text stringlengths 0 100k |
|---|
Bitcoin, long recognized for its stability and security, tends to falls short when it comes to newer innovations. Meanwhile, smart contracts platform ethereum is drawing increasingly more attention. But what if you could combine those two networks and come up with the best of both worlds? That is what blockchain startup RSK Labs has long sought to do. The company’s blockchain solution, RSK (or Rootstock), aims to draw on the strengths of the bitcoin network, while bringing new options, like flexible smart contracts, into the picture. A little more than a year ago, the Buenos Aires-based company received $1m in seed funding to create a functioning testnet. But, to move forward with its technical plans, more cash was needed. Development funds To that end, RSK Labs announced today at Consensus 2017, that it has received an additional $3.5m in pre-Series A funding. This latest round comes in the form of contributions from a long list of supporters, including, Anthony Di Iorio, CEO of Decentral and Jaxx, and bitcoin mining firms such as Bitfury and Bitmain. According to RSK executives, the company plans to put that money toward R&D, increasing the network’s security and deploying a mainnet in a few months. Also during Consensus, the company announced that it will be opening its production testnet (called Ginger) to the public, so that more users can begin building and testing out their own smart contracts on the platform. Gabriel Kurman, co-founder of RSK, told CoinDesk: “More than 40 companies are currently testing Ginger, including banks, corporations and startups from all around the world. But once we open the code to the world, we expect hundreds of companies – and partners – to start testing the platform, which, until now, was closed.” Added features At this point, you’re probably wondering how the platform works. Put simply, RSK is a two-way pegged sidechain that grafts smart contract functionality onto the bitcoin network. It also introduces an off-chain protocol for claimed “near-instant” payments. As an idea, sidechains were originally put forth in a proposal by cryptographer and Blockstream CEO Adam Back and others in 2014 as a bid to extend the functions of bitcoin. That proposal came at a time when many were frustrated with bitcoin’s inability to keep up with newer innovations. So, as a sidechain, RSK is an independent blockchain. However, it does not have its own token, relying instead on bitcoin for its currency. RSK does this by pegging, or matching, its smart token to bitcoin, so that the value of an RSK token is exactly that of a bitcoin. Also, users (and this is the ‘two-way’ part) can freely move their tokens back and forth between the two chains. Essentially, a user’s bitcoin goes into a type of reserve where it is locked up, and then used to back the RSK token, known as smartBTC. You can think of it as putting your bitcoin into a checking account, and then using the RSK network to spend that money. Smarter chain But RSK goes further than simply giving users a new set of tokens to spend – it also adds smart contract capabilities to bitcoin. Bitcoin already allows users to create simple smart contracts, like multisig, which requires two or more users to sign off on a payment before it can be released. But RSK takes that to another level, with Turing-complete smart contract capabilities that go head-to-head with ethereum’s offerings. RSK also addresses another short coming of the bitcoin network: its ability to scale. According to the company’s website, RSK currently achieves 400 payment transactions per second, compared to bitcoin, which only handles only around seven. However, the goal is to eventually push that to 2,000 transactions per second using a second layer technology, which the company calls Lumino. Outlined in this white paper, the Lumino Network is an off-chain payment system that relies a protocol known as the Lumino Transaction Compression Protocol (LTCP). Lumino is touted as being similar to the Lightning Network, a popular scaling solution originally designed for bitcoin, currently being tested on litecoin. Twin challenges Moving forward, the company faces two main challenges. One is how it will peg its token to the bitcoin blockchain. Tether, another sidechain company, made news earlier this year when it lost its peg to the US dollar, creating a large price spread between exchanges that quote actual dollars and those that quote tether tokens. So, RSK will need to prove to the community that it can hold onto its peg and not undermine the value of its token. Securing the network is another issue. In order for the RSK chain to be secure, a majority of bitcoin miners need to ‘merge mine’ the chain. And that requires the permission and active assistance of 50% of all the bitcoin mining pools. Merge mining is a technology that allows a miner to mine more than one blockchain at a time. The miner’s computing power contributes to the total hashrate of both cryptocurrencies, and the miner gains block rewards for both networks. According to RSK, its network is currently supported by bitcoin miners representing more than 55% of bitcoin’s total hashing power. In addition, the company claims that more miners, accounting for 30% of the hashrate, have expressed their support for RSK and will start merge mining within the next few months. If RSK can overcome those challenges, it stands to introduce some much-needed features to bitcoin, as well as help build a worthy alternative to the ethereum virtual machine. Disclaimer: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in RSK Labs. RSK image via YouTube |
A Pennsylvania high school has denied a 13-year-old boy from attending because he is HIV-positive. The boy, who was unidentified in the lawsuit filed in Philadelphia, is suing the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania for violating “multiple anti-discrimination laws that protect the rights of people with HIV to remain free from unwarranted discrimination,” CNN reported. The boarding school said they denied the adolescent due to the school’s residential setting and the risk of sexual activity would make the boy a “threat,” ABC News reported. The AIDS Law Project filed suit on his behalf. Read more at GlobalPost: World AIDS Day: Obama pledges $50 million towards domestic treatment and clinics "This young man is a motivated, intelligent kid who poses no health risk to other students, but is being denied an educational opportunity because of ignorance and fear about HIV and AIDS," said Ronda Goldfein, the boy's lawyer, ABC News reported. The cost-free school, founded in 1909 by infamous chocolate maker Milton S. Hershey and his wife, Catherine, has 1,850 students with grades spanning from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. According to the suit, the boy is described as an honors student and student athlete who takes five pills for medication per day and one vitamin, which doesn’t impact his school schedule, CNN reported. "In order to protect our children in this unique environment, we cannot accommodate the needs of students with chronic communicable diseases that pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others," said Connie McNamara, a spokesman for the Milton Hershey School, Reuters reported. Read more at GlobalPost: AIDS: The tipping point "The reason is simple. We are serving children, and no child can be assumed to always make responsible decisions that protect the well being of others," McNamara said, Reuters reported. The school said they planned to have a judge weigh-in on their decision. In the mid-1980s a similar case sprung up when Ryan White was expelled from his Indiana school for being HIV-positive, MSNBC reported. White fought and won his case. Like Ryan White, this young man is a motivated, intelligent kid who poses no health risk to other students, but is being denied an educational opportunity because of ignorance and fear about HIV and AIDS," said Goldfein, CNN reported. The suit was filed on Wednesday, one day before the 30th World AIDS Day, timed to coincide with it on purpose, CNN reported. Read more at GlobalPost: Jakarta student with HIV+ dad expelled from school |
Visitors cheer for international teams during the tournament of the computer game "League of Legends" on May 8, 2014 in Paris. Launched late in 2009 by American video game publisher Riot Games, "League of Legends" is a game in which teams of five players compete in a virtual arena, killing each other using different powers and equipments in the goal to capture the enemy base. According to Riot Games, more than 67 million people play each month, with peaks of more than 7.5 million concurrent players at peak hours. The game will last four days starting today. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images) Last month, a team of five young men earned more than $5 million by winning a tournament for the strategy video game “Dota 2.” And no, they didn’t luck out. They beat the world’s top teams in a grueling series of games part of an annual tournament called The International. This year, the prize pool for this one event was more than $10 million. But these competitions aren’t really about the money (which, in the case of the International, is mostly supplied by fans of the game). They’re about the lightning-quick plays, the strategies, the comebacks, the crushing defeats – all the things that make people scream and weep when watching traditional sports. Competitive video games, or esports, is an emerging phenomenon. Not only do these games now have huge player bases, they also have massive, hardcore audiences. For this year’s International, 20 million people watched the tournament. And for the game “League of Legends”, 32 million people watched the finals of last year’s championship series. To put that in perspective, about 18 viewers million watched this year’s NBA finals. But enough numbers. You came for the moments. And while you might not have a clue what’s going on in these games, just try to take in the action, the passion, and (in some cases) the surprising production value. 1. The Alliance tops Na’Vi in the The International 3 Finals Seeing this just makes you want to slam your fist on a desk. — 2. Daigo Umehara Outplays Justin Wong In “Street Fighter III: Third Strike” This is a comeback of comebacks. Just when hope is all but lost, the plays come. — 3. Justin Wong “Returns” At UMVC3 EVO 2014 Go to the end, and watch the video game equivalent of the Lambeau Leap…or roll. — 4. League Of Legends: Crazy Ending In ‘El Clasico’ This clip even explains what’s going on for you. — 5. Smash Melee Grand Final Apex 2014 You might have thought Nintendo’s “Super Smash Bros. Melee” was a party game. Turns out, there’s a die-hard competitive scene that’s been around for years. — |
They say we eat with our eyes first, and at many of Dallas' hottest restaurants the feast begins long before anyone gets a menu. Restaurateurs have stepped up their game to create spaces as stylish, refined and eclectic as their menus. Dallas design studio Coeval has helped guide several restaurants through the process and outfitted them with the goal of getting diners to linger over a meal while admiring the decor and dreaming up ways to create a similar look at home. John Paul Valverde, Coeval's creative director, says his team’s work at Jalisco Norte in Oak Lawn and the Design District’s Pakpao blends authenticity with energy in a way that showcases the food. But that environment doesn’t have to be reserved for nights out. Valverde is sharing his picks for how to steal the look. |
Austin, El Paso, San Antonio losing anti-terror funds Houston not among the cities cut off by DHS The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that narrowing the list of cities eligible for Urban Areas Security Initiative grants is part of larger budget cuts that eliminated more than $780 million in grant money from the last federal budget. New York, Washington and 29 other high-threat urban areas will still receive grants this year. Texas hit hardest Texas took the largest hit, with Austin, El Paso and San Antonio being dropped after the cities received a combined $14.5 million in funding last year. DHS officials said Houston - which remains on the department's list of "Tier 1" cities considered at highest risk - would not be among Texas cities that are losing money, and its funding would stay steady at $41.5 million a year. Ten states were left with no cities receiving funds after New Orleans, Honolulu and Indianapolis were cut. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose city will continue to receive around the same $151.5 million as years past, praised the decision to prioritize the most high-risk cities instead of thinly spreading the money around. Texas officials were not as pleased. "Any significant cuts to homeland security funding degrades our ability and capability to protect, respond and recover from terror attacks or natural disasters," said Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the state's top law enforcement agency. A worrisome time In El Paso, just across the border from bloody Ciduad Juarez, Mexico, city officials have used about $5 million in grant funds annually to purchase equipment such as chemical detecting equipment, thermal imaging cameras and emergency response vehicles. Mayor John Cook said he hopes there will be more money to include El Paso again next year. The grant program was launched in 2003 in response to security threats in the wake of the terrorist attacks. Initially the money was available only to New York City, Washington, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco and Houston. But since 2008 more than 60 cities have been awarded the risk-based grants. The cuts come at a worrisome time for law enforcement. After the killing of bin Laden, U.S. authorities have recovered evidence from his compound in Pakistan that the terror leader was encouraging his followers to target smaller U.S. cities in future attacks. |
It's been three weeks since Terry Moore's Rachel Rising #15 hit the stands on ComiXology and while we generally don't wait that long to present our commentaries, we felt it was best to wait until comic book stores had the issue on the stands last week before we sent our questions along to Moore. What happened with that, anyway? Well, read on to find out that, as well as something that sounds like a huge clue about the relationship between two key characters... Terry Moore: I’m excited about it. Christina Blanch is amazing. SuperMOOC is her idea and she’s made it happen with the support of her team. It’s just so cool that the schools are embracing comics as modern lit and helping students connect to great stories. ComicBook.com: First off, you're the featured guest in the first week of the SuperMOOC this week. How's that going for you? Moore: I’m used to it. My life is one new reader after another walking up to me and asking, “What’s Strangers In Paradise about?” I still don’t know how to answer that question, by the way. ComicBook.com: It's interesting--I'm in the class and have been watching some of the discussions. Is it odd to have your eariest, roughest work on SiP scrutinized so closely all this time later? I see all these people speculating about what happens next and I'm like, "How do you not know? It's STRANGERS IN PARADISE !" Moore: Yeah, and that’s not a good thing. You do NOT want to release books before the retailers! It was just an unfortunate misunderstanding with Diamond over the global release date. I’m so sorry the digital came out first. We work very hard to hold back digital until all the stores are ready with hard copies. It’s very important to stay in sync with your brick and mortar business partners. What happened with distribution this month? You were two weeks earlier on ComiXology than on paper! ComicBook.com: The second time around, Jet seems a lot less zen about the nudity... Moore: We’re on the 3 palette: purples, burgundy and gray. The white is always allowed, it just was used more predominantly in this graphic. White in this series, as with the snow, designates death. Moore: The second time is different for her. The first time was PTS. The second time, she is more acclimated to the situation. The boundaries begin to come back. ComicBook.com: ...She does seem to be a little bit more like herself, though. Should we all celebrate? Moore: If you like. ComicBook.com: Should we read anything into the idea that for all that time, Earl was there to keep her from slipping away--and then as soon as he stopped touching her, she woke up? Moore: Like mother and child? There’s some sort of bond there, still in the process of definition. ComicBook.com: I notice your use of shadows and heavier shading and negative space a lto more in this title--even in the scenes that are relatively "bright" like the outdoor cemetery. Is that just me looking at the art differently due to the content or is your approach to the actual pencils different on Rachel than it has been in the past? Moore: I am using more blacks, even to the point of page borders. I’m also using a rougher inking line to promote a subliminal sense of edginess and unease. I will do anything I can with the visuals to promote a feeling of anxiousness. When you’re trying to communicate a horror story without the aid of a soundtrack, you have to use every visual trick you can find. ComicBook.com: Speaking of that scene--I buy digital most weeks, and it just doesn't flow the same in some of the sequences with the "beat" panels. The Guided View is really not a selling point when part of the page is just "here's a panel of snow." Are you still really writing for the printed page? Moore: I make my comics for the printed page. How you view them digitally is beyond my control, so I don’t worry about it. On the flight back from Wondercon, I watched a couple reading e-comics on a plane. One was reading full page only, the other was reading panel reveals, swiping back and forth to try and get the sequence in their head. It didn’t seem to be a better way. ComicBook.com: Wait a second--her mother died on 9/11? That seems...unlikely to be random. Moore: You’re the 2nd person to notice that. ComicBook.com: Is Rachel eating dirt an intentional recurring motif? Because it seems to happen a lot. Moore: Did she eat dirt in 15? She got her face in the dirt, for sure, but she was spitting it out, trying to get her arm deeper and deeper into the ground. Corpses and dirt seem to go together. ComicBook.com: I really think the moment when Rachel is successful in her quest is...probably the most disturbing moment I've ever read in one of your books. You've said in the past that you wanted to take some of the genuinely uncomfortable, spooky moments from horror films and try to apply them to comics, and I think that one counts. Was that what you were going for there? Moore: Yes. I try to write scenes you’re not used to seeing. If I can craft a scene that stays with you after you close the book, I’ve done my job. If the scene makes you think, I’m happy. It’s not easy to entertain you with an upsetting scene in a comic book. ComicBook.com: And was it just a spacing issue or is there another reason her word balloons are underground in that panel? Moore: That’s the direction she was talking. That’s where your attention needed to be. ComicBook.com: The next moment, when she pulls the hand away--there's fear on that page, but in th emoment it looks like rage. Or am I just misreading her revulsion? Moore: Fear and rage are often hard to tell apart. ComicBook.com: Have we seen Carol before? I don't remember seeing Johnny's partner. Moore: You have though. Remember when Aunt Johnny was first in the hospital, Rachel suggested calling Carol because she would want to know and come help? The scene suggested Johnny and Carol’s relationship had hit a bump, but in times of need, Carol would want to be there. She’s been by Johnny’s side since issue 7. ComicBook.com: And should we worry about her safety? So far, not many of Rachel's loved ones have made out well. Moore: No one is safe in Manson. ComicBook.com: You've got a fan in Robert Kirkman, but let me tell you--you're giving him a run for the money in just flat-out gross this week. There's some psychological terror mixed in with the ickiness of the thing with Rachel's mother, but the last third of this comic are basically just a mountain of yuck. Where do you get this stuff? Moore: My friend Tom tells me I’m f---ed up. (laugh) I just imagine the worst and write it down. I read once that people didn’t really talk to Hitchcock at dinner parties. Maybe this is why. ComicBook.com: Jet's hangups about nudity fade fast--even in the snow!--when a mob of rats are involved. Moore: She’s a grown woman. Plus, I think most people, when faced with a house full of swarming rats, would run outside without stopping to dress and make a cup of coffee first. ComicBook.com: Is there any special significance to the rats, or are they just a good way to get the water commissioner under enough scrutiny that his hard drive would be searched? Moore: That poor guy is just another casualty, easily set-up and destroyed by somebody who’s actually aiming at a target over his head. I put that in there as another horrifying scene: that anybody can be destroyed by what somebody else puts on their computer. ComicBook.com: Manoman, Zoe's a fun kid. I want her to have a playdate with mine in a few years. You think she'll still be ten? Moore: Now that Malus has left the building, Zoe is on the aging track again. She’s going to make a delightful, surly teenager. |
