their government agreed to receive them back in exchange for Muslim soldiers captured by them ...[94] Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, a shariah judge and founder of Hizb ut-Tahrir movement, gives the following explanation: When Islam came, for the situations where people were taken into slavery (e.g. debt), Islam imposed Shari’ah solutions to those situations other than slavery. ... It (Islam) made the existing slave and owner form a business contract, based upon the freedom, not upon slavery ... As for the situation of war, ... it clarified the rule of the captive in that either they are favoured by releasing without any exchange, or they are ransomed for money or exchanged for Muslims or non-Muslim citizens of the Caliphate.[95] The website of the organization stresses that because sharia historically was responding to a contract, not the institution of slavery, a future Khilafah could not re-introduce slavery.[96] While prominent clerics of Twelver Shia Islam have joined in declarations against contemporary slavery,[97] at least one powerful Shi'a Islamist ayatollah (Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts,[98][99] the body responsible for choosing the Supreme Leader of Iran[100]) has made several statements declaring the permissibility of slavery in modern times.[101] In a 2006 interview he stated, Today, too, if there's a war between us and the infidels, we'll take slaves. The ruling on slavery hasn't expired and is eternal. We'll take slaves and we'll bring them to the world of Islam and have them stay with Muslims. We'll guide them, make them Muslims and then return them to their countries.[102][103] In response to the Nigerian extremist group Boko Haram's Quranic justification for kidnapping and enslaving people,[104][105] and ISIL's religious justification for enslaving Yazidi women as spoils of war as claimed in their digital magazine Dabiq,[106][107][108][109][110][111] the 126 Islamic scholars from around the Muslim world, in late September 2014, signed an open letter to the Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, rejecting his group's interpretations of the Qur'an and hadith to justify its actions.[112][113][n 1] The letter accuses the group of instigating fitna – sedition – by instituting slavery under its rule in contravention of the anti-slavery consensus of the Islamic scholarly community.[114] Salafi support for slavery In recent years, according to some scholars,[115] there has been a "reopening"[116] of the issue of slavery by some conservative Salafi Islamic scholars after its "closing" earlier in the 20th century when Muslim countries banned slavery and "most Muslim scholars" found the practice "inconsistent with Qur'anic morality."[117][118] A controversial high-level Saudi jurist, Shaykh Saleh Al-Fawzan, said in a lecture, "Slavery is a part of Islam. Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long there is Islam."[119] He further dismissed Muslim writers who maintained otherwise as ignorant and "blind followers".[120] At the time of the fatwa, al-Fawzan was a member of the Senior Council of Clerics, Saudi Arabia's highest religious body, a member of the Council of Religious Edicts and Research, the Imam of Prince Mitaeb Mosque in Riyadh, and a professor at Imam Mohamed Bin Saud Islamic University, the main Wahhabi center of learning in the country.[citation needed] Another prominent Saudi cleric, Saad Al-Buraik has urged Palestinians to enslave women of "the Jews".[121] See also Further reading Bibliography Notes |
Everybody goes through slumps. I should know. I’ve been in one for 41 years. But the best of us break out of them and return to our former glory. That’s where we are now with Andrew Benintendi. As I write this, Benintendi is going through his first slump as a big leaguer. And it’s a bit of a doozy. Benintendi doesn’t have a hit in his last 32 plate appearances spanning seven games. His last hit was a week and a half ago in Milwaukee. That’s bad, or at least it isn’t good. But this is Andrew Benintendi, first round draft pick and Red Sox system rocketeer. He’ll break out and be the guy he was last year and earlier this season again. He’ll be alright, right? The correct answer is: Maybe. Maybe even: Probably. But still: We don’t know. Which in a way is good because otherwise this article would be over now and I’d have to come up with something else to write about. Fortunately for me: We still don’t know! But we can guess and we can do even better than that: We can guess in an educated manner. Sometimes slumps look different. I recall Xander Bogaerts in his rookie season chasing everything off the plate. You could see the slider off the plate coming and you knew he’d give one of those half-hearted weak swings, the kind where the batter himself is actively thinking, “Why am I doing this?” But if you watch Benintendi during his slump, it’s not like that. At least it’s not like that yet. He’s still making contact, not striking out at any increased rate, even. In fact, if you break it out by months, May has seen Benintendi cut his strikeout rate by over three percent and up his walk rate by almost four percent. Which is, I think you’ll agree, not something you typically see from someone who is slumping. Major League Baseball publishes exit velocity for batted balls in play and Benintendi’s 50 batted ball rolling average exit velocity has only dropped ever so slightly of late. It’s gone from about 90 mph on average to about 88 mph. That’s not nothing, but it’s not the reason you went from a .900 OPS to 0-for 30 either. Fangraphs publishes exit velocity as well, though they do it in three buckets, soft, medium, and hard. Before Benintendi’s slump began, we’ll say from the beginning of the season until May 9 when he had three hits against the Brewers, 86 percent of his balls in play were either medium or hard. That’s five percent above the league average. Since May 10th though, that number (hard plus medium) has fallen to 78.3 percent, or below average. More