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A new version of Amazing Stories is in the works. The anthology series is now in development at NBC with Hannibal showrunner Bryan Fuller, EW has learned exclusively. Fuller will executive produce and write a pilot script for the project — an hourlong weekly anthology series telling fantastic, strange and supernatural stories. The 1985 original ran for two seasons and was created and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, who we’re hearing is not involved in the reboot. The series earned 12 Emmy nominations and received five awards. Amazing Stories will be produced by Universal Television with Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank (Under the Dome, Extant) serving as executive producers along with Fuller. This will mark Fuller’s first series project for NBC since the acclaimed Hannibal, which ran for three seasons and concluded this summer. Fuller is also showrunning the upcoming Starz fantasy series American Gods, based on Neil Gaiman’s novel. Anthology series have been popularized recently on a season-long basis by shows like Fargo, True Detective and American Horror Story. But series that tell a different story each week (like The Twilight Zone), as opposed to a full season, are still very rare. U.K. techno-thriller Black Mirror is a key exception: last month, Netflix commissioned a full new season of the show. Recently, The CW explored making a new version of Tales from the Crypt, but the project never received a series greenlight. Amazing Stories marks the latest retro TV series to get put into the development pipeline for revival, with other recent titles including Nancy Drew, MacGyver, The A-Team and Fantasy Island. Here’s the original opening credits for the NBC version (dubbed): |
Nintendo's Next Console Might Not Have Disc Drive By Ryan Winslett Random Article Blend This is all of course rumor and speculation at this point, though Nintendo did file some very real patents that appear to be for the publisher's next major console, the Nintendo NX. Leave it to Neogaf users to sniff out all of the details, Said device features all of the standard inner workings of a console, including an internal HDD for game programs and game data, a memory card slot that appears to be at the back of the unit, a communication unit for connecting to the internet, a port for an external HDD, a wireless communication unit and even a controller. All of these features are currently boxes with arrows showing how they connect, but you get the idea. Also, the Nintendo patent is for a “Stationary Game Apparatus” so, yeah, it looks like we're looking at a bare bones version of The only other major standout from the lengthy patent is that the controller features a display unit. Does that mean we could be looking at a remodeled version of the Wii U controller, or perhaps something a little more subtle this time around? You can, of course, take an afternoon and pick over all the fine details of the patent but, it's like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Pretty much everything you can read in the published documents is readily available to you in the pictures themselves. Here's one of the more simplified versions: So, is this our first look at the NX? Nintendo has always been known for going in bold new directions, so I guess it makes sense that they would be the first major console developer to ditch discs. Assuming there's nothing fiddly about that external HDD hook-up, you could theoretically pay a couple hundred bucks for a massive block of memory and download games for the life of the console. Or, is it possible that Nintendo is going to have an emphasis on game streaming? They've never been too sharp in the online department, though, so I doubt that one's as likely. Either way, disc or no disc, this could be great news for current Nintendo console owners. Imagine if all of your current Wii U games were playable on the NX right out of the box. Would that mean that more recent titles like There are obviously still a Some new details may have surfaced in regards to Nintendo's next console and, according to recently filed patents, it looks like the gaming machine will be sans a disc drive.This is all of course rumor and speculation at this point, though Nintendo did file some very real patents that appear to be for the publisher's next major console, the Nintendo NX. Leave it to Neogaf users to sniff out all of the details, posting copies of the patent that show the basic structure of a new device that could just about only be a new game console.Said device features all of the standard inner workings of a console, including an internal HDD for game programs and game data, a memory card slot that appears to be at the back of the unit, a communication unit for connecting to the internet, a port for an external HDD, a wireless communication unit and even a controller.All of these features are currently boxes with arrows showing how they connect, but you get the idea. Also, the Nintendo patent is for a “Stationary Game Apparatus” so, yeah, it looks like we're looking at a bare bones version of the NX here. While filed back on Feb. 10, the patent was not published until two days ago, Aug. 20.The only other major standout from the lengthy patent is that the controller features a display unit. Does that mean we could be looking at a remodeled version of the Wii U controller, or perhaps something a little more subtle this time around?You can, of course, take an afternoon and pick over all the fine details of the patent but, it's like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Pretty much everything you can read in the published documents is readily available to you in the pictures themselves. Here's one of the more simplified versions:So, is this our first look at the NX? Nintendo has always been known for going in bold new directions, so I guess it makes sense that they would be the first major console developer to ditch discs. Assuming there's nothing fiddly about that external HDD hook-up, you could theoretically pay a couple hundred bucks for a massive block of memory and download games for the life of the console. Or, is it possible that Nintendo is going to have an emphasis on game streaming? They've never been too sharp in the online department, though, so I doubt that one's as likely.Either way, disc or no disc, this could be great news for current Nintendo console owners. Imagine if all of your current Wii U games were playable on the NX right out of the box. Would that mean that more recent titles like Splatoon and the upcoming Mario Maker will have an extended lifespan. Can we look forward to someday downloading that next big Zelda game?There are obviously still a lot of questions surrounding the Nintendo NX , but maybe this recent patent has finally given us a glimpse at some answers. Blended From Around The Web Facebook Back to top |
BACKGROUND: Stimulant use for academic performance is widespread among college students, but less is known about use among students obtaining advanced degrees. METHODS: In this cross-sectional survey, we measured the prevalence and demographic correlates of prescription stimulant use among a sample of US medical students. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of stimulant use in this sample of 144 medical students was 20%, and prevalence of use during medical school was 15%. More white students (32%) than Asian students (7%) had used stimulants. Nine percent of respondents reported an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis, and those diagnosed were more than 30 times more likely to have used stimulants compared with those without a diagnosis. Of those who had taken stimulants, 83% reported using them specifically for cognitive performance enhancement such as studying better and staying awake longer while on clinical duties. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests a high prevalence of stimulant use among medical students compared with the general population. Personal experience with these medications as medical students could impact physician attitudes and prescribing patterns toward patients seeking help for ADHD-related symptoms. No References No Citations No Supplementary Data No Article Media No Metrics |
Following the exciting showing at gamescom in Cologne, Germany, the Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft team has an announcement to make—the European closed beta test is nearly here! In a few weeks, assuming all the cards have been properly shuffled, the murlocs have all been corralled, and the mana crystals have all been polished, we’ll start inviting players who’ve opted in to start playing. Exciting times! We’re really looking forward to you all getting a chance to check out this game, and we think everyone’s going to enjoy it—whether you love card games or have never played them before. There’s still time to sign up, so don’t delay! Once the EU closed beta test starts, we’ll begin working through the list of everyone who’s signed up, letting in a few groups at a time, so please be patient if you don’t get in straight away. Those murloc minions take a while to enter Battle.net addresses. Once you’ve been checked off the list, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to download the game and start playing. Happy dueling! |
A jury found Dharun Ravi guilty of invasion of privacy for spying on his Rutgers University roommate Tyler Clementi and other charges. The jury deliberated for 12 hours for more than two days and also convicted him of tampering with physical evidence. The 15-count indictment included several bias intimidation charges, because prosecutors claimed Ravi bullied Clementi for being gay. The jury of seven women and five men agreed, finding him guilty of hate crimes, The New York Times reports. In all Ravi was convicted of bias, invasion of privacy, hindering apprehension and witness tampering, according to the Star-Ledger. The newspaper reported he could be deported to India, his country of birth. The verdict carries a possible sentence of five to 10 years, according to ABC News. Sentencing is set for May 21. The case became known as the "Rutgers Webcam Spy" trial because Ravi, 20, was accused of using a computer camera to watch his freshman roommate Clementi in a romantic embrace with another man in their Rutgers University dorm room. Clementi committed suicide days later in September 2010. Ravi wasn't charged as a factor in the death, but he became inextricably linked with the end of Clementi's life. "It appears the jury thought long and hard, particularly about bias intimidation and hate crimes," said HuffPost Gay Voices Editor-At-Large Michelangelo Signorile. "It's a just verdict that will send a message about the seriousness of bias-motivated crimes." Prosecutors alleged that Ravi spied on Clementi by going to a friend's room where he tapped into a webcam to watch his roommate in a romantic moment with another man. Clementi found out that Ravi had seen him in an intimiate encounter and that he had written about it on his Twitter account. Clementi, then 18, asked dormitory officials to change his room, but committed suicide by jumping from the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 22, 2010. The case was followed across the country because it centered on the chain of events that led up to Clementi's death. Ravi was charged with bias intimidation -- essentially a hate crime -- for writing on Twitter about seeing him "kissing a dude" and inviting friends to watch a second tryst between Clementi and a man known only as "M.B." The witness and evidence tampering charges stem from allegations that Ravi altered his Twitter posts to cover his tracks after Clementi died. They also said he tried to coordinate statements made to police by Molly Wei, a friend who also saw Clementi via the webcam. The jurors could only find Ravi guilty of the anti-gay bias charge if they first decided he was guilty of invasion of privacy. But Ravi's defense tried instead to portray him as an immature college student who used poor judgment for a college prank, not as someone who hated gay people. Instead, they said Ravi was suspicious of "M.B." because he was older -- in his mid- to late-20s -- and had a disheveled appearance. More than 30 witnesses took the stand in the 13-day trial. Wei, who was also indicted but avoided prison time by agreeing to testify against Ravi, said "it felt wrong" to watch Clementi and his date. A former player on Ravi's ultimate frisbee team testified that he seemed uncomfortable with having a gay roommate. But several other witnesses said they didn't think Ravi had a problem with gay people. There was a great degree of anticipation over whether Clementi's date, "M.B." would be called to the stand. In the end, he did testify, but his identity was concealed, because he was also considered a victim of the alleged crimes. "I noticed there was a webcam faced over in the direction of the bed. I just thought it was strange. Being in a compromising position," M.B. said according to the New York Post. "It just caught my eye that there was a camera lens looking right at me." The defense began its case by calling a series of character witnesses -- mostly business partners of Ravi's father and other family friends -- who said Ravi was not prejudiced. Speculation mounted that Ravi would opt to speak, but on Monday the defense rested its case without his testimony. The only time jurors heard from Ravi was in a taped interview with police that was played in court. In that interview, Ravi admitted to violating Clementi's privacy, but says he was not expecting to see a romantic moment. |
It is rumored that AMD is working hard on releasing the next high-end graphics cards, tagged as Radeon R9 390X (or 380X). Asian website Chiphell now has posted a couple of benchmarks in their forums 'showing' these graphics cards in terms of performance. We think the result tagged as "Captain Jack" could be the Radeon R9 390X (we think) and not 380X, though that remains to be a VERY wild guess. Performance wise it is looking pretty good TBH, however the results should be taken with a HUGE massive grain of salt as there is no validity whatsoever of these results being the true thing let alone indicating what card it precisely is. So look above, at Chiphell a user posted two charts, the first (upper) chart shows average performance from several gaming titles such as Assassins Creed: Unity, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Alien Isolation and Metro Last Light Redux. it is a horribel way of normalizing a chart, but hey at the very least it is indicative of something. As you can see, the games were tested across a wide range of graphics cards from NVIDIA and AMD at 2560×1440 resolution with IQ settings set to maximum. The test setup includes a Intel Core i7-4790 clocked at 3.60 GHz and the drivers used were 344.75 WHQL for NVIDIA cards and Catalyst 14.11.1 BETA for AMD cards. The second chart as shown above shows relative load (stress) power consumption, at just undfer 200 Watts. Anyway, we post it as we see them, make of this whatever you want. |
Jews Associated with NAACP by VNN research staff List of Jews who founded, work(ed) for, or are otherwise associated with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): Joel Spingarn Arthur Spingarn (brother) Julius Rosenthal Henry Malkewitz Rabbi Emil G. Hirsch Lillian Wald Kivie Kaplan Nathan Margold Jack Greenberg Julian Mack Henry Moskowitz Herbert Hill Louis Marshall Rabbi David Saperstein Rabbi Stephen Wise Herbert Lehman Arthur Sachs Herbert Seligmann Martha Gruening Felix Frankfurter Herman Lehman June Shagaloff (birthname, not married name) Special Counsel Milton R. Konvitz Assistant Special Counsel; aid to Thurgood Marshall at NAACP Helen (Lehman) Buttenwieser on NAACP's Legal Defense Fund (LDF, aka LDEF) board Michael Meltsner first assistant counsel in NAACP's LDF Louis H. Pollack vice president of NAACP's LDF Andrew D. Weinberger NAACP lawyer Paul Bender lawyers' training instructor in NAACP's LDF Michael Sovern lawyer's training director in LDF/LDF board member Albert Sachs lawyers' training instructor in LDF James Vorenberg LDF board member Norman Redlich LDF board member Lani Guinier (halfBlack, w/ Jewish mother) lawyer in LDF James Liebman assistant counsel in LDF Peter Zimroth a law student intern at LDF Bernard Segal LDF board member; he was key in urging President Kennedy to aid Black civil rights (and he cochaired a committee set up by Kennedy the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to aid Black civil rights. Significantly, Segal recommended many of the attorneys on the committee; that committee still exists today); Segal was also a key player in the opposition to Alabama governor George Wallace's racial policies. Dorothy Rosenman LDF board member Dave Pinsky NAACP staff lawyer Henry Aronson NAACP staff lawyer in Mississippi |
They finally turn dwindled, in all memories no longer purely twilight.. perhaps examine "seek for me with the help of Moonlight", sorry notwithstanding it ticks me off a great kind of persons examine Twilight and understand no longer a lot with reference to the myths or symbols interior the story... Or approximately Vampires in any respect, purely like it because of the fact its "romance"... besides, they finally turn because of the fact vampires cant circulate into sunlight, and you give up tanning, and so finally you swap dwindled.. My epidermis in all fairness dwindled because of the fact I hate the sunshine and out of doorways era, its purely a concern with the sunlight And basically like a common human, vampires have diverse epidermis tones too, i've got seen black, actually black(dark gray), white(marble), dwindled peach, or maybe gentle blueish tones(lifeless i think). The dont basically unexpectedly Bleach like micheal jackson, regardless of if a black vampire might have some lighter epidermis than a black man or woman, plus its purely a narrative! and that i've got examine Twilight the Twilight sequence approximately 2 yrs lower back, and for my area regardless of if the e book became great I dislike Bella a lot for being so vulnerable and whiney... And the Vampire romance concern to me seems sooo out of context initially they're meant to be chilly hearted, slave werewolves, consume human beings (some do no longer purely drink blood) and control, i in my opinion displike Vampire romance ever on the grounds that Twilight... Lik eI pronounced, you may desire to examine "seek for me with the help of Moonlight" THATS a reliable vampire interior its context butkovich · 2 years ago 0 Thumbs up 0 Thumbs down Report Abuse |
We’ve looked at religion worldwide, and we’ve looked at religion in the U.S.. This week we’re looking at religion in that former bulwark of Christendom: Europe. Where are the adherents of different religions located? Which countries are more religious, and which ones are more secular? You can click on any map to enlarge it. Enjoy! 1) Traditional religions, by country Blue = Catholic, purple = Protestant, red = Orthodox, and green = Islam 2) Belief in God, by country 3) People who believe “there is some sort of spirit of life force” (excluding belief in God), by country 4) People who believe “there isn’t any sort of God, spirit, or life force,” by country 5) Belief in God, belief in spirit/life force, no belief in God or spirit/life force, by country, in one graph 6) Islam by percentage of population, by country Dark green = >95% – – – white = <1% <1% = Belarus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine 1%-2% = Andorra, Croatia, Ireland 2%-4% = Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain 4%-5% = Denmark, Greece, Liechtenstein, United Kingdom 5%-10% = Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland 10%-20% = Montenegro, Russia 20%-30% = Cyprus 30%-40% = Macedonia 40%-50% = Bosnia and Herzegovina 80%-90% = Albania 90%-95% = Kosovo >95% = Turkey 7) Number of Jews, by country 8) Catholicism by percentage of population, by country 9) Protestantism, by country 10) Weekly church attendance, by country |