Port Elizabeth - The Kings have announced the first group of squad members who will competing in the first ever PRO14 from September. Among the big names is Stormers and Western Province flyhalf Kurt Coleman, who will represent the Kings for the tournament. Kings head coach Deon Davids said the side had called on a number of unions to help out with players. "We’ll be starting this process of putting together a squad all over again. We lost a number of our squad from the Super Rugby campaign, and we are busy putting together a new, competitive squad," he said. "We have identified a large group of players and we have communicated, through our office, to the different unions regarding the players we would like to be here. "The players that have joined us already are the ones that have been released from their duties at those unions. There are some players whom we are still awaiting the response of their various unions to release them as soon as possible." The Southern Kings squad started to gather at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium this week to begin preparations for the opening match against PRO14 defending champions, the Scarlets. Davids has stressed the importance of long-term signings for the Southern Kings in order to maintain continuity. "Most of the guys that we have signed now we tried to get for two years so that we do not sit in the same position again - where we will have to scramble for players, and also because Super Rugby is still ongoing while we will be in our off-season preparing for the start of the next season," the coach said. "We would have loved to wait for more players coming off-contract at the end of October, but we would have played eight games up until then, so we will have to prepare sufficiently now to ensure that we have a squad that has depth. I’ll be starting on a clean slate. If a player puts up his hand, I’ll back him." All players are being medically screened this week as part of the contracting process. Kings PRO14 squad so far: Berton Klaasen, Bobby de Wee, CJ Velleman, Cornal Hendricks, Dries van Schalkwyk, Jacques Nel, Jarryd Sage, Khaya Majola, Lubabalo Mtyanda, Lusanda Badiyana, Masixole Banda, Ntabeni Dukisa, Oliver Zono, Pieter-Steyn de Wet, Rowan Gouws, Sbusiso Sithole, Schalk Ferreira, Stephan Greeff, Tango Balekile, Tienie Burger, Victor Sekekete, Yaw Penxe, Kurt Coleman |
"Chilavert" redirects here. For other uses, see Chilavert (disambiguation) Chilavert and the second or maternal family name is González. This name uses Spanish naming customs : the first or paternal family name isand the second or maternal family name is José Luis Félix Chilavert González ( Spanish pronunciation: [xoseˈlwis tʃilaˈβeɾt ɣonˈsales]; born 27 July 1965) is a Paraguayan former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Sportivo Luqueño, Guaraní, San Lorenzo de Almagro, Real Zaragoza, Vélez Sarsfield, RC Strasbourg, Peñarol, and the Paraguayan national football team. Chilavert won 12 club titles, including the 1994 Copa Libertadores and the 1994 Intercontinental Cup, while playing for Vélez Sarsfield, and is a three-time IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper award winner. A fast and agile shot-stopper, known for his leadership, strong personality, and goalkeeping ability, he was regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world in his prime;[1][2] outside of his goalkeeping position, Chilavert was also known for his outfield skills and ability as a free kick specialist,[2][3] and often took penalties.[4] He scored 67 goals in his professional career, many of them crucial, including eight in international matches. Four of his international goals were scored during Paraguay's qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Chilavert is the second-highest goalscoring goalkeeper of all time, surpassed only by Brazilian keeper Rogerio Ceni, and is the only goalkeeper to score a hat-trick.[5] Chilavert was also known for his eccentricity and his fiery temper, which brought him his fair share of controversies; most notorious among them was his being sent off in 1997 for brawling with Colombian striker Faustino Asprilla.[6] He was nicknamed "El Buldog" ("The Bulldog")[7][8] and often wore a cartoon bulldog on his goalkeeper jersey.[9] Chilavert appeared for the Paraguay national football team 74 times from 1989 to 2003, scoring 8 goals and representing the team at five major tournaments. Chilavert appeared for Paraguay at two FIFA World Cup tournaments (1998 and 2002), where he served as captain on both occasions, and appeared in three Copa América tournaments (1991, 1993, and 1997). Chilavert was also included in the 1998 FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament. Early years [ edit ] Chilavert grew up in Luque, Gran Asunción,[10] in a poor family, and walked barefoot until the age of seven.[11] His parents were Catalino Chilavert, a state bureaucrat, and Nicolasa González. At the age of five, he had three siblings and two responsibilities: to milk the cows and to sell the milk in Ñu Guazú, a rural suburb of Luque.[12] One of his siblings, Rolando Chilavert, is also a football player.[citation needed] Club career [ edit ] Chilavert made his footballing debut with Sportivo Luqueño, where he was trained by Modesto Sandoval. In 1989, he played for the Paraguayan national team for the first time.[citation needed] He later moved to Spain, where he played for Real Zaragoza. In 1988, whilst Chilavert played for Real Zaragoza, he stated that "the fans used to freak out" when he would come out with the ball at his feet and "scream at me to get back in goal. I've never stopped to think about what others are saying. I just rely on my abilities. Later on, I started to practice penalties and free kicks until they gave me the job for real".[11] Chilavert admitted to staying behind after training to practice 80 to 120 free kicks, which in his opinion was how he got better.[3] [11] After his time at Real Zaragoza, he moved to Argentina, where he played with Vélez Sársfield, helping them win the Primera División four times, as well as the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup, both in 1994. In 1999, he became the first goalkeeper known to score a hat-trick in the history of professional football, while playing for Vélez against Ferro Carril Oeste, scoring all three goals through penalties.[13] He also scored a free kick from behind the half-way line against River Plate.[14] In the 2001 Coupe de France Final, Chilavert scored the winning penalty in the shootout victory over Amiens SC.[15] International career [ edit ] Chilavert was voted World Goalkeeper of the Year by the IFFHS in 1995, 1997, and 1998.[citation needed] He scored in the 1998 World Cup qualification campaign.[citation needed] He participated in the 1998 World Cup, where he became the first goalkeeper ever to take a direct free kick in the World Cup finals, almost scoring against Bulgaria.[16] With two clean sheets in the first round, he helped take Paraguay to the round of sixteen, where the team lost to France on a golden goal scored by Laurent Blanc.[17] Chilavert had made boasts about being the Cup's best goalkeeper before the tournament,[18][dead link] and after the tournament, FIFA indeed named Chilavert on the tournament All-Star Squad for his performances, alongside French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez.[19][20] Chilavert refused to take part in the 1999 Copa América, angering the Paraguayan government, as he claimed funding should be used for education.[21] FIFA gave Chilavert a four-game suspension (later reduced to three) for spitting on Brazil's Roberto Carlos at the conclusion of a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification game. As a result, he watched Paraguay's first game of the 2002 World Cup against South Africa from the stands.[18] Chilavert accused Roberto Carlos of racism and of making obscene gestures during the match.[14] Chilavert later claimed that Roberto Carlos came up to him after the match and said "Indian, we have won 2–0, you are a disaster".[22] He also justified his action by saying he had been provoked by the Brazilians, who had called him the weakest link of Paraguay before the match, and also claimed the match was like a war and that Brazil should return land to Paraguay lost in the War of the Triple Alliance in the 19th century.[22] Before the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Paraguay manager Cesare Maldini had faced criticism in Paraguay, but Chilavert defended Maldini for his experience.[23] He also expressed great confidence in the ability of the Paraguayan team and downplayed his role on the team.[24] During the World Cup, Chilavert made an error against Spain on Morientes's 2–1 goal as Paraguay lost 3–1. Chilavert almost redeemed himself later with a good free kick attempt, but the shot was saved by Casillas.[25] Before the match, Chilavert had vowed to score against Spain if Paraguay got a free kick "within range".[26] Before the last match in the group stage, Paraguay had to beat Slovenia and Spain had to beat South Africa, with a combined margin of three goals, for Paraguay to go through to the last 16. The match started badly for Paraguay, with Carlos Paredes sent off in the 21st minute, and continued with Milenko Ačimovič taking the lead for the Slovenians right before half-time. But Paraguay – inspired by substitutes Nelson Cuevas and Jorge Campos – recovered to defeat Slovenia 3–1, scoring three times in the last 25 minutes, and when Spain also defeated South Africa 3–2, that victory meant that Paraguay was through to the next round, where they would play Germany.[27][28] In their second-round match against Germany, despite several saves from Chilavert, Paraguay lost 1–0, courtesy of a late Oliver Neuville goal.[14][29] In total, Chilavert earned 74 international caps for Paraguay and achieved a goalkeeper record of eight international goals.[citation needed] He retired from international football in 2003.[30] Retirement and post-career [ edit ] Chilavert announced his retirement from football in December 2003, but decided to come out of retirement to return to Vélez. Chilavert had just won the Uruguayan league with Peñarol when he initially retired. He finally retired permanently in 2004, playing his last match, a farewell testimonial, on November 11 of that year – fittingly, he scored a goal.[31] In 2005, Chilavert received a suspended six-month prison sentence in France for the use of false documents related to the compensation for the end of his contract with Strasbourg.[32] Chilavert was a commentator for American television network Univision during the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup, alongside Jorge Pérez-Navarro.[citation needed] Chilavert vowed that if he had gone to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, he would have tried again to become the first goalkeeper to score a goal.[11] Personal life and personality [ edit ] Chilavert is married to Marcela, an English language teacher he met in Buenos Aires while playing for San Lorenzo de Almagro. In 1998, they had a daughter named Anahí.[33] Controversies [ edit ] Chilavert has allegedly thrown punches at Faustino Asprilla and Diego Maradona.[34] He was suspended for four matches for his altercation with the former that occurred during a World Cup qualifier in 1997.[35] He once received a suspended prison sentence for attacking a physiotherapist.[3] Chilavert was a guest commentator for Univision during the Copa América Centenario but was removed from the broadcasts after CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez told the network to remove Chilavert. Chilavert had criticized Dominguez and called him corrupt on the air during Paraguay's Group A match against Colombia.[36][37] Leadership and morality [ edit ] Chilavert defended Cesare Maldini from the members of the Paraguayan press who criticized Maldini when he was appointed as Paraguay's coach for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Chilavert stated that "About 90% of sports journalists in Paraguay are incompetent" and welcomed criticism following Paraguay's performance in Korea and Japan if they were to perform poorly.[38] During his career, Chilavert was being touted as Paraguay's future president.[34] Chilavert was labelled "a revolutionary the kind of which South America has not seen since the days of Che Guevara."[34] Off the field, Chilavert refused to participate at the 1999 Copa América, held in Paraguay, complaining about the incompetence of the local directors. Despite being officially honored by the government, he said that his country should invest money in education rather than football.[39][40] Chilavert also routinely dismissed his country's politicians as corrupt, incompetent, and responsible for keeping many Paraguayans in poverty. Chilavert claimed that when his playing days were over, he would stand for president and enforce his own brand of law and order.[40] During 2008 and 2009, the former goal keeper demonstrated his support for Paraguayan Olympic thrower Edgar Baumann against corruption in Paraguayan sport when the athlete had been robbed of his right to compete at the 2000 Sydney Olympics due to a scandal from the Paraguayan Olympic Committee. Chilavert supported Baumann during the lawsuit which had been filed against the Olympic Committee with Chilavert stated that the then president of the Olympic Committee, Ramón Zubizarreta, should be expulsed for hurting athletes and not giving them benefits.[41][42][43] In 2009, Chilavert, along with Claudio Escauriza, Tomás Orué and lawyer Alejandro Rubin, attended a Press Conference at Asunción Shopping Centre Shopping del Sol, in support Edgar Baumann, who had received a favorable ruling from the Paraguay Supreme Court in a case against the Paraguay Olympic Committee president Ramón Zubizarreta for robbing him the right of competing at the 2000 Summer Olympics and also taking his sums of money that he earned from his scholarship.[44] Career statistics [ edit ] Club [ edit ] 1 Includes four 1993 Copa Libertadores playoff (liguilla) matches. 2 Includes one Championship Playoff match. Also played 1 (2001) Trophée des champions match. Sources:[45][46][47][48][49][50] International [ edit ] Source:[51] Paraguay national team Year Apps Goals 1989 2 1 1990 0 0 1991 6 0 1992 0 0 1993 10 1 1994 0 0 1995 0 0 1996 7 1 1997 9 1 1998 10 0 1999 3 0 2000 13 2 2001 7 2 2002 5 0 2003 2 0 Total 74 8 International goals [ edit ] Honours [ edit ] Notes [ edit ] |
Well folks, it seems Samsung may have not properly tested the upcoming Android 4.3 for the Galaxy S III as apparently it is being pulled due to major issues that some users have been experience after getting the update. The update initially rolled out a few days ago to the international variant of the Galaxy S III and a few UK-based carriers so far. For many of the users that have received this update since then, the issues have been experiencing have been pretty major, including app crashes, inconsistent Wi-Fi connections, significant loss in battery life, slow performance, and some users have even reported complete lockups of the device on the lockscreen (only to be solved by pulling out and reinserting the battery in the device). After this was discovered, many folks to refrain from taking the OTA and holding off on the update until it is determined what is causing the issue. It seems, as of today, that the update is no longer even being pushed to user’s devices as many are reporting the software update screen stating that they are already on the latest update (after having restored this device back down to Android 4.1.2). This seems to be a sign that Samsung is aware of the issues as well and has pulled the update. According to PhoneArena UK it seems the Note II update has been delayed due to this as well. Hopefully, we should hear an update on the situation from Samsung in the upcoming weeks but as of now it seems those of you still on the Galaxy S III may have to wait a while longer before seeing any updated version of Android for your devices. Let us know in the comments if any of you have received the update and faced similar issues. We’d be very interested in hearing if and how you guys have resolved them. Source |
The UC Berkeley Food Institute is giving a campus team $50,000 to study new reforms in the Oakland Unified School District’s system of feeding its students, in an effort that could help schools across the country. “Our study will focus on the ongoing issues related both to nutritious food and agro-ecology,” said Malo Hutson, an assistant professor of city and regional planning who is heading up the campus research team with professor Jason Corburn of city and regional planning and public health. “The research will have significant relevance for urban food system change-makers and school communities nationwide as they seek to address chronic public childhood health issues.” More than 73 percent of Oakland Unified students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. The district served more than 28,000 breakfasts and lunches a day during the 2014-2015 school year. As part of its reform, Oakland Unified is implementing a district-wide network of kitchens, local gardens and produce markets, as well as educational offerings that teach students where their food comes from. To conduct its research, the Berkeley team will collaborate with Oakland Unified and the Center for Ecoliteracy. The UC Berkeley team members include Hutson and Corburn, city and regional planning lecturer Moira O’Neil,; and Christyna Serrano, a Ph.D. candidate in education policy at the Graduate School of Education. |
The TRAPPIST-1 star & 7 Earth-sized planets orbiting it. Highlights Solar System contains seven warm, rocky, Earthlike planets: Scientists Scientists say it could be best place to search for life beyond Earth TRAPPIST-1 is located in the constellation Aquarius - the water bearer Released by the European Southern, this is a size comparison of the planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system This shows the view just above the surface of one of the planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system A newfound solar system just 39 light years away contains seven warm, rocky, Earthlike planets, scientists say.The discovery, reported Wednesday in the journal Nature, represents the first time astronomers have ever detected so many terrestrial planets orbiting a single star. Researchers say the system is an ideal laboratory for studying alien worlds and could be the best place in the galaxy to search for life beyond Earth."Before this, if you wanted to study terrestrial planets, we had only four of them and they were all in our solar system," said lead author Michaël Gillon, an exoplanet researcher at the University of Liège in Belgium. "Now we have seven Earth-sized planets to expand our understanding. Yes, we have the possibility to find water and life. But even if we don't, whatever we find will be super interesting."The newly discovered solar system resembles a scaled-down version of our own. The star at its center, an ultracool dwarf called TRAPPIST-1, is less than a tenth the size of the sun and about a quarter as warm. Its planets circle tightly around it; the closest takes just a day and a half to complete an orbit, the most distant takes about 20 days. If these planets orbited a larger, brighter star they'd be fried to a crisp. But TRAPPIST-1 is so cool that all seven of the bodies are bathed in just the right amount of warmth to hold liquid water. And three of them receive the same amount of heat as Venus, Earth and Mars, putting them in "the habitable zone," that Goldilocks region where it's thought life can thrive.Still, "Earthlike" is a generous term to describe these worlds. Though the planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system resemble Earth in terms of size, mass, and the energy they receive from their star, there's a lot that makes our planet livable beside being a warm rock. Further observation is required to figure out what the TRAPPIST-1 planets are made of, if they have atmospheres, and whether they hold water, methane, oxygen and carbon dioxide - the molecules that scientists consider "biosignatures," or signs of life."You can bet people will be rushing to take those measurements," said Elisabeth Adams, an exoplanet researcher at the Planetary Science Institute who was not involved in the study. "That's going to be fascinating to see."Whatever secrets it may harbor, the TRAPPIST-1 system will surely be a sight to behold. Though the star is small, its nearness to the planets means that, from their perspective, it appears about three times as large as our sun. The outermost planets enjoy the daily spectacle of their neighbors passing across the sky and in front of their shared sun, each world a large dark spot silhouetted against the salmon-colored star. Its dim glow, which skews toward the red and infrared end of the light spectrum, bathes the planets in warmth and paints their skies with the crimson hues of a perpetual sunset.Gillon and his colleagues have been interested in TRAPPIST-1 since late 2015. Using the European Southern Observatory's Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST) in Chile, they sensed small dips in the star's brightness at regular intervals. These dips were caused by planets transiting - crossing between the star and Earth - and blocking some of its light. Last May, the scientists published their discovery in Nature: three rocky bodies, dubbed TRAPPIST-1b, -1c and -1d, orbited the small star, they said.But right around the time the study was published, Gillon noticed that TRAPPIST-1d was behaving oddly. When he went to get a closer look with the Very Large Telescope, ESO's gigantic observatory in the Atacama Desert, he realized that the dip in brightness he thought came from 1d was actually caused by three planets, all transiting at the same time.This happens only once every three years, said Julien de Wit, a planetary scientist at MIT and a co-author on the study. "The chance of catching it is less than one in a thousand," he explained. "It's funny because it's such a huge paper with amazing results, and we got it from sheer luck."Next the team hurried to request time at the Spitzer Space Telescope, whose Earth-trailing orbit around the Sun offered an uninterrupted view of TRAPPIST-1 and its companions. During 20 days with the Spitzer telescope, the team witnessed 34 transits.These observations "lifted the veil on the architecture of the system," as de Wit put it. Instead of three, TRAPPIST-1 had seven planets, which were renamed TRAPPIST-1b through -h in order of their distance from the