germane maybe is that his soft hits have gone from 14 percent to 22 percent. What has also happened is Benintendi’s hit types have changed. He’s gone from hitting line drives 22 percent of the time to hitting line drives four percent of the time. What that’s meant in practice is few guaranteed singles or doubles. In place of line drives, Benintendi has been hitting more ground balls (and a few more fly balls). To sum up, Benintendi isn’t striking out more, but he is making weaker contact, and contact that is less conducive to getting hits. Also, this has happened over a very small stretch of time. It’s entirely possible that Benintendi is under the weather, has a minor nagging injury, or some other such thing that is making his best possible performance more difficult. We can’t know why his batted ball profile has changed, just that it has and, this being a bit under two weeks, that it could change back just as quickly. A lost season for Benintendi would be far from a good outcome, but we’re not there yet. So far he’s only had a bad couple weeks. In a normal season for an above average player, two bad weeks barely registers. The player Benintendi is repeatedly compared to is Michael Conforto of the Mets. Both are young outfielders, first round picks, who made it up to the big leagues very quickly. In Conforto’s case, he was drafted in June of 2014 and was in the majors by July the following year. Benintendi took a month longer, but took essentially the same path, jumping directly from Double-A. And now for the bad news and then the good news. The bad news is Conforto struggled for almost his entire rookie season. The good news is, so far in this, his second season, he’s hit like the star the Mets thought he was last season. Sometimes there’s an adjustment period required for a young player, especially one who barely spent time in the minor leagues. When that adjustment period has to take place at the major league level and the growing pains the player experiences are hurting the major league team instead of say, the Double-A team, the fans and sometimes even the organization can be quick to dump on the player. That was the case with Conforto. But even in that worst case scenario that Conforto went through, he has emerged as the star player he was thought to be last season. A lost season for Benintendi would be far from a good outcome, but we’re not there yet. So far he’s only had a bad couple weeks. In a normal season for an above average player, two bad weeks barely registers. Last year Mike Trout, had a two week stretch where he hit .220/.333/.340. So, watch Benintendi’s performance going forward for line drives, watch to see if he keeps his low strikeout rate, watch to see how he handles his first bit of major league stress. These will the indicators of his slump, and how we’ll know he’s out of it. That and dingers. If he hits lots of dingers, we’ll know then too. Photo by Jesse Johnson – USA TODAY Sports |
Chris Evans not only plays a hero in Captain America, but he's also doing his part to make the world a better place in real life. The Marvel star has teamed up with Omaze to raise money for Christopher's Haven, a Boston-area apartment complex that provides temporary housing for families of children who are being treated for cancer at nearby hospitals. To raise money, Evans -- a Massachusetts native -- is giving fans a chance to participate in an Escape Room adventure with him. To demonstrate the concept of an Escape Room -- in which a group of people have to solve puzzles and riddles to get out of a locked building -- the 35-year-old actor set up an elaborate prank at a Comicazi comic book store in Boston. NEWS: Chris Evans Pays Surprise Visit to 9-Year-Old Fan With Cancer Setting up a Captain America doll with a hidden speaker, Evans sat in a hidden room and surprised shoppers browsing the store by talking with them through the doll. After convincing them to accept a challenge, the random shoppers got a chance to participate in an Escape Room adventure by solving puzzles set up inside and outside the store, all while Evans watched on a series of hidden cameras. As the (sometimes hesitant) participants carried on with the adventure -- which included finding code numbers, yelling "Hail Hydra" in public to flush out secret operatives and using tools to solve puzzles -- they worked their way toward an awesome prize: meeting Evans in person. WATCH: Chris Evans Talks Favorite Childhood Superhero If this is fun some random people had without even expecting it, it seems like participating in an Escape Room with Captain America himself would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for whoever wins the Omaze event. Fans can enter for a chance to win at Omaze.com/chris. All that is required to enter is a minimum donation of $10, which benefits Christopher's Haven. The campaign continues through Feb. 3. WATCH: Chris Pratt Makes Good on Super Bowl Bet With Chris Evans, Visits Boston Children as Star-Lord |
Mushrooms are one of those truly divisive ingredients in the culinary world. People tend to love them… or hate them with such a passion they won’t allow them to touch their plate because they believe they’re so icky and gross. I absolutely adore mushrooms, and I feel kinda bad for those that don’t appreciate them for the delectable, nutritious earth fruit that they are. As I’ve mentioned before, I am fascinated with mushrooms in general, and I absolutely love to cook with them. I was watching an episode of America’s Test Kitchen where they feature a mushroom and wild rice soup, which resulted in the inspiration to create a mushroom and wild rice pilaf instead. Since we are quickly approaching the time of year for family gatherings and holiday meals, I thought this would make a great addition to anyone’s Thanksgiving menu. This is a great dish that can be enjoyed by omnivores and vegetarians alike. The thyme and marjoram help build a savory flavor profile that will fit in perfectly with other traditional Thanksgiving recipes. This is a very satisfying side dish that will have you going back for seconds. Buen Provecho! Ingredients: 2 TB Butter* 1/4 Medium sweet onion finely chopped 1 Garlic clove minced 1 lb (16 oz) Mushrooms roughly chopped (any variety you like; I prefer a combination of cremini, shitake and oyster) 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/4 tsp dried marjoram 1/4 C White wine 1 TB Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce 1 C Wild and brown rice 1 C Water 3/4 C Unsalted Vegetable Stock *Vegan Option – you can use vegan butter or extra virgin olive oil. Directions: Heat skillet to medium high. Add butter. Once melted, add onions and cook for 1-2 minutes or until onions begin to turn golden. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until garlic become fragrant and soft. Add chopped mushrooms and spices. Stir to coat and mix all the ingredients in the pan. Cook until mushrooms reduce by about half. Add wine and liquid aminos and raise temperature to high heat. Stir gently and then let sit, allowing to cook for 2-3 minutes. During this time, the liquid will slightly reduce. Add water and vegetable stock, bring to a boil and then add rice. Stir until all ingredients are combined, then cover pan, reduce heat to low/medium and cook for 40 – 45 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and check tenderness of the grain. The rice should be soft and open. If it is not, and there is still liquid in the pan cover and allow to cook for an additional 10 minutes. If the rice has not opened and the liquid has fully evaporated add 2 TB of water, cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Once rice is desired tenderness, fluff with a fork, scraping from the outside of the pan to the center of the pan. Serve and enjoy! Nutrition Facts per serving (4 servings) Calories: 266 Fat: 7 g Cholesterol: 15 mg Potassium: 435 mg Carbs: 44 g Fiber: 5 g Sugars: 5 g Protein: 8.4 g Vitamin A: 6% Vitamin C: 4% Calcium: 1% Iron: 12.5% |
LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Chinese beer Snow is the world’s second-biggest beer brand by volume, moving up to separate two Anheuser-Busch (BUD.N) brands, Bud Light and Budweiser, figures from researcher Plato Logic showed on Thursday. Snow is brewed by SABMiller SAB.L and its Chinese partner China Resources Enterprises Ltd (0291.HK), and has grown rapidly as China overtook the United States earlier this decade to become the biggest beer market in the world. Plato lists the top ten beer brands as Bud Light, Snow, Budweiser, InBev’s INTB.BR Brazilian beer Skol, Modelo’s GMODELOC.MX Corona, Heineken (HEIN.AS), another Brazilian InBev brand Brahma, Coors Light (TAP.N), SABMiller’s Miller Lite and China’s Tsingtao (0168.HK) The researcher added the world’s five biggest beer markets were China, United States, Russia, Brazil and Germany. It also forecast that world beer consumption will grow by less than 3 percent in 2008, after the 5.6 percent growth seen in 2007. (Reporting by David Jones; editing by Simon Jessop) |
With the popularity of Call of Duty waning in the wake of Infinite Warfare, this year saw Activision offer more ways to play their flagship shooter than any other in recent memory. They remastered the original Modern Warfare as a bonus for this year’s game, and now mid-way through the year they’ve re-released a collection of the popular Zombies Mode maps in “Zombies Chronicles” as an add-on for last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. Since Treyarch introduced the mode in Call of Duty: World at War, Zombies has been a relative mainstay for the series. A hidden bonus for those that completed the World at War campaign has turned into something much more over the years. It started with a relatively simple premise. Four players work cooperatively to defend an area from a zombie onslaught, earning points for killing zombies and using those points to purchase weapons and power-ups to help them stay alive longer. There’s no end game, just level after level of increasingly difficult enemies. As each iteration of the mode was released we saw the developers for Zombies start adding more features and hidden secrets for fans to uncover. Alongside the broadending of the scope of the maps, the perks and power-ups of the game have expanded as well. All the way to the most current iteration of what was introduced in Black Ops 3 with a system of craftable items called Gobble Gum. In Zombies Chronicles, players get a selection of remastered maps with the most noticable upgrades being in the lighting and HD resolution bumps that we see when compared to the original releases. Upgrades to the audio, character models, and environments enhance the experience on the presentation front as well. Eight maps in all, Zombies Chronicles spans World at War, the original Black Ops, and Black Ops 2. While the whole catalog from those previous games isn’t in Chronicles, most of it is. It’s unclear why Treyarch didn’t package all of the previous maps from their games in this release, but nevertheless, they didn’t. As the name denotes “Black Ops 3” Zombies Chronicles means that you’re gonna need Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 to play this game. For those that didn’t purchase it when it released nearly two years ago or have gotten rid of the game not expecting this release, this is gonna be a hard sell. You’ll need the base game and the expansion to access the new maps so this could be a pricey proposition. For those that already have a copy of Black Ops 3 it’s still priced a little on the high side when compared to other multiplayer expansions that the game has offered over the years. But, the $30 expansion is a nice addition for newcomers to the world of Call of Duty zombies. An the other hand, a worthwhile upgrade and reason to revisit some beloved maps from the series. Zombies Chronicles offers not only a nostalgic trip down memory lane, but also brings the game in-line with its more modern offerings enhancing not only the visuals but the gameplay as well. This