Regardless of your feelings about legalizing marijuana, it's hard to deny that legal weed would be a bonanza for cash-strapped states, just as tobacco and alcohol already are. With Colorado and Washington starting to tax and regulate recreational weed sales, and medical marijuana legal in 18 other states, we can finally start to put some hard numbers on the industry's value. Numbers like: $1.53 billion: The amount the national legal marijuana market is worth, according to a Nov. 2013 report from ArcView Market Research, a San Francisco-based investor group focused on the marijuana industry. $10.2 billion: The estimated amount the national legal marijuana market will be worth in five years, according to that same ArcView report. $6.17 million: The amount of tax revenue collected in Colorado on legal marijuana sales in just the first two months of 2014. $98 million: The total tax revenue that Colorado could reap in the fiscal year that begins in July, according to a recent budget proposal from Gov. John Hickenlooper. An employee of The Clinic, a Denver-based dispensary, sells a bag of marijuana and a THC-infused soda. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) $40 million: The amount of marijuana tax revenue Colorado is devoting to public school construction. 7,500-10,000: The estimated number of marijuana industry jobs that currently exist in Colorado, according to Michael Elliott, the Executive Director of the Marijuana Industry Group, a trade association that advocates for responsible marijuana regulation. $190 million: The amount in taxes and fees legal marijuana is projected to raise for the state of Washington over four years starting in mid-2015, according to the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, an independent agency that advises the state government on the budget and tax revenue. Employee David Marlow, right, helps a customer at Medicine Man marijuana retail store in Denver. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) $105 million: The estimated annual sales tax revenue generated by medical marijuana dispensaries in California, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C.-based group that supports legalization. $142.19 million: The estimated size of the medical marijuana market in Arizona in 2014, according to the ArcView Market Research report, up from $35.37 million last year. Arizona has a record 80 medical pot dispensaries currently open, with more expected to open this year, according to AZMarijuana.com. $36 million: The amount of estimated tax revenue Maine would earn every year if it legalized and regulated marijuana, according to a 2013 estimate from the Marijuana Policy Project. Portland, Maine's largest city, voted to legalize weed in November, and a grassroots campaign to get state legalization on the ballot in 2016 is underway. An employee at a Colorado grow house waters pot plants. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) $21.5 to $82 million: The amount of estimated tax revenue Rhode Island would earn every year if it legalized and regulated marijuana, according to an April 9 report from the non-profit organization Open Doors. Rhode Island legislators are considering a bill this session that would tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. $134.6 million: The amount of estimated tax revenue Maryland would earn every year if it legalized and regulated marijuana, according to a 2014 estimate from the Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a law legalizing medical marijuana on April 14, and state lawmakers are considering a bill this session to legalize weed for recreational purposes, too. |
Need to quickly push photos in digiKam to a device on the same network? Provided the device supports DLNA, you can do this using the DLNAExport Kipi plugin. Choose Export → Export via DLNA to open the DLNA Export wizard. From the Choose the implementation drop-down list, select either HUPnP API or miniDLNA. Both options have their advantages and drawbacks. miniDLNA supports thumbnails and works with all DLNA-compatible devices. But it can’t handle hierarchical folders or virtual albums. Also, miniDLNA relies on the older UPnP 1.0.0 protocol. HUPnP, in turn, uses the latest UPnP protocol and supports hierarchical folders and virtual albums. The drawbacks include the lack of support for Sony devices and thumbnails. If you choose the miniDLNA option, you have to install the miniDLNA package on your system. To do this on Debian and Ubuntu-based Linux distributions, run the apt-get install minidlna command as root. Once miniDLNA has been installed, press the Find button in the DLNA Export window and specify the path to the miniDLNA binaries (usually it’s /usr/bin). Press then the Next button, and select the collection you want to export. You have three options here: you can pick the desired albums in the My Albums section, or select tags under the My Tags tab to export photos containing specific tags. If you already have saved searches in digiKam, you can select them in the My Searches section to export photos matching specified search criteria. Note that tags and searches cannot be used with miniDLNA, as it doesn’t support virtual albums. Press Next again and hit the Start button to start the DLNA server. You can then access the shared photos from any device on the network using a dedicated DLNA client, or DLNA-enabled software. |
On Friday, House Republicans released a 542 page higher education bill that could reshape how Americans pay for college. The PROSPER Act could impact many dimensions of higher education, but one of the most significant is its proposed overhaul of the $1.3 trillion federal student loan program. It changes how much parents and students are able to borrow, and would entirely eliminate certain loan-forgiveness programs. The bill describes the "wind-down of Federal Perkins Loan Program." Perkins Loans are low-interest federal student loans for low-income undergraduate and graduate students. The interest rate for Perkins Loans is 5 percent, while the average fixed rate stands at 9.66 percent. By eliminating this program, the bill would raise interest rates on the student loans of financially needy students. The bill would also end loan-forgiveness programs for public-service employees. Under the current Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, public servants who make regular payments on certain federal student loans can have their remaining debt forgiven after 10 years. |
If you get thrown into a jail cell in Highland Park, here’s the good news: You’ll be served food from Bubba’s, University Park’s well-known fried-chicken establishment. It’s what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner for all who stay in the town’s holding cell. Highland Park police went local after years of serving McDonald’s burgers and fries. Though Highland Park is little more than a postage stamp on a map of Dallas, there’s a steady stream of people in its cells, said Sgt. Lance Koppa. He said officers often find outstanding warrants from Dallas or Collin counties when they stop drivers for traffic violations. People can be held for up to three days while waiting to be transferred or released. In the interim, it’s good eats — despite the dismal setting. “If you’re friendly to us, we’ll put gravy on your mashed potatoes,” Koppa jokes. The typical menu is a sausage biscuit in the morning. For lunch and dinner, it’s fried chicken, fries and a roll. On that diet, even a three-day stay can add a few pounds to one’s waistline. And Koppa says it can also pack on the pounds for officers who make the food run. Tempted by the aroma of greasy comfort food, they often return with their own fried chicken. Melissa Repko mrepko@dallasnews.com dallasnews.com/parkcitiesblog WASHINGTON: Two Texas lawmakers figure in CBS report Two Texas congressmen, Francisco “Quico” Canseco of San Antonio and Pete Sessions of Dallas, figure prominently in an undercover video of an upscale Republican fundraiser in Key Largo, Fla., released Friday by CBS News. Sessions chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, which hosted the event, and Canseco is one of 12 Republican freshmen who spent time with campaign donors and lobbyists over happy hours, games of golf and meals like braised baby octopus at the Ocean Reef Club. The guests paid thousands of dollars to get face time with the lawmakers, the report said, and at least one of them is a banking lobbyist. Canseco sits on the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees the banking industry. The event did not break any campaign fundraising rules, but it is drawing heat from one of Canseco’s challengers, state Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine. Valentina Weis, a spokeswoman for Canseco, said that the weekend he went to Key Largo was the first trip Canseco has taken outside the district since taking office. She said she did not know if there was a banking lobbyist at the event, as CBS reported, but said it would not affect Canseco’s decisions. “Special interests are not going to get in the way of the congressman and how he votes,” she said. Sean Collins Walsh swalsh@dallasnews.com dallasnews.com/trailblazers |
First radar images of asteroid 1998 QE2 were obtained when the asteroid was about 3.75 million miles (6 million kilometers) from Earth. An asteroid wider than nine ocean liners sailed safely past Earth today (May 31), making its closest flyby of our planet for at least the next 200 years. Asteroid 1998 QE2, which is about 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) wide, cruised within 3.6 million miles (5.8 million km) of Earth at 4:59 p.m. EDT (2059 GMT) today, then slipped silently off into the depths of space once again. The huge space rock never posed any danger of hitting Earth on this pass, scientists say. Indeed, at its closest approach this afternoon, 1998 QE2 was still about 15 times farther away than the moon is from Earth. [Potentially Dangerous Asteroids (Images)] But astronomers have been tracking the asteroid closely nonetheless, regarding the close encounter as an opportunity to learn more about 1998 QE2's composition, structure and orbit. They've trained two huge radio telescopes on the space rock — NASA's 230-foot-wide (70 meters) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, Calif., and the 1,000-foot (305 m) dish at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. "It is tremendously exciting to see detailed images of this asteroid for the first time," Lance Benner, principal investigator for the Goldstone radar observations at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement earlier this month. The Virtual Telescope Project in Italy captured this view of the huge asteroid 1998 QE2 on May 30, 2013. (Image: © Gianluca Masi/Virtual Telescope Project (www.virtualtelescope.eu)) "With radar, we can transform an object from a point of light into a small world with its own unique set of characteristics," Benner added. "In a real sense, radar imaging of near-Earth asteroids is a fundamental form of exploring a whole class of solar system objects." The observation campaign is set to run through June 9, but it has already transformed scientists' understanding of 1998 QE2. Researchers announced Thursday (May 30), for example, that the asteroid is actually a binary system, in which a 2,000-foot (600 m) moon circles the much larger space rock. Asteroid 1998 QE2 was discovered in August 1998 by astronomers working with MIT's Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research program in New Mexico. The space rock is one of 10,000 or so near-Earth asteroids identified to date, but the total population of these close-flying objects is thought to exceed 1 million. Scientists are working hard to find and track as many of these asteroids as they can, starting with the biggest and most dangerous ones. The good news is that they've spotted virtually all the mountain-size asteroids like 1998 QE2 that could threaten human civilization if they hit Earth, and none are on a collision course with Earth for the foreseeable future. Many smaller but still hazardous objects remain undiscovered, however. For example, astronomers have catalogued less than 30 percent of the asteroids at least 330 feet (100 m) wide that are thought to come uncomfortably close to Earth at some point in their orbits. Such objects could destroy an area the size of a state if they slammed into Earth. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on SPACE.com. |
The Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences (the buildings in this photograph) has significantly expanded its Computer Systems work in recent years. However, there has been a noticeable lack of quality work on Rodent Performance Evaluation. This study is a first attempt to remedy this deficiency. We chose gray squirrels as our subject of study because of their abundance in the immediate surroundings of the Aiken Computation Lab, with many large oak trees nearby. The primary investigators in this study are Yasuhiro Endo (left) and Nikolas Gloy (right), shown here in front of the former high-performance vehicle of Professor J. Bradley Chen. Early attempts to measure squirrel performance involved chasing them around and trying to guard all nearby trees by a sufficient number of researchers, but these efforts were mostly fruitless. Another method involved building primitive traps from cardboard boxes and 10baseT Ethernet cables, but these cables either attracted unwanted attention or got lost high up in trees. Some insight was gained, however, into ways of focusing squirrels attention on small objects which are dropping on the ground, such as acorns. This led to the formulation of Gloy's First Conjecture that a squirrel will always give up one acorn if another one is thrown nearby. This led to our current approach to measure the reaction of squirrels to a peanut tied to a long piece of string. The low end of the performance scale includes not running away from a peanut thrown at the subject, and following it as it is dragged through the grass. The aiming accuracy of the trowing process can be greatly increased by attaching a key to the string about 3 inches from the end. The next point on the performance scale is the willingness to grab the peanut and hold on to it under moderate tension. A smarter squirrel will discover after a while that it is better to bite through the string than simply pull on the peanut. This distinguishing tactic leads us to believe that the average squirrel performance in Texas is much higher than in Massachusetts. Prolonged lack of success in consuming the peanut can lead to frustration, as shown on the face of the squirrel in this picture. Note that in this experiment, a magnet found on a mouse cable was used as a weight to improve throwing precision, rather than a key as mentioned earlier. Because of the complexity of the resulting photographs, with uneven focus across the field of depth, these images are now widely used in computer graphics teaching and research. Professor Steven J. Gortler is considered the leading authority in this subfield. Another attempt a biting through the string. The low-quality string used in this phase of our experiments made this a little too easy. Another question that has been puzzling researchers for years is whether it is possible to make a squirrel fall on its back by skillful manipulation of a bait suspended above its head. The theory was that this could be achieved if this bait was moved in a straight line over the center of gravity of the squirrel towards its back. After many hours of experimentation, we were able to disprove this theory. More research is needed to determine if squirrels get dizzy from prolonged spinning around. The highest mark on the squirrel performance scale is achieved when a subject is willing to hold on to the peanut or string while it is being lifted off the ground. This state only lasts for a very short time and is very difficult to photograph. Liftoff !!! |
Ofcom says it considers matter resolved following complaint about BBC broadcasting of a picture of a passenger’s passport photo page BBC News and RT cleared over coverage of shooting down of flight MH17 BBC News and RT, the Kremlin-backed news channel, have both been cleared by Ofcom after complaints their respective coverage of the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. The MH17 flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over the conflict-hit region of eastern Ukraine in July last year, claiming the lives of 283 passengers, including 80 children, and 15 crew members. One viewer complained to the media regulator after the BBC News channel broadcast a picture of a passenger’s passport photo page as part of a sequence of still images showing debris from the crashed plane on 17 July, during live coverage on the day MH17 was shot down. The image was on screen for five seconds. Ofcom ruled that although that the image was capable of causing offence – which on balance was not justified by the context – as the BBC had apologised and acknowledged that the picture was unsuitable for broadcast, it considered the matter resolved. The complaint against RT, which was investigated and found by the watchdog to not breach broadcasting rules, centred on the use of graphic imagery of bodies at the crash site, also on 17 July. An Ofcom spokesman said: “Having reviewed the evidence, Ofcom found the BBC took steps to limit any offence caused; including apologising and ensuring the image was not shown again in later reports. As a result we consider the matter resolved.” The regulator found RT had taken “sufficient steps to limit the potential for offence”, according to the Ofcom spokesman. “This included pixelating graphic imagery and only broadcasting it after the watershed,” Ofcom said. London-based correspondent Sara Firth, who worked at RT for five years, resigned in protest over her employer’s coverage of the immediate aftermath of the flight’s shooting down. The offending BBC News channel image was aired at 5.40pm during a studio discussion concerning the number of casualties sustained by Ukrainian forces during the on-going conflict with separatist groups. During the discussion, the broadcaster started to show a sequence of still images labelled as: “Breaking News: Ukraine Plane Crash. Eyewitnesses report seeing bodies next to plane.” Ofcom’s concerns focused on a still image in relative close-up of the photograph page of a victim’s passport. The BBC noted in its submission to Ofcom that just before the broadcast it had learned that footage – including the passport grab – of the crash site, sourced “off-air from a Russian TV station”, was available. Because the material had already been edited and provided by a “trusted agency provider”, the BBC decided to “take the material straight to air”. The BBC said the images in the sequence were: not graphic; had “clearly been prepared for broadcast”; and, included “one five-second shot of a passport in which the photograph of the person it belonged to was visible”. It added that the presenter had “made it clear that the material was being shown for the first time”. The BBC went on to tell Ofcom that it “immediately recognised that this image carried the potential for distress” following transmission and told its staff to ensure the image was not shown again. In deciding the matter was resolved, Ofcom said although the BBC had strictly speaking breached rule 2.3 of the broadcasting code in airing potentially offensive material that was not justified by the context, it had taken into account that broadcasters and audiences have a right to freedom of expression. Ofcom also said the MH17 report was “clearly a matter of significant public interest” . Because the BBC apologised and took immediate steps to alert staff to the content to ensure it was not broadcast again, Ofcom said it considered this matter resolved. Sky News was criticised by Ofcom in October for causing “considerable offence” for broadcasting images of one of its presenters handling a passenger’s belongings at the crash site. Ofcom received more than 200 complaints after Sky News presenter Colin Brazier was shown picking through an open suitcase in a live broadcast in July. As in the BBC News channel case, the regulator concluded that Sky News had strictly speaking breached rule 2.3 of the broadcasting code, but took into account factors including the apology by the broadcaster and Brazier and ruled that the matter was resolved. • To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email media@theguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”. • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook. |