star.The scientists determined that the six inner planets are locked in an orbital resonance, meaning that lengths of their orbits are related by a ratio of whole numbers. Because of this, the bodies exert regular gravitational influences on one another. By measuring those influences, the astronomers could determine the mass of the planets, something that is impossible to figure out from transiting data alone. That in turn allowed them to loosely calculate their densities - giving a sense of how much iron, rock, water and gas the bodies contain.The fact the planets are in orbital resonance also suggests that they formed farther out from their sun and then migrated inward, Gillon said. This makes it more likely that they will contain water in some form, since water and other volatile compounds (molecules that readily turn to gas) tend to concentrate on the outer edges of solar systems.Coincidentally, TRAPPIST-1 is located in the constellation Aquarius - the water bearer.For years, evidence has accumulated that the Milky Way galaxy is full of Earthlike planets. The discovery of seven such worlds around a single, faint star suggests that they may be even more common than originally thought.Gillon and his colleagues plan to seek out similar solar systems with a new project, Search for Habitable Planets Eclipsing Ultracool Stars, or SPECULOOS. (Like Trappist beer, speculoos cookies are a Belgian delicacy. His next effort will have to be called WAFFLES.)Meanwhile, scientists are scrambling to get a better look at the Proxima b, a rocky world that was discovered orbiting the sun's nearest neighbor, Proxima Centauri, last August.But the TRAPPIST-1 researchers, along with several astronomers not involved with the study, say this system is our best target yet to search for extraterrestrial life. Though exoplanet scientists often focus on worlds orbiting sun-like stars, the brightness of those stars makes it difficult to spot small rocky planets. TRAPPIST-1's planets are easy to find amid its dim, cool glow. And the closeness of the system puts it within the reach of the James Webb Space Telescope, which will be able to detect atmospheric components and thermal emissions from the planets after it launches in 2018.In the meantime, telescopes on several continents have been trained on the system to search for signs of life. Last summer, the scientists published an early analysis of the atmospheres of planets b and c using data from the Hubble Space Telescope."This is direct exploration of another solar system that is happening right now," said Gillon.Planets e, f and g are the most intriguing targets for astrobiologists because of their position in TRAPPIST-1's habitable zone. But even if they turn out to be warm and wet, these worlds might not be great places to live. The planets' proximity to the star and one another means that they are probably tidally locked, like Earth's moon. One side of each planet always faces the sun, the other is stuck in constant darkness. This would make for a dramatic temperature gradient that could generate powerful winds - not exactly an Earthling's idea of a cozy home.And Adams of the Planetary Science Institute cautioned that it's very hard to tell whether a planet is habitable from a distance. An observer outside our solar system might look at Venus, Earth and Mars and reason that the sun hosts three habitable worlds. The alien would need to travel here in person to discover that Venus is a cloudy hellscape with a runaway greenhouse effect, while Mars is a barren, frozen desert with a defunct internal dynamo."There are a lot of ways in which a planet could be like Earth, but not enough," Adams said.Another major caveat, she added, is that the very idea of a "habitable world" is purely theoretical. Scientists have only one source of data on habitable planets, and that's Earth. "We don't actually know the parameters that are needed for life on another world," Adams said, "h ow much it has to look exactly like Earth, and how different life could be elsewhere."Still, even if no life is discovered on them, the TRAPPIST-1 planets present an unprecedented new window on how solar systems work. Though each planet is more or less Earth-sized, their varying densities and distances allow for detailed comparisons of the worlds. It's almost as if someone designed an experiment in planet formation, controlling for the bodies' size.De Wit compared the new planets to seven new languages, each offering a new vocabulary for describing their corner of the universe."They all have a slightly different perspective on the same story," he said, "the story of this solar system." |
TRENTON — With re-election in the bag, Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday insisted he wanted to focus on his second-term legislative agenda in Trenton, saying he is "thrilled to have the campaign behind me and to get back to governing." The political world has different ideas. In an issue that hits newsstands Friday, Time magazine put him on the cover with the words, "The Elephant in the Room" and with a package of stories asking if he is the savior of the Republican Party. Network television reporters flocked to New Jersey to ask whether his 22-point win will translate to a national audience. And, in a sure-fire sign that he’s dominating a Republican Party itching to retake the White House, Christie’s potential rivals for the 2016 presidential nod coolly downplayed his landslide victory. "I think we need to understand that some of these races don’t apply to future races," U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida told CNN. "Every race is different. It has a different set of factors. But I congratulate (Christie) on his win." Another tea party favorite, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, dismissed Christie’s boast that Trenton, N.J., where the governor crafted bipartisan deals, can show Washington, D.C. how it’s done. "I think it is terrific that he is brash, that he is outspoken, and that he won his race," Cruz said, according to an ABC News report. "But I think we need more leaders in Washington with the courage to stand for principle." When asked whether Christie is a true conservative, the report said, Cruz walked away. Christie, who considers himself a conservative, took a victory lap Wednesday. He held his first news conference in seven weeks — in the Democratic and Hispanic stronghold of Union City — to tell the story of how he won in a deep blue state. "I’m not here to put on a show, I’m here to win," Christie said, before a backdrop of Jose Marti Freshman Academy students who seemed hyper-trained on his every world. His silhouetted profile will grace the cover of Time this week. Inside a package of stories paint Christie as the white knight who can save the Republican Party from itself. The issue hits newsstands Friday, but The Star-Ledger got an early look. Christie’s buddy, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, writes about "What the party needs" while White House correspondent Michael Scherer explains "How Chris Christie can win over the GOP." Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, the authors of "Double Down: Game Change 2012," lay out "What his rivals will use against him." The cover story said Christie "has run the Garden State with combustible passion, blunt talk and the kind of bipartisan deal-making that no one seems to do anymore." "All year long, Christie has presented this character he has created as the savior for the Grand Old Party. His point now is that ideas alone don’t win elections. ... From Parsippany to Cape May, Christie’s message, often devoid of policy or ideology, was designed and delivered for national consumption." With the attention of national media, Christie on Wednsday brushed off 2016 talk and explained his political philosophy, honed over a lifetime in the thick of Jersey politics. "We won the Latino vote last night," Christie said. "Find another Republican who’s won the Latino vote recently. Why? It’s about the relationships." Echoing the theme of his acceptance speech, Christie said politicians can’t expect to win votes by showing up in minority communities six months before an election. They have to lay the groundwork with relationships based on trust. Exit polls show the strategy worked: He won 51 percent of Hispanic voters and 21 percent of African Americans. When Christie takes over as chairman of the Republican Governors Association in two weeks, he’ll apply this vision to the 2014 races. "I can’t speak to how it will translate nationally. I don’t know," he said. "Sometimes I think people make politics too complicated. It’s about personal relationships. I mean personal relationships first and foremost with the voters. Second, with the people you work with each and every day. … Third, with the people in the legislative branch." Christie strode into the school auditorium with Union City Mayor Brian Stack, a Democrat, by his side. After basking in a standing ovation, Christie thanked Stack, who also won re-election as a state senator. "When you’re a Republican, you know you’re on your way to a good night when you win Union City by 2,000 votes," Christie said. Star-Ledger staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Gov. Christie visits Union City day after winning re-election, Nov. 6, 2013 22 Gallery: Gov. Christie visits Union City day after winning re-election, Nov. 6, 2013 RELATED COVERAGE • With big win, Christie set to wield power on national stage • Complete coverage of the 2013 New Jersey governor's race |
Fabian Delph revealed the secrets behind some of his recent success when he shared a video of his intensive gym workout. The Aston Villa midfielder made his England debut earlier this month and is continuing to work hard on his game by training extra hours in his local gym. Delph posted the video on his Instagram account, alongside the caption: 'Late night session yesterday with @jamie_velocity unbelievable session #HardWorkDedication' Fabian Delph posted a video from his private training session in Birmingham on Wednesday night Fabian Delph shows off his core strength with some improvised push ups during the work-out Fabian Delph puts in the hours before Aston Villa play Chelsea this weekend Aston Villa and England midfielder Fabian Delph has been doing extra training sessions in his own time Delph in action for England during their recent Euro 2016 qualifier with Switzerland Fabian Delph of Aston Villa is challenged by Mesut Ozil of Arsenal in Saturday's Premier League match The 24-year-old has been working closely with trainer Jamie Donald, who made sure the Villa Park favourite was in peak condition for the new season. 'I have been working really hard with a trainer called Jamie Reynolds and I seem to have benefited," said Delph in an interview with the Birmingham Mail. 'I started pre-season feeling quite strong and the first two games I thought I’ve done really well, but against Hull I had a bit of an off day, in my own opinion. 'I’ve had some terrible injuries, I know I always go on about it but I feel really proud to have overcome those injuries and to be playing in one of the toughest leagues in the world. It is all about how you prepare and how you train and finding the right balance, and I seem to have done that." Fabian Delph of Aston Villa in action during an Aston Villa training session at the club's training ground |
Know that in the same way that backbiting is forbidden for the one who speaks it, it is likewise forbidden for the one who listens to it and approves of it. Thus, it is obligatory on the one who hears an individual embarking on committing the prohibited form of backbiting, to forbid him from doing it as long as he does not fear any open harm resulting from that. But if he does fear (harm) from that, then he is obligated to reject the backbiting with his heart and to detach himself from that gathering if he is able to do so. If he has the ability to reject it with his tongue or to cut the backbiting off by changing the topic, then that becomes required of him. And if he does not do that, then he has committed an act of disobedience (i.e. sinned). If he is forced to stay in that gathering in which backbiting is taking place, and he fears from forbidding it, or he forbids it but it is not accepted from him and he cannot find a way to separate himself from them, then he is prohibited from listening and paying attention to the backbiting. Instead, his way out should be by making remembrance of Allaah (dhikr) with both his tongue and heart or just his heart. Or he should think about something else in order to preoccupy himself from having to listen to it. After having done this, his hearing it without listening or paying attention to it will not harm him, while he is in this mentioned state. If he is able, after this, to withdraw from them and they are still backbiting, then separating oneself is an obligation. Allaah says: “And when you see those who engage in false conversations about Our verses by mocking at them, then turn away from them until they engage in a different topic of speech. But if the Devil causes you to forget, then after remembering, do not sit in the company of those people who are the wrong-doers.” [Surah AlAn’aam: 68] It has been reported that Ibraaheem bin Adham was once invited to a waleemah (wedding feast), so he attended it and found people there who were mentioning a man that didn’t come, saying: “He is truly lazy.” So Ibraaheem said: “I brought this upon myself, such that I attended a place in which people are backbiting one another.” So he left from there and did not eat for three days. What has been recited of poetry with regard to this is: “And restrain your ears from hearing vile speech Just as you restrain your tongue from speaking it Because when you listen to this vile speech You are a partner to the one saying it, so reflect.” What Should One Do When He Hears His Shaikh, Friend Or Someone Else Being Backbitten? Know that it is upon the one who hears a Muslim being backbitten to oppose it and prevent the one doing the backbiting. If he is not able to prevent him with his speech, then he should stop him with his hand. If he is neither able to do so with his hand or with his tongue, then he should get up and leave that gathering. And if he hears his teacher (shaikh) being backbitten – or anyone else who has a right over him, or if the person (being backbitten) is from the people of righteousness and nobility, then his concern with what we have mentioned above should be greater. Posted From the e-Book : Guarding the Tongue – Imaam An-Nawawee |
. Good morning, folks. Such is the passage of time, that the day comes when you look over your shoulder and realize you've turned 100 years old without realizing it...and for us, today is that day. Today, my friends, is the 10th anniversary of This is NOT Greatest Site ! We launched on January 27th, 2006. Which means we've turned 100 in internet years, so happy birthday to us! Conceived in 2005 as a refreshingly ridiculous antidote to all the self-serious and shiny yet content-free j-rock websites that dominated the non-Japanese internet at the time, we also made it our mission to provide an archive of English translations of Buck-Tick lyrics, because at the time, there were approximately none available outside of closed communities on LiveJournal - over at Centigrade-J they had a translation of "Sasayaki" (and "Speed," too, we think...but we can't remember because I'm getting old and our memory's going to hell! But holy shit guys remember Centigrade-J?) and at Hyluko's Buck-Tick gallery (which contained approximately five pictures, one of each band member), there was also a translation of...guess which song...yes you guessed it, "Sasayaki." But if the lyrics to "Sasayaki" read like an intro to Japanese grammar, that's not the fault of Mr. Sakurai. We happen to know that he intended those lyrics to function as an intro to dancing the Masochism Tango Anyhow, thus did we begin our work, in the same year that YouTube launched. Over the course of the past decade, we've gone through three different iterations and added numerous features along the way, not least of which is this blog, The Blog-Tick Phenomenon, which launched in 2009 (Blog-Tick is still a seven-year-old baby.) And just between you and us, we'll say that it's a bit of a small miracle that we're still in operation now. Though our love for Buck-Tick has never faltered, there were a few moments in there when we sincerely worried whether it would be possible to continue with this project, especially after the departure of Kame in 2010 and our subsequent complete overhaul. But this project would never have existed without Kame, so if you're going to have a not greatest drink with us, make sure you toast Kame as well. Anyhow, thank you for all your support, even though none of you emailed to wish us a happy birthday. We're aware that in today's age of social media, it's too much work to remember people's birthdays unless FaceSpace tells you about them, and it's not like we're exactly a person anyway. Plus, your complete and utter silence really is not greatest birthday tribute. And if you're curious, this is what we looked like, back in the day. Version 1.0 Version 2.0 Version 2.0 banners . . . Now excuse us while we go have some cake. (mmmm....CAKE!) ...and beer... ( mmmm....BEER!) . . . . . . . . . . ...and if you'd like to join us at the party pictured below, you're welcome. This is NOT Greatest Site ~~~ C e l e b r a t i n g 1 0 0 I n t e r n e t Y e a r s ~~~ Happy birthday to us! . |
Bitcoin is digital currency made up of long, unique strings of digital characters. It’s exchanged globally between those who collect it and those who accept it as payment. The value fluctuates; each is worth about $500 now. When two Stanford University grads wanted to start a bitcoin company, they looked for the lowest power rates in the country. A map comparing energy rates led them to Central Washington, where hydroelectric dams churn out electricity that costs industrial customers less than 3 cents per kilowatt. HashPlex, the business launched by Bernie Rihn and George Schnurle, is one of several bitcoin mining companies operating or preparing to launch in Grant, Chelan and Douglas counties. All three counties have public utility districts that offer very low power rates to industrial customers. In this case, mining has nothing to do with metals. It’s the term in the tech world for how the virtual currency bitcoin is made. Bitcoins are a form of currency composed of long, unique strings of digital characters. Each bitcoin can be used or exchanged by people who accept it as a form of payment. Its value fluctuates with supply and demand; each bitcoin currently is worth about $500. It can’t be easily counterfeited and is owned anonymously, making it popular for digital and international transactions. Explaining the complex system of how many bitcoins are “mined” reads like a course in cryptography and electrical engineering. In short, a person can mine bitcoins by using computers to crunch vast amounts of data until they generate a unique code or “block.” That block has to be compared against all other existing blocks and then validated. At that point the operator has created a set of valid bitcoins that are registered across the worldwide network of bitcoins. Currently, the bitcoin mining rules limit global production to about 25 every 10 minutes. Rihn and Schnurle and others in the bitcoin mining industry never announce grand openings or open houses. Because they generate a virtual currency that has real monetary value, the managers of bitcoin mining firms don’t disclose locations. Patrick Boss, government affairs specialist with the Port of Quincy, said the heightened interest in Central Washington stems from a word-of-mouth awareness among entrepreneurs. “I am only personally aware of two bitcoin mining firms locating in Grant County,” Boss said. “But I’ve been told that at least five others are in the process of locating in the area.” Until a few years ago, no one in Grant County – or most other places – knew what a bitcoin is. Now business leaders there understand that bitcoin mining is the latest wave of technology business chasing dirt-cheap power, following tech companies like Dell, Microsoft, Intuit and Yahoo, which erected large data centers in Grant County. Emily Braunwart, accounting and communications manager with the Grant County Economic Development Council, said her group is not actively recruiting bitcoin mining firms. “We have been getting some calls of interest by those companies and most of that is because they’re finding us,” Braunwart said. In a warehouse near Wenatchee in Douglas County, Everett entrepreneur Dave Carlson runs a bitcoin business called MegaBigPower. It’s one of three MegaBigPower sites, including one in Poland. Inside the 5,000- square-foot building are long rows of racks and shelves holding computer boards connected by cables to hundreds of other computer servers that keep track of what the boards are doing. Carlson has been featured in several major publications, where he’s said his business is likely the largest bitcoin mining business in the United States. Like Rihn, he doesn’t want to disclose his specific location. Carlson said his facility, which has about 10 employees, has roughly 1 million computer chips working together churning through huge piles of data. On average, his company produces around 100 bitcoins per day, or at the current dollar-to-bitcoin exchange, roughly $50,000 per day. Carlson quickly explained that most of the revenue goes to a principal investor, a European businessman who invested most of the capital to start the company. In a recent online article, Carlson said his own take is roughly 10 to 20 percent of the coins generated. Mining those bitcoins is costing Carlson roughly $50,000 per month in PUD power bills. That’s for the energy to drive the computer chips and operate hundreds of fans that pull heat from the building. Because of how the bitcoin universe operates, as more and more miners worldwide compete against each other to produce bitcoins, the computational effort for each new set of bitcoins requires more time and more power, he said. Two years ago people could download software on their home computers and generate bitcoins, even though the process took lots of time, Carlson said. Carlson said the arms race among bitcoin miners isn’t just to find the cheapest power rates. “It’s also about designing computer boards and processing chips that are even more efficient than what we have now,” he said. Rihn and Schnurle’s business plan is to be a server farm or host for bitcoin miners who don’t have the space or access to low-cost energy to operate efficiently. HashPlex invites those miners – whether large-scale or mom-and-pop size – to send their customized mining computers to its Washington facility. HashPlex won’t own those machines, but its staff will manage the equipment and keep them linked to the bitcoin network and working properly. HashPlex will charge a fee based on the amount of electricity the individual mining machines consume, Rihn said. He didn’t have a date for when the new HashPlex building will open. The company recently opened a mining facility in south Seattle, Rihn said. |