is mostly changed through the inclusion of the GobbleGum mechanic introduced in Black Ops 3, and the weapon loadout system that’s been added to this release to allow additional customization to the experience. While the maps and strategies haven’t changed all that much since the original release of these maps, these new systems can certainly add tweaks to the way that they can be tackled. For those unfamiliar with the GobbleGum mechanic it offers a multitude of power-ups that can be used throughout a zombies match and these are layered on top of the existing perk system. Weapons found in each of the maps won’t be the same as you remember them either. The weapons from Black Ops 3 are now included in the wall buys for the game and in the mystery boxes. A system that unlocks new weapons at different levels within the zombies progression allows you to select and customize which weapons are in the aforementioned locations. When it comes to mixing the old and new, Zombies Chronicles does a nice job. You’d think that shoehorning these new mechanics into these old maps would somehow break something along the way, but it hasn’t. The modern character models, the upgraded visuals, the gameplay mechanics and weapons from Black Ops 3 all come together to form what is a pretty incredible package of content that could offer many hours of gameplay. These old maps still hold up to this day, even if they aren’t quite as complex as some of what we see in the more modern releases. The Verdict A combination of price point and the need to own Black Ops 3 might end up being a sticking point for this technically exceptional remaster. Treyarch has certainly taken care in bringing these older maps back from the dead. "liked" Black Ops 3 Zombies Chronicles Available On: Xbox One, PS4, PC Xbox One, PS4, PC Published By: Activision Activision Developed By: Treyarch Treyarch Genre: Shooter Shooter US Release Date: June 2017 June 2017 Reviewed On: Xbox One Xbox One Quote: " A combination of price point and the need to own Black Ops 3 might end up being a sticking point for this technically exceptional remaster. Treyarch has certainly taken care in bringing these older maps back from the dead. " Review Policy |
A 51-year-old Danish tourist was gang-raped near a popular shopping area in New Delhi after she got lost and approached a group of men for directions back to her hotel, police said Wednesday. Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said two people were arrested after a daylong search for the suspects. Details were not immediately available. The attack is the latest crime to focus attention on the scourge of sexual violence in India. The woman also was robbed and beaten in the attack, which happened Tuesday near Connaught Place, Bhagat said. The woman asked the men for directions to her hotel, Bhagat said. They lured her to a secluded area where they raped her at knife-point, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. The woman managed to reach her hotel Tuesday evening and the owner called police. "When she came, it was miserable," said Amit Bahl, owner of the Amax hotel in the Paharganj area, which is popular with backpackers. The woman was crying and "not in good shape," he said. "I am really ashamed that this happened," said Bahl, who sounded shaken. A sign outside the hotel reads, "Recommended by Lonely Planet." Woman returning to Denmark Indian investigators visit the spot where police say the tourist was gang-raped in New Delhi. (Altaf Qadri/Associated Press) The woman, whose name was not released, was on her way back to Denmark, said Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, head of the Danish Foreign Ministry's consular department in Copenhagen, which handles cases involving Danes abroad. Egberg Mikkelsen said the woman had received assistance from Indian and Danish authorities, and that her next of kin had been contacted. An Indian police official said the woman boarded a flight home Wednesday morning. It was not immediately known whether she had been travelling alone. The Danish Embassy in New Delhi had no comment. The problem of sexual violence in India has gained widespread attention since the horrific gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in December 2012. Public fury over the case has led to more stringent laws that doubled prison terms for rape to 20 years and criminalized voyeurism and stalking. 'The mindset is not changing' But for many women, particularly the poor, daily indignities and abuse continue unabated and the new laws have not made the streets any safer. Ranjana Kumari, director of India's Center for Social Research, said India's conservative, patriarchal traditions lead men to use rape as a tool to instill fear in women. Police said the rape happened in a popular tourist area packed with backpacker hotels and restaurants. (Vijay Mathur/Reuters) "This mindset is not changing," she said. "It's a huge challenge." Experts say the rapid growth of India's cities and the yawning gulf between rich and poor are exacerbating the problem of sexual violence, with young men struggling to prove their traditional dominance in a changing world. Cultural stigmas, police apathy and judicial incompetence have long made it difficult for women to even report rapes. Still, there has been a surge in the number of rapes being reported recently, suggesting women are emboldened to speak up. Between January and October last year, 1,330 rapes were reported in Delhi and its suburbs, compared with 706 for all of 2012, according to government figures. Foreigners also have been targets, including a Swiss woman who was cycling with her husband in central India when she was gang-raped. The cases threaten India's lucrative tourism industry. Last year, the Tourism Ministry launched an "I Respect Women" campaign to reassure travellers. Tourism accounted for 6.6 per cent of India's GDP in 2012, the latest year for which figures are available. |