Romanticised to stigmatised: the changing face of TB Melancholy and tragic beauty defined the pre-Romantic and Romantic movements of the late 18th and 19th centuries. This was reflected in women’s appearances at the time. They used whitening powders on their face to look pale and sallow and would dampen their appetite by drinking vinegar and eating sand to obtain a waiflike figure. The ideal of languid and fragile femininity was so popular that these women were often the subject of many writers’, artists’ and musicians’ work. Wasteful and ethereal women with fair skin, bright eyes, white teeth and a delicate rosy complexion were art. However, they were all too often victims of tuberculosis (TB), or “consumption”, one of the biggest killers in the 19th century. TB is often associated with the Victorian era but the harsh reality is that the “romantic death” lives on today under a far less gentle guise. Sam Perkins, south-east London TB coordinator at the Health Protection Agency (HPA), explained: “A huge amount of anxiety and stigma is attached to TB”. Rather than the romanticism of the Victorian age, TB is now seen unfavourably and many do not wish to declare they have the disease. Unfortunately, TB is once again on our doorstep. Recent figures from the HPA show that more than 9,000 cases of TB were reported in 2009 in the UK alone, the highest since 1979. TB caused more than 30% of all deaths in Europe in the 1800s, but it also became a stylish mark of tragic beauty. Rene Dubos, a French-born physician, said: “To be consumptive was almost a mark of distinction and the pallor caused by the disease was part of the standard of beauty.” The taste for looking sickly was reflected in the heroines chosen as subjects in art, poems and literature. Artist’s model, Elizabeth Siddal (1829-1862), was a renowned muse of pre-Raphaelite painter Rossetti. With her slender, elegant figure, masses of long red hair, white face with a rosy tint, luminous eyes and deep eyelids, she was considered the epitome of feminine beauty. She was also thought to have tuberculosis. Mark Caldwell, in his book The Last Crusade, described this attitude towards TB as “a badge of refinement…very nearly a polite accomplishment. And if you contracted it, it led your friends not to mourn your early death so much as to venerate you as one marked out for a fate of special distinction.” English poet, George Gordon Bryon, was reported to have said: “I look pale. I should like to die of consumption because ladies would say how interesting he looks in dying.” Caldwell wrote: “Perhaps the illusion of a graceful ascent from life was enhanced by the literary aura that emanated from some of its victims,” for example, the Brontë sisters, Keats, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Samuel Johnson. He believed this made a “certain kind of sense. “The symptoms of the disease – a gradual loss of flesh, the sparkling eyes, the flush and slight excitement brought on by low grade fever – all these suggested immateriality, a looking toward the beyond. And somehow these symptoms outweighed the more frightening and disgusting ones.” Today, it is these “frightening and disgusting” symptoms which appear to far outweigh the romantic ones in history. People with TB often suffer discrimination, stigma, rejection and social isolation. In India, for example, it’s not uncommon for a man to leave his wife if she develops TB (TB Alert). Perkins explained: “A lot of people think TB is sexually transmitted. A young Muslim woman who had TB didn’t want her family to know [she had the disease]. She said: ‘If you tell them I’ve got TB they will think I’m immoral’. She was very anxious about it.” Dr Onn Min Kon, who leads the TB service at Imperial College Healthcare and is the lead clinician for north-west London TB sector, said: “There is a lot of stigma attached to TB, if you are a particular ethnicity and you say ‘TB’ then people regard you very unfavourably. It means people do not want to present nor declare that they have TB.” Following the explosion of tuberculosis in the 19th century up until the 1980s, the prevalence of TB was on the decline. Today, TB is considered a worldwide crisis. It is also heavily associated with the HIV AIDS epidemic. According to international HIV and AIDs charity AVERT, in HIV positive people “tuberculosis is harder to diagnose, progresses faster, is more likely to be fatal if undiagnosed or left untreated, occurs earlier in the course of HIV infection than other opportunistic infections and is the only major AIDS-related opportunistic infection that poses a risk to HIV-negative people.” In her paper The social construction of disease: two metaphors of the tuberculous patient, Caralee Caplan wrote: “Tuberculosis and HIV co-infection complicates not only the metaphors of disease but also the diagnosis of tuberculosis, since HIV-infected individuals are more frequently affected by extra-pulmonary disease than non-immunosuppressed individuals. Furthermore, a patient afflicted by both tuberculosis and HIV must contend with the entire gamut of social conceptions of AIDS. “With AIDS, the shame is linked to an imputation of guilt; and the scandal is not at all obscure. Few wonder, Why me?…Transmitted through blood and other bodily fluids, HIV carries with it the connotation of contamination; when infection by the tubercle bacillus is superimposed upon HIV infection, the result is the sense of a full-fledged attack on a system particularly susceptible to microbial invasion and an individual particularly vulnerable to social stigma.” Risk factors for contracting TB include homelessness, imprisonment and drug use, which is why prevalence is so high in densely populated urban areas such as London. However, the truth is anyone can get TB and it is 97% curable. Caterlee adds: “Far from the elevating, spiritualising consumption that set the soul souring beyond the physical world, today’s tuberculosis seems to reaffirm the inescapability of one’s material conditions: tuberculosis piles impoverishment on the already impoverished, stigma on the already stigmatized. In the Victorian era consumption, or tuberculosis, was poorly understood and adorned with glamour, art and romance. Now, 20th-century tuberculosis has become riddled with the stigma of poverty and marginalisation and this is attributed to those who have contracted the disease. Caterlee says: “Whether labelled an artistic and spiritual genius or one of society’s unprotected outcasts, whether famous or forgotten, whether inspiring society’s highest hopes or deepest fears, the tuberculous patient is, more than a type, a suffering human.” Advertisements |
One of the things I miss most about going dairy-free is butter. I love butter. I love it spread generously over hot toast, the melted butter dripping through the cracks of the bread to pool on the plate below. I love good salted butter on scones, with the cold, creamy saltiness of the butter providing a wonderful contrast with the sweet, fruit-laden jam draped across the scone. I love butter melted down and used to fry each tiny individual grain of arborio rice that forms the platform of a great risotto. Yep, butter’s a damn fine ingredient all round, in my book. So you can see why I’d have a go at trying to make a decent dairy-free, vegan version of butter, right? Since going dairy-free I’ve been using a Marks and Spencer’s sunflower spread which is really cheap at only £1 a tub, but it’s not particularly tasty. Nor is it particularly healthy for that matter, considering it’s largely composed of palm oil and contains such delights as E-number ’emulsifiers’ and ‘acidity regulators’. All in all, I’m sure you can understand why I’d prefer to try something a little more natural. I came across this recipe for vegan butter on a blog called A Virtual Vegan and thought the recipe sounded quite good. It uses ground almonds as its base ingredient, with coconut oil and olive oil providing the essential fat content for the proper ‘butter effect’, and nutritional yeast and apple cider vinegar to provide the slight ‘dairy’ tang that is found in real dairy butter. It helped that I was able to use my Nutribullet high speed blender to mix all of the ingredients together because it resulted in a very smooth finished product. I suspect it would spoil the ‘fake butter’ effect if I came across little chunks of almond while eating my vegan butter. I had planned on solidifying my vegan butter in a lovely little stoneware pot that I had left over from a pot of Stilton cheese from Christmas, but thankfully I gave it a sniff beforehand and discovered that the pungent smell of the Stilton had become impregnated into the pot even though I’d washed it thoroughly. Thank God I checked it before using it for my vegan butter! I’m incredibly pleased with how this vegan butter turned out. Quite frankly I would describe it’s creator, Melanie McDonald (the Virtual Vegan) as nothing short of a culinary genius! This vegan butter has the soft, silky texture that you ordinarily expect of butter and it melts beautifully on toast and crumpets. I’m not going to lie, you can taste the coconut oil in it, so whatever you spread the butter on will have a slightly tropical-flavoured hint of coconut, but overall I think it’s worth it. I definitely think this vegan butter will be a new standby ingredient in my dairy-free life. Get the ingredients list and method to make this vegan butter here at A Virtual Vegan’s website. |
Last Sunday (More than a week ago from this posting) I attended a reddit meetup! Organised by the lovely folks at http://www.reddit.com/r/TriCitiesWA the meet up is an annual chance to meet people of like mind. The plan for the meeting was to go to the Atomic Bowl at 3 and play a few games. Sounds nice, right? No obligation, eaasy to leave if everyone was a bit weird, and relatively cheap, fun and nearby! No reason not to go. I decided that, as nobody else in meatspace (real life) wanted to go, that I would cycle the mile or so to the alleys. It was quite a warm day (it always is here) but the warm breeze in my face was nice. I arrived to the bowling alley, not knowing who to look for, so I just approached a group of twenty-somethings who weren’t a family or bowling team. Bingo. That was them. Tentatively, at first, I said hello to everyone. I’m not going to name names here, just initials as they become relevant. A few of the redditors were PNNL employees, one a postdoc new to town. There were a few transplants, moved here from the east, and a few local boys, born and bred here. R was from New Zealand, and I asked him his thoughts on their recent flag referendum. After a wee trip to the bar (32oz for $6, I’m told that’s about 2 pints), I was entered into a game of bowling with M, T, Jo and Ja, and let me tell you. Out of the possible points (10 frames of ten pins plus a strike bonus), out of the (more than) 100 pins, I didn’t even make it to 40. But I wasn’t here to bowl. I was here to meet people. People like Jo, who had been in town for about a year, and was a web developer, or a programmer, or something like that. The rest of the group, excluding B, all seemed to know each other. It sounds like they tend to go out together regularly, to pub quizzes, or karaoke. (I have to go to kararoke with relative strangers. It’s so much fun). But nevertheless, everyone was welcoming, encouraging, and good chat. The second game finished about an hour later, and I managed to not lose! I beat T. I was so proud of that! And only a little ashamed. Pardon the awful picture. After the game finished, we toyed with plans of food and a drink. McKays? the Emerald? In the end, we settled on Kimo’s in Kennewick. I came over on my bike, and Kennewick was too far to cycle, and on busy roads. And besides, it was too hot out to ride that far. But R stepped up. He said that he had a truck that my bike could go in the back of. So with that, we went to Kennewick. We all had a drink (or two) and most of us had a meal (my ‘steak fries’ were thin and overdone, poor show, Kimo’s) and some chat. We compared stories of where we used to live, compared different states and countries IDs, and joked a lot. We sat outside, looking over the river. I don’t remember who brought up ‘rriver stuff’, but river stuff in the summer sounds great. It’s taking a car upriver, picking up a floataion device (inner tube etc) and a few beers, and sitting back while we float down to a prearranged location. Sounds good, right? We stayed there for a couple of hours, until it was time to call it a day, and head home. R drove me back in his truck, back to Mosaic, and dropped me off home. On the way, we talked about our experiences with discrimination in the USA. We didn’t really come to any conclusion, but that wasn’t exactly the point. I hope that we all get to go out again at some point. Maybe karaoke, board games, some river stuff, if it gets warmer. Advertisements |
SEN. TED CRUZ: You know, Chuck, Barack Obama's a world class demagogue. That language there is designed to divide us. No, Mr. President, we're not angry at that. We're angry at politicians in Washington, including you, who ignore the men and women who elected you. Who have been presiding over our jobs going overseas for seven years. Who have been cutting deals that are enriching the rich and powerful, the special interests and the big corporations, while working men and women are seeing their wages stagnating. And he talks about immigrants and Muslims. Mr. President, we're mad at a president who wants to bring in Syrian refugees who may be infiltrated by ISIS. And you're unwilling to be commander in chief and keep us safe. So don't engage in attacking the people, like the president did. I'll tell you, that language is the kind of self-righteous moralizing from the President that makes people angry. CHUCK TODD: You think that's worse than what Donald Trump's been doing? SEN. TED CRUZ: To be honest, I think it's very much the same. They're both engaging in demagoguery. We need instead a president who wakes up every day working for the hardworking taxpayers. If I'm president, Chuck, my focus is going to be the hardworking taxpayers, bringing back jobs and economic growth. We're going to do that by repealing Obamacare, by passing a simple flat tax. By abolishing the IRS, by pulling back the regulations that are killing small businesses. |
Explore The Life of The Great Alexander III of Macedon ★ ★ ★PLEASE NOTE: You DON'T need a Kindle to buy this. Available for immediate reading with your Amazon virtual cloud reader. ★ ★ ★ There are a number of historic people who have lead a life of power and impact. They have contributed so much in history that up until now, their accomplishments resound in our ears very well, and remain unforgettable. One of the greatest people to ever live is the famous Alexander the Great, well known as the conqueror of Persian Empire and considered to be one of the most significant military geniuses of all time. If you want to go back in time and taste the life that this man lived, this book is for you! Here, you will find the nitty-gritty of Alexander’s life. When you purchase Alexander the Great – you will get to know more about this important conqueror who is full of bravery and wit. In This Book, You Will Learn About: •Who is Alexander the Great?•Conquering Persia — Then the World•The Siege of Tyre•His Last Few Triumphs•Alexander’s Many Alexandrias•The Spread of Greek Alexander the Great is a man with vision; he wanted to set up an empire of his own. It is quite impressive to know that he never lost a battle in his 15 years of conquest! He was also privileged to name more than 70 cities after himself, and who wouldn’t? Surely, no one can dim the memory of Alexander, so what are you waiting for?! If you want to dig deeper and find out more about this historic man, download your own copy of Alexander the Great and enjoy the ride! This book is FREE – For Kindle Unlimited Users. Just scroll up and click theButton for instant access. |
Steinberg: ‘History warns us . . . the best thing to do is leave’ President-elect Donald Trump has yet to do anything that justifies the hysteria of protesters, writes Mona Charen. | Evan Vucci/AP Your neighbors will gladly murder you, given the nod by authority, then blame you for bringing your own death upon yourself. They’ll then move into your empty house, live there guilt-free, and years later, should anybody be so impolite as to raise the subject of your death, deny it ever occurred. That, in brief, is the lesson of the Holocaust, and if you suspect it left a scar on world Jewry, you’re right. Nothing like seeing the culture that produced Goethe, Rilke and Beethoven herding children into gas chambers to make you realize that the solid bedrock of civilized life, well, ain’t so solid. The earthquake of Donald Trump’s election began with his calling Mexican immigrants rapists, then radiated outward, as hatred will, jarring Muslims and blacks, rattling women, before deputizing Mike Pence to go after gays. Hate doesn’t discriminate — talk about irony — it settles for whoever is convenient. Jews not fixated on Israel were shaken by formerly fringe anti-Semitic organizations riding into the mainstream on the Trump bandwagon, their slurs retweeted, their coded rhetoric about shadowy global conspiracy pockmarking his speeches. OPINION It worked. He won. Since Trump’s seismic election, rather than distance himself from the focused cruelty he exploited, as many wanly hoped he might, Trump has kept going, naming alt-right Breitbart bigot Stephen Bannon as his special adviser one day, recommitting himself to forcing Muslims in America to register the next. A few weeks ago, the vow “We’re moving to Canada!” seemed a cliche, the empty bleat heard every election. My parents promised we’d move to Canada if George Wallace was elected. Wallace didn’t win; Trump did, and it is a sign of just how scary times have become that some are following through with their vows. Wendy Mills told the congregation at her Northwest suburban synagogue’s healing service last Friday that she and her husband David are moving to Canada. “Everybody was being optimistic, saying, ‘It’s okay!’” Mills — not her real name — told me, later. “‘We’re all going to be okay. We’ll survive this.’ In my heart of hearts, I don’t believe that.” She believes it’s time to leave. Really? “It’s not an idle comment,” she said. “If you start expelling one group, or preventing one group from coming in, who’s next? We’re seriously planning. It’s beyond consideration. Consideration was last spring . . .” She felt imperiled before Trump was elected, and it is important to remember that Trump didn’t invent these bigots. What he did was give them permission. He didn’t say “Go paint swastikas on Jewish cemeteries.” He didn’t have to. By welcoming open bigotry into his fold, he gave it a gloss of validity. Now we are in the sounding-out phrase, where haters, who like all bullies are cowards, test the waters to see what pain they can safely inflict without drawing penalty on themselves. In the Holocaust lesson, those who flee are bold, prescient. They read the writing on the wall, take off and are spared the horror. Does that lesson apply to America in 2016? The fear is real, but I’m not sure the need is, not yet anyway, and even if it were, I’d much rather take the last train to Toronto than the next. This is just beginning. The United States is still a fine place and worth the fighting for, to paraphrase Hemingway. Surrender is both premature and what the haters want. But that’s me. Mills, 67, has seen enough. “History warns us,” she said. “My intuition and my intellect both say the best thing to do is leave.” The Holocaust was in part a failure of imagination. Jews just couldn’t imagine it. Which has to trouble anyone insisting it can’t happen now. Because that’s exactly what they thought then. If you can’t see how this could turn really bad, really quick, let me ask you this: When Donald Trump fails to provide the boon he promised, when his protectionist trade policies crater the economy, who is he going to blame? Himself? Donald Trump does not blame himself. Who will he blame? When he’s in Pennsylvania, talking to coal miners whose industry he did not revive; when he’s in Youngstown talking to factory workers whose jobs never returned, who will he blame? Who? You know the answer. |
Getty Images Quarterback JaMarcus Russell had his workout with the Bears on Friday, but he isn’t going to be signing with the team. That’s the word from Chris Mortensen of ESPN, who reports that the Bears will not be signing any of the three quarterbacks they had in on Friday. Jordan Palmer and Trent Edwards were the other two quarterbacks who worked out in Chicago. According to Mortensen, Russell weighed in at 267 pounds on Friday. That’s just about what he weighed when he first entered the league and it’s way down from the 300-plus pounds Russell was carrying when he started his comeback effort. At the very least, that shows Russell’s serious enough about his efforts to resume his professional career to get into the necessary physical condition. The same could be said of Russell’s reported willingness to play in Canada if he can’t convince an NFL team to bring him on board. Jeff Garcia, who has been working with Russell, says that going north of the border is something Russell would do if he finds an interested CFL team. |
Extinct species of pig-snouted turtle unearthed in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Victor Leshyk An Artist depiction of the turtle Arvinachelys goldeni as it would have appeared in life 76 million year ago in southern Utah. [ + - ] Natural History Museum of Utah Jerry Golden, a volunteer fossil preparator at the Natural History Museum of Utah, prepared the new fossil turtle speciman, Arvinachelys goldeni, named in his honor. [ + - ] Natural History Museum of Utah Fossil preparator Jerry Golden and doctoral student Joshua Lively display the 76-million-year-old turtle fossil Arvinachelys goldeni. [ + - ] Natural History Museum of Utah Snout view of the skull of the fossil turtle Arvinachelys goldeni with its shell in the background. [ + - ] Video KANAB, Utah (ABC 4 Utah)-A team from the Natural History Museum of Utah discovered a new species of extinct turtle. The turtle was unearthed in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Josh Lively studied the fossil as part of his master's thesis at the University of Utah. He described the new species in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. “It’s one of the weirdest turtles that ever lived...It really helps add to the story emerging from dinosaur research carried out at the Natural History Museum of Utah,” Lively said. The turtle was believed to live alongside tyrannosaurs and giant duck-billed dinosaurs. The broad snout of the newly discovered species has tow bony nasal openings. All other turtles have just one external nasal opening in their skull. The scientific name for the pig-nosed turtle, Arvinachelys goldeni, derives from arvina, a Latin word for pig fat or bacon, and chelys, Latin for tortoise. To read more about this discovery click here. |