Altcoin News Poloniex Seeks Regulatory Clarity From CFTC Following Allegations Popular Bitcoin and altcoin exchange Poloniex has submitted a request for no action relief to the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) around potential allegations that required timing of the “actual delivery” of cryptocurrency, regulated by a 28 day period in the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), has been violated. Also read: ‘GAME Changer’ Announced at Coinsbank Blockchain Summit in Turkey The digital nature of cryptocurrency, however, does not mend well to the wording of existing laws, thereby hurting attempts to determine the full, or “actual” delivery of the commodity. Poloniex, in turn, has responded by saying that their business practices of providing cryptocurrency exchange and margin trading do not fall under this stipulation. Poloniex Makes a Case for Constructive Bitcoin Regulation Due to the unique, abstract nature of cryptocurrency, determining when an “actual delivery” occurred is grey in relation to the black and white delivery of traditional commodities such as wheat or oil. The CEA, enacted initially in 1936, states, “physical… delivery [of] the entire quantity of the commodity purchased by the buyer, including any portion of the purchase made using leverage, margin, or financing.” While the blockchain is time-stamped, delivery of cryptocurrency itself to customers is the main question in play here. Poloniex, however, argues that the cryptocurrency at hand is delivered to the recipient immediately after the completion of an order. Whether these transactions are traditional or for lending or margin trading, the recipient takes possession, ownership, and legal control of the cryptocurrency as soon as an order is completed. While it seems that this would free such services from this particular regulatory obligation, such questions will have to be answered in court. Speaking to the difficulty faced by many organizations navigating the murky regulatory waters in the space and the subsequent need for further clarification, Poloniex’s press release states: “This privilege isn’t without its challenges, because we are operating in an emerging space against a backdrop of regulations honed and crafted for yesterday’s technology — the bygone era of analogue trading. As stakeholders, stewards, and charter members of a nascent technology, it is our collective responsibility to respectfully request for laws that make sense for this new technology.” Do you think Poloniex is right? Let us know in the comments below. Images courtesy of Hedge Think, Poloniex. |
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, Norwegian Cruise Line announced on Saturday it is deploying the Norwegian Sky to St. Thomas to retrieve 2,000 displaced travelers who could not evacuate prior to the storm. The ship departed from her position near Cancun on Saturday morning, and is expected to reach St. Thomas in the evening on Monday, Sept. 11. "When all designated vacation guests have boarded the ship, Norwegian Sky will sail back to her homeport of Miami and is expected to arrive on Thursday, September 14," the company said. In other news, due to damage from the hurricane in the Caribbean, the Norwegian Escape has had two months of itineraries changed. All of Norwegian Escape’s upcoming Eastern Caribbean sailings will be altered to a Western Caribbean itinerary until November, the company announced. |
Frequently Asked Questions about the 1900 Galveston Storm | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | MC | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z | I Descendant-supplied Victims I Unknown VictimsI Sources for Recorded Deaths The staff of the Galveston & Texas History Center has compiled this list of FAQ's in response to the demand for factual information about the 1900 Storm. If you do not see your question on this list or you would like additional information about the 1900 Storm, please contact: Casey Greene . #1 When was the Great Storm? The 1900 Storm struck Galveston on Saturday, September 8, 1900. The morning began with high tides and scattered rain. By early afternoon, water from the Gulf of Mexico flooded the southern and eastern streets. Wind speed increased, becoming severe by 4:30 p.m. By nightfall, the island was completely flooded and winds reached in excess of 80 mph. The wind gauge at the Weather Bureau office blew away after recording winds of approximately 100 mph. All firsthand accounts of the 1900 Storm report that the waters began to recede and the wind subsided near midnight. #2 Where did the term "Flood" come from? We’re not quite certain who first coined the phrase "Galveston Flood," but it is inaccurate. As with other hurricanes, a storm surge resulted from the wind piling up the waves offshore. When the storm surge crashed into the island, it caused a great deal of damage. #3 How many people died? There is no exact count of the total number of victims from the 1900 Storm. Many scholars accept the number "over 6,000." Some accounts reported as many as 12,000 deaths. We believe that the number in all likelihood reached between 7,000-8,000. #4 What was the population of Galveston in 1900? The 1900 Federal Census, taken in June 1900, records the total population of the city of Galveston as 37,789. This number is disputed by the Galveston city directory of 1901-02, which claims that because the census was taken in June, many business men and their families were out of town on vacation. The Galveston city directory of 1901-02 then claims that by its records the population in 1900 was 42,210. #5 What resources does the Rosenberg Library have on the 1900 Storm? The Galveston & Texas History Center is the nation's main repository for materials related to the 1900 Storm. Here is a listing of our manuscript materials and a brief description of each. Books and other secondary sources that mention the 1900 Storm are available. A listing of our photo holdings regarding the 1900 Storm is also available. Also you can view a map of 1900 Storm damage. #6 How do I obtain a photo of the 1900 Storm for publication? Please see our photo reproduction policy. #7 My relatives supposedly drowned or died in the Storm. How can I find out more information about them? We recommend that first you establish that the family lived in Galveston at the time of the Storm. You can do this by checking the 1899-1900 Galveston city directory located in the Galveston & Texas History Center. This directory lists the head of the household, his occupation and where he lived. Also check the 1900 Federal Census for Galveston County. Taken in June 1900, only three months before the Storm, it lists the family members, their ages, birth month and year, occupation, and whether they immigrated to the United States and in what year. Finally you should check the lists of the dead, including pamphlets, books, and newspaper listings. The Galveston Daily News and the Houston Daily Post have long lists of the dead with up to 4,900 names. Some families died and were never identified. A complete list of the victims will never be known. The Rosenberg Library has compiled a "master list" of names taken from these printed lists of victims. These names were checked against the 1899-1900 Galveston city directory to confirm spellings and residences. # 8 How strong were the winds? Wind speeds measured as high as 100 mph before the wind gauge blew away. Isaac Cline, chief local forecaster, in his report to the U.S. Weather Service, reported estimated winds up to 120 mph which is considered the accepted wind speed. A copy of his report to the United States Weather Bureau as it appears in our Subject File is found here in the Cline report. This hurricane could be classified as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane by today's standards. According to the National Weather Service web site for storm classifications, the 1900 Storm wind speed places it as a Category 3. However, the storm surge, being 15 feet, places it as a Category 4. Check out the National Weather Service chart for a guide. #9 Did Galveston residents have any warning? Galveston newspapers reported a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico, but it was not expected to land in Galveston. Obviously the reports were not as up-to-the-minute as they are today. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Weather Bureau, Daily Journal for September 1900, Isaac Cline received the order to hoist the storm warning flag at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, September 7th; however, many people did not expect the storm to be as severe as it was. Many residents who had survived the storm in 1886, which was only a mild tropical storm, believed that it would not be worse than before. According to Isaac Cline's autobiography, Storms, Floods and Sunshine, published in 1945, the Weather Bureau office received many phone calls and visitors asking about the possibility of a storm. Cline also stated that while taking measurements of the waves, he alerted many people vacationing in Galveston to leave the island or seek shelter on higher ground. # 10 What happened to the bodies? On the morning of Sunday, September 9, some bodies were buried where they were found in unmarked graves. Others were brought by wagons to various cotton warehouses on the Strand, which were used as temporary morgues. There people attempted to identify the bodies. On Monday, September 10, over 700 bodies were loaded onto barges where they were taken out to sea, weighted, and dropped overboard. The bodies eventually washed back on the beach. By Tuesday afternoon, September 11, with the number of bodies growing astronomically, the Central Relief Committee decided to burn them in funeral pyres with the wreckage. All attempts of formal identification ended; however, jewelry and other personal items removed from the bodies were made available for later identification. #11 I have an original letter which mentions or describes the 1900 Storm. What can I do with it? We encourage you to donate any original items concerning the 1900 Storm to the Rosenberg Library, Galveston & Texas History Center. Our staff is professionally trained to preserve and house the items in our fireproof vault. You, your family, and any other scholars researching the 1900 Storm are most welcome to view them in our reading room during our business hours, Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you have photographs, letters, sheet music or any other original items related to the 1900 Storm, and wish to donate it to the library, please contact: Casey Edward Greene , Head of Special Collections 2310 Sealy Avenue Galveston TX 77550 You may call him at 409/763-8854 ext. 117. Our collection relies solely on donations from the public. #12 I am working on a 1900 Storm project. Who may I contact regarding the 1900 Storm for "expert advice"? Casey Edward Greene, Head of Special Collections is available for consultation about the 1900 Storm. Mr. Greene has done extensive research and is knowledgeable regarding details concerning the 1900 Storm. #13 What did Galveston do to protect itself from future storms? From 1902-10 Galveston experienced one of the greatest engineering feats of the century. From 1902-04 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed a large seawall to protect Galveston from "overflows" of the Gulf. Reaching 17 feet high, it surrounded the city from 6th Street to 39th Street. The federal government paid to have the wall extended to 45th Street so it would also protect Fort Crockett. In later years the seawall was lengthened to 61st Street and then to its present ending at 103rd Street. After completion of the seawall, engineers then raised the entire city. This involved raising each home on jacks or stilts and then pumping wet sand underneath until the ground was level with the raised structure. Some homes were raised as much as 17 feet, the same height as the seawall. The grade sloped towards Galveston Bay at a 2 percent decline, so that the businesses on the Strand and the piers were not raised. The seawall and grade raising were tested in 1915 when another hurricane, equal to or more powerful than the 1900 Storm struck Galveston. While the seawall was battered and damaged, the loss of life and loss of property was minimal compared with the devastation caused in 1900. If you find omissions or individuals listed who can be verified to have survived the storm, please send us an email including the name of the individual, how he or she is listed in this index, and with copies of any documentation you have demonstrating your position to Casey Greene. Galveston and Texas History Center I Rosenberg Library Funding for the 1900 Storm Photo Exhibit was provided by a TexTreasures grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission Galveston and Texas History Center, Rosenberg Library, 2310 Sealy Avenue, Galveston TX 77550 Voice (409) 763-8854 ext. 127- Fax (409) 763-0275 |
Next up for Crunchyroll's spring simulcast announcements is What do you do at the end of the world? Are you busy? Will you save us?, based on the light novels written by Akira Kareno and illustrated by Ue. The adaptation kicks off on Tuesday, April 11 at 9:00am Pacific Time. What do you do at the end of the world? Are you busy? Will you save us? will be available to Crunchyroll members worldwide except for Asia. Synopsis: The fleeting and sad story about little girls known as fairy weapons and an associate hero that survived. This is a world after it was attacked by unidentified monsters known as beasts and many of the species in the world, including humans, had been destroyed. The species that managed to survive left the ground to live on a floating island called Regal Ele. Willem Kumesh wakes up above the clouds 500 years later, though he couldn’t protect the ones who he wanted to protect. Actually, he was living in despair because he was the only survivor. He then ends up meeting a group of girls while starting an unexpected weapon management job. ------- Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS, every week at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox. |
A new trailer for Uchū Senkan Yamato 2199: Hoshi-Meguru Hakobune (Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Star-Voyaging Ark), this year's brand-new Yamato 2199 (Star Blazers 2199) film, debuted online on Friday. The trailer promises that the movie will have the "true ending" of the story with a three-way battle between Yamato , Gatlantis, and Gamilas: A new poster visual also debuted: The same trailer will begin playing in Japanese theaters on Saturday, the same day that the compilation film Uchū Senkan Yamato 2199: Tsuioku no Kōkai opens. The anime's website previews the new film's story: 2199 AD. Yamato tried to leave behind the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, after receiving a "Cosmo Reverse System" at its destination, Iscandar. However, suddenly, it encounters a mysterious group at the edge of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The crew finds out that the group is called the "Gatlantis," and that its leader is the Gutaba expeditionary force commander who calls himself "Goran Dagaamu of Thunder." The commander demands that Yamato be handed over to him. Yamato , wanting to hurry to Earth, escapes the fray. However, Yamato is attacked by a devastating beam weapon called the "Flame Direct Attack Cannon" that can transcend space. Yamato was able to retreat , but ends up getting lost, and finds itself in a strangely colored irregular dimension. The crew decides to turn off the engine on the ship, and explore a mysterious planet. In order to collect information, Kodai, Kiryū, Sawamura, Niimi, and Aihara land on the planet. What they saw when they arrived was a ship that was not supposed to be there. Dagaamu chases after the traces of Yamato's warp, and also reaches the strangely colored space. The planet on which Yamato landed was in fact what Dagaamu had been looking for all along. The cast will feature: Daisuke Ono as Susumu Kodai Houko Kuwashima as Yuki Mori Kenichi Suzumura as Daisuke Shima Akio Ohtsuka as General Elk Domel Eriko Nakamura as Mikage Kiryū Takayuki Sugo as Captain Jūzō Okita The staff includes: Chief Director, Screenplay: Yutaka Izubuchi Chief Director: Makoto Bessho Character Design: Nobuteru Yuki Chief Mechanical Director: Masanori Nishii Mechanical Design: Yasushi Ishizu, Junichirō Tamamori Set Design: Makoto Kobayashi, Takeshi Takakura Director of Photography: Takashi Aoki Art Director: Yoshio Tanioka Editing: Emi Onodera Music: Akira Miyagawa, Hiroshi Miyagawa Sound Director: Chihiro Yoshida CG Director: Tadasuke Ueji CG Production Cooperation: Sunrise D.I.D. Animation Production: XEBEC Production: Space Battledhip Yamato 2199 Production Committee The film will open in Japanese theaters on December 6. Sources: animeanime.jp, Cinema Today |
Deputies say the death of a woman found Wednesday night outside an abandoned south Orange County home is no longer considered suspicious. Officials have not said why detectives initially thought her death was suspicious or released a possible cause of death. Her name also hasn't been released. The 25-year-old woman was on the front porch when deputies responded about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday to the home on the 1200 block of Linton Avenue, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Officials declared her dead at the scene and homicide detectives were called to investigate as crime scene crews looked for evidence. The three-bedroom house is in the Sky Lake neighborhood, just east of Orange Blossom Trail and south of Lancaster Road. Property records show a Tampa-based bank bought the house in 2014. sallen@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5417 |
Dec. 2, 2012 Charlottesville, Va. - Virginia football head coach Mike London announced today four members of the Cavalier coaching staff have been relieved of their duties. Those coaches are associate head coach/defensive coordinator Jim Reid, defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Jeff Hanson, running backs coach Mike Faragalli and tight ends coach Shawn Moore. In addition to those moves, London announced safeties coach Anthony Poindexter will no longer be the Cavaliers' special teams coordinator but he will remain on staff. "After conducting a complete evaluation of the program and discussing my thoughts with administration, there are a number of areas we need to improve on and it starts with me as the head coach." London said. "The decision to release these four coaches is very difficult, but one I feel is necessary in order to meet the goals we have set for the Virginia football program. I have coached with some of these men for many years, won a national championship with some, and I truly appreciate their dedication and commitment, and more importantly, their friendships. I wish them all the best." All four coaches were members of London's staff since he took over the UVa program in December of 2009. Hanson and Faragalli were also members of London's staff at Richmond during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The Spiders won the FCS National Championship in 2008. London was an assistant coach on Reid's staff at Richmond during the 1995 and 1996 seasons. Virginia was Moore's first collegiate coaching position. He was a standout quarterback for the Cavaliers, finishing fourth in the 1990 Heisman Trophy voting. "My primary task is to continue to evaluate this program and take the necessary steps to make us successful on the field." London said. "This University and its fans deserve a program that competes for championships. In order to do that we need to make improvements in every aspect of our football operation." Virginia will begin an immediate search to fill all four positions. London did not specify a time frame for concluding the search, taking into account the fact that many of the possible candidates will be involved in postseason play. London said he would make no further comments until the search has been concluded. Information on Virginia Football Assistant Coach Buyouts • The total buyout for the four assistant coaches is $1.36 million. • The coaches will be paid the remainder of their contracts in equal monthly installments until their conclusion. • The buyout amount for each assistant coach could decrease with future employment. • The buyout will be funded from Athletics Department funds and it does not receive state funding. |
The Taipei 101, once the world's tallest building, sits a paltry 600 feet from a fault line. So is the structure doomed? Nope -- it's rocking a uni-ball of steel. To counteract the forces working against it, architects installed a $4 million, 730-ton tune massed damper, which is a big ball 18 feet in diameter, made of 41 steel plates, and suspended by strong cables 3 1/2-inches think. It's said to cut down on the swaying of the building by almost 40%. Pretty cool stuff there. Anything that keeps buildings standing and people safe during an earthquake is A-okay in my book. Even if it is a 730-ton ball. Which, incidentally, explains why I've never taken a fall. *wink* Ladies? Hit the jump for some more pictures, an animation of how the damper works, along with a video of the ball in action during the recent Chinese earthquake. The 730 ton stabilizing ball that keeps the tallest building in the world standing [dvice] |