3 things to watch in Game 66: Flyers at Maple Leafs Travis Konecny is still on the Flyers' fourth line as they attempt consecutive road wins for the first time since January. (Photo: Bruce Bennett, Getty Images) Tonight: Flyers at Toronto Maple Leafs Site: Air Canada Center / Toronto, Ontario Time: 7:30 p.m. TV/Radio: CSN/93.3 FM Records: Flyers 31-26-8; Maple Leafs 29-22-14 FLYERS PROJECTED LINEUP Forwards 40-Jordan Weal, 28-Claude Giroux, 17-Wayne Simmonds 10-Brayden Schenn, 51-Valtteri Filppula, 93-Jake Voracek 25-Nick Cousins, 14-Sean Couturier, 24-Matt Read 76-Chris VandeVelde, 78-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, 11-Travis Konecny Defensemen 9-Ivan Provorov & 47-Andrew MacDonald 23-Brandon Manning & 53-Shayne Gostisbehere 15-Michael Del Zotto & 3-Radko Gudas Goalie 30-Michal Neuvirth Injuries/Suspensions LW Michael Raffl — out five to seven weeks, "lower-body injury" MAPLE LEAFS PROJECTED LINEUP Forwards 47-Leo Komarov, 43-Nazem Kadri, 29-William Nylander 25-James van Riemsdyk, 42-Tyler Bozak, 16-Mitch Marner 11-Zach Hyman, 34-Auston Matthews, 12-Connor Brown 15-Matt Martin, 24-Brian Boyle, 26-Nikita Soshnikov Defensemen 44-Morgan Rielly & 22-Nikita Zaitsev 51-Jake Gardiner & 3-Alexey Marchenko 2-Matt Hunwick & 46-Roman Polak Goalie 31-Frederik Andersen Injuries/Suspensions RW Ben Smith — day-to-day, hand injury D Connor Carrick — out indefinitely, upper-body injury D Stephane Robidas — out for season, knee LW Joffrey Lupul — long-term injured reserve, unfit to play RW Nathan Horton — out for season, degenerative spine issue CLOSE Coming off one of their biggest offensive outputs of the season, the Flyers face Toronto on Thursday. Dave Isaac/Courier-Post THREE THINGS TO WATCH 1. Filppula's line No one in management or even the coaching staff had to make any kind of grand speech after the trade deadline. When Brayden Schenn, Valtteri Filppula and Jake Voracek were all put on a line together, it was clear that there was an expectation for scoring. The trio has come together rather quickly in terms of on-ice chemistry. “I think so far we’ve been playing pretty well,” said Filppula, who has seen his average ice time per game go up by 30 seconds since the trade. “We can still play better and it’s going to happen as we get a few more games in. Definitely get to play a lot of minutes. You expect you get something done with those minutes. Hopefully I can do that.” 2. Offense from the back end Radko Gudas notched three points, one off a career high, in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Flyers traded Mark Streit a week ago and he was one of the most offensive defensemen they have. Gudas said there has been no extra emphasis to keep producing in Streit's absence. "No, we haven’t (talked about it). We know what our roles are," Gudas said. "We know that we need to help our forwards get more scoring opportunities and get the pucks through. If you get the pucks through there’s a good chance you’re going to get the apple on it. Getting the puck to our forwards is really important at this time of the season." 3. Goalie matchup Michal Neuvirth will likely get the start for the Flyers after Steve Mason was the man for the last four games. Neuvirth has a 9-4-1 record in 16 career games against Toronto with a 2.83 goals-against average and .901 save percentage. He is expected to face Frederik Andersen, who has a sterling 5-0-0 record in five career games against the Flyers with a 2.71 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. Read or Share this story: http://on.cpsj.com/2m68HbT |
Nov 16, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly reacts in the fourth quarter during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports Where was I? Oh yeah: Wow. Yesterday, I began to take a look at the apocalyptic first week of the Philadelphia Eagles 2015 NFL league year. Today, I continue by examining the overhaul of the backfield, and by taking a closer look at Chip Kelly’s role in changing the franchise. When Kelly got to Philadelphia, he inherited LeSean McCoy and the 13th ranked rushing offense in the NFL. With nearly identical personnel, he turned that into LeSean McCoy and the #1 rushing offense in the NFL. By a large margin (259 yards more than the next best team.) He took over a team that scored 17.5 points per game in 2012 and, with few changes in offensive personnel, led that team to 27.6 points per game in 2013. 4th best in the NFL. Now, one theory suggests that all of the players on the Eagles suddenly became stars in 2013: DeSean Jackson (who had been an inconsistent home-run hitter who’d never caught more than 62 balls in a season) instantly and through the powers of self-motivation, developed into a bonafide super star. LeSean McCoy (previously a very good running back that had never finished better than 4th in the league in rushing) just happened to transform into the league’s most dynamic and gifted runner en route to leading the league in rushing by a country mile. Riley Cooper (who had struggled to stay on the roster under Andy Reid, never catching 25 passes in a season) suddenly realized his talents and willed himself into a prime target in the passing game. Nick Foles (a third round pick that had underwhelmed in seven games a rookie, turning the ball over ten times) was inspired to become a mistake-free superstar. 27 touchdowns. 