The Survivor This surfer is committed to saving sharks — even though he lost his leg to one of them On an early October morning in 1997, on the west side of the island of Kauai, 18-year-old Mike Coots got in the water with his bodyboard, as he had done hundreds of times before, and started to paddle out. He and his friends went about 300 feet from the shore until they reached the surf break, in water that was 30 to 40 feet deep. They were quickly rewarded by a set of good waves, each about four feet high. Everyone in the group caught one right away. Except for Coots. It was just Coots and one other surfer still waiting when the last wave of the set came in. “I remember looking at him and we looked at each other wondering who’s going to catch the wave,” Coots recounts. “[A]nd I got on my board and started paddling.” And then, without warning, a tiger shark emerged from the depths and latched on to his leg. The animal thrashed back and forth with his leg in its mouth. It finally let go when he punched it in the nose. Coots got on his board and began to paddle like mad back to the shore. When he felt his leg spasm, he feared the shark had taken hold of him again; it wasn’t until he looked back that he realized his leg was, in fact, gone. In its place, a raw laceration spurted out blood with every pump of his heart. * * * * * * * We’ve had plenty of reasons to get scared about sharks. From the recent “summer of the shark” attacks in North Carolina to Discovery Channel’s Shark Week to this nightmare, close encounters with the infamous marine predators seem to be cropping up left and right lately. In the midst of the media mania, scientists continue to try to reassure the public that the odds of being a shark attack victim are in fact incredibly small. You are orders of magnitude more likely to suffer a drowning incident, get killed on your bicycle, or meet your end in a collapsing sand hole than in the jaws of a shark. Yet sharks continue to be one of our favorite things to feel horrified by. Those furtive fins gliding above the water! Those huge, lithe, cartilaginous bodies! And let’s not forget — though how could we? — those rows upon rows of teeth. Before his attack, however, Coots spent little time thinking about sharks. “I never really had any fear of them, even though I’ve been around them my whole life,” he tells me. “It was just a thing that’s in the ocean that you’ve got to respect and be careful of, but all in all they just do their own thing.” But after the incident, Coots did fall into to a certain shark obsession — though not the way you might expect. The Hawaii-based surfer and photographer turned his experience into a call to action. Except that, rather than fixate on the harm sharks present to us, Coots is more concerned with what we’re doing to them. * * * * * * * Talking to Coots, now 35, is like taking in a breath of Hawaii — a place that’s hard to talk about without getting at least a little cheesy. He conveys his usual greeting, Aloha, with an unironic chilled-out warmth that infuses everything he does. Even when recounting something as traumatic as losing a limb, Coots maintains a levelheaded outlook, an understanding that sometimes things just happen. This lesson is reinforced when you live your life out in the natural world. Before he was attacked, “I had spent my whole life in the ocean,” Coots says. He got in the waves every single day, harboring dreams of becoming a pro-bodyboarder: “At that time of my life, bodyboarding was all I knew,” he says. In the aftermath of the attack, he says the hardest thing to cope with wasn’t the pain or even coming to terms with the fact that he was now missing a leg — it was not being able to get back in the water until the risk of infection had passed. To add to his frustration, he was attacked at the very start of the surf season, after which the waves kept getting better and better. “I’d hear stories from my friends of how good the surf was … that’s what was hardest.” But while he was recovering, he found a new hobby that could keep him close to the water. “I started shooting photos of my friends while they were surfing,” he says. “And it sort of transitioned into this love affair … if the shark attack hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t be a photographer right now.” Once the staples that held his wound together were taken out — only a month after the shark bit off his leg — Coots crutched down to the shore just a couple hundred yards away from where he was attacked and got back in the ocean. “If you live your life in fear, I think you’d be pretty bored here in Hawaii,” says Coots. “All we’ve got is water all around us.” * * * * * * * Coots didn’t really turn his attention back to sharks until about a decade after his attack, when he got a phone call from one of the very few other people who could relate to what he had gone through. Debbie Salamone is a fellow shark-attack survivor who now works for the Pew Environment Group, at the head of a group called — very accurately — Shark Attack Survivors for Shark Conservation. Salamone had been tracking down other shark survivors, which, thanks to our obsession with the bloody encounters, turns out not to be much harder than a Google search. As they talked, Salamone introduced Coots to the impacts we humans are having on sharks. She told him that shark populations are at an all time low, that people kill an estimated 100 million sharks every year, that an estimated 25 percent of shark species are threatened with extinction. Coots learned about the biggest threat to them: shark finning, a practice in which a shark’s dorsal fin is cut off and the animal is thrown back into the sea, where it either bleeds to death or, unable to swim, drowns. The fin is usually sold in Asian markets to make shark fin soup; demand for the delicacy is responsible for about 70 million dead sharks each year. Get Grist in your inbox Always free, always fresh. The DailyThe BeaconThe Weekly Ask your climate scientist if Grist is right for you. See our privacy policy He also learned that millions of sharks are unintentionally killed every year, tangled in nets or hooked on longline as bycatch. Like us, sharks take years to reach reproductive age and, once they do, give birth to relatively few pups, so such population losses can be devastating. “I was just baffled,” Coots says. He began to stay up late into the night surfing the web to read research papers, track shark movements, and listen to speeches by shark scientists. “The more you learn, the more you want to learn,” Coots says. “I was appalled by what’s going on in our seas.” * * * * * * * Salamone didn’t have a hard time getting other survivors to join her cause. People were “jumping at the opportunity to do something good,” she tells me. “I think that’s part of the emotional healing for a lot of people. You don’t want all the suffering to be for nothing. You want something good to come out of it.” When Salamone was recovering from her own shark attack (a bite in the Achilles tendon, probably from a black tip or spinner shark in Florida) she had a hard time appreciating the enthusiasm for sharks she saw in others. “But I always loved the ocean — and whatever it took to help save and conserve the ocean is something that interested me,” she says. “In order to love the ocean you have to embrace everything in the ocean — even its darkest side.” “I think learning about sharks has helped me forgive them,” Salamone recalls. “So I said, ‘Wow, here I am, a shark attack survivor. Who better to speak up for the sharks?’” In 2009, the advocacy group of fourteen survivors met at the U.S. Capitol. It was likely the first sizable gathering of shark attack survivors ever. “We had this incredible bond, all of us,” Salamone recalls. “We exchanged all these horror stories of loss of blood and time in a hospital and rehab. But we not only shared these traumatic experiences, but this newfound passion that we could all pull together and make something positive out of things that had happened that were really bad.” They lobbied for the Shark Conservation Act, which would close loopholes in the nation’s shark finning ban. At the time, it was illegal to carry bodiless shark fins in U.S. waters (though it was not illegal to carry whole sharks), but the law only applied to boats with fishing gear. That meant that non-fishing boats could collect fins that were illegally cut off from sharks on other boats, and legally bring them back to port. When President Obama signed the Shark Conservation Act into effect in 2011, it was a big win for the shark conservation group. The group is still working to advocate for sustainable shark fishing, marine sanctuaries in which commercial shark fishing is banned, and a more positive, less fearful attitude towards sharks around the world. * * * * * * * Losing a leg is, obviously, life-changing. But Coots seems to take the fact that a shark inflicted the injury in measured stride. “It’s kind of cool in a way that I lost my leg to a shark,” Coots said in an interview with GrindTV. “It wasn’t like a drunk-driver car accident or something. You go into the ocean, things happen. It’s a good story to tell, and I’m able to use it to make a difference now in the ocean environment.” Three years after he was attacked, Coots and a friend were hanging out when they hatched a wild, spur-of-the-moment plan. They picked up some pig meat from another friend who hunts them (apparently, wild pigs are everywhere in Hawaii). They loaded up a Jet Ski, Coots grabbed his camera, and they headed two miles into the open ocean. After throwing the meat overboard, they sat back and sipped coffee while they waited. About 45 minutes later, they had successfully lured in a tiger shark: Coots’ first encounter with a shark since the one that took his leg. “It was just us in the middle of the ocean on a Jet Ski, watching this huge tiger shark feast,” Coots remembers. As he photographed the animal, “I was just totally in awe about how beautiful this creature was. The way the light played off his back, the way it swam around,” he trailed off. “It’s still, to this day, one of the coolest things that I have ever seen.” |
FILE - In this July 18, 2016 file photo, Milwaukee County, Wis. Sheriff David Clarke speaks at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Clarke says he's taken a job as an assistant secretary in the Homeland Security Department. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, who built a following among conservatives with his provocative social media presence and strong support of Donald Trump, said Wednesday that he’s taken a job as an assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security. The department declined to immediately confirm the appointment. The tough-talking, cowboy hat-wearing firebrand said in an interview with WISN-AM that he will work in the Office of Partnership and Engagement as a liaison to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies. He said he’s leaving his current job next month, but declined to give a date. “I’m both honored and humbled to be appointed to this position,” Clarke said during the interview. DHS spokeswoman Jenny Burke said in a statement that “such senior positions are announced by the Department when made official by the Secretary. No such announcement with regard to the Office of Public Engagement has been made.” Craig Peterson, a Clarke spokesman, said the sheriff would not comment further and that “he felt the need to tell folks he had accepted the position so the governor could get the ball rolling” on appointing a replacement. Clarke’s elevation to a national posting would come at a time of great turmoil for him and the sheriff’s office. Seven workers at the county jail he oversees are at the center of a criminal investigation into the dehydration death last year 38-year-old Terrill Thomas, an inmate who prosecutors say was deprived of water as punishment. The Milwaukee County District’s Attorney’s Office is considering charges against those staffers, based on a jury’s recommendation after prosecutors presented them with evidence during a weeklong inquest. Clarke wasn’t among the seven staffers on the jury’s list because prosecutors say he wasn’t directly involved in the events leading up Thomas’ death. But the death happened under his leadership, which his critics say was sufficient cause for Clarke to be fired. Clarke would also be leaving office with several pending lawsuits against him, including one filed by Thomas’ relatives. In February, a 24-year-old Milwaukee man sued the sheriff, saying Clarke had deputies detain and question him after a flight from Dallas because, while boarding, the man shook his head at Clarke. The sheriff didn’t deny he had the man detained, saying “he reserves the reasonable right to pre-empt a possible assault.” It’s that in-your-face, won’t-back-down approach that has endeared him to his conservative supporters. He’s been one of Trump’s biggest cheerleaders, frequently praising the president’s every move on Twitter, where his brash social media presence has earned him over 600,000 followers. His big following among conservatives got him a spot at the podium of the Republican Party convention last year, making him one of the few African-Americans speakers at the event. Last year, the frequent Fox News guest earned more than $105,000 in speaking fees — almost as much as his sheriff’s salary — at more than three dozen events across the country. As Clarke’s profile has risen since taking over the sheriff’s office in 2002, he’s become one of the most polarizing figures in Wisconsin politics. “Our country deserves better,” Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, who has repeatedly clashed with Clarke, said of his appointment to the DHS position. During one of those clashes in 2013, Clarke insulted Abele saying he had “penis envy.” Abele said Clarke has engaged in “gratuitous name calling, insults of other public officials, questioning judges’ sentences. In general the focus is on what you should be angry about, not what to like.” An immigrant-advocacy group, Voces de la Frontera, expressed concern about the sheriff’s announcement, calling him “unfit for any office” in a statement. The group has recently been critical of Clarke for his desire to have his sheriff’s deputies trained to carry out the duties of immigration enforcement officials as part of the federal 287g program. It wasn’t immediately clear what power, if any, Clarke’s new assignment would give him on immigration enforcement. During the Tuesday’s radio interview, Clarke said he would act as a liaison between DHS Secretary John Kelly and state and local government officials, including mayors and law enforcement, as well as people in the private sector. Clarke said he would have a “steep learning curve” in his new job, but added that his experience in local government would be an asset. “One of the things I’ve heard in speaking to several of those entities is they feel they’re being ignored, and part of it is because this is a massive bureaucracy,” he said. Republican Gov. Scott Walker would be responsible for appointing someone to serve the remainder of Clarke’s term, which runs through 2018. Walker’s office said the application process for interested applicants will last for about two weeks, followed by interviews. The process to find a new sheriff will begin once the governor receives a resignation letter from Clarke, and Walker said that hasn’t happened yet. In explaining the appointment process, Walker’s office did not offer congratulations or any reaction to Clarke’s news. ___ Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis and Scott Bauer in Madison contributed to this report. ___ Follow Ivan Moreno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Ivanjourno |
Introducing PhotoAlbums+: From the makers of iRealSMS & PwnTunesWhat is it, and what does it do?PhotoAlbums+ is a new tweak for the native Photos application compatible with iOS4 capable iPhones & iPod Touches.What it basically does is cut out the tedious iTunes tethered process of creating albums and organizing your photos No longer do you have to be at your desktop to add or remove albums.. no longer to do you have to export the photos/videos to your pc before you can create and import an album to your device. No longer are you at the mercy of iTunes and forced to settle for a flawed, inconvenient and impractical photo management tool!Now with the touch of a button you can create new custom photo albums! Use the native media selection method to choose which photos/videos to MOVE out of the camera roll into your new custom albums... even move items from one custom album to the next. Simply use the move option to distribute your photos across your custom albums. If you have ever used the 'move' option in the Mail.app, then you already know how to use PhotoAlbums+. The UI has almost a zero learning curve as it is seamlessly integrated into the Photos application in such a way that you actually will think that this is really the way the Photos app should have been from the very beginning.Another exciting feature is the ability to create password protected albums. Simply click on the Lock icon within the album creation popup and create a password. Its that easy. No fuss, no muss.To delete and album use the swipe method. And upon deletion all the photos contained in the set will be moved back to the Camera Roll. Best of all this doesn't interfere with the iTunes syncing process, and you can backup your photos to your PC with ease. The tweak also is compatible with applications that hook into the photos app, so when choosing to insert pictures via twitter apps or messages apps, your albums will still be organized, password protected and ready for use. So take control over your Camera Roll and get it together with PhotoAlbums+!To create custom albums just press the "plus" button in the upper-right corner of the screen.Just name the album, go into the camera roll and begin distributing your pictures and videos into your custom albums!Easy to use and beautifully integrated. You'll really wonder how you got along without it all this time.Moving your pictures and videos between albums is as easy as1) select the items you wish to move.2) press the MOVE button found along the bottom of the screen.3) select the album you wish to move the items into.Easily delete an unwanted album by simply swiping your finger across the album cell. This will produce a DELTET option in which you must press to confirm deletion.Note that deleting an album does not delete the contents. The grouping of images and videos are what is purged while the actual pictures and videos are moved back into the Camera Roll.Ever want to keep certain pictures and videos out of the reach of prying eyes?Well now you can!With PhotoAlbums+ you have the power to password protect your custom albums.Its easy, just tap on the LOCK graphic in the upper-right corner of the New Albums popup and a set of password fields will populate the screen. Setup your password, select SAVE and your finished!Fast, easy, intuitive.PhotoAlbums+ will detect your custom albums and create seperate folders in the Windows File Explorer for increased control and ease over what you choose to export to your desktop.Managing your Camera Roll just got easier!(note: folder names will appear generic in nature, so you will have to go through the folders to determine what album is which.Upon entering one of the custom folders you can view the contents on your Album folder within the Windows File Explorer. Drag items directly to your desktop or the entire folder to easily export photos and videos to your Windows PC.Managing your Camera Roll just got easier! |
1 Troy Anthony Davis In August of 1989 Troy Davis was convicted of the murder of Mark MacPhail, a local off-duty police officer in Savannah Georgia. The crime occurred in a Burger King parking lot where Mark MacPhail was working as a security officer while off duty. There was an altercation between Davis and his two friends, Darrell Collins and Redd Coles, and Walter Young, a homeless man. When MacPhail came to check on the situation he was shot in the chest and face. The next evening Coles went to the police and told them that Davis had been the one that had shot MacPhail. A few days later Davis, who was out of town, was taken back to Savannah and charged with the murder. Davis was indicted for murder and assault. He plead not guilty. During the trial multiple witness stated that he had beaten the homeless man and shot the officer as well as shooting another person earlier in the evening while driving to the Burger King. Cole was one of the people testifying against Davis, even though there was evidence that he had the same type of gun used in the crimes, though he stated that he had given the gun to another person that night. The jury found Davis guilty of murder and charged him with the death penalty. The case went through both state and federal appeals. Multiple witness came forward in affidavits admitting that they felt bullied by the police running the investigation and were forced to give false testimony against Davis. The case went before the US Supreme Court in 2011. The appeal was rejected however and the execution was carried out on the evening of September 21, 2011. There is still question about whether Davis was guilty or innocent. |
Family vacation experts honor cheap vacations that consistently deliver the best value, during this recession or any time. Family Travel Forum (FTF), the leading publisher of family vacation and travel websites, congratulates the winners of its 11th annual "Top 10 Getaways” awards. For 2008, FTF editors searched beyond the “Sale” signs to find hospitality and travel companies that are always committed to value, offering families a budget vacation, with or without an economic crisis. FTF's Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways for Family Travelers Award For 10 years, many families using FTF's custom trip-planning service have told us the budget for their perfect vacation is 'whatever it takes,' This is the year it should take less, and with FTF's Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways winners, it will. Family Travel Forum's Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways for Family Travelers FTF’s Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways for Family Travelers range from a nationwide child-friendly campground chain to a tropical island paradise and majestic ski slopes. No matter how different, the Top 10 (Cheap) Getaway award winners raise the bar for family vacations by delivering friendly service, shared experiences and innovative amenities without breaking a parent's piggybank. FTF honors these 2008 winners for providing family travelers with consistent value. Top 10 (Cheap) All-Inclusive Getaway -- Divi Caribbean Resorts - Tamarijn Aruba, Aruba. A beachfront all-inclusive where kids under 18 stay free all year long. Top 10 (Cheap) Ski Getaways -- Lake Tahoe, Nevada and California. World-class terrain, snow and weather with prices that locals can afford. -- Western White Mountains, New Hampshire. The pristine environment, cozy cottages and lift ticket prices of a bygone era. Top 10 (Cheap) Cruise Getaway' -- Carnival Freedom, Florida. An affordable first-timer's Caribbean cruise has been tailor-made for families by the funships crew. Top 10 (Cheap) Reunion Getaways -- Crystal Coast, North Carolina. It's 50% cheaper than the Outer Banks and boasts huge oceanfront homes for your clan. -- Asilomar Conference Grounds, California. This landmarked Arts & Crafts style retreat serves three meals during multigenerational bonding. Top 10 (Cheap) Hotel Chain Getaways -- Premier Inn, Europe. This group blankets the U.K. with family rooms for just US$75 per night and a cheap breakfast option. -- Candlewood Suites, US. They smartly offer kitchens, free laundry and sofabeds, just like home, at an average $72 per night. Top 10 (Cheap) Campground Getaways -- Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts, US & Canada. "Bear-Bones" cabins for six begin at $80 and lots of activities make going green fun. -- Eurocamp, Europe. With choices from $6 per night kids' tents to furnished cottages and waterparks, these glamorous parks are a steal. |