Left Hand Brewing’s bringing back their St. Vrain Belgian Tripel for the Summer. More details in the Press Release below. Press Release: (Longmont, CO) – The revival of Left Hand St. Vrain has come. For the first time in over 4 years, Left Hand’s Belgian Tripel is back for summer 2013! Named for the local river running alongside the brewery, St. Vrain is a true to style Belgian Tripel, light in color with a touch of Celelia hops and malt sweetness. But don’t be fooled… what at first appears benevolent can manifest into a mighty serpent in waiting. Further sips, reveal the warm spiciness and intoxicating nature hidden within. Things are not always what they seem. The beer pours a brilliant gold with aromas of tropical fruit, spicy pepper, and bubble gum. Bottle conditioned for a truly monastic feel, St. Vrain bubbles effervescently with a fluffy white head. First sips open with light malt and a honey-like sweetness tempered by mint and peppery flavors, transitioning to herbal hoppy notes and a slightly nutty finish redolent of chestnuts. The finish is warming and dry, with a slight lingering bitterness. Since the beer’s last release in 2009, the 2013 edition of St. Vrain features a label redesign in line with the rest of Left Hand Brewing portfolio. Playing off the drinkable yet deceitful high alcohol nature of the Belgian Tripel, the label brings to life the classic theme of good vs. evil. The St. Vrain river alongside the brewery is illustrated, as well as the face of Ceran St. Vrain himself – a regional 17th Century fur trader. Available in of Left Hand’s 27 state distribution, St. Vrain will be packaged in 22 oz bottles and kegs. ### Cheers! |
Image copyright AP Image caption Analysis of satellite imagery showed activity at the rocket launch site Recent satellite images show that North Korea has been conducting tests at a rocket launch site, says a US academic organisation. The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said its analysis of images "indicates that North Korea continues to develop long-range missiles". There had been at least two tests of rocket motors since a failed rocket launch in April, it said. The 30m (100ft) rocket crashed into the sea shortly after take off. Pyongyang said the launch was aimed at putting a satellite into orbit, but it was widely criticised by the US, South Korea and Japan as a banned test of long-range missile technology. "Since the failed launch, the North has conducted at least two, and possibly more, tests of large rocket motors at its Sohae Satellite Launching Station, the most recent in mid-September 2012," a report on the institute's 38 North blog said. The tests appear to have involved "liquid-fuelled, first stage engines" for either North Korea's existing satellite launch vehicle, or a new long-range missile first seen during a military parade this year, the institute said. There had also been indications of construction activity on the rocket site's upper gantry platform "required for future launches of long-range rockets", it said. The report suggested North Korea could be planning test activities once both the US and South Korean presidential elections are finished. The South Korean poll takes place in December. "Whether the testing of large rocket motors or construction at the launch pad are in preparation for such activities remains unclear at this point," it said. Advances in the country's missile technology are watched carefully in both Seoul and Washington because of fears that North Korea could one day use long-range missiles to deliver nuclear weapons, says the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul. |
Location: Thane, Mumbai and Kolkata Established: 2014 Number of Beds: 10-25 (different by speciality and location) Accreditation: NABH Thane, Mumbai and Kolkata201410-25 (different by speciality and location)NABH Currae Group of hospitals is a chain of multispecialty hospitals in various parts of country, including, Thane, Kolkata, Mumbai. Currae offers the best-in-class hassle-free healthcare by providing the latest medical technologies under the supervision of highly accomplished and experienced healthcare personnel. Currae Gynaec, IVF and Birthing Hospital in Thane is a women's only hospital offering personalised care and attention to patients seeking plastic and cosmetic surgery. State of the art Operation Theatres, big and serene rooms, nice ambience, excellent patient care services and great surgeons are some of the special features of the hospital. The hospital has the capability to perform complete range of cosmetic surgery procedures, including Face lifts, Body contouring surgeries like Tummy tuck, Liposuction, Brazilian Butt lift, Breast procedures, Vaginal surgeries etc besides all reconstructive procedures which include Cleft palate repair, breast reconstruction, hand microsurgery etc. Address : Rosa Vista, Godhbunder Road, Opp. Suraj Water Park, (W), Thane, 400607 Know More about Currae Hospital Location: Chembur, Mumbai Established: 2010 Number of Beds: 15-50 (different in each centre) Chembur, Mumbai201015-50 (different in each centre) Apollo Spectra Hospitals have been conferred the title of 'Centre of Excellence' by Johnson & Johnson for 'Ultrasculpt liposuction'. The hospitals are a subsidiary of Apollo group who are the doyens of Indian Healthcare Industry and a name which is synonymous with quality and care. Formerly called as 'Nova Specialty Surgery', Apollo Spectra hospitals are known for short surgical stays and their focus is mainly on Elective procedures like Cosmetic surgeries. Preferred use of minimally invasive techniques and highly advanced aesthetic technologies reduces the duration of stay required at the hospital and downtime after surgery. This also results in much faster recovery, even after extensive surgeries like Tummy tuck, body lifts etc. Apollo Spectra's plastic and cosmetic surgery division is supported by some of the senior-most and renowned cosmetic surgeons who provide a complete array of cosmetic services and perform reconstructive surgeries with highly successful outcomes. A team of Board certified Cosmetic surgeons, zero infection rates, personalized care, attention to detail are some of the features that make Apollo Spectra hospitals stand out from the rest. Address : Ujagar Compound, Opp. Deonar Bus Depot Main Gate, Deonar, Chembur, Mumbai -400088 Know More about Apollo Spectra Hospital Location: Gurgaon, National Capital Region Established: 2007 Number of Beds: 300 Accreditation: JCI, NABH, NABL Gurgaon, National Capital Region2007300JCI, NABH, NABL Artemis is a state of the art, JCI accredited tertiary care hospital. It is counted among the top healthcare institutions in the country and offers cutting edge technology and best services under one roof. The cosmetic and plastic surgery department of the hospital offers best in class care to all disciplines related to cosmetic or aesthetic and plastic surgery; this includes reconstructive surgery of breast, face, recontsrutive microsurgery, hand surgery and general plastic surgery. The aesthetic surgery specialists are adept in performing procedures of all kinds from simple gynecomastia, breast augmentation to body lifts, complex rhinoplasties and multiple cosmetic procedures at the same time. Besides having the best cosmetic surgeons, who are some of the most renowned and eminent names in the field of cosmetic surgery, the hospital offers latest technology and some of the most advanced equipment in aesthetic surgery for surgical and non-surgical procedures, including: Vaser Liposuction - State of the art Ultrasonic assisted Liposuction Thermage for Wrinkle treatment Pixel CO2 by Alma Lasers for correction of Acne scars, burns, stretch marks etc. LHR- Laser Hair Reduction Med Visage- Non surgical face lift, to improve texture, tone and elasticity of skin Top-notch services in a compassionate, open centric environment, coupled with affordability and best cosmetic surgeons in the country, has made Artemis hospital one of the most revered names in the country for Cosmetic and Plastic surgery. Address : Sector 51, Gurugram, Haryana 122001 Know More about Artemis Hospital Location: Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore Established: 2005 Number of Beds: 90 Accreditation: NABH Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore200590NABH Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur is a multi super-specialty hospital located in upmarket Yaeshwanthpur in Bangalore. It is the flagship hospital of the group and is both JCI and NABH accredited. Having started its operations in 2008, the hospital has already made its mark to be listed among the Top hospitals in India. Columbia Asia, Yeshwanthpur has the best in class infrastructure, backed by cutting edge technology and vast pool of skilled and experienced medical and support staff, making it one of the most preferred destinations for patients not only in Bangalore, India but the whole world. Address : 26/4, Brigade Gateway, Besides Metro, Malleswaram West, Bangalore - 560 055 Know More about Columbia Asia Hospital Location: Delhi Established: 2010 Number of Beds: 15-50 (different in each center) Delhi201015-50 (different in each center) Formerly Nova Hospitals, the group came to be known as Apollo Spectra Hospitals after it was taken over by Apollo group. Nova Hospitals was the first to bring the concept of standalone state-of-art short stay surgical centers in India offering fully equipped facilities in the neighbourhood. The focus is only on surgeries- clean surgeries with no chances of infection. The facility accepts only surgical cases like Orthopedics, Spine, Bariatric and Cosmetic surgery and has centers all over India- Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur etc. Address : A-19/A, Near Kailash Colony Metro Station, Kailash Colony Road, Block A, Sector 19 Know More about Apollo Spectra Hospital Location: Mumbai Established: 2015 Number of Beds: 60 Specialties: Multi Specialty Mumbai201560Multi Specialty Namaha Healthcare is a multispecialty, tertiary care center, exclusively for women. The hospital is a niche surgical facility which caters to women of all ages. A warm and compassionate environment, diligently chosen faculties, tastefully done interiors and a seamless functionality is very welcoming to the patient. The hospital provides state of the art services and is equipped with the latest and most advanced technology. The facility is managed 24 x 7 by skilled and experienced doctors & nursing staff, has well-equipped OTs with Hepa filters and laminar flow, separate air handling Unit for OT, ICU & IPD to prevent any infection. The hospital primarily focuses on planned surgeries and takes only clean uninfected cases, so the risks for nosocomial and other infections is minimal. The hospital has state of the art Cosmetology unit for handling various ailments of skin and hair, well-equipped Pathology labs and Radiology department, in house cafeteria, specialized yoga hall and other facilities for complete convenience of patients. With best in class patient treatment and care, state-of-the-art infrastructure, plush ambience and Board certified cosmetic surgeons, one can expect the best outcome for their Aesthetic Plastic surgery at the hospital. Address : Naman Plaza, SV Road, Near East West Flyover, Kandiwali West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400067 Know More about Namah Hospital Location: Sarita Vihar, New Delhi Established: 1996 Number of Beds: 710 Specialties: Multi Specialty Accreditation: JCI, NABH Sarita Vihar, New Delhi1996710Multi SpecialtyJCI, NABH Apollo hospital is considered the doyen in Indian Healthcare industry and a name to reckon with. It is not only one of the best hospitals in India, but counted among the best hospitals in the world. The hospital is a JCI accredited facility and first in India to receive the coveted accreditation. The Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery was established in 1996 at the hospital. The department provides best in class tertiary level care across all spectrums of Plastic Surgery ranging from pure reconstructive surgery for correction of congenital defects like cleft lip, cleft palate, hand reconstruction surgeries, breast reconstruction, scar revisions, post cancer surgeries etc. to aesthetic cosmetic surgeries like Abdominoplasty, Body lifts, Liposuction, Breast reduction/ augmentation, Face lift, Rhinoplasty, Blepharoplasty etc, besides non-surgical procedures like Botox, fillers, lasers etc. These aesthetic procedures greatly improve or enhance the demeanor of a person thus enhancing their overall personality. The hospital has an excellent team of Cosmetic and Plastic surgeons who have been extensively trained in India and abroad and have several years of experience behind them. These surgeons are revered the world over for their surgical skill and expertise and counted among the best plastic surgeons in India. Address : Delhi Mathura Road, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi, Delhi 110076 Know More about Indraprastha Apollo Hospital Location: Powai, Mumbai Established: 2004 Number of Beds: 240 Specialties: Multi Specialty Accreditation: NABH, NABL Powai, Mumbai2004240Multi SpecialtyNABH, NABL Dr L H Hiranandani is a multi-specialty tertiary and quaternary care hospital, considered as one of the most swanky and biggest hospitals in entire Western India. The hospital is equipped with the most modern facilities and stands today in the same league as world’s best hospitals. The Plastic and Reconstructive surgery department at the hospital is positioned among the best in the country with state of the art facilities and highly trained medical personnel. The department is run by some of the senior most, Board certified cosmetic surgeons who have several years of experience behind them. These surgeons are extensively trained and deal with the complete gamut of cosmetic surgery procedures from head to toe. The hospital has well-equipped Operating room facilities which work round the clock to cater to all sorts of cosmetic and Plastic surgery procedures, including emergency reconstructive surgeries. The hospital customarily performs procedures like Body contouring, including Body lifts, Tummy tuck, Liposuction, Brazilian Butt Lift, Breast procedures, Facial surgeries like Face lift, Blepharoplasty, Rhinoplasty, Chin/ Cheek augmentation etc. Address : Hill Side Avenue, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai - 400 076 Know More about Hiranandani Hospital Location: Greater Kailash, New Delhi Established: 2004 Number of Beds: 38 Accreditation: NABH Greater Kailash, New Delhi200438NABH Fortis La Femme is a unique surgical facility for women. The hospital is fundamentally based on the premise that every woman is a special person with special requirements. Women have special Medical needs also, thus the need for a "women only" hospital, tailor made as per their requirements. Since the hospital is a niche surgical facility currently having 38 beds, it provides individualized attention and personalized care to each of its patients. The hospital offers world class, patient centric care, has been meticulously planned and offers elegantly designed spaces, exactly what is required by a cosmetic surgery patient. The hospital was awarded the Winner of Child magazine's 'Most Popular Awards' 2013 on the basis of quality care services that it offers to its patients. The hospital has on its panel top cosmetic surgeons of the country with some of the most revered names, some of whom are American Board certified. The hospital offers latest technology and best in class care to its patients and thus rivals the best Cosmetic surgery hospitals in the world. Address : S - 549, Greater Kailash - II, New Delhi, Delhi 110048 Know More about Fortis La Femme Location: Charni Road, Mumbai Established: 2005 Number of Beds: 250 Charni Road, Mumbai2005250 Saifee hospital is one of the premier multi-specialty, tertiary care hospitals in India which serves a large number of International patients coming to India. The hospital is equipped with state of the art equipment and provides world class infrastructure, at par with the best hospitals in the world. The Cosmetic and Plastic surgery department of the hospital offers the latest and most advanced facilities and caters to a wide spectrum of patients ranging from Reconstructive surgery to purely aesthetic surgery procedures like Abdominoplasty, Face lifts, Liposuction etc. The hospital offers some of the latest techniques in the field of cosmetic surgery, including: Water Jet/ Aquashape Liposuction Vaser Liposuction Laser Skin Resurfacing Besides top notch facilities, the hospital has on its panel some of the most revered and renowned cosmetic surgeons, who have earned the reputation of being the best cosmetic surgeons in India. Availability of most advanced surgical techniques, modern hospital facilities, Top notch Board certified surgeons and best surgical outcomes make Saifee hospital one of the most preferred hospitals for Cosmetic and Plastic surgery in India. Address : Address: 15/17, Maharshi Karve Marg, Charni Road, Mumbai - 400004 Know More about Saifee Hospital |
Buzkashi (بزکشی, literally "goat pulling" in Persian) is a Central Asian sport in which horse-mounted players attempt to place a goat or calf carcass in a goal. Similar games are known as kokpar,[1] kupkari[2] and ulak tartysh,[3] in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and as kökbörü and gökbörü in Turkey, where it is played mainly by communities originally from Central Asia.[4] History [ edit ] Buzkashi began among the nomadic Turkic peoples who came from farther north and east spreading westward from China and Mongolia between the 10th and 15th centuries in a centuries-long series of migrations that ended only in the 1930s. From Scythian times until recent decades, buzkashi has remained a legacy of that bygone era.[5][6] During the rule of the Taliban regime, buzkashi was banned in Afghanistan, as the Taliban considered the game immoral. After the Taliban regime was ousted, the game resumed being played.[7][8] Distribution [ edit ] Today games similar to buzkashi are played by several Central Asian ethnic groups such as the Kyrgyz, Turkmens, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Uyghurs, Hazaras, Tajiks, and Pashtuns. In the West, the game is also played by Afghan Turks (ethnic Kyrgyz) who migrated to Ulupamir village in the Van district of Turkey from the Pamir region. In western China, there is not only horse-back buzkashi, but also yak buzkashi among Tajiks of Xinjiang.[9] Afghanistan [ edit ] Buzkashi is the national sport and a "passion" in Afghanistan where it is often played on Fridays and matches draw thousands of fans. Whitney Azoy notes in his book Buzkashi: Game and Power in Afghanistan that "leaders are men who can seize control by means foul and fair and then fight off their rivals. The Buzkashi rider does the same".[10] Traditionally, games could last for several days, but in its more regulated tournament version, it has a limited match time.[citation needed] Kazakhstan [ edit ] A game of kokpar, Kazakhstan Kazakhstan's first National Kokpar Association was registered in 2000. The association has been holding annual kokpar championships among adults since 2001 and youth kokpar championships since 2005. All 14 regions of Kazakhstan have professional kokpar teams. The regions with the biggest number of professional kokpar teams are Southern Kazakhstan with 32 professional teams, Jambyl region with 27 teams and Akmola region with 18 teams. Kazakhstan's national kokpar team currently holds a title of Eurasian kokpar champions.[11] Kyrgyzstan [ edit ] A photograph documents kokboru players in Kyrgyzstan around 1870;[12] however, Kyrgyzstan's kokboru rules were first officially defined and regulated in 1949. Starting from 1958 kokboru began being held in hippodromes. The size of a kokboru field depends on the number of participants [13]. Tajikistan [ edit ] The buzkashi season in Tajikistan generally runs from November through April. High temperatures often prevent matches from taking place outside of this period, though isolated games might be found in some cooler mountain areas. In Tajikistan and among the Tajik people of Tashkorgan in China's Xinjiang region, buzkashi games are particularly popular in relation to weddings as the games are sponsored by the father of the bride as part of the festivities.[14] United States [ edit ] Buzkashi was brought to the U.S. by a descendant from the Afghan Royal Family, the family of King Amanullah and King Zahir Shah. A mounted version of the game has also been played in the United States in the 1940s. Young men in Cleveland, Ohio played a game they called Kav Kaz. The men – five to a team – played on horseback with a sheepskin-covered ball. The Greater Cleveland area had six or seven teams. The game was divided into three "chukkers", somewhat like polo. The field was about the size of a football field and had goals at each end: large wooden frameworks standing on tripods, with holes about two feet square. The players carried the ball in their hands, holding it by the long-fleeced sheepskin. A team had to pass the ball three times before throwing it into the goal. If the ball fell to the ground, the player had to reach down from his horse to pick it up. One player recalls, "Others would try to unseat the rider as he leaned over. They would grab you by the shoulder to shove you off. There weren't many rules."[15] Mounted team-based potato races, a popular pastime in early 20th-century America, bore some resemblance to buzkashi, although on a much smaller and tamer scale.