2 interceptions. A Pro-Bowl MVP award. And the offensive line (which analytics-based football evaluation website ProFootballFocus rated the 19th best unit in 2012) was the the best in the league through a series of injury recoveries and lucky breaks. That’s one theory. The other: Chip Kelly came to Philadelphia and changed everything. What would Occam say? Chip Kelly took over the Philadelphia Eagles and inherited players that had been chosen by predecessor Andy Reid. He was in no position to overhaul the team in a single offseason and, despite the Eagles having had a mediocre offense and a 4-12 record in 2012, he resolved to do the best he could. But because the best he could was wildly and almost impossible-to-have-expectedly good… the world made a couple of assumptions: These players are all studs. These players are the perfect players to operate in Chip Kelly’s offense. Forgotten was that a group of mostly these same players had gone just 12-20 in the previous two seasons under Reid, another gifted and offensive-minded head coach. Here we find ourselves in 2015. Chip Kelly is in complete control, for the first time, of the Eagles roster. And, unsurprisingly, he wants to make it his own. He wants to see what can be done with a roster of players that were not inherited… but chosen. Last week began with the trading away of the Eagles’ biggest star: running back LeSean McCoy. Who would replace him? The news broke on the eve of free agency that the Eagles were very near a deal with former 49er (and apparent discoverer of the fountain of youth) Frank Gore. Done, we thought: Gore will be a replacement that will serve, along with Eagles’ backup Chris Polk and spark plug back Darren Sproles to replace McCoy’s production for a short time and for a lot less money. Gore’s older. So it was a temporary plan that would probably also require the Eagles to draft a young back to develop. A lot of good backs in the draft. Fine. Until it wasn’t: On Tuesday word spread that Gore was having second thoughts. Instead, he would visit with the Indianapolis Colts with the intent of signing there. He did. And so ended the Frank Gore era in Philadelphia. Tied for last among Eagles’ backs in yards, carries, touchdowns and yards per carry: Nearly as disappointing as Freddie Mitchell. The Eagles were now not only without a running back, but the world knew they wanted one and didn’t get him. Bad for PR. People began to talk about all the reasons why no one wanted play for Chip Kelly: their reasons ranged from his overbearing style to wildly unfounded accusations of racism. He’s the maverick/idiot who had, in two years, cut DeSean Jackson, traded LeSean McCoy, failed to re-sign Jeremy Maclin, and dealt Nick Foles away. A lunatic, right? But for the fact that his offense and his influence are responsible for all of those names having the clout that they do. And for the fact that no one has seen a Chip Kelly offense operate in the NFL with players of his own choosing. But that’s all a little too rational a train of thought to entertain in the first few days of NFL free agency. People lashed out. Fans. Members of the media. Upset, as human-nature dictates, because they didn’t understand what was happening. New is scary. But then the Eagles did something measured and rational: they came to terms with former Charger Ryan Mathews on a reasonable four year deal. Mathews is a logical replacement. A younger Frank Gore. Productive when healthy. The world made a little more sense. Until Wednesday evening when it didn’t. ‘DeMarco Murray to the Eagles’ rumors began popping up. What? The Eagles had jettisoned McCoy because he cost too much, right? Why sign the premiere back in free agency to what would surely be a large deal? What would it mean for Ryan Mathews who’d already flown into town presumably to sign a deal? By late Wednesday, #WaitingForDeMarco and #DeMarcoToEagles were trending on Twitter. It was announced that DeMarco would travel to Philadelphia for a visit on Thursday. So we went to bed. Wondering if this was a ploy. Was DeMarco Murray using the Eagles to try to get the Cowboys to sweeten their offer. Were the Eagles feigning interest in DeMarco to force their fiercest rival into spending more cash? Thursday came and the website crossingbroad.com tracked Murray’s plane. News helicopters followed him from the airport to the NovaCare complex. It was as comical as it was confusing. By Thursday afternoon we knew it was happening: DeMarco Murray was an Eagle. Oh, and Ryan Mathews? Him, too: he signed-on just hours after Murray. So the Eagles backfield went from a heavy dose of LeSean McCoy with a sprinkling of Darren Sproles… … to (I’m guessing) a slathering of DeMarco Murray, a healthy dusting of Ryan Mathews, and that same sprinkling of Sproles. Why? Why did the Eagles trade away an $11 million dollar back to sign two more at what combines to equal nearly the same price? There are tons of logical answers: The Eagles turned LeSean McCoy into Ryan Mathews, DeMarco Murray, and young stud linebacker Kiko Alonso (the player they got in the McCoy trade.) Three players for the price of one. The Eagles also signed Murray to a much more team friendly contract than any McCoy would have taken. The totals look similar. But NFL contracts are never about totals. Murray deal is worth far less in guaranteed cash and can be ended after two years will little risk to the Eagles and after three years with no risk at all. The Eagles are also, now, able to spread the load of carries between two lead-backs. Ostensibly preserving both of them for the end of games and the end of the season… when things seem to matter most. Also potentially extending each of their careers. “I can’t say enough great things about DeMarco. He is obviously a true professional, came in as a true professional. Obviously he had the right people guiding him to get to this point. He went to Oklahoma, big school and a lot of times when you are in a situation where things are earned, sometimes you take them for granted and he’s the type that never takes anything for granted.” But I maintain that this wasn’t as much about logic as it was about fit. I’ve long said (and written) that McCoy is not a ‘Chip Kelly’ guy: in personality or running style: He is loud and brash. He wants to be the focus. He complains when he isn’t. He makes headlines for battling with his child’s mother on Twitter and for leaving a $.20 tip on a $60 bill. He often refuses to hit the hole. He’d rather see what he can make happen using his dynamic ability to make people miss. He relies on speed and uncanny elusiveness which results in a magnificent-if-inconsistent running style. Ryan Mathews is well-liked. Considered quiet, mature, and hard working. Michael Gehlkin of the UT San Diego says, of