During today’s third round of U.S. Open golf that featured a record-breaking score of 63 by Justin Thomas, there was also action in the skies over Wisconsin’s Erin Hills Golf Course. A plane pulled an anti-President Trump banner with the message, “USGA/LPGA take a mulligan Dump Trump,” a reference to the U.S. Women’s Open, which is scheduled for July 13-16 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. A women’s advocacy group called UltraViolet was behind the protest. In a statement, the group called the decision to hold the event at Bedminster “straight-up offensive,” given how much money and promotion it would give Trump’s course. The tournament is the second to be held at a Trump-owned course since he took office. Contrary to the message in the banner, the LPGA has no role in organizing the Women’s Open. The USGA awarded the Open to Trump National several years ago and will preside over the event. While there have been previous calls for the organization to move the Open away from the president’s club, USGA executive director Mike Davis has held firm. “We’re a golf organization. We’re simply not going to cross that line into politics,” Davis said in May. “I can appreciate that some people do. That’s what’s great about this country, that everyone has their own political views. We’re a golf association and we’re sticking to golf.” Fox is broadcasting the Open, but did not appear to carry any shots of the banner on air. About 35,000 people per day are attending the tournament at Erin Hills, a public facility near Milwaukee. |
Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. March 26, 2017, 10:04 PM GMT / Updated March 26, 2017, 10:04 PM GMT By Alex Johnson A Washington State woman under a court order to stay away from the area of the White House was arrested for the third time in a week overnight after she scaled a fence at the nearby U.S. Treasury, the Secret Service said Sunday. Uniformed Secret Service officers arrested the woman after an alarm was sounded about 2:15 a.m. Sunday, the agency said. The woman had successfully scaled the fence at the Treasury's southeast corner, at 15th Street NW a block east of the White House, the agency said. A security fence at the U.S. Treasury in Washington, D.C., in August 2011. AP She was charged with unlawful entry and contempt of court, said the Secret Service, which confirmed that she was the same woman who was arrested Tuesday night after she was left dangling on the inside of a fence at the White House when her shoelaces got tangled up in the fence. Court records identified that woman as Marci Anderson Wahl of Everett, Washington. Wahl pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor unlawful entry on Wednesday and was ordered to stay away from the area around the White House. But on Friday, Wahl was arrested a second time, this time on the north side of Lafayette Square, also a block from the White House. She again pleaded not guilty in D.C. Superior Court, this time to contempt of court, for allegedly defying the order to steer clear of the White House complex. The arrest Sunday morning came just a few hours after she was released in that case. In all three cases, the Secret Service said, she was carrying nothing threatening. No court date was immediately available in connection with her third arrest. Wahl faces a status hearing April 27 in connection with her first two arrests. |
A man was fatally shot and another was injured in the Southwest Side Brighton Park neighborhood early Sunday | photo by Reema Amin (STMW) — A man was fatally shot and another was injured in the Southwest Side Brighton Park neighborhood early Sunday. About 2:35 a.m., a male walked into a bar in the 4400 block of South Kedzie Avenue and began firing shots, police said. A 24-year-old man was shot in the chest and was unresponsive on the scene, police said. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed his death but could not provide additional details. Another man in his 30s was shot in the side and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in “stable” condition, police said. A witness at the scene said he was inside the bar when he went to the bathroom and heard gunshots. He turned around and saw the two victims on the floor, he said. The witness said he was “not surprised” the shooting occurred at the bar. (Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) |
The Russian military has questioned the swift conclusion of chemical weapons watchdog the OPCW, which has reported identifying sarin in samples related to an alleged attack in Syria on April 5. The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) convened in the Hague on Wednesday for an update on the investigation into the reported chemical weapons attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun. Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü told members that four OPCW designated laboratories have studied samples collected from three victims of the alleged attack during their autopsy and seven individuals undergoing treatment after surviving the incident. He said analysis of all samples indicated exposure to sarin or a sarin-like substance. Read more “While further details of the laboratory analyses will follow, the analytical results already obtained are incontrovertible,” the official said. The OPCW statement didn’t explain how exactly the samples were collected. The inspectors have yet to visit Khan Shaykhun, which would allow the collection of samples on the ground to confirm contamination from a chemical agent. The site is located in a rebel-controlled territory in the Idlib province. Üzümcü said such a visit would depend on the security situation and cited an attack on an OPCW fact-finding mission in May 2014. The Russian military, however, questioned the swift analysis of the samples, saying the OPCW did not act with such speed in another incident in which a militant group reportedly used mustard gas in Aleppo. “Russian specialists on the site of the crime [in Aleppo] collected samples of the agent, which had been delivered to representatives of the OPCW and transported to the Hague. By the way, the Syrian leadership at the time offered safety guarantees and insisted that OPCW experts visit Aleppo, but nobody came,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Thursday. READ MORE: Russia questions Britain’s chemical weapons investigation in Syria “Four months later the OPCW still cannot come to a conclusion and call the mustard gas found there mustard gas, saying additional analysis is necessary,” he remarked. The Russian military said it wanted details on who collected the samples and how they were studied at OPCW designated labs, and why the analysis in this case was completed in a much shorter space of time. Read more He added that if the OPCW states that sarin gas had been used in the incident, it would find it difficult to explain how White Helmet first responders survived exposure to the agent. Footage taken at the scene in the aftermath of the alleged attack showed people from the controversial rescue group helping the victims while wearing no protective gear rated for handling sarin. The OPCW is expected to provide a preliminary report on the incident within two weeks. On Wednesday, the OPCW voted against the amended proposal by Russia and Iran on changing the mechanism of investigating the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack, the UK delegation to the organization tweeted. The #OPCW Executive Council has overwhelmingly rejected the Russian and Iranian decision which attempted to undercut the FFM — UK Delegation OPCW (@UK_OPCW) April 20, 2017 “The OPCW Executive Council has overwhelmingly rejected the Russian and Iranian decision which attempted to undercut the FFM (fact-finding mission),” the tweet read. According to Canada’s representative, Tim Edwards, the Russian-Iranian initiative was supported by six members, with 21 “no” votes and 13 nations abstaining. In the amended proposal, Moscow and Tehran agreed with Western demands for the investigation of the alleged attack to be carried out by the existing OPCW fact-finding mission. However, they insisted that the mandate of investigators be realized in full, instead of selectively approached, as in the recent period. The incident in Khan Shaykhun reportedly killed as many as 100 people and injured several hundred. The US squarely laid the blame on Damascus, claiming that it hid chemical weapons stockpiles from the OPCW after pledging to hand them over in 2013. Washington fired a barrage of cruise missiles at the Syrian airbase from which it claimed the chemical weapons attack was launched – a move that was hailed by Syria’s neighbor Israel. Europe backs the accusations against the Syrian government, even though no solid evidence has been made public. Russia has called for a thorough investigation of the incident, which would include an on-site inspection in the rebel-held territory, before coming to any conclusions. Moscow believes that the incident may have been a false flag operation meant to provoke a US attack against Damascus. |
"I Am Furious (Yellow)" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons' thirteenth season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on April 28, 2002. In the episode, Bart creates a comic book series based on his father Homer's anger problems, which turns into a popular Internet cartoon series called Angry Dad. Homer finds out about this and is at first outraged, but after talking to his family, he decides to try to become a less angry person. The episode was directed by Chuck Sheetz and written by John Swartzwelder. The idea for the episode was pitched by Matt Selman, and the staff took inspiration for the episode from the Simpsons staff's own experience with web cartoons, such as Queer Duck and Hard Drinkin' Lincoln. The episode includes references to the dot-com bubble, Danish physicist Niels Bohr and comic book publishers Marvel Comics and DC Comics. It also features American comic book writer Stan Lee as himself. Before its original broadcast, "I Am Furious (Yellow)" faced scrutiny from fans, who thought that Homer would literally transform into the Hulk in the episode. In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 7.8 million viewers, finishing in 26th place in the ratings the week it aired. Following its home video release, "I Am Furious (Yellow)" received positive reviews from critics, and is often considered a favorite among fans. A sequel to this episode, "Angry Dad: The Movie", in which Bart and Homer make a short film based on Angry Dad, aired in the United States on February 20, 2011. Plot [ edit ] Kirk Van Houten gives a speech to the kids at Springfield Elementary about his occupation of assistant flyer distributor. Due to the short and unengaging nature of his speech, Principal Skinner and Mrs. Krabappel take Lisa's advice and visit the Springfield Writer's Forum to find a better speaker, where they meet Jeff Jenkins, creator of the popular TV cartoon Danger Dog. He comes to the school to give a presentation on Danger Dog, which includes a sneak preview for the next Easter special, and fascinates the kids by telling them about the cartoon industry. Much to Skinner's horror, Jenkins tells the students how easy his job is, and how he has never needed to work hard. Later, every kid in school creates their own comic books, all of which are rip-offs of Danger Dog. Bart tries to sell his comic, Danger Dude (whose protagonist is also a dog), to Comic Book Guy at The Android's Dungeon, who flatly criticizes his work for being crude and derivative. Stan Lee enters the store and tells Bart that although his comic is bad, he should keep trying to "find his own voice." At home, Bart comes up with a character called Angry Dad, based on the frequent angry outbursts of his father, Homer. Bart rolls out the first issue of Angry Dad, which becomes a hit with the kids in school. During an autograph signing session in the schoolyard, Bart is approached by a spokesman for an Internet entertainment site who wants to make Angry Dad into an online animated cartoon series, and he agrees in exchange for stock. The cartoon becomes an Internet hit, becoming the single most popular non-pornographic website of all time. The only one still unaware of Angry Dad is Homer, who finds out one day at work. Once the humiliated Homer gets home, he finds Bart and strangles him. Marge and Lisa stop him and calm him down, and Homer agrees to suppress his anger from that point on. The next day, Homer stays true to his word and remains calm. However, his new calm demeanor has taken away Bart's inspiration for his cartoon, so Bart and Milhouse set up a trap for Homer to trigger another outburst. Later, they go to the Internet company office, where they find the company has gone bankrupt. Homer reaches home and happens upon Bart's trap, but he keeps his calm throughout its run, causing lumps to develop on his neck. The trap ends with Homer falling into a pool full of green paint, prompting him to go berserk and storm through town. The police restrain him and Homer is admitted to the hospital. Dr. Hibbert arrives and tells Marge that Bart actually saved Homer's life by enraging him. Hibbert explains the lumps on his neck were actually boils caused by suppressed rage and would have otherwise overwhelmed his system. Homer thanks Bart by taking him fishing, where he continues to make his father angry. Production [ edit ] "I Am Furious (Yellow)" was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Chuck Sheetz. It was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on April 28, 2002. The episode's storyline was pitched by Simpsons writer Matt Selman. In the DVD audio commentary for the episode, he stated that Matt Groening, the creator of the series, would usually tell the writers about how he was the class clown and did not pay attention in school, and yet grew up to become very successful. After hearing this, Selman thought that if Groening went back to his school to talk about his career, it "[would be] the last message that a principal and the teachers would wanna hear." Selman pitched the story because he thought it would be "humorously infuriating" to teachers.[2] The episode was also partly based on some of the Simpsons staff members' experience with making internet cartoons, such as Queer Duck and Hard Drinkin' Lincoln, both of which were created by Mike Reiss.[3] The experience knocked me out. However, nothing is perfect. The drawing of me didn't look quite as much like Brad Pitt as I had expected. —Stan Lee[4] The Angry Dad internet cartoon, as well as the other internet cartoons in the episode, were originally going to be animated using Macromedia Flash, however, the department of Film Roman that handled Flash animation would not be able to complete the scenes in time. Because of this, director Sheetz had to draw the scenes himself, mimicking the look of Flash animation.[5] At the end of Bart's trap, Homer falls into a pool of green paint, making him resemble the Hulk. Selman originally wanted Homer to fall into blue paint, since the blue paint mixed with his yellow skin would make green, however the idea never came to fruition.[2] The episode features comic book writer Stan Lee as himself. In John Ortved's book The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History, Lee stated that he attended the episode's table read, and was impressed with the size and quality of the creative staff, who all sat around the conference table. Lee recalled in 2009, "Honestly, there was so much genuine talent around that table that you could have cut it with a knife."[4] Afterward, Lee met the writers of the show, and was pleasantly surprised to find that they were familiar with his work and he was with theirs. Afterward, executive producer Al Jean took Lee out to lunch, who he called "one of the nicest and most unassuming guys you could hope to meet."[4] Lee continued, "Of course, I probably said something wrong to him, or he didn't like my table manners, because I haven't been invited back for another guest shot. But hey one lives in hope."[4] In a meta-joke, the character of the voice actor who plays Angry Dad is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, who also provides Homer's voice; the character's design is also a caricature of Castellaneta.[6] Cultural references [ edit ] Homer is angered by a documentary on Danish physicist Niels Bohr The title of the episode is a parody of 1967 Swedish art house film I Am Curious (Yellow). The episode references the dot-com bubble, a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000. In their article "15 Simpsons Moments That Perfectly Captured Their Eras", Genevieve Koski, Josh Modell, Noel Murray, Sean O'Neal, Kyle Ryan and Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club wrote: "By April 2002, the dot-com bubble of the late '90s had been popped for a couple of years, taking with it myriad Internet start-ups. A sobering soul-searching settled in their place, which The Simpsons captured in this episode about Bart creating a popular Internet cartoon called Angry Dad. Touring the laid-back start-up that hosts the cartoons, Lisa asks head honcho Todd Linux about their business model. 'How many shares of stock will it take to end this conversation?' he retorts. Lisa asks for two million, which Linux grabs from a paper-towel dispenser. When Bart and Lisa return later, the company has gone bust, and Linux is stealing copper wire out of the walls."[7] When Stan Lee approaches Database, who is playing with a toy Batmobile, he asks him if he would rather prefer a more exciting action figure. Lee then begins shoving a The Thing action figure into the Batmobile, effectively destroying it. This scene pokes fun at the DC vs. Marvel rivalry (Batman's Batmobile of DC Comics and The Thing a property of Marvel Comics).[4] Another scene in the episode references Danish physicist Niels Bohr. In his book What's Science Ever Done For Us: What the Simpsons Can Teach Us About Physics, Robots, Life, and the Universe, Paul Halpern wrote "In the episode [...], one of Homer's favorite TV shows is preempted by the program The Boring World of Niels Bohr. Homer is so upset that he clutches an ice-cream sandwich, aims it at the screen like it's a remote control, squeezes out its contents, and splatters Bohr's image. In contrast to Homer's reaction, most physicists heap nothing but accolades upon Bohr, whose revolutionary ideas shaped the modern concept of the atom."[8] Release and reception [ edit ] Broadcast and re-release [ edit ] In its original American broadcast on April 28, 2002, "I Am Furious (Yellow)" received a 7.4 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, translating to approximately 7.8 million viewers. It finished in 26th place in the ratings for the week of April 22–28, 2002, making it the most watched program on the network that night.[9] Combined with a new episode of Malcolm in the Middle, The Simpsons beat CBS's Everybody Loves Raymond special ("Everybody Loves Raymond: The First Six Years") in the ratings, besting the special by a full rating point and a half among adults between ages 18 to 49.[10] On August 24, 2010, the episode was released as part of The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season DVD and Blu-ray box set. Matt Groening, Al Jean, Matt Selman, Mike Reiss, Chuck Sheetz, Don Payne, Tom Gammill, Max Pross, David Silverman, and Stan Lee participated in the DVD audio commentary for the episode.[11] Critical reception [ edit ] Upon the episode's release, a promotional image of Homer mimicking the Hulk caused some of the series' internet fans to speculate that the show had jumped the shark. "[...] I still remember the publicity it [the episode] got," Jean said in the DVD commentary for the episode. "The internet people were like, 'They jumped the shark. They're having Homer turn into The Hulk.' [...] We clearly did it in a logical fashion. He's not really super strong."[12] Following its broadcast, "I Am Furious (Yellow)" garnered positive reviews from critics, and is often considered a fan favourite.[13] Colin Jacobsson of DVD Movie Guide called the episode one of the better installments from Season 13, referring to it as "very good" and saying that "the series has milked Homer's rage [as one of its chief sources of humor] for years, but it does so in creative and satisfying ways here."[14] R.L. Shaffer of IGN described "I Am Furious (Yellow)", along with "Brawl in the Family" and "Half-Decent Proposal", as being "cleverly written" and the best episodes of the season.[13] Aaron Peck of High-Def Digest stated that the episode is one of his "personal favourites,"[15] and Ron Martin of 411Mania called it a "standout episode."[16] Adam Rayner of Obsessed With Film gave the episode a favorable review as well. He wrote that, even though it is not "as rooted in reality as the great episodes," the episode is "consistently hilarious."[17] He concluded that the episode is "great comedy from start to finish."[17] Blu-ray.com's Casey Broadwater called it a "strong character-centric episode," and added that the episode's title is one of his "favourites."[18] Writing for Project-Blu, Nate Boss wrote "Just when you think The Simpsons is broke, we get Angry Dad. To quote Stan Lee: 'Broke? Or made it BETTER?' That's right. Stan 'the man' Lee."[19] Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict gave the episode a B+, describing "Homer's random exclamation while running around on fire, 'Oh, I hope no one's drawing this!'" as the episode's "highlight."[20] Ryan Keefer of DVD Talk described the episode as being "flat out funny."[21] Lee's appearance in the episode was also praised. Rayner called his performance "one of the all time great cameos,"[21] and Jacobson called it "fun."[14] Broadwater considered Lee's appearance to be one of the season's "highlights,"[18] and Total Film's Nathan Ditum ranked Lee's performance as the 12th best guest appearance in the show's history, describing it as "a deranged, childish and brilliant version of himself."[22] Legacy [ edit ] The episode has been used as an indicator to the growth of internet companies. In his article "Best Indicator Ever: The Simpsons Foreclosure", Jonathan Hoenig of SmartMoney wrote that the twentieth season episode "No Loan Again, Naturally", an episode in which the Simpsons are foreclosed from their house, could have indicated that "the worst of the housing crisis" at the time the article was written, was over. Hoenig based this theory on the fact that shortly after "I Am Furious (Yellow)", which satirizes the dot-com bubble, aired, the dotcom stocks "began a massive rebound from bear-market lows."[23] "I Am Furious (Yellow)" inspired the idea for the twenty-second season episode "Angry Dad: The Movie", which originally aired on February 20, 2011 in the United States. In "Angry Dad: The Movie", Bart and Homer create a short film based on the Angry Dad cartoon seen in "I Am Furious (Yellow)", but after the film wins a myriad of prizes, the two start fighting over who created the series.[24] See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] |
Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland may give off the vibe that he's an unassuming, middle-of-the-road candidate waiting patiently on Senate action regarding his confirmation. Which he is. To date, it's been more than 50 days since President Barack Obama nominated Garland to fill the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, and Senate Republicans appear all but resolved to block his nomination so President Donald Trump can pick a "wonderful, conservative, good, solid, brilliant" judge instead. Lest anyone doubt that Garland is already many of those things, the nominee on Tuesday submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee a 141-page questionnaire -- along with a 2,066-page appendix -- that offers yet another glimpse at his legal career and his approach to decision-making over the years: Like the #SCOTUS nominees before him, Judge Garland filled out a questionnaire for Senators: https://t.co/01zuyMOQT4 pic.twitter.com/mjaX8kvmXA — SCOTUS Nomination (@SCOTUSnom) May 10, 2016 Tucked deep in this document, which includes lists of Garland's most notable cases and accounts of his litigation experience, was a striking detail about his nearly 20 years as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, an influential body that is widely regarded as a pipeline to the nation's high court. "None of the opinions I have authored has been reversed, either by the Supreme Court of the United States" or by the full D.C. Circuit, Garland told the Senate Judiciary Committee. That's an impressive feat, given that Garland has penned more than 350 lead opinions as an appellate judge and participated with other judges in more than 2,600 cases since he was appointed to the bench in 1997, according to the questionnaire. There are some caveats. Garland does note that there was one case where the Supreme Court reversed him, but not because he was wrong. Rather, it was because the law had changed. In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that federal judges aren't bound to follow the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines when making sentencing determinations. It turns out that right before the high court issued that ruling, Garland had largely upheld three criminal sentences based on the old state of the law. After the Supreme Court ruled on the matter, those sentences were deemed no longer valid and were reversed by the justices. In other words, it seems like Garland got the law right the first time around -- it just didn't stay the law for long. Garland also listed five other instances where he was part of a three-judge panel that issued an opinion -- but where he was not personally the author -- and where the Supreme Court later decided to issue either a full or a partial reversal. These included a criminal case very similar to the one above, a case dealing with Guantanamo Bay detainees and three cases involving federal agencies. There are other tidbits of interest in Garland's questionnaire, including what he considers his most important decisions -- his top pick was a big win for freedom of the press -- as well as descriptions of his volunteer work as a grade-school tutor for the past 18 years. There was also this nugget from when he was in private practice: While I was at Arnold & Porter in the 1980s, a young man who worked as a photocopier operator at the firm asked me to help him with his writing. I worked with and mentored him over many years, both while I was in private practice and in the government, from the time we met through his successful graduation from law school and entry into the legal profession. |
A team of scientists working in a Kenyan rainforest has discovered what is thought to be a new species of elephant shrew. Weighing in at a hefty 600g, the two-foot long creature is unusually large compared to other species. The mammal, which is more closely related to elephants than to shrews, was caught on motion sensor cameras set up by the Zoological Society of London's Edge of Existence programme in the threatened Boni-Dodori rainforest, which sits on Kenya's north-eastern coast next to Somalia. "It's really rare to discover a new species of mammal, and it's particularly remarkable that we've found a new species of elephant shrew just five years after the last one was discovered in Tanzania's Udzungwa mountains," says Raj Amin, who led the team. This brings the total number of elephant shrew (Macroscelidea) known to science to 18 species - all found in Africa. The crew are yet to see one of the species alive, having caught one on camera and found a dead elephant shrew in one of their nets. Members of the Boni tribe also brought them two more dead specimens of the new species. DNA from the samples is currently being analysed to confirm that the animal is a new species, but Amin remains confident: "You can distinguish elephant shrews based on their colour, and this one looks completely different from all the others." "It doesn't have a golden rump, or a rufous-coloured face, or spots, but it does have grizzled yellow-brown sides and shoulders, a black rump and thighs and what appears to be a dark mane," says Amin. Because the animal was captured on camera during the day, it is also likely to be diurnal. Until 2005, security was too tight for scientists to enter the Boni-Dodori forest but in 2008, Amin's team got permission to survey the area. They were amazed at how intact it was, as neighbouring regions have largely been logged and converted into biofuel farms. "As it turns out, the Boni-Dodori forest is infested with sleeping sickness, a parasite transmitted by the tsetse fly, so herders and other people have left it well alone for the most part," says Amin. After the inevitable buzz around finding a new species dies down, Amin hopes that the discovery will draw attention to the plight of the roughly 2,216 sq km patch of forest, which may not be protected by sleeping sickness for much longer. "China wants to rebuild a nearby port in order to ship out minerals, and there are also plans for an oil pipeline," says Amin. "In addition, biofuel companies are growing crops on freshly deforested land that's less degraded, just to make a quick profit." In January, WWF set up the first conservation project in the forest. The project will last for three years and produce an inventory of the forest's biodiversity. |
They have Become One There’s an old Hungarian saying about Vizslas that goes: “If you own a Vizsla, it lives on top of your head”. Vizslas are also known as “The Velcro dog” because they are literally everywhere their owner is and pretty much need to be touching them at all times. Well, Leslie and Sherlock have taken this character of Vizslas and their owners to a whole new level, Sherlock now not only lives on top of Leslie’s head, he actually has found a way to live IN her head. I realized this was the case when we went to Napa this weekend and it because apparent to me that Leslie and Sherlock are completely mentally synced. Notice the evidence from when we woke up Sunday morning and when they decided it was nap time Sunday afternoon: Sherlock and Leslie both waking up at the same time, both with a similar happy and expectant look on their face….both sharing a consciousness. Ignore the fact for a moment that Leslie is sleeping with her nose up a dog’s ass and just note that they both decided it was nap time, so they laid down and fell asleep in a synchronized fashion. It’s more than uncanny, it’s freaking strange! Leslie and Sherlock have come to remind me of Nestor from the great 1980’s sci fi movie “Battle Beyond the Stars” where JohnBoy Walton is a slack-jawed yokel from a weak-ass planet who takes his broke down space ship into outer space to recruit various rogues, aliens, and sexy warrior chicks to come with him back to his planet and mount a defense against an invading force from another planet. One of the coolest aliens (other than the sexy and scantily clad Saint-Exmin) recruited by JohnBoy Walton is called “Nestor”. Nestor is a group of dudes who all share a consciousness so they can all work together, completely in sync, with no need for verbal communication or writing, etc….they just all are in each other’s heads. Nestor was the original ‘boy band’ but cool because they were aliens (Yes, spoiler alert, I said ‘were’ because they die in the movie) Leslie and Sherlock have become Nestor. Anywho…I will continue to monitor this strange situation and if it becomes even more shocking, I might have to send Les-Lock away for government testing to see if it’s possible to de-Nestor them. On the other hand, I love freaky stuff like this so I might just continue to watch them for my amusement. It’s anyone’s guess now. Does this mean I’m partially married to a dog? |
Infrared device would be able to block fans using their iPhones to record shows, films and other live events The spread of smartphones has created a divide among gig-goers. There are those who like to hold their phone up for large chunks of the show, to capture footage of the band. And there are those who like to stand and watch the group and listen to the music, without any screens in their way. Now, it seems, the latter group could be on their way to victory in the eternal struggle between the filmers and the watchers. Pitchfork reports that Apple has won approval from the US Patent and Trademark Office for technology that could be used to prevent fans filming or taking photos of gigs on their iPhones. The phone prison – how to stop people filming at gigs Read more The patent, headed “Systems and methods for receiving infrared data with a camera designed to detect images based on visible light”, outlines how infrared light could be used to prevent filming: “For example, an infrared emitter can be located in areas where picture or video capture is prohibited, and the emitter can generate infrared signals with encoded data that includes commands to disable the recording functions of devices. An electronic device can then receive the infrared signals, decode the data and temporarily disable the device’s recording function based on the command.” What makes this relevant to music is that one of Apple’s “perspective view[s] of an illustrative system for communicating infrared data in accordance with one embodiment of the invention” depicts a band on a stage, and an iPhone screen with the words “recording disabled”, suggesting that this – along with preventing filming in cinemas – is one of Apple’s suggested usages for the technology. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Band blocker … How Apple’s new technology would work. Photograph: Public domain Filming of concerts is not just an annoyance to musicians – many of whom ask their fans to put their devices away at concerts – but also a problem for artists who want to play unreleased songs live, but have to deal with the prospect of those songs popping up on YouTube long before the official release. In recent months, too, artists have become increasingly vociferous about poor royalty payments from unauthorised YouTube uploads. While technology to stop fans filming concerts would only be a drop in the ocean in this regard, it would end one tranche of the unauthorised uploads that appear on the video site. Facebook Twitter Pinterest An audience member recording a band at a festival – millions of unauthorised videos end up on YouTube. Photograph: Alamy Adele tells fan to stop filming gig and enjoy it in real life Read more The specialist Apple site 9to5Mac notes that the technology in Apple’s patent – which the tech giant first applied for in 2011 – is now not the most up-to-date: “It’s possible that the technology described by the patent has been superseded by things like iBeacons, which could conceivably trigger the same kind of functionality more reliably – infrared feels like a rather elderly method of data-transmission these days,” the site commented. |
Europe’s first law specifically cracking down on gender-based violence was unanimously approved in Spain at the end of 2004 under the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. This law called for public education in gender equality, improved assistance to victims, stiffer sentences for aggressors, the creation of special courts, and a series of procedures aimed at protecting women under threat, bringing the full force of the state to bear on eradicating what they called “criminal machismo.” A Law Only For Women This may seem fine at first until you realize that the law ONLY allows women to use it—not men. It also works on the principle that the aggressor is guilty until proven innocent (in direct contravention with Spain’s own constitutional laws). Needless to say, the law may encourage some bitter women to run into the police station and falsely cry abuse for different reasons, such as obtaining custody of children, increasing out-of-court divorce settlements, and plain old-fashioned jealousy. In all cases the man is arrested and put in prison before facing summary trial in the specially set up courts. The case may end in a tragic outcome for the man, facing prison as well as having to fight the stigma of being a falsely accused “maltratador.” This is the situation in the Spanish political scene in 2013. But the times they are a changing… Twitter Opened The Pandora Box Antonio Cantó García del Moral (Valencia, January 14, 1965), better known as Toni Cantó, is a Spanish politician and actor, member of the Congress of Deputies of Spain. He participated in several movies and TV shows. He is one of the few politicians that dared to speak up about discrimination against men in Law. On February 25, he tweeted the following messages: “Most domestic violence allegations are false. The law does not enforce them. Statistics are biased” “Did you know that one-third of deaths for domestic violence are men?” “2,456 men committed suicide in Spain in 2010, a 78.09% of the total was in the process of separation or divorce” These statements triggered outrage across the country. Almost immediately he was slayed in the Spanish media and on Twitter for what was considered a “classic machist rant.” More than 40 women associations demanded his resignation from the “Commission of Equality”, a commission where he owns a seat. Cantó twittered again: “As soon as you mention fake claims they say that you don’t care about women’s deaths or they call you an abuser. This is what you get in this country” The Mistake The pressure didn’t stop, and things got even worse for Cantó. He realized that the sources where he obtained his data weren’t verified and therefore the figures weren’t accurate. At that point he had no other option but to ask for an apology: Loading... “I have to apologize because I didn’t double checked my sources, and considering we are talking about domestic violence, this was a bad mistake.“ The New Inquisition In Modern Spain Cantó was called up for questioning before the “Commission for Equality.” This is a commission of the Spanish Congress constituted almost entirely by women. In the meantime, some brave political manginas took advantage of the situation to kick him when he was down: “Comrades, today is the day to impale Tony Cantó.” During the session, Cantó was confronted and scolded by a furious group of angry-looking women. The Socialist party representative, Carmen Montón, suggested that he had behaved like an “accomplice of abusers” and would have contributed to “undermine the credibility of the victims.” Cantó only managed to keep his seat after issuing an official apology to the commission. “At any case”, he added, “the equality that we are trying to build, goes against men.” Unexpected Support The year is 2013 and the Spanish political scene is entirely dominated by fundamentalist forces that seem to despise any man who dare to stand up to the sexist, man-hating feminist movement. Well, not entirely, as Canto’s statements were not disliked by everyone. Despite all criticism he also received support. Some bloggers expressed him their sympathy, the issue was discussed in forums and Spanish female journalist Anna Grau backed him up. She wrote an article titled “Any woman to support Tony Cantó? Yes, myself”. This is a small excerpt: In short, Toni Cantó has been stoned in the media, peace and political correctness was seen here and there and a load of crap was swept under the rug. I am not writing this because I have Stockholm syndrome from Tony Cantó or with the male gender in general. I write this on behalf of all the true battered women who do not deserve the scorn of lying. I write this in defense of all good men and friends who do not deserve to be stuck in the same bag of rapists and murderers. I write this in defense of decency, human dignity and yes, politics. Thanks Tony Cantó for trying to touch some truly painful subject. And please keep digging. Soon after Anna posted the article, her site received the visit of a number of choleric feminists who expressed their disconformity in different ways. Read more: You’re A Monster If You Don’t Support The Welfare State |
Canada's retail sales activity came in softer than expected in March, with economists warning of a weak second quarter for the economy. Statistics Canada reported Friday that overall sales were down one per cent nationally — worse than the contraction of 0.6 per cent that economists have been forecasting. Factoring out inflation, retail activity in terms of constant dollar sales declined by 1.3 per cent. "Of course there remains a great deal of diversity in the underlying trends by province, although for March most saw declines in sales compared with the prior month," said Andrew Grantham of CIBC World Markets. "That includes the likes of Ontario and B.C., where sales had previously been surging and are running hot in terms of year over-year growth. The oil-producing provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta saw declines in sales not just on the month, but also in year-over-year terms," he said. Statistics Canada said the largest decrease in dollar terms in March was a 2.9 per cent decline at motor vehicle and parts dealers. This was mainly due to a three per cent sales decline at new car dealers, while sales at used car dealers and other motor vehicle dealers also retreated. Sales at furniture and home furnishing stores were down, along with gas station sales. On the upside, sales at clothing and accessories stores rose 0.8 per cent, Statistics Canada said. "The bad news is that the economy looks to have slowed to end Q1 — with negative ramifications for Q2," Scotiabank economists Derek Holt and Dov Zigler said in a commentary. "Between soft manufacturing figures and trade figures, and now retail sales… the end of Q1 and thus the outlook for Q2 was looking bad to begin with even before the economy had to contend with the Alberta fires," they said. |