[16] Rules and variations [ edit ] Competition is typically fierce. Prior to the establishment of official rules by the Afghan Olympic Federation the sport was mainly conducted based upon rules such as not whipping a fellow rider intentionally or deliberately knocking him off his horse. Riders usually wear heavy clothing and head protection to protect themselves against other players' whips and boots. For example, riders in the former Soviet Union often wear salvaged Soviet tank helmets for protection. The boots usually have high heels that lock into the saddle of the horse to help the rider lean on the side of the horse while trying to pick up the goat. Games can last for several days, and the winning team receives a prize, not necessarily money, as a reward for their win. Top players, such as Aziz Ahmad, are often sponsored by wealthy Afghans.[17] A buzkashi player is called a Chapandaz; it is mainly believed in Afghanistan that a skillful Chapandaz is usually in his forties. This is based on the fact that the nature of the game requires its player to undergo severe physical practice and observation. Similarly horses used in buzkashi also undergo severe training and due attention. A player does not necessarily own the horse. Horses are usually owned by landlords and highly rich people wealthy enough to look after and provide for training facilities for such horses. However a master Chapandaz can choose to select any horse and the owner of the horse usually wants his horse to be ridden by a master Chapandaz as a winning horse also brings pride to the owner. The game consists of two main forms: Tudabarai and Qarajai. Tudabarai is considered to be the simpler form of the game. In this version, the goal is simply to grab the goat and move in any direction until clear of the other players. In Qarajai, players must carry the carcass around a flag or marker at one end of the field, then throw it into a scoring circle (the "Circle of Justice") at the other end. The riders will carry a whip to fend off opposing horses and riders. When not in use - e.g. because the rider needs both hands to steer the horse and secure the carcass - the whip is typically carried in the teeth. The calf in a buzkashi game is normally beheaded and disemboweled and has 2 limbs cut off. It is then soaked in cold water for 24 hours before play to toughen it. Occasionally sand is packed into the carcass to give it extra weight. Though a goat is used when no calf is available, a calf is less likely to disintegrate during the game. While players may not strap the calf to their bodies or saddles, it is acceptable - and common practice - to wedge the calf under one leg in order to free up the hands. The headless carcass of a goat used in buzkashi Rules introduced by Afghan Olympic Federation [ edit ] These rules are strictly observed only for contests in Kabul.[18] The ground has a square layout with each side long. Each team consists of 10 riders. Only five riders from each team can play in a half. The total duration of each half is 45 minutes. There is only one 15 minute break between the two halves. The game is supervised by a referee. Kyrgyzstan [ edit ] Kokboru field and two footboll fields Kazan Rules of kokboru have undergone several changes throughout history. Modernized rules of kokboru are: There are two teams with 12 participants in each. Only 4 players a team are allowed to play on a field at a given time. Teams are allowed to substitute players or their horses. Game is played on a field of 200 meter long and 70 meter wide. Two kazans – big goals with a diameter of 4.4 meter and high of 1.2 meter are placed on opposite sides of a field. The total duration of three periods is 60 minutes. There is two 10 minute break between the periods. A goal is scored each time a ulak (goat carcass) is placed in an opponent's kazan. A kokboru is brought to the field center after scoring a goal. It is also prohibited to ride towards the spectators and/or receive spectators assistance or to start a kokboru game without giving an oath to play justly. Tajikistan [ edit ] In Tajikistan, buzkashi is played in a variety of ways. The most common iteration is a free-form game, often played in a mountain valley or other natural arena, in which each player competes individually to seize the buz and carry it to a goal. Forming unofficial teams or alliances does occur, but is discouraged in favor of individual play. Often, dozens of riders will compete against one another simultaneously, making the scrum to retrieve a fallen buz a chaotic affair. Tajik buzkashi games typically consist of many short matches, with a prize being awarded to each player who successfully scores a point. In popular culture [ edit ] In books and film adaptations [ edit ] Buzkashi is portrayed in several books, both fiction and non-fiction. It is shown in Steve Berry's book The Venetian Betrayal, and it is briefly mentioned in the Khaled Hosseini book The Kite Runner. Buzkashi was the subject of a book called Horsemen of Afghanistan by French photojournalists Roland and Sabrina Michaud. Gino Strada wrote a book named after the sport (with the spelling Buskashì) in which he tells about his life as surgeon in Kabul in the days after the 9-11 strikes. P.J. O'Rourke also mentions the game in discussions about Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Foreign Policy section of Parliament of Whores, and Rory Stewart devotes a few sentences to it in "The Places in Between".[citation needed] Two books have been written about buzkashi which were later turned into films. The game is the subject of a novel by French novelist Joseph Kessel titled Les Cavaliers (aka Horsemen), which then became the basis of the film The Horsemen (1971). The film was directed by John Frankenheimer with Omar Sharif in the lead role, and U.S. actor and accomplished horseman Jack Palance as his father, a legendary retired chapandaz. This film shows Afghanistan and its people the way they were before the wars that wracked the country, particularly their love for the sport of buzkashi.[citation needed] The game is also a key element in the book Caravans by James Michener and the film of the same name (1978) starring Anthony Quinn. A scene from the film featuring the king of Afghanistan watching a game included the real-life king at the time, Mohammed Zahir Shah. The whole sequence of the game being witnessed by the king was filmed on the Kabul Golf Course, where the national championships were played at the time the film was made.[citation needed] In Ken Follett's book, Lie Down with Lions (1986), the game is mentioned being played, but instead of a goat, they used a live Russian soldier. In film [ edit ] A number of films also reference the game. fr: La Passe du Diable (1956), by Jacques Dupont and Pierre Schoendoerfer. The Horsemen (1971) starring Jack Palance and Omar Sharif as father and son is centered on the game. Both La Passe du Diable and The Horseman are based on scripts written by Joseph Heller, although they are not similar in plot or style. In Rambo III (1988), directed by Peter MacDonald, John Rambo (played by Sylvester Stallone) was shown in a sequence playing and scoring in a buzkashi with his mujahideen friends when suddenly they were attacked by the Soviets. The Tom Selleck film High Road to China (1983) features a spirited game of buzkashi. Buzkashi is described at length in Episode 2, "The Harvest of the Seasons", of the documentary The Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski. It is put in the context of the development, by the Mongols, of warfare using the horse and its effect on agricultural settlements. The film includes several scenes from a game in Afghanistan. The opening scenes of the Bollywood film Khuda Gawah (1992), which was filmed in Afghanistan and India, show actors Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi engaged in the game. The game is mentioned briefly in John Huston's film The Man Who Would Be King (1975) based on a story by Rudyard Kipling, the movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) during advertisements for the fictional ESPN 8 (El Ocho) television channel, episode 15 of season 5 of NCIS: Los Angeles (2015), and the Bollywood movie Kabul Express (2006). The 2012 joint international-Afghan short film Buzkashi Boys depicts a fictional story centered on the game, and has won awards at several international film festivals.[19] On January 10, 2013, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated Buzkashi Boys for an Oscar in the category of Short Film (Live Action) for the 85th Academy Awards.[20] Buzkashi is mentioned in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty where it is translated as 'Goat Hockey' and is a clue to the location of 'Sean O'Connell'. In music [ edit ] Composer Scott Fields recorded a track called Buzkashi on the Clean Feed Records guitar compilation "I Never Meta Guitar" (2010).[citation needed] In military culture [ edit ] American military personnel became aware of buzkashi, and eventually the truism, "Every day is a buzkashi day" and the semi-rhetorical question, "Why is every day a buzkashi day?" became part of the jargon of those serving in Afghanistan. The obvious explanation and answer to the question is that every day is a buzkashi day because every day someone tries to "get your goat."[21] See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] |
WASHINGTON (AP) — An American and an Italian held hostage by al Qaeda, as well as two Americans working with the terror group, were inadvertently killed in U.S. counterterrorism operations earlier this year, the White House said Thursday. The White House said that Warren Weinstein, an American held by al Qaeda since 2011, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian held since 2012, were killed in a January operation in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The operation targeted an al Qaeda-associated compound and there was no reason to believe either hostage was present, the White House said. In addition, the U.S. believes that Ahmed Farouq, an American who the White House says was an al Qaeda leader, was killed in the same operation. U.S. officials have also concluded that Adam Gadahn, an American who had served as a spokesman for the terror network, was killed in a separate operation in January. The White House said Farouq and Gadhan were not specifically targeted in the operations, nor did the U.S. have information indicating their presence at the sites. President Barack Obama was to appear in the White House briefing room at midmorning to make a statement on the incidents. The White House said Obama takes "full responsibility for these operations and believes it is important to provide the American people with as much information as possible about our counterterrorism operations, particularly when they take the lives of fellow citizens. " The White House said that while it believes the operations were lawful, the U.S. is conducting an independent review to understand what happened. The White House released a statement Thursday morning: |
Footage has emerged of the moment a man was shot during an apparent road rage incident in Durban on Thursday. According to paramedics and security companies on the scene‚ the incident came after the driver of a truck switched lanes and nearly collided with the driver of a Ford Ranger. The clash took place under a bridge on the M13 freeway between Gillits and Hillcrest‚ heading up Fields Hill. The video‚ which was shot by a driver on her cellphone‚ shows the driver of a truck jumping out of his vehicle holding a piece of pipe. He then starts shoving and pushing the driver of a orange Ford Ranger. Several people rush over to try and break the men up before the Ford driver goes back to his vehicle and fetches his firearm. In a subsequent squabble‚ which followed after the Ford driver hit the truck driver in the head‚ a single gunshot can clearly be heard. Michelle Smith‚ medical director at Meditech Emergency Response‚ said the man was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to his left hand. "It appears it was a partial amputation. He was transported [to hospital] in a serious but stable condition‚" she said. Andreas Mathios‚ Blue Security media liaison who was on the scene shortly after the incident‚ said that eyewitnesses reported that the driver of the truck realised he wouldn't fit under the arched bridge so moved over to the right hand lane. "There was a Ford Ranger in the fast lane…and the truck nearly took him out. The whole scene happened under the bridge‚" he said. SAPS spokesman Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed a case was being investigated. Watch the full video here: <strong> </strong></p><p =""><strong> </strong></p> |
The Mesquite 3 solar array in Arizona. (Sempra Energy) On Friday in Maricopa County, Ariz., the U.S. government will hit a clean energy milestone: What officials are calling the largest procurement ever of renewable energy by the federal government, in this case from a desert solar array. The new 150-megawatt, or million-watt, Mesquite 3 solar array is located in Arizona, but the electricity it generates will be sent to California’s electric grid and will power roughly one-third of the electricity needs of 14 naval installations in the state, including San Diego’s naval base and the Marines’ Twentynine Palms and Camp Pendleton. “Today we’re going to throw a switch and start getting those electrons flowing to our 14 bases,” said Dennis McGinn, the assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment, who spoke from Arizona where he was on site for the opening ceremony for the plant. “It’s going to be reliable, it’s going to be cheaper than what we’re paying for brown power, and it just diversifies our energy sources for these bases,” McGinn continued. The deal will let the Navy buy solar power at a fixed price for 25 years from the array, which is owned by Sempra Energy. “To me, the essence of solar power is, you know what the price of the fuel is going to be for the next 25 years, or more,” McGinn said. “It’s predictable, it provides financial planning and energy planning stability to our calculation, and it’s part of our diversified energy portfolio.” The Navy has distinguished itself as a leader in the clean energy space of late, also experimenting with biofuels for planes, ships and vehicles and even trying to subtly change officers’ behavior to make them more energy conscious, based on the idea that using less energy provides a tactical advantage — in some cases, it literally means the ability to fight for longer if you have to. The move is being celebrated not only by the Navy, but also the Energy Department, which contends that the dramatic growth of large-scale solar plants in the Southwest is a direct result of major investments made by its Loan Programs Office as part of the stimulus legislation passed in the wake of the financial collapse in 2008-2009. In 2010, the United States didn’t have a single utility scale solar photovoltaic farm, a new analysis from the Loan Programs Office notes. But $4.6 billion in loans from the Energy Department led to the installation of five such plants, capable of generating 1.5 gigawatts, or billion watts, of electricity capacity. One of them was the 170-megawatt Mesquite 1 solar plant, the predecessor to Mesquite 3. “Before 2009, utilities had a total of just about 20 megawatts of PV, total,” Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in an interview Friday. “So then came this couple of years when the loan program kick-started, as you can see, with 1.5 gigawatts.” That was the end of the federal program — but today, there are 45 more such large-scale projects, adding another roughly eight gigawatts of capacity, mostly in the Southwest still but also in states ranging from Minnesota to Georgia. When the private sector took over. Moniz contends that was in part possible because the Energy Department program had been able to drive down prices. “That’s kind of a virtuous cycle of deployment plus innovation keep combining to drive cost down,” Moniz said. “So obviously, when there was no deployment, there was no benefit of going down the curve.” The over 10 gigawatts of installed utility scale solar photovoltaic capacity in the United States today is just one part of the tremendous solar boom the country has seen. None of this takes into account more medium-sized arrays or individual rooftop solar installations. The Energy Department has also given loans for a different type of large-scale solar array, called concentrated solar power, many of which also have been built. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are 31.6 total gigawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity installed in the United States, capable of providing enough electricity for 6.2 million homes. Moniz said that solar still only provides about 1 percent of total U.S. electricity capacity. In the future, he noted, as the grid adds more and more variable wind and solar assets, “you have to start balancing in the grid, and that can be through storage. It can also be by, let’s say, integration with fast-ramping natural gas.” But for now, he said, “the grid has plenty of capacity to absorb these variable inputs.” And the fact that the Navy will now be powered by them in California pretty much cements an increasingly common argument: If climate change is a national security threat, clean energy is part of the answer. Correction: This story previously stated that there had been 40 more large-scale utility projects since the end of the federal loan program. The actual number was 45. |
The U.S. Navy is developing an underwater charging station for its unmanned undersea vehicles. The technology, which does away with cables, will make it easier for drones to recharge at sea. Wireless charging technology, also known as inductive charging technology, was pioneered commercially for smartphones and tablets. It involves simply setting your phone down on a flat charging mat. Wireless chargers emit an alternating magnetic field, which induces an alternating current in a receiver coil in the device. However, wireless charging hasn't become universal thanks in part to its relative slowness versus using a wired charger. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy started making a big push into unmanned underwater vehicles. The torpedo-shaped robots are being developed for a variety of tasks, including reconnaissance, mine hunting, ocean floor mapping, and anti-submarine warfare. Electrically powered, they are quiet and can travel great distances from their mother ship. The problem: It's hard for a floating robot to plug itself into a charging station at sea. Right now, that means a sea drone needs to return to base just so a human can plug it into a charging station. Sailors from Expeditionary Mine Countermeasures Company lower a Mk. 18 Mod 2 minehunting UUV into the water. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Charles Oki The solution is to make the charging station wireless so the robot merely has to land on it to recharge itself. This would take a human out of the energy issue completely, enabling charging stations to be deployed remote areas where UUVs operate. |
After having been out with quite a few men, I’ve come up with a “rejection” spiel; a thanks-but-no-thanks that’s gentle and calm, yet firmly gets the point across. Great to meet you, but I don’t really see this going anywhere. Most guys are pretty understanding; most say they appreciate the honesty and wish me luck on the dating scene. Some don’t even respond, which is fine too. Last week, however, I came across a gentleman that not only didn’t take it well, but spent over three hours berating me, via text, for not wanting to go out with him again. We had decided to meet for happy hour last week. He invited me to his home turf in the West End, and suggested The Halligan Bar and Grill. When I got there, I walked into the building, assuming he hadn’t arrived yet. He then called me and told me to meet me at his car; even though this was a little unusual, I switched directions and went to the parking garage (Mom, don’t worry, it was daylight and there were a lot of people around). I finally found him, and we introduced ourselves. He handed me a rose (chivalrous) and then showed me a bottle of wine that was sitting in his back seat (interesting). I took the rose and we went into the restaurant. He was funny, charming, and seemed sincerely interested in me. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting him, and really was disappointed when we parted ways; I didn’t, however, feel so strongly that I wanted to see him for a second date. The next day, he suggested meeting up for a movie over the weekend. I “let’s just be friends”ed him, and he didn’t take it…um…very well. So yes…the wedding is this Fall. I hope you all can make it! Advertisements |