Mathews: “He was regarded for his work ethic and, although a bit reclusive from a personality standpoint and uncomfortable with the media attention… was considered a very good teammate. In 2013, he bought his entire offensive line Gucci watches when he rushed for a career-high 1,255 yards in the first full 16-game season of his career.” Chip Kelly talks about wanting people who love football: Not what football gets them. He talks about professionalism and intelligence. And about work-ethic. Former teammate Miles Austin had this to say about DeMarco Murray back in 2012: “I can’t say enough great things about DeMarco. He is obviously a true professional, came in as a true professional. Obviously he had the right people guiding him to get to this point. He went to Oklahoma, big school and a lot of times when you are in a situation where things are earned, sometimes you take them for granted and he’s the type that never takes anything for granted.” Even in their respective goodbyes to their former fan-bases, Murray was concise and genuine, saying of Dallas fans: “I’m sure their feelings are hurt. I apologize for that. I’m ready to move on and I’m glad to be a part of this organization.” McCoy? Passive aggressively knocked Chip Kelly by telling the media he was glad to be, “Somewhere where I’m appreciated,” and failing to even mention Kelly (whose offense made McCoy a superstar) in a long instagram message thanking all those who helped him in Philly. A message in which he reminded everyone that he’s the franchise’s all-time leading rusher. Murray and Mathews are a welcome breath of fresh air into an organization that has made it clear it’s looking for maturity and a willingness to be coached without questioning. They are both backs that won’t mind sharing the load if it helps the team succeed. And backs that wanted to play for Chip Kelly. Backs that Chip Kelly wanted. On the field, they are two of the best backs in the NFL running out of the shotgun: a formation the Eagles use often. One-cut power backs with enough agility and elusiveness to be star runners but with a natural predilection for seeing a hole, hitting it hard, and getting the yards that are available to them. The kind of running Chip Kelly believes will take his offense to the next level. It’s not the team it was a week ago: Sam Bradford is the franchise quarterback. DeMarco Murray is the lead back and the team’s most recognizable star. It looks like running back by committee. Brandon Graham has replaced Trent Cole as the veteran pass rushing linebacker of choice. Byron Maxwell has been brought in to help usher in a culture of physicality in the secondary. Kiko Alonso and possibly Walter Thurmond figure to be new starters on defense. Pillars of the Andy Reid era are gone: Todd Herremans. Trent Cole. LeSean McCoy. Jeremy Maclin. We have no way of knowing if this team is better or worse. But can be sure that it’s more Chip Kelly-like than it’s ever been before. That’s been the theme of this week: Making Chip Kelly’s Eagles. Is it crazy to call this the biggest week in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles? Depends on what you mean by ‘biggest,’ I guess. But I’m not so sure that it is. After-all: If this team wins a Super Bowl under the leadership of Kelly… if he leads the Eagles to their first Lombardi Trophy… if this experiment furthers Chip’s revolutionizing of offense in the NFL and if defenses are forced to adjust what they do to combat it… … This week will have been the starting point. And if Chip Kelly runs this team into the ground… if he bolts, in two years, for the NCAA and leaves this franchise with a roster full of injured stars on bad contracts… in a position where the Eagles need to rebuild from the ground up… … This week will have been the starting point. No matter where we go from here: This is the week that started it all. |
THQ announced today that it has laid-off 118 full-time staff at its highly-regarded Relic Entertainment and Vigil Games studios. Vigil was the hardest hit, with 79 of the layoffs, as its Warhammer MMO makes an abrupt transition into what a THQ press release now calls "an immersive single player and online multiplayer experience with robust digital content, and engaging community features." Dark Millennium Online is now just Dark Millennium. It's further evidence of THQ's dire financial situation in the wake of a disastrous 2011. Indeed, back in early February, Giant Bomb's Patrick Klepek noted that THQ admitted "Dark Millennium Online is a game where THQ has to be 'realistic about [their] resources' and is seeking a partner to work on the game with." Today's statement from THQ strongly suggests that no partner or additional funding was available, and that forced the publisher to re-purpose Dark Millennium as a single-player game. "Based on changing market dynamics and the additional investment required to complete the game as an MMO," said CEO Brian Farrell, "we believe the right direction for us is to shift the title from an MMO to a premium experience with single and multiplayer gameplay.” This might not be as drastic a change for Dark Millenium as it sounds. THQ has not been very public with its plans for Dark Millenium, but last year THQ made an interesting admission that Dark Millennium stood in the way of a sequel to Relic's own Warhammer 40K shooter, Space Marine. If there was a great deal of overlap between those games, it might well be that Dark Millennium ultimately makes more sense as an action game than an RPG. Still, what is most worrisome about today's announcement is that THQ is now making deep cuts at its flagship studios as they handle one of the publisher's most important licenses. The press release emphasizes that Vigil is continuing work on Darksiders II and Relic is continuing to "focus its development expertise on THQ's franchises including Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War." It is not clear how the layoffs, and the financial straits that forced them, will affect development on those other projects. |