A new Wine version has been released and its makers have implemented a number of important new features, not to mention all the smaller fixes that have been added as well. If you think that Wine is an emulator for Windows app, you would be wrong. It's actually a compatibility layer that allows users to run Windows apps and games. If you ever started Windows, you might have noticed that the .exe files can be started by trying to emulate the conditions of a previous version of Windows. That is just a compatibility layer and Wine acts pretty much the same way. Each new Wine release comes with a few major improvements that are usually related to the application itself, and a large number of smaller ones that deal with compatibility issues reported by the community. If you are trying to run a Windows app and it doesn't work, for whatever reason, you can sent a report back to the Wine team and they will look into it as soon as they are able to do so. As you might notice, they fix many of these issues each week. Wine 1.7.38 is now the most advanced version available Users will usually find the latest stable version of Wine in the repositories, and if the Windows applications and games that you need run just fine with this version, then you really shouldn't upgrade. If it doesn't work, then you can try the development version. It's very likely to have an application run with the stable iteration and not with the latest development one. According to the changelog, a new version of the Gecko engine based on Firefox 36 has been implemented, themed scrollbars are now supported, the Mono engine has been updated, and the X Drag & Drop version 5 has been implemented. The list of supported games and apps now include Supreme Commander, Adobe Digital Editions, BitComet, Monkey Island: Special Edition, Icebreakers, DVDFlick, Planetside 2, Desperados 2, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010, Condemned: Criminal Origins, and F.E.A.R. How to install the latest version of Wine in Ubuntu Users can get Wine 1.7.38 from the source code, but Ubuntu users can install it from a PPA. Just enter these commands in a terminal (with root access): code sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-wine/ppa sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install wine Enjoy! |
Media playback is not supported on this device Highlights - St Mirren 3-2 Celtic St Mirren stunned tournament favourites Celtic with victory at Hampden to set up a Scottish Communities League Cup final meeting with Hearts. Esmael Goncalves marked his Buddies debut with the opening goal, only for Gary Hooper to level before half-time. Charlie Mulgrew had a penalty saved before conceding the spot-kick that gave St Mirren the lead a second time. Paul McGowan scored from 12 yards and Steven Thompson netted a stylish volley before Mulgrew's late consolation. McGowan and Goncalves were both on target in St Miren's Hampden victory The Paisley side will return to Scotland's national stadium in March to meet Having not scored against Celtic in their previous eight meetings, Danny Lennon's side belied their underdog status with an incisive opener in the eighth minute. Conor Newton dinked the ball towards the six-yard box and Goncalves' outstretched foot directed the ball in off the post. St Mirren took great confidence from their goal and John McGinn tested Lukasz Zaluska with fierce low drive. Celtic gradually steadied themselves and opened up their opponents with consummate ease when Joe Ledley combined with his captain Scott Brown. The skipper nutmegged Jim Goodwin as he skipped towards goal but Marc McAusland did enough to deflect the shot out of play. Hooper came even closer for Neil Lennon's side when he superbly controlled a long ball and rattled the top of the crossbar with a measured volley. Media playback is not supported on this device Interview - St Mirren boss Danny Lennon Victor Wanyama and Georgios Samaras were both off target with efforts as the Scottish Premier League leaders continued to look menacing. And the pressure finally told on the stroke of half-time when Hooper stayed onside to tap home Brown's inch-perfect low cross. Celtic had the chance to go in front early in the second period after Lassad's shot had been blocked by the hands of Goodwin and referee Willie Collum pointed to the spot. Mulgrew took the responsibility but his effort from 12 yards was palmed away by Samson. The Celtic defender's afternoon then went from bad to worse as he blocked Gary Teale's cross with an arm and referee Collum awarded St Mirren a penalty of their own. Media playback is not supported on this device Interview - Celtic manager Neil Lennon Former Celtic player McGowan confidently stroked the ball past Zaluska to give the Buddies a crucial advantage. And Thompson gave his side some breathing space with the third goal, stooping to turn McAusland's cross into the corner of the net. Celtic tried to respond but Mulgrew and substitute Anthony Stokes were unable to trouble Samson. And St Mirren maintained a threat of their own with Teale hammering in a shot that forced a block from Zaluska. A low drive by Mulgrew found its way through a ruck of legs and into the net but within seconds the final whistle sounded to the delight of the St Mirren faithful. |
Turkey’s intel agency tries to determine IDs of 30,000 ByLock users Fevzi Kızılkoyun – ANKARA Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MİT) is attempting to determine the identities of some 30,000 users of the smartphone application ByLock, which came to prominence after it emerged that followers of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen used the program.According to MİT, a total of 230,000 ByLock accounts have been found, of which 15,000 are duplicates.MİT has sent the identities of around 185,000 ByLock users to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Department of Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime. Authorities are now attempting to determine whether 30,000 unidentified ByLock users are the cryptographic members of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), widely believed to have masterminded the July 15, 2016, failed coup.Police have opened a search engine for colleagues in 81 provinces to check whether a suspected name is on the ByLock users list. In addition, the police will be able to determine if a suspected person is using ByLock through a General Information Scanning (GBT) check. |
A survey of Middle East residents on the U.S. election found that nearly half would sit home on Election Day if given the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The Arab News/YouGov poll across 18 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region found 47 percent saying thanks but no thanks to the Clinton-Trump ballot. Forty-four percent would vote for Clinton and 9 percent would vote for Trump. Asked about their enthusiasm level for the candidates, 49 percent said Trump made them "upset" while 11 percent said that about Clinton; 5 percent were "enthusiastic" about Trump and 17 percent were for Clinton. Fifty-two percent are following the U.S. election closely or occasionally. Only 9 percent thought our election would have no impact on the Arab world. Seventy-eight percent thought Clinton would be better for the Arab world as opposed to 22 percent favoring Trump on the question. The poll also found broad support for the GOP platform of social conservatism -- only 11 percent believed a woman has a right to get an abortion -- and many Arabs wanting to get tough on border security. "It is not unreasonable to assume that this support could extend to other important social issues,” said Stephan Shakespeare, chief executive of YouGov. |
Study: Most Plastics Leach Hormone-Like Chemicals Enlarge this image toggle caption David McNew/Getty Images David McNew/Getty Images Most plastic products, from sippy cups to food wraps, can release chemicals that act like the sex hormone estrogen, according to a study in Environmental Health Perspectives. The study found these chemicals even in products that didn't contain BPA, a compound in certain plastics that's been widely criticized because it mimics estrogen. Enlarge this image toggle caption PlastiPure PlastiPure Many plastic products are now marketed as BPA-free, and manufacturers have begun substituting other chemicals whose effects aren't as well known. But it's still unclear whether people are being harmed by BPA or any other so-called estrogenic chemicals in plastics. Most studies of health effects have been done in mice and rats. The new study doesn't look at health risks. It simply asks whether common plastic products release estrogen-like chemicals other than BPA. The researchers bought more than 450 plastic items from stores including Walmart and Whole Foods. They chose products designed to come in contact with food — things like baby bottles, deli packaging and flexible bags, says George Bittner, one of the study's authors and a professor of biology at the University of Texas, Austin. Then CertiChem, a testing company founded by Bittner, chopped up pieces of each product and soaked them in either saltwater or alcohol to see what came out. The testing showed that more than 70 percent of the products released chemicals that acted like estrogen. And that was before they exposed the stuff to real-world conditions: simulated sunlight, dishwashing and microwaving, Bittner says. To Fear Or Not To Fear Plastics? Exactly how BPA affects humans, and how serious its effects are, are still very much up for debate. The U.S. government generally advocates caution and more research, but agencies have issued a range of hesitant warnings. The National Toxicology Program, a division of the National Institutes of Health, says it has "some concern" about potential BPA exposures to the brains and prostate glands of fetuses, infants and children. Other agencies say they have lingering, unresolved "questions" about the chemical. Those questions largely circle around how prolonged exposure to the chemical in childhood or adulthood could affect reproduction and growth; how low-dose exposure at sensitive developmental stages could affect children and babies later in life; and how parental exposure could affect the next generation. Studies have shown links between BPA and cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and a host of other illnesses. One major sticking point for scientists is the challenge of drawing conclusions from hundreds of studies, each using different animals (mice and rats among them), doses, and routes of exposure. As the Environmental Protection Agency has noted, "there is controversy about whether effects seen at lower doses in animals are meaningful and relevant to humans." And scientists have also wondered whether rodents are more sensitive to the chemical than us because they metabolize it differently. Last year, the NIH launched a new round of studies, all with the same methodology, designed to answer the some of the niggling questions and help the government provide clearer guidance than it's been able to so far. — Eliza Barclay "Then, you greatly increase the probability that you're going to get chemicals having estrogenic activity released," he says, adding that more than 95 percent of the products tested positive after undergoing this sort of stress. But what about all those products marketed as BPA-free? That's a claim being made for everything from dog bowls to bento boxes these days. The team concentrated on BPA-free baby bottles and water bottles, Bittner says, "and all of them released chemicals having estrogenic activity." Sometimes the BPA-free products had even more activity than products known to contain BPA. The testing didn't show which chemicals are to blame, which is likely to be frustrating to manufacturers. But Bittner says consumers should be encouraged that at least some plastic products had no estrogen-like activity. He says that shows it is possible to make these products. Early reaction to the study was mixed. Some scientists wondered about the test's reliability. Others noted that wine and many vegetables also can act like estrogen. And a few observed that Bittner has a financial interest in the testing lab and in a company involved in making plastic products that don't release estrogenic chemicals. On the other hand, groups that have warned about the potential dangers of BPA in the past seemed to welcome the new research. "This is really helpful because they took a look at very common products," says Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst at the Environmental Working Group. But the results suggest that concerns about plastics can't be solved by worried consumers at the checkout counter, Lunder says. It's a problem for government, she says. "Regulatory agencies need to study the effect of chemicals leaching out of plastic," Lunder says, adding that an EPA program formed more than a decade ago to do this sort of research still hasn't produced many results. Until scientists come up with more definitive answers, Lunder says, worried consumers can follow the old advice to avoid putting those baby bottles and other plastic products in dishwashers or microwaves. "We've long cautioned consumers to avoid extreme heat and cooling for plastics, to discard scratched and worn plastics and we feel like this [study] validates one of our many concerns," she says. |
T-Mobile isn’t the biggest carrier in America, but it is quickly becoming the most important. The company struggled for years to compete with Verizon Wireless and AT&T, but now T-Mobile is finally gaining traction thanks to CEO John Legere’s big personality and his team’s even bigger ideas — ideas that are forcing the market leaders to do what they have always tried to avoid: change. The executive on Wednesday unveiled the third stage of his “Uncarrier” initiative, which so far has helped T-Mobile to not just slow subscriber bleeding but actually add branded subscribers for the first time in years. How are Legere and company turning things around? With some slick marketing and even slicker strategic shifts that dare to go where AT&T and Verizon have historically feared to tread. Following the successful rollouts of T-Mobile’s first two Uncarrier phases — the first involved ditching conventional service contracts and the second was an accelerated smartphone upgrade plan — T-Mobile on Wednesday evening announced a bold new initiative: Free international data roaming and text messaging in more than 100 countries around the world. The move continues T-Mobile’s strategy of directly attacking long-standing subscriber pain points in ways that had previously been considered unthinkable. Ditch service contracts? Verizon would never do such a thing. Allow customers to upgrade to a new smartphone twice a year and pay the same prices a new customer would pay each time? AT&T would have laughed at the notion a year ago. But now, AT&T and Verizon have gone from completely ignoring T-Mobile to following its every move. And Legere’s Uncarrier strategy is behind it all. “The cost of staying connected across borders is completely crazy,” T-Mobile CEO John Legere said of his company’s move to provide free unlimited data roaming around the world. “Today’s phones are designed to work around the world, but we’re forced to pay insanely inflated international connectivity fees to actually use them. You can’t leave the country without coming home to bill shock. So we’re making the world your network – at no extra cost.” The true beauty of T-Mobile’s Uncarrier moves is that these initiatives are not careless lossmakers aimed desperately at stealing business from rival wireless carriers. These are bold, well-thought-out value added services that not only attack big consumer pain points, but also drive revenue growth. In the case of T-Mobile’s latest move, the idea of free international data roaming will appeal immediately to anyone who travels regularly because using data services while abroad have always been ridiculously expensive. T-Mobile will provide free unlimited 2G data to “Simple Choice” plan holders as they travel, and they can then purchase high-speed data “Speed Passes” at $15 for 100MB that lasts one day, $25 for 200MB that lasts one week, or $50 for 500MB that lasts two weeks. According to an analysis from LaptopMag, those rates offer substantial savings of 50% or more compared to the international data rates offered by rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T. This tiny carrier that once seemed content to just barely scrape by is now a leader forcing enormous rivals to follow or risk losing waves of subscribers to the scrappy wireless service provider. Following T-Mobile’s last Uncarrier moves, AT&T and Verizon each unveiled their own copycat programs almost immediately. It’s always fun to root for an underdog, but it’s not always easy. T-Mobile and its boisterous chief executive make it incredibly easy, however. Data speeds and coverage have long been the biggest barriers to entry for prospective T-Mobile subscribers, but those walls are now crumbling. T-Mobile also announced on Wednesday that its 4G LTE service has been rolling out in many regions ahead of schedule, now covering more than 200 million people in 233 regions across the country. As T-Mobile’s service continues to expand and its data speeds climb, the prospect of saving money by switching off of pricey plans offered by major carriers will become a real possibility for millions more AT&T and Verizon subscribers in the coming quarters. Add on T-Mobile’s bold Uncarrier offerings — and Shakira — and customers will find countless compelling reasons to consider making the switch. AT&T and Verizon have no choice but to copy T-Mobile’s bold moves; Legere and company are now steering the ship. America’s smallest nationwide wireless carrier is indeed now its most important wireless carrier. |
Share. Will this be the origin of Batman's frosty foe? Will this be the origin of Batman's frosty foe? Update: Looks like Gotham City will be going into a deep freeze sometime this year. Warner Bros. has updated its Batman Arkham Facebook page on New Year's Eve with a message saying "all-new story DLC coming in 2014." The accompanying image shows an award for the "Wayne Foundation Humanitarian of the Year" that depicts a woman holding up a heart-shaped diamond with shards of ice in the background. The imagery strongly hints that this new story DLC will center on longtime Batman villain Mr. Freeze. Batman: Arkham City players may remember that Mr. Freeze, originally scientist Dr. Victor Fries, put his wife Nora into a cryogenic slumber in order to cure her of a fatal disease. Could the figure be Nora holding up Freeze's ice-cold heart? And if so, will this DLC depict the tragic beginnings of Batman's frosty foe? Tune in soon for more details, same IGN-time, same IGN-channel! Warner Bros. is teasing an imminent announcement regarding the Batman: Arkham franchise, set to be revealed on New Year's Eve. A post on Facebook reveals a "special announcement" will be made on December 31, though quite what it pertains to is unclear. "Visit this page on December 31st for a special announcement…more details to come next week," reads the accompanying text. What this could refer to is anyone's guess. The likelihood is that it's the narrative-focused DLC we were told was coming in early 2014. There's always a slim chance that it could be the rumoured next-gen Arkham title could be about to get a reveal, but that seems unlikely, given that it'd be announced at a time when most people are preoccupied with seeing in the New Year. There's one other, tantalising possibility though. Could we be about to bid a tearful farewell to the Year of Luigi, just to be welcomed into the loving arms of the Year of the Bat?! That's the only Christmas present I've ever wanted, anyway. Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Junior Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter. |
On the occasion of his 79th birthday, I thought it appropriate to share how Dr. Ron Paul has impacted my life in a very personal manner. Ron Paul (and more importantly, the philosophy of liberty that he champions) has inspired me to make life-altering decisions, the most consequential of which is to leave the military as a conscientious objector. Throw in homeschooling, sound money, economics, and non-aggression, and you’ve got a completely new outlook on life. It has not been an easy path, but this is the price for discovering a worldview that is coherent, consistent, and compelling enough to act on. It all started with the 2012 presidential debates, in which my husband took a large interest. We began to discuss between ourselves what Dr. Paul espoused — never before had I heard someone whose words were completely aligned with what I had experienced overseas. His discussions regarding interventionism and blowback were spot-on. At that point, Hubby and I had more than six deployments between us, so we were credible listeners. Even more impressive: here was a guy who wasn’t toeing the party line, wasn’t kowtowing to pressure, and was actually speaking common sense! Look up any video of any presidential debate in which Dr. Paul takes part, and it’s abundantly clear that he is no politician (this is a compliment in my book). It’s safe to say that listening to his position on foreign policy was the first step down the rabbit hole; I didn’t fully understand every issue that he spoke about, but his words came through like a clear bell. Who was this guy? Where did he come from? What did he know? I was hooked. We bought a book – Liberty Defined (highly recommend it – short, sweet, and easy to understand). I felt myself being pulled out of the apathetic, unconscious masses, and started to wake up. I started to care, I wanted to learn, and I needed to understand how the United States had found itself in the position of being mired in warfare, welfare, and eroding individual liberties. I had seen warfare; I had lost friends. These things mattered. This was real life happening. Dr. Paul was the first person to shed light on the root causes and offer an alternative system. We began to research the great thinkers, writers, and economists that Dr. Paul referenced. We discovered Murray Rothbard (For a New Liberty and Ethics of Liberty), Ludwig von Mises (Human Action, LvMI), Lysander Spooner (Vices Are Not Crimes and No Treason), Frederic Bastiat (The Law), Peter Schiff, Ivan Eland, Lew Rockwell, and countless others. Over the course of 18 months, I progressed slowly but steadily from conservative neocon (I joined the military in the first place, right?) to limited-government proponent, to minarchism, and then finally the logically-deduced, well-researched, sound philosophy of anarcho-capitalism (self-ownership and non-aggression). When I recognized that warfare is the antithesis of liberty, I had to leave the military. My husband and I have been fighting the Air Force for our freedom for more than a year now. It has been difficult, and it has required strength, but there is nothing like the quiet satisfaction and happiness that come with acting on principle. For this, I have to thank Dr. Paul for opening my eyes to a world of possibilities and inspiring the future. The Ron Paul Revolution is alive and well. Happy birthday, sir, and thank you. |