The cable news network and Trump's senior adviser took to Twitter to dispute their sides of a New York Times report. CNN took to Twitter Monday morning to confirm a report that the cable news network turned down a Sunday interview offer with Kellyanne Conway. After a New York Times Sunday story reported the network has “serious questions about her credibility” and declined to have her on as a TV guest, the senior adviser to President Donald Trump took to Twitter to deny the report. "False," she wrote on Monday morning in response to an article about the Times story. "I could do no live Sunday shows this week BC of family. Plus, I was invited onto CNN today & tomorrow. CNN Brass on those emails." False. I could do no live Sunday shows this week BC of family. Plus, I was invited onto CNN today & tomorrow. CNN Brass on those emails https://t.co/LVOUWIytLK — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) February 6, 2017 Twenty minutes later, however, CNN confirmed they passed on the White House's offer to bring Conway on Sunday's State of the Union. "@KellyannePolls was offered to SOTU on Sunday by the White House. We passed. Those are the facts," tweeted CNN from its public relations handle. . @KellyannePolls was offered to SOTU on Sunday by the White House. We passed. Those are the facts. — CNN Communications (@CNNPR) February 6, 2017 The Times reported the White House offered Conway in place of Vice President Mike Pence for the news show, and that the network declined the offer in part because of the substitution, as well as due to Conway's "credibility" factor. The CNN tweet did not mention the alleged credibility issues. The Twitter back-and-forth came after a Monday report that Conway again referenced the nonexistent "Bowling Green massacre" in a second interview with Cosmopolitan.com. Conway was mocked on cable news and on social media for referencing the "massacre" on MSNBC's Hardball last week when defending Trump's travel ban. She similarly came under fire for describing press secretary Sean Spicer's inauguration attendance comments as "alternate facts." Amid Trump's crusade against "fake news" and feud against CNN — a network he memorably referred to as "fake news" during his first press conference and has continued to do so many times on Twitter — the network appears to be taking to the social medium more aggressively to hold the Trump administration accountable. Last week, as her "Bowling Green massacre" error began to trend on Twitter, CNN posted to its Twitter account: "Kellyanne Conway is right. We did not cover the Bowling Green massacre -- because it never happened." On Monday, the cable news network also responded to Trump's Monday tweet aimed at a CNN weekend poll over the weekend. The survey found the majority of Americans view Trump's travel order as an attempt to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. "Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election. Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting," Trump tweeted Monday morning. CNN responded with a story (headline: "No, President Trump, negative polls are not 'fake news'") explaining how "professional polling is scientific, not political, in nature." During Tuesday's White House press briefing, press secretary Sean Spicer said that, to his knowledge, CNN had retracted the story about passing on Conway. "My understanding is they retracted that, they walked that back or denied it, however you want to put it, I don't care," he said when asked if the White House would provide alternate representatives to networks. "Kellyanne is a very trusted aid of the president, for any characterization otherwise is insulting. If they choose not to work with someone that's up to them, but I think we're going to continue to put out key leaders of this administration, including Kellyanne, that can articulate the president's policies and agenda." The CNN Communications team was quick to respond, taking to Twitter to clarify the network had not retracted the story with a direct response to Spicer's comment. "CNN was clear, on the record, about our concerns about Kellyanne Conway's credibility, to the New York Times and others," reads the statement. "We have not 'retracted' nor 'walked back' those comments. Those are the facts." Feb. 7, 2:30 p.m. ET: Updated with Spicer, CNN Tuesday comments. |
Over the weekend, Kentucky dispatched a feisty, rugged Cincinnati team, with relative comfort. I would argue that there was little doubt in the outcome of the game after the under-12:00 media timeout of the second half. And if you’ve really been paying attention to Kentucky, there was little doubt in the outcome of the game from the moment Willie Cauley-Stein splashed back down to Earth following his latest poster dunk near the end of the first half. But that was not the story coming out of Saturday from a lot of outlets and television experts. To a large cross-section of the March-only media, Cincinnati had reinvented the wheel. The Bearcats had solved the Calipari Conundrum and Kentucky is in trouble moving forward. Yeah, not so much. Cincinnati did manage to ugly-up the game and play physical defense, but this is about as revolutionary in March 2015 as the shot clock, which is to say, not at all. This has been the book on talented Kentucky teams for years. Louisville employs this strategy on an annual basis to nominal success (1-7). Of course, since most of these people writing this expert analysis have not actually watched those games, it’s new to them. Don’t spoil it for them. Because they’re going to spend the entire week getting their hopes up for West Virginia on Thursday. You see, West Virginia they’ll say, is a deeper, more talented version of Cincinnati. Why, their coach even used to be the coach at Cincinnati. To support their argument, they will cite the 2010 East Region Final in which an entirely different West Virginia team employing a completely different style of play upset an entirely different Kentucky team who also employed a completely different style of play. That game and its result will have about as much bearing on Thursday’s game as the particular color underwear you and I are wearing on Thursday. By tip-off on Thursday you may even be wondering why the Cats are even going to bother showing up. Pay no attention to the fact that they were not seriously challenged last weekend. The standard to which this UK team is held has reached a ridiculous level and despite what pundits will proclaim to whoever will give them air time or column space to proclaim it, the ridiculous expectations are not from the crazy, overzealous Big Blue Nation. No. It is actually the media themselves who have created this impossible expectation for Kentucky to live up to. Don’t believe me? Just watch, read and listen. In Nashville, the ESPN crew lost their minds because Kentucky had to call a timeout in the midst of a blowout to inbound the ball. A team manages to string together a six-point run, and the tone of the broadcast is noticeably different. “Get the President on the phone!” “Scramble Kenny the Jet!” “Kentucky’s lead has been cut from 17 to 13 before the under-12 timeout of the second half!” And it’s just Kentucky that gets this treatment. Duke played an offensively challenged San Diego State on Sunday and at one point midway through the second half, the Aztecs managed to trim the Duke lead to seven. No one so much as raised an eyebrow, because they knew it was inevitable that Duke would remember it is Duke and run off 8-10 points in short succession. And that’s exactly what happened. But Duke is not the story this year. Duke is not undefeated. Kentucky is the story. Kentucky is undefeated. There’s a different standard. An impossible standard. It’s a compliment to the stature of this program in 2015. It is also monumentally frustrating. I think someone at some point said something about the theft of joy. Probably relevant to this. If Kentucky dispatches with West Virginia on Thursday night because it does not feed the West Virginia offense with turnovers and it makes most of the many free throws it will surely take (West Virginia leads the nation in fouls committed) there will be a new narrative. A new challenger. Maybe Notre Dame. Maybe Wichita State. It won’t matter. At all. Well, if it’s Notre Dame, it may matter to the extent that someone will likely pull Digger Phelps from the mothballs so he can gloat about his meaningless regular season win over UCLA forty years ago, but other than that it won’t matter. If it’s Wichita State, it will be revenge. It will be the great rematch. The role reversal. It will make for the kind of storyline that typically leads to a WrestleMania Main Event this time of year. If it’s Notre Dame, the Digger/UCLA angle will come to the forefront. The Notre Dame run in the ACC Tournament will be proof that the Irish are up to the challenge. The point is these pieces will continue until either the Cats win it all or they are upset by one team or another. And, oh, if it’s the latter, the ‘gotcha’ pieces and ‘I told ya so’s’ will be as plentiful as the pollen in the spring time in Kentucky. That will be a glorious day. So many people who were so wrong, so often, can finally claim that one of the dozen teams or strategies “they” predicted were ultimately the Cats’ undoing. There’s a good chance that day never comes and Kentucky completes this historic run. Then everyone can go back to writing about or yelling on Hot Take Show X about how Calipari and Kentucky are ruining college basketball all the while conveniently ignoring the fact that UK’s run has brought record ratings and attention back to a sport badly in need of a boost. See what WILDCAT fans are saying here [MEDIA:1503722] Show your support—get your Wildcats gear here! Members save 15% on tickets with code "Scout15" |
Search Gallery DailyCreatures_May www.facebook.com/MarkTamuraArt… Creatures for every single day of may! Daily Creatures May 1. Irolligator Markdotea 14 Daily Creatures May 2. KeitoBeak Markdotea 11 Advertisement Advertisement Daily Creatures May 3. TsunoShark Markdotea 10 Daily Creatures May 4. NagaHigeCat Markdotea 12 Daily Creatures May 5. MushiTriple Markdotea 20 Daily Creatures May 6. NagaDoraBird Markdotea 10 Daily Creatures May 7. DamashiWhiskers Markdotea 13 Daily Creatures May 8. FukurouCat Markdotea 15 Daily Creatures May 9. NagaSwimmer Markdotea 22 Daily Creatures May 10. KaguKanguPig Markdotea 6 Daily Creatures May 11. MushiFlower Markdotea 5 Daily Creatures May 12. HoneSwimmer Markdotea 9 Daily Creatures May 13. NameruTurtle Markdotea 11 Daily Creatures May 14. KaeruCat Markdotea 10 Daily Creatures May 15. IroMonkey Markdotea 6 Daily Creatures May 16. SameDragon Markdotea 14 Daily Creatures May 17. RyuPug Markdotea 20 Daily Creatures May 18. IroTsunoCamel Markdotea 11 Daily Creatures May 19. KataiAgoDragon Markdotea 18 Daily Creatures May 20. NaniKoreGhost Markdotea 11 Daily Creatures May 21. NaniKoreCat Markdotea 16 Daily Creatures May 22. HitotsuMeWalker Markdotea 11 Daily Creatures May 23. MienaiBeing Markdotea 15 Daily Creatures May 24. MienaiDragon Markdotea 9 |
It’s been a tough few years for Manchester United. After the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, arguably one of the greatest managers in history, United have endured a turbulent spell. Ferguson’s successor, David Moyes, came and went in a season as the axe was wielded swiftly, following a run of poor results. Dutch coach, Louis van Gaal, was instilled to lead United back to where their illustrious trophy-winning career suggests they should be. Van Gaal’s second season in charge has seen a real sense of confidence bud in the United ranks, as they have battled through a difficult start to the season and have begun to slowly rebuild their title credentials. But how far can United go this season? Is a Champions League spot all they can hope for? Or are the team quietly, but surely, building towards reclaiming a title that was for so long in their grasp? Can Manchester United Win the Premier League Title this Season? Since United last won the Premier League in 2012/13, fierce rivals Manchester City and Chelsea have lifted the trophy. They finished seventh with 64 points in 2013/14 and fourth with 70 points the following season, finishing 22 points and 17 points short of the league leaders respectively. However, in recent weeks and months Van Gaal has slowly assembled a team which is keeping stride with the early pace setter, Manchester City. But how far can United really go? The emergence of Crystal Palace, West Ham and Leicester City perhaps does not bode well for United as usually, by late December and January, a team’s entire squad becomes incredibly important. Players get injured and games come thick and fast, and no festive respite is allowed to anyone as the busy Christmas schedule rolls on. It is this time of the year that the better teams with larger squads are able to accelerate away from the chasing pack. Meanwhile, the teams with a more modest squad and transfer budget fall by the wayside and lose ground on the leaders. So, which side will United fall on? Will they be hot on the trail of the leaders or trying to fit the wheels back onto their campaign like the likes of Leicester and Palace are likely to be? While this is mere speculation, this may be a season too soon for United. United bought well in the summer; German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, French internationals Morgan Schneiderlin and Anthony Martial, Dutchman Memphis Depay, and World Cup finalist Sergio Romero were all recruited. Combined with the re-emergence of Luke Shaw before his injury, these players have all added to United’s firepower. Their signing of the summer was in fact the retention of David De Gea, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, who penned a new contract with the club. This of course means that when Real Madrid eventually come back to sign him, which they will, they won’t be able to snap him up on a free transfer unless they wait until the end of his contract which they won’t be willing to do. Along with the transfers comes Chris Smalling’s prominence in the team. His renewed sense of ability has been like a new signing for United as he has marshalled their previously sieve-like defence into a far more solid back four in comparison to last season. With so much talk this campaign surrounding United’s attacking options, it should be mentioned that much will hinge upon the fitness of the young English centre-half and whether he can stay fit. If he does, his partnership with Daley Blind will surely grow stronger as the games go by. United have been unlucky, though, as their young centre-backs, including Smalling and Phil Jones, have been susceptible to injury; it will be imperative they find a way to keep Smalling fit in this season and throughout the future. United did lose a number of players: most notably Robin Van Persie and Javier Hernández. While neither of the two was in good form, it has left a huge amount of responsibility on the already-overburdened Wayne Rooney. Whilst the arrival of Martial has helped to share the responsibility, it must be considered that the Frenchman is still only a teenager. While he has been in fantastic form in his first few Premier League games, his real quality will have to shine through not if, but when, he goes through a dry patch in scoring. When this happens, Rooney will have to be on hand to lead the team not only as captain, but with his goal-scoring prowess. Rooney’s form has dropped in recent weeks and injury has hampered his game time, meaning he has been unable to play himself back into required shape. The recent international break would have perhaps given him welcome respite, though, as he would have been able to play in a team that is not quite so dependent on him and had already qualified for next summer’s European Qualifiers. Along with their signings, United have seen a number of teams’ downfall coincide with their own resurgence. Chelsea are enduring a horrendous start to their season, and much has been written about their demise. The manager and players have all been blamed for their current form as they currently sit 16th with eight points from as many games, whilst Liverpool have recently parted company with Brendan Rodgers and brought former Borussia Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp in after their poor start. Liverpool currently sit 10th in the table, with 12 points from eight games. This ties in perfectly with United’s good form, as the only other recognised title contenders near them are Manchester City. Arsenal cannot be seen as true contenders yet, as the past seasons have shown their strong starts don’t tend to convert into lifting the Premier League trophy; they struggle to keep pace once their inevitable injury problems set in. While United are in the same position, with a squad not yet proven to be title-winning material, they will feel that if they can stay within a few points of City, then they can take advantage of the inevitable pantomime which is their local rival in the Premier League. Said pantomime sees City usually drop points and lose influential captain, Vincent Kompany, to injury which usually precedes a crisis amongst the ranks before they eventually steady the ship. The score-line was 3-0 as United were beaten soundly by Arsenal at the Emirates which placed them third, level on 16 points with Arsenal and two points behind leaders, City. While this defeat has in no way put United out of the title race, it has raised some interesting questions. The first is, how will United fare against the better teams in the league? While there is no easy game in the Premier League, it is one thing to beat the teams lower down the table, while it is another to do so consistently, and then beat fellow title contenders. Manchester City have so far been the early trend-setters with this year, as they blew Chelsea away and have been fairly consistent with only two blips against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham. The second question raised is: can United play the same style of football against the better teams? Against Arsenal, they were played off the park in the first 20 minutes and there was no way back for them, even with a much improved second half performance. It remains to be seen how effective United can be when playing better teams and it is here that they will be truly judged. It is far too difficult to win a title if 18 points are dropped across home and away games against City, Arsenal and Chelsea. Is this United’s season? It is far too early to tell, however, it is unlikely they will win this year. Their lack of depth in striking options and a defence that, while growing in strength with each game, is still only fledgling at best, needs to be given time to reach the quality of, say, the Nemanja Vidić and Rio Ferdinand partnership. In conjunction with this is the strength of Manchester City. Their squad has such enormous depth and their starting 11 is a who’s who of immense calibre. While United do also possess their own talent, it is perhaps more potential that they hold. In particular, Martial, while establishing himself as an astute buy, must justify his enormous price tag. This will happen over the coming years and Martial may follow in the footsteps of another great French forward, Thierry Henry, and he could light up the Premier League. However, there is an Argentine on the other side of the City already doing that and so, until United can challenge the goal scoring prowess of Sergio Agüero, it seems they will come up short in the title race. Main Photo |
Attorneys critical of a federal appeals court ruling say it wrongfully allows swift punishment of students who allegedly fail to meet the professional standards of their intended career. Skynesher/Getty Images A federal appeals court has ruled that public college officials did not violate free speech or due process rights of a student removed from a nursing program after writing Facebook posts during his free time that allegedly violated professional standards. Free speech advocates fear the 2-1 ruling issued Wednesday by a panel of the St. Louis-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit could allow schools to punish many things uttered or written off campus merely by asserting it violates an outside group's professional standards. “It’s an end-run around student rights,” says Ari Cohn, an attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which submitted an amicus brief in favor of student Craig Keefe, who lost an initial 2014 District Court ruling before appealing. “Students in professional programs could find themselves in an increasingly perilous situation where they have to refrain from saying anything that might offend or upset someone else or risk being thrown out of their program,” he says. “In this case, the standards were so vague that discipline could be meted out for any disfavored speech.” The nursing program's handbook said students were "obligated to uphold and adhere to" the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics, which says nurses should pursue "compassionate and caring relationships with colleagues and others," "a commitment to the fair treatment of individuals" and maintain "boundaries that establish appropriate limits to relationships." Facebook posts written by Keefe and reported to a teacher by two students mentioned using "whiskey for anger management" and "giv[ing] someone a hemopneumothorax," a medical condition involving blood and air in the chest cavity. The most contentious posts, excerpted in the majority opinion, said: Glad group projects are group projects. I give her a big fat F for changing the group power point at eleven last night and resubmitting. Not enough whiskey to control that anger. Doesnt anyone know or have heard of mechanical pencils. Im going to take this electric pencil sharpener in this class and give someone a hemopneumothorax with it before to long. I might need some anger 3 management. LMAO [a classmate], you keep reporting my post and get me banded. I don’t really care. If thats the smartest thing you can come up with than I completely understand why your going to fail out of the RN program you stupid bitch....And quite creeping on my page. Your not a friend of mine for a reason. If you don’t like what I have to say than don’t come and ask me, thats basically what creeping is isn’t it. Stay off my page... One issue at the core of the case was whether Keefe was properly dropped from the program on grounds of committing an academic offense. The steps of a standard disciplinary process, by contrast, require informing the accused what they did and allowing them to prepare a defense. Keefe was offered a chance to explain himself after classmates expressed concern to an instructor at Minnesota's Central Lakes College, the court record says. But he was not explicitly told what the informal meeting was about beforehand or allowed to review the Facebook posts held against him. He initially said the posts were jokes or the result of a hack, and his lack of remorse led to his removal from the nursing program for lack of professionalism. Judge James Loken sided with the school in the majority opinion, writing “a university may violate the First Amendment if it invokes a curriculum-based code of ethics as a pretext to punish a student’s religious views and speech ... [but] Keefe made no allegation, and presented no evidence, that defendants’ reliance on the Nurses Association Code of Ethics was a pretext for viewpoint, or any other kind of discrimination.” The Supreme Court ruled in 1978, Loken wrote, that “[p]ersonal hygiene and timeliness may be as important factors in a school’s determination of whether a student will make a good medical doctor as the student’s ability to take a case history or diagnose an illness," upholding an academic dismissal in Board of Curators of Univ. of Mo. v. Horowitz. But dissenting Judge Jane Kelly fired back: “Keefe was dismissed as a result of a conflict with classmates on Facebook. Case law does not support classifying as 'academic' dismissals based on off-campus speech that merely happened to be about the school or its students.” "Quite simply, Code requirements that nurses treat others with 'respect and compassion' and avoid 'any and all forms of prejudicial actions' or 'disregard for the effect of one’s actions on others' could easily be used to restrict protected speech," she wrote. "In addition, when a college applies a generalized Code of Conduct to speech after the fact, I question whether students like Keefe are provided sufficient notice of what the Code prohibited and what it allowed." Kelly wrote that the Supreme Court "went out of its way" in Morse v. Frederick in 2007 to say that a "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" sign held by a high school student on sidewalk near campus, which administrators punished with a suspension, "would have been protected if it had been delivered outside of school." The judge also pointed favorably to a pair of 2011 decisions from the 3rd Circuit in favor of middle and high school students who had been punished for creating MySpace profiles in their free time to portray school principals as being a sex addicted pedophile in one case and a pot-smoking "steroid freak" in the other. Kelly added that in the Horowitz case, the expulsion of a medical student was "based on the fact that faculty had for two years expressed dissatisfaction with [the student's] clinical performance. In contrast, [the Minnesota school's director of nursing] reported that she was unaware of any prior professionalism problems involving Keefe.