While all three used a submission only format, matches in Metamoris without a submission finish were immediately declared a draw. EBI and SUG both employed the overtime system pioneered by Eddie Bravo. Check out the rules video for complete details. At StrikeScoreMMA.com, we previously looked at how the EBI ruleset promotes an action style. The lack of an instant draw, and more liberal regulations overall, appear to encourage fighters to try to finish the bout inside regulation. The result in a much higher regulation submission rate in EBI compared to the 2015 editions of ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships and IBJJF World Championships (Gi and No-GI). At EBI 7, 10 of the 15 matches ended via submission before overtime. After incorporating those numbers into the promotion’s overall numbers, the regulation submission rate stays constant at 72 percent. |
Buy Photo submitted image The Circle in Georgetown is just one location where Rotary?s Flags for Heroes are displayed. (Photo: File photo)Buy Photo Supporters of President Donald Trump will have an opportunity to celebrate the old-fashioned way on Saturday, Sept. 9. The Sussex County Delaware GOP will host a rally at North Bedford Street Park in Georgetown from 10 a.m. to noon. "It's a nice local event, the kind of thing that happens in small towns," said Vice Chairman Don Petitmermet. He said the agenda is still being developed, but there will be a podium for speakers, a voter registration booth, and vendors offering snacks, water and soft drinks. Petitmermet said they're "hoping for a good size crowd," with probably about 100 attending, although invitations have been sent to all registered Republicans. READ MORE: Crab pot maker's White House visit with Trump 'positive thing for Crisfield' READ MORE: Tangier mayor hopes Trump call leads to a sea wall "It's an opportunity for like-minded people to come together. I think the president is off to a good start," Petitmermet said. "People can share camaraderie on a nice morning, weather permitting. It's not a big rally." The organization hopes to celebrate the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, support jobs for the American middle class and infrastructure investment, and return capital investments that are kept offshore. Petitmermet said the event had originally been planned for earlier in the summer at The Circle, but a scheduling conflict forced the move to Sept. 9. That date also had been tapped by a national group organizing nationwide rallies, but that organization received numerous threats and canceled their event. Petitmermet emphasized that his event was not affiliated with the national "We Support Trump" events. "No, we're not canceled," he said. Read or Share this story: http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/delaware/2017/08/31/president-trump-rally-in-georgetown/616641001/ |
NOTE: The opinions expressed here are NOT those of SpoilerTV but of the Author of this Article, Marc Berman The analysis below is based on the early household numbers and are NOT the same as the numbers that will be posted in the above table later. (See the About section below)TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016Household Rating/ShareCBS: 7.4 rating/12 share, NBC: 4.2/ 7, ABC: 2.0/ 3, Fox and CW: 1.8/ 3 eachPercent Change from the Year-Ago Week:NBC: +62, CW: -14, CBS: -19, Fox: -31, ABC: -41—--Winners:“NCIS” (CBS), “NCIS: New Orleans” (CBS), “Chicago Med” (NBC), “Chicago Fire” (NBC)-Losers:“The Muppets” (ABC), “New Girl” (Fox), “Grandfathered” (Fox), “Marvel’s Agent Carter” (ABC), “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox), “The Grinder” (Fox), “iZombie” (CW), “What Would You Do?” (ABC), “Limitless” (CBS)—–Ratings Breakdown:It was an easy Tuesday overnight victory for CBS, but not a clean sweep over improved second-place NBC. “NCIS” topped the night, as always, with a 10.4 rating/16 share in the household overnights from 8-9 p.m. And that led into a 7.7/12 for also dominant spin-off “NCIS: New Orleans” from 9-10 p.m. But freshman “Limitless,” which is not worthy of a second season renewal in this writer’s opinion, trailed competing “Chicago Fire” on NBC by 21 percent (4.1/ 7 vs. 5.3/ 9). One year earlier, former CBS Tuesday 10 p.m. occupant scored a 6.2/10 in the hour (which is all the more reason to put benchwarmer “Person of Interest” back in the time period). Comparably, retention for “Limitless” out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of “NCIS: New Orleans” (7.5/12) was only 55 percent.Earlier in the evening on NBC was “Hollywood Game Night,” hosted by Jane Lynch, at a 2.8/ 4 from 8-9 p.m. (#2), which was 40 percent on average above two episodes of sitcom “Parks and Recreation” on the year-ago evening (2.0/ 3 on 2/10/15). Next was already renewed “Chicago Med” at a second-place 4.8/ 7 from 9-10 p.m., which built from the 8:30 p.m. portion of “Hollywood Game Night” by a hefty 71 percent.Elsewhere, the results were slim. Freshman “The Muppets” on ABC is waiting for the pink slip to arrive at this point, with a 1.9/ 3 (#3) in the household overnights at 8:30 p.m. out of a 3.2/ 5 (#2) for sophomore “Fresh off the Boat” at 8 p.m. Also sophomore “Marvel’s Agent Carter” (#3: 1.9/ 3) is not doing a very good job temporarily filling in for “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD” at 9 p.m. And recent returnee “What Would You Do?” remained a significant flop at a 1.6/ 3 at 10 p.m. (#3).Fox could not compete with its slim combination of 8-10 p.m. sitcoms “New Girl” (#4: 2.2/ 3), “Grandfathered” (#4: 1.8/ 3), “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (#4: 1.7/ 3) and “The Grinder” (#4: 1.5/ 2). And sophomore drama “iZombie” on The CW (#5: 1.0/ 1 at 9 p.m.) dropped by an extensive 62 percent from solid lead-in “The Flash” (#5: 2.6/ 4 at 8 p.m.). One year earlier, former Tuesday 9 p.m. CW occupant scored a 1.4/ 2 in the overnights in the hour.Source: Nielsen Media Research |
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