Idaho Fish and Game says deformed mountain lion photo is not a fake Share This Courtesy Idaho Department of Fish and Game IDFG release more details about the hunt of the mountain lion here. PRESTON — An abnormal growth of teeth, hair and whiskers on the forehead of a yearling mountain lion has some local biologists intrigued and others skeptical. “A hunter brought it in, and there was something extra,” Idaho Fish and Game Region 5 spokeswoman Jennifer Jackson told EastIdahoNews.com. “We haven’t seen anything like this in our region.” The young male was killed Dec. 30 in Franklin County, about 8 miles southwest of Preston by an Idaho hunter. As per state law, the hunter brought his kill to IDFG to be checked. IDFG officers are required to remove a tooth from harvested mountain lions to gather data on their ages, Jackson said. “In the process of harvesting the animal we had an officer check it, and we determined something really interesting was going on,” Jackson said. The Preston conservation officer described the abnormality as a growth of muscle and dense tissue with several teeth, hair and whiskers growing out of it. He photographed the animal, and the hunter took the carcass home, apparently to be taken to a taxidermist, Jackson said. EastIdahoNews.com sent the photo to several biologists at east Idaho universities who suggested the photo might be a fake. However, IDFG officials confirmed the animal had been physically handled and examined by the conservation officer. But the animal was not examined by veterinarians or biologists. Regional IDFG biologists said it’s impossible to determine the exact cause of the deformity based solely on visual observations of a photo. But the biologists do have some theories. Jackson said the mass of teeth, hair and whiskers could be a conjoined twin that stopped developing and embedded itself on the lion while in the womb. Another theory, which officials say is more likely, is that the growth is a teratoma — a rare tumor that contains extremities like teeth and hair. EastIdahoNews.com reached out to the Wildlife Health Forensic Laboratory in Boise for more information about the condition. The state wildlife veterinarian was unavailable, but laboratory staffers told EastIdahoNews.com that when animals are developing in utero, an identical twin can fuse to a body and create a mass of cells. That mass of cells — the teratoma — can sometimes develop teeth, hair, bone and skin. As animals get older, the mass typically gets larger. Biologists are attempting to contact the hunter so they can take a closer look at the carcass. “Our biologists didn’t get to examine it, and we’re interested in looking at this one a bit closer,” Jackson said. CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated the mountain lion was female based on information provided by Idaho Fish and Game. However, that information was incorrect and has been changed in the copy above. |
With AMD's Ryzen chips launch being ever closer to us, details about its product line - which still remain mysterious enough - eventually begin to slip. Reportedly, AMD's entry-level Ryzen chips - the SR3 line of processors, if previous leaks ring true, will be made up of 4-core processors with AMD's SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading), the equivalent to Intel's HT (Hyper-Threading) disabled. These will be, apparently, true 4-core processors, without any additional logical processors exposed by SMT.If reports about AMD's line-up being composed of 8-core and 6-core processors, then with this news, we can now theoretically paint the numbers on AMD's Ryzen line-up. As it stands with this new information, it could be composed of entry-level four-core parts (under the SR3 product stack, and a base clock of 3.4 GHz at the minimum for any Ryzen-based part, according to AMD); a midrange six-core, twelve-thread part (under the SR5 moniker; I don't figure AMD would disable their much-lauded SMT on this six-core part); and the top-of-the-line, SR7 8-core, 16-thread chip we've seen in so many benchmarks and leaks I find it strange that AMD would cut the SMT out of any of its processor lines, though - at least, from all of its processors. My educated guess would be that AMD is planning to release a special-edition part (or a specific part number) just like Intel does in its i3, i5 and i7 product lines to differentiate between multiplier-locked (non-K processors) and multiplier-unlocked (K processors, such as the i5-7600K). Though, with all AMD Ryzen processors having an unlocked multiplier, like the company has often announced, this differentiation might be between SMT-disabled and SMT-enabled chips - perhaps with AMD bringing back their Black Edition line of processors for this particular use-case. It just seems strange for AMD to shed one of their vaunted technologies (which would allow them to improve their performance at little to no cost added) completely, considering the comeback the company is planning to accomplish. 37 Comments on AMD Begins Sampling Entry-Level Ryzen Chips - 4 Cores With SMT Disabled 1 to 25 of 37 Go to Page 12 PreviousNext #1 atomicus How this stacks up against the 7700k is going to be very interesting. I would love to see AMD challenge it, but given how easily they clock to near and above 5Ghz, I sense that Kaby is going to hold the performance crown... but price of Ryzen is obviously going to be the key. I don't doubt they will seriously challenge the i3/i5, but I wonder how content AMD are to play second to Intel in the performance stakes? They may be content to offer up a lower performing chip at a competitive price, just so they make bank (which they will). Unless it's VERY cheap though, I doubt it will affect Intel pricing much. The only way that will happen is if they can push that performance envelope to actually make all the Intel fanboys stand up and pay attention, give people who want the ultimate in performance a reason to actually buy Ryzen. If it only appeals to the budget crowd, it will still be a huge success but why can't they give Intel a hard kick up the backside?? I'd love to see that. We know nothing until reviews are out though... I ignore all this PR nonsense, meaningless. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 7:40 Reply #2 TheLaughingMan I don't think they are referring to Summit Ridge. This sounds more like something we will see in Raven Ridge and Bristol Ridge. There is no reason to not including SMT with any performance level CPU. But for laptops, tablets, and other small devices where heat is the bigger concern, I can see variants of Zen without SMT Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 8:39 Reply #3 Pumper Finally, about time we get to see some new tech on the marked. So boring to see the same old stuff getting reviewed over and over again. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 8:53 Reply #4 Folterknecht Seems to be aimed at i5 7400 - 7600 which are priced between 190 - 230$ and would make a lot of sense imo. AMD could under cut these prices easily while offering comparable performance, if the rumors regarding ZENs IPC are true. Remember these Intel i5 arn't clocked very high between 3.0 - 3.5 GHz base clock. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 9:17 Reply #5 dj-electric I think that there's definately a place for a 4C\8T ryzen running at 4Ghz+ at about 200$. It would fit many many gamers. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 9:57 Reply #6 _Flare everybody knows that single-core-performance still counts like ever even with DX12 so what will happen if: a (too-low-clocked/or crappy-IPC/or too power-hungry) 4C/4T Zen gets beaten by a cheaper i3 or Pentium-HT in games ? AMD is dead after 5 years of hard work then, digging their own expensive grave Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 10:12 Reply #7 Casecutter We just don't know and agree with... atomicus said: We know nothing until reviews are out though... I ignore all this PR nonsense, meaningless. AMD might use a Phenom or Athlon X4 naming for this, basically going for Pentium/Core/Celeron offerings of Intel bottom feeders. What if this walks-on the likes of the Pentium G3258 or G4500 for less than $100.We just don't know and agree with... Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 10:44 Reply #8 RejZoR Dj-ElectriC said: I think that there's definately a place for a 4C\8T ryzen running at 4Ghz+ at about 200$. It would fit many many gamers. Now you're just imagining things. You would all gladly pay $400+ for a 6700K or 7700K, but you'd want an equally performing CPU from AMD for $200. How on Earth does that make any kind of sense? Now you're just imagining things. You would all gladly pay $400+ for a 6700K or 7700K, but you'd want an equally performing CPU from AMD for $200. How on Earth does that make any kind of sense? Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 11:21 Reply #9 chaosmassive RejZoR said: Now you're just imagining things. You would all gladly pay $400+ for a 6700K or 7700K, but you'd want an equally performing CPU from AMD for $200. How on Earth does that make any kind of sense? thats brand leveraging for ya thats brand leveraging for ya Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 11:41 Reply #10 RejZoR So, just because it has an Intel badge, you're willing to pay 2x as much for the same performance. That's not "brand leverage", that's idiotism, plain and simple. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 11:45 Reply #11 kruk I firmly believe that people expecting half of the price of the equivalent Intel CPU will be severely disappointed at launch. AMD could sell their CPUs at a slightly lower price, but they certainly won't go into extremes. Why would they? It would just make the investors angry. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 11:46 Reply #12 ADHDGAMING RejZoR said: Now you're just imagining things. You would all gladly pay $400+ for a 6700K or 7700K, but you'd want an equally performing CPU from AMD for $200. How on Earth does that make any kind of sense? Im never paying 400 for a 4 core no matter who makes it. Im never paying 400 for a 4 core no matter who makes it. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 12:13 Reply #13 eidairaman1 The Exiled Airman atomicus said: How this stacks up against the 7700k is going to be very interesting. I would love to see AMD challenge it, but given how easily they clock to near and above 5Ghz, I sense that Kaby is going to hold the performance crown... but price of Ryzen is obviously going to be the key. I don't doubt they will seriously challenge the i3/i5, but I wonder how content AMD are to play second to Intel in the performance stakes? They may be content to offer up a lower performing chip at a competitive price, just so they make bank (which they will). Unless it's VERY cheap though, I doubt it will affect Intel pricing much. The only way that will happen is if they can push that performance envelope to actually make all the Intel fanboys stand up and pay attention, give people who want the ultimate in performance a reason to actually buy Ryzen. If it only appeals to the budget crowd, it will still be a huge success but why can't they give Intel a hard kick up the backside?? I'd love to see that. We know nothing until reviews are out though... I ignore all this PR nonsense, meaningless. In at 5.0GHz on air with an 8350. In at 5.0GHz on air with an 8350. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 12:24 Reply #14 eidairaman1 The Exiled Airman TheLaughingMan said: I don't think they are referring to Summit Ridge. This sounds more like something we will see in Raven Ridge and Bristol Ridge. There is no reason to not including SMT with any performance level CPU. But for laptops, tablets, and other small devices where heat is the bigger concern, I can see variants of Zen without SMT Or M chips like the SktA/462 Days. Or M chips like the SktA/462 Days. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 12:27 Reply #15 YautjaLord YT kinda full with the "DOOM (4/2016/etc...) on Ryzen+Vega @ 4k in Vulkan 60+ fps" vids, that's covered, even tho haven't seen if AA/AF used as well, might check it, Ultra everything tho. :) Back to topic, what the actual meaning of that "Sampling" is? Pre-launch? It's still far the f*ck away from Feb 27, let alone March 3rd, that's given. Only other thing given, with job i have right now, by the time Feb 27 comes-a-knockin i'll have enough for case (HAF X), mobo (preferably ASUS ROG-flavor) & 8c/16t flagship CPU, assuming it'll actually cost 500$. :) As for SMT disabled - all kinds of thoughts pop up in my head, from "Holy sh!t, this thing is that powerfull?" to "Good luck. Try not to shoot yourselves in both feet AMD". lol When exactly you'll have all of these (SR3, 5 & 7) to benchmark? Feb 27? Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 13:58 Reply #16 Camm I'm a little disappointed if this is true, and thought that we would see the end of this artificial bullshit. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 14:44 Reply #17 TheLaughingMan _Flare said: everybody knows that single-core-performance still counts like ever even with DX12 so what will happen if: a (too-low-clocked/or crappy-IPC/or too power-hungry) 4C/4T Zen gets beaten by a cheaper i3 or Pentium-HT in games ? AMD is dead after 5 years of hard work then, digging their own expensive grave Well we already know for a fact that the max TDP is 95W so I am sure power-hungry is not going to be an issue. Minimum clock is 3.4 GHz which is about average for Intel right now. A modist OC to 4.0 GHz should be pretty damn easy. In fact, I expect most of the 4 core and 6 core varients to have clock speeds and/or boost speed at 4 GHz or higher. and IPC so far has fallen someone in the range of an Intel i7 6000 series give or take. I don't seen your concern here? I only need to know two things. What will it cost? What is the official release lineup? And when that release will be. I have savings already set aside, a brand new GPU that is being throttled by my FX-8350, and an upgrade itch to scratch. Well we already know for a fact that the max TDP is 95W so I am sure power-hungry is not going to be an issue. Minimum clock is 3.4 GHz which is about average for Intel right now. A modist OC to 4.0 GHz should be pretty damn easy. In fact, I expect most of the 4 core and 6 core varients to have clock speeds and/or boost speed at 4 GHz or higher. and IPC so far has fallen someone in the range of an Intel i7 6000 series give or take. I don't seen your concern here?I only need to know two things. What will it cost? What is the official release lineup? And when that release will be.I have savings already set aside, a brand new GPU that is being throttled by my FX-8350, and an upgrade itch to scratch. Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 15:46 Reply #18 Shihabyooo RejZoR said: Now you're just imagining things. You would all gladly pay $400+ for a 6700K or 7700K, but you'd want an equally performing CPU from AMD for $200. How on Earth does that make any kind of sense? I wasn't particularly happy when I paid more for my mainstream 4770k than I did my HEDT 930, there wasn't any other choice to speak of however. Can't speak for everyone, but I doubt people pay those $400 for the prestige of it. Well, not anyone who would be yearning for an AMD comeback anyway. Heck, if this idiotism -even if it was greatly implausible- could bring me affordable high performing processors? Let it be! I wasn't particularly happy when I paid more for my4770k than I did my930, there wasn't any other choice to speak of however. Can't speak for everyone, but I doubt people pay those $400 for the prestige of it. Well, not anyone who would be yearning for an AMD comeback anyway.Heck, if this idiotism -even if it was greatly implausible- could bring me affordable high performing processors? Let it be! Posted on Jan 12th 2017, 17:47 Reply #19 hat Enthusiast RejZoR said: Now you're just imagining things. You would all gladly pay $400+ for a 6700K or 7700K, but you'd want an equally performing CPU from AMD for $200. How on Earth does that make any kind of sense? It makes sense because we've seen Intel go bananas over the years with price hikes and minimal performance gains. We're hoping AMD knocks them down a few pegs and brings prices back down into a reasonable range. It makes sense because we've seen Intel go bananas over the years with price hikes and minimal performance gains. We're hoping AMD knocks them down a few pegs and brings prices back down into a reasonable range. Posted on Jan 13th 2017, 0:25 Reply #20 RejZoR Yeah, but Intel actually didn't have competition for last few years and actually had a reasonably significant lead. Higher price is understandable. But when performance is within tiny margins, neither can afford higher or dramatically lower prices. Posted on Jan 13th 2017, 0:28 Reply #21 R0H1T RejZoR said: Yeah, but Intel actually didn't have competition for last few years and actually had a reasonably significant lead. Higher price is understandable. But when performance is within tiny margins, neither can afford higher or dramatically lower prices. Worked out pretty well for Nvidia didn't it? I'm sure people will pay (more) for the prestigious 6900K even if it's ~5 percent faster than the best SR7 or the ten core 6950x which retails north of 1700$ :shadedshu: Worked out pretty well for Nvidia didn't it? I'm sure people will pay (more) for the prestigious 6900K even if it's ~5 percent faster than the best SR7 or the ten core 6950x which retails north of 1700$ :shadedshu: Posted on Jan 13th 2017, 2:16 Reply #22 Nordic hat said: It makes sense because we've seen Intel go bananas over the years with price hikes ... Adjusted MSRP to inflation to match 2016 dollars. Q9650 $339(2008) $380.02(2016) 2600k $317(2011) $340.13(2016) 2700k $332(2011) $356.23(2016) 3770k $313(2012) $329.03(2016) 4770k $339(2013) $351.22(2016) 4790k $339(2014) $345.61(2016) 6700k $350(2015) $356.40(2016) 7700k $350(2017) $350.00(2016) Prices have not changed that much. I should note that the MSRP for the 7700k is set to $339.00 - $350.00. It could be the cheapest intel CPU in awhile, or it could be about the same price. I guess that depends on Ryzen. You could argue that ~$350 is too expensive for the top end intel mainstream CPU, but that has been the approximate price for quite sometime now. The performance has not changed much in 5 years, but neither has the price. I think it is fair to say the CPU market is stagnant. Adjusted MSRP to inflation to match 2016 dollars.Q9650 $339(2008) $380.02(2016)2600k $317(2011) $340.13(2016)2700k $332(2011) $356.23(2016)3770k $313(2012) $329.03(2016)4770k $339(2013) $351.22(2016)4790k $339(2014) $345.61(2016)6700k $350(2015) $356.40(2016)7700k $350(2017) $350.00(2016)Prices have not changed that much. I should note that the MSRP for the 7700k is set to $339.00 - $350.00. It could be the cheapest intel CPU in awhile, or it could be about the same price. I guess that depends on Ryzen.You could argue that ~$350 is too expensive for the top end intel mainstream CPU, but that has been the approximate price for quite sometime now. The performance has not changed much in 5 years, but neither has the price. I think it is fair to say the CPU market is stagnant. Posted on Jan 14th 2017, 9:39 Reply #23 cdawall where the hell are my stars _Flare said: everybody knows that single-core-performance still counts like ever even with DX12 so what will happen if: a (too-low-clocked/or crappy-IPC/or too power-hungry) 4C/4T Zen gets beaten by a cheaper i3 or Pentium-HT in games ? AMD is dead after 5 years of hard work then, digging their own expensive grave 3.3ghz with intel matching IPC is what the world of rumors show 3.3ghz with intel matching IPC is what the world of rumors show Posted on Jan 14th 2017, 17:26 Reply #24 zimcomp AMD has three things it needs to do 1/bring out a great cpu 2/they got to blast intel on bang for buck as well 3/ change peoples minds about them its no good matching intel price and performance noone will change and even if AMD have a slight advantage because of how stagnant the market has become its not worth changing for most people To have a good chance they have to offer the speed of a I7 for the price of a I3 or at minimum a I5 anything else will take 5 years to get the message accross and in 5 years intel could release the next new big thing Posted on Jan 14th 2017, 18:39 Reply #25 Thefumigator zimcomp said: AMD has three things it needs to do 1/bring out a great cpu 2/they got to blast intel on bang for buck as well 3/ change peoples minds about them point 1 and 2 will directly take effect on 3. point 1 and 2 will directly take effect on 3. Posted on Jan 14th 2017, 19:13 Reply |
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