“ The Minnesota attorney general’s office, which represented the school officials, referred questions to the state college system. Dr. Hara Charlier, president of Central Lakes College, said in a statement that the school is "committed to instilling in our students the professional standards that they must meet in their careers" and that "we are very pleased to have prevailed in this decision.” Keefe's attorney, Jordan Kushner, however, says "student rights both for free speech and due process is an evolving area and this decision was a step backwards." Kushner says he was not immediately able to reach his client to discuss a possible appeal. He says Keefe, who had been a licensed practical nurse seeking to become a registered nurse, "basically had to give up on the medical profession" as a result of the school's decision. "This is a case with real, substantial constitutional issues that has a chance of being heard further," Kushner says. Cohn, meanwhile, warns the holding if not overturned en banc by the appeals court or the Supreme Court, could allow for an unknown variety of problematic cases, perhaps ensnaring journalism undergraduates, would-be teachers and others whose future professional fields have lofty and vague standards an administrator could cite. “A decision like this opens the door,” he says. |
One month ahead of the May 20 primary in Idaho, Domenic Gelsomino is already starting to pound the pavement. The 21-year-old 2013 graduate of Boise State University, whose most recent work experience is as a customer sales associate at Men's Warehouse, wrapped up a door-to-door tour of his first precinct in the Boise area on April 26, a strategy he plans to adopt for the remainder of the district. He said that fundraising is going slowly at the moment, besides the individual contributions of supportive legislators like former state Sen. Russ Fuchler. But he's hopeful that his candidacy will be a success, and more importantly, a piece of history for Idaho. Gelsomino is gay, conservative, and Catholic — and he's trying to not be an anomaly in the future of the Republican Party. "Idaho gets to see its first openly gay Republican run for office — and a conservative Republican too," Gelsomino said in an interview in March announcing his sexuality at the beginning of the campaign. Gelsomino and his equally young manager Daniel Tellez Jr. are waging an uphill battle with targeted idealism, trying to carefully balance the tenets of conservative Republicans in the state with a public image initially based on Gelsomino's sexuality. In fact, the casual visitor to his website wouldn't know LGBT rights are not only a personal issue for Gelsomino, but even a policy concern. There's little to no mention of same-sex marriages or LGBT rights on his site. Gelsomino's site does however emphasize his firm pro-life beliefs and desire to dismantle Obamacare. Gelsomino says the absence of LGBT issues in his campaign is part of a new strategy aimed at moving past his identity as a gay man and on to his positions as a conservative Republican who just happens to be gay. "My coming-out was a means to be honest with my voters, be honest with fellow Republicans, and be honest with fellow Idahoans," Gelsomino said. "But I'm not going to be going around publicizing it." Around the time of his announcement, Gelsomino spoke publicly and gave conditional support to the "Add the Words" initiative in Idaho, which would amend the Idaho Human Rights Act to include specific protections for LGBT Idahoans. Idaho is one of 29 states in which an individual can be legally fired based on sexual orientation. Gelsomino, a devout Catholic, didn't support adding protections for LGBT people because religious institutions wouldn't be exempted. "As much as the gay community would like to have its rights respected, religious institutions would like to have their rights respected as well," Gelsomino told BuzzFeed. "If they disagree with the lifestyle of the gay community, it's their First Amendment right to do so." While ideological purists on both sides may not like his attempts at trying to appease both sides, they could be well matched for his district, which has switched between Republicans and Democrats several times. It's that fickleness that Gelsomino hopes will push him past incumbent Democrat Phyllis King, who's held the seat since 2008. Still, King, who is a sponsor of the Add the Words campaign, argued that the novelty of a gay conservative isn't likely enough to unseat her. "The people who vote for me don't care if he's gay or not," King said. "The Republican voters are the ones who would probably care. And they would vote against that. So, I don't think it's helping him at all — being a Republican and being gay." Gelsomino also conceded that some LGBT voters have largely turned his back on him for being a conservative. "I've already been called a backstabber, a traitor, and a token," Gelsomino said. "That R is a stigmata." Some Idaho GOP candidates directly affiliated with Gelsomino are opposed to issues like same-sex marriage. Republican State Sen. Russ Fulcher, a candidate for governor to whom Gelsomino has referred as a mentor and father figure, argued to institute a statewide same-sex marriage ban in 2006 and has worked to deny domestic same-sex partnership benefits. "It's a culture war that we're in ... We get pounded by influences that are outside our own great state," Fulcher said at the time. Fulcher did not respond to a request for comment. Gelsomino's campaign manager, Tellez Jr., publicly supports Fulcher's campaign on Facebook. But Gelsomino still doesn't know how Fulcher manages to remain his close friend and supporter while also opposing same-sex marriage rights. "I unfortunately don't have an answer for that," Gelsomino said. "I guess because it is more of a personable, family-like relationship. That's something within himself that I can't answer. I really don't question it, but I'm grateful for it. He still sees members of the LGBT community as human beings." |
98% of customers would recommend this product to a friend (746 out of 758) Synopsis You've dived down pipes with Mario and Luigi, teamed up for hairy, barrel-rolling fun with Diddy Kong, taken on boxers of all sizes and shapes as Little Mac and more. Now, you can bring your favorite Nintendo characters alive with new amiibo figures. Team up against bad guys, solve challenging puzzles and even Smash the competition in thrilling battles. With PAC-MAN on your side, you'll have a cultural icon as an ally on your adventures. Are you ready to discover a brand-new way to interact with everyone's beloved Nintendo characters? Jump into the fun-filled, thrilling adventures of your favorite Nintendo Wii U games, including Super Smash Bros. with your favorite Nintendo characters — who can now come to life. With this amiibo figure, you'll get to discover the power inside of PAC-MAN. Tap your PAC-MAN amiibo figure to your Wii U GamePad to bring him to life in your compatible game. Use multiple amiibo at the same time to expand your gameplay fun. Add your amiibo to the thrilling, action-packed fun of Super Smash Bros., Hyrule Warriors, Mario Party 10 and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker for Nintendo Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, and experience an all-new way to battle it out. Level him up to CRUSH your opponents, supercharge his stats and expand his abilities. When your favorite Nintendo characters come to life, the gaming possibilities are endless. |
How the Obama administration bungled the Iraq withdrawal negotiations The Obama administration is claiming it always intended to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of this year, in line with the president’s announcement today, but in fact several parts of the administration appeared to try hard to negotiate a deal for thousands of troops to remain — and failed. "I can report that as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over," President Barack Obama said today, after speaking with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. "The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their held — heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops. That is how America’s military efforts in Iraq will end." Deputy National Security Advisors Denis McDonough and Tony Blinken said in a White House briefing that this was always the plan. "What we were looking for was an Iraq that was secure, stable, and self reliant, and that’s what we got here, so there’s no question that was a success," said McDonough, who traveled to Iraq last week. But what about the extensive negotiations the administration has been engaged in for months, regarding U.S. offers to leave thousands of uniformed soldiers in Iraq past the deadline? It has been well reported that those negotiations, led by U.S. Ambassador James Jeffrey, Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and White House official Brett McGurk, had been stalled over the U.S. demand that the remaining troops receive immunity from Iraqi courts. "What the president preferred was for the best relationship for the United States and Iraq going forward. That’s exactly what we have now," McDonough said, barely acknowledging the administration’s intensive negotiations. "We talked about immunities, there’s no question about that…. But the bottom line is that the decision you heard the president talk about today is reflective of his view and the prime minister’s view of the kind of relationship we want to have going forward. That relationship is a normal relationship," he said. Of course, the U.S.-Iraqi relationship is anything but normal. Following nine years of war, the death of over 4,000 Americans and perhaps hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, and the disbursement of at least hundreds of billions of dollars of American taxpayer’ money, the United States now stands to have significantly less influence in Iraq than if the administration had been able to come to terms with Iraq over a troop extension, according to experts and officials. "Iraq is not a normal country, the security environment is not normal, the embassy is not a normal embassy," said Marisa Cochrane Sullivan, managing director at the Institute for the Study of War, who traveled to Iraq this summer and has been sounding the alarm about what she saw as the mishandling of the negotiations ever since. For more evidence that the administration actually wanted to extend the troop presence in Iraq, despite today’s words by Obama and McDonough, one only has to look at the statements of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. In July, Panetta urged Iraqi leaders to, "Dammit, make a decision" about the U.S. troop extension. In August, he told reporters that, "My view is that they finally did say, ‘Yes.’" On Oct. 17, he was still pushing for the extension and said, "At the present time I’m not discouraged because we’re still in negotiations with the Iraqis." Sullivan was one of 40 conservative foreign policy professionals who wrote to Obama in September to warn that even a residual force of 4,000 troops would "leave the country more vulnerable to internal and external threats, thus imperiling the hard-fought gains in security and governance made in recent years at significant cost to the United States." She said that the administration’s negotiating strategy was flawed for a number of reasons: it failed to take into account Iraqi politics, failed to reach out to a broad enough group of Iraqi political leaders, and sent contradictory messages on the troop extension throughout the process. "From the beginning, the talks unfolded in a way where they largely driven by domestic political concerns, both in Washington and Baghdad. Both sides let politics drive the process, rather than security concerns," said Sullivan. As recently as August, Maliki’s office was discussing allowing 8,000 to 20,000 U.S. troops to remain until next year, Iraqi Ambassador Samir Sumaida’ie said in an interview with The Cable. He told us that there was widespread support in Iraq for such an extension, but the Obama administration was demanding that immunity for U.S. troops be endorsed by the Iraqi Council of Representatives, which was never really possible. Administration sources and Hill staffers also tell The Cable that the demand that the troop immunity go through the Council of Representatives was a decision made by the State Department lawyers and there were other options available to the administration, such as putting the remaining troops on the embassy’s diplomatic rolls, which would automatically give them immunity. "An obvious fix for troop immunity is to put them all on the diplomatic list; that’s done by notification to the Iraqi foreign ministry," said one former senior Hill staffer. "If State says that this requires a treaty or a specific agreement by the Iraqi parliament as opposed to a statement by the Iraqi foreign ministry, it has its head up its ass." The main Iraqi opposition party Iraqiya, led by former U.S. ally and former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, decided to tie that vote to two non-related issues. It said they would not vote for the troop extension unless Maliki agreed give them control of a high-level policy council and let them choose the minister of defense from their ranks. Maliki wasn’t about to do either. "It was clear from the beginning that Maliki wasn’t going to make a move without the support of the other parties behind him," Sullivan explained, adding that the Obama administration focused on Maliki and neglected other actors, such as Allawi. "There was a misunderstanding of how negotiations were unfolding in Iraq. The negotiations got started in earnest far too late." "The actions don’t match the words here," said Sullivan. "It’s in the administration’s interest to make this look not like they failed to reach an agreement and that they fulfilled a campaign promise. But it was very clear that Panetta and [former Defense Secretary Robert] Gates wanted an agreement." So what’s the consequence of the failed negotiations? One consequence could be a security vacuum in Iraq that will be filled by Iran. "It’s particularly troubling because having some sort of presence there would have really facilitated our policy vis-a-vis the Iranians and what’s going on in Syria. The Iranian influence is going up in Iraq," said Andrew Tabler, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "It makes it harder for us to play our cards, and that’s a real setback. We’ve spent a lot of blood and treasure in Iraq. And these days, stability in that region is not what it used to be." House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) echoed those sentiments in a statement today and expressed skepticism that Iraq is as "safe, stable, and self reliant" as the White House claims. "Multiple experts have testified before my committee that the Iraqis still lack important capacities in their ability to maintain their internal stability and territorial integrity," McKeon said. "These shortcomings could reverse the decade of hard work and sacrifice both countries have endured to build a free Iraq." Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry (D-MA), in his own Friday statement, backed up the administration’s argument that the lack of a troop extension was in the best interest of the United States and Iraq. "The United States is fulfilling our agreement with an Iraqi government that wants to shape its own future," he said. "The President is also following through on his commitment to end both the conflict in Iraq and our military presence… These moves appropriately reflect the changes on the ground. American troops in Iraq will be coming home, having served with honor and enormous skill." UPDATE: This article was amended after a White House official called in to say that it was not the "White House" that was pushing for an extension of U.S. troops. "The White House has always seen the president’s pledge to get all troops out of Iraq as a core commitment, period," the White House official said. |
A collaboration of Swiss institutions, including IBM Research, has announced that it’s developing a highly efficient, low-cost photovoltaic system that’s capable of concentrating “the power of 2,000 suns.” The collaboration claims that the system, which is targeted at dry regions such as southern Europe, Africa, the south west of North America, South America, and Australia, will have an overall efficiency of 80% — and, miraculously, be able to provide a source of fresh water, too. The High Concentration Photovoltaic Thermal system [PDF], or HCPVT for short, combines Airlight’s concentrated solar power (CSP) tech with IBM’s microchannel water cooling tech. In essence, the HCPVT system consists of a large parabolic dish that tracks the sun, with mirrored facets that concentrate the sun’s rays on a cluster of photovoltaic chips — which is where the real magic occurs. The HCPVT system uses triple-junction photovoltaic chips, which can harness the energy of three different wavelengths of light, compared to the single wavelength captured by a conventional single-junction photovoltaic cell. Furthermore, these triple-junction chips (pictured right) are kept cool using IBM’s microchannel cooling, allowing the chips to continue operate nominally at a solar concentration between 2,000 and 5,000 times. This technology, called Aquasar, was originally developed by IBM to efficiently cool supercomputers, which require extraordinary cooling solutions to keep their densely-packed processors at an acceptable temperature. For complete details of Aquasar, see our explainer. In essence, though, each photovoltaic chip is cooled by a network of tiny, water-filled microchannels, “inspired by the hierarchical blood supply system of the human body.” These microchannels are so efficient that the complete HCPVT system can recover up to 50% of waste heat, bringing the total system efficiency up to 80%. But that’s not all: The hot water, which reaches temperatures of 90 Celsius (194F), is then passed through a porous membrane desalination system, producing clean, drinkable water. A square meter of microchannel-cooled photovoltaic chips would produce between 30 and 40 liters of water per day. A large installation would provide enough water for a small town. This hot water could also power an adsorption refrigerator, too, providing air conditioning — though, in reality, the ability to produce drinkable water will probably take precedence over cool air. Zooming out from the micro, the macro-scale details of the HCPVT system are equally important. According to IBM Research, this system is only economically viable because the structure is fashioned from concrete and the primary optics are composed of inexpensive pneumatic mirrors (thin, reflective metal films pulled tight with pneumatics). All told, this equates to a system cost of below $250 per square meter of mirror, which is apparently “three times lower than comparable systems.” The levelized cost of energy from the HCPVT system — the price that must be charged to break even over the system’s lifetime — is just 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Now read: The fanless heatsink: Silent, dust-immune, and almost ready for prime time |
Image caption Only prisoners on remand can currently vote The government has promised to keep the number of prisoners given the vote to a "minimum", after being ordered to allow them to take part in elections. Following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, ministers proposed allowing anyone serving less than four years the vote. But the BBC has learned that they now want to limit the right to those sentenced to less than a year. The government was seeking legal advice over the plan, Downing Street said. But lawyers representing prisoners say anything less than full enfranchisement for all inmates would "almost inevitably" be challenged in court. The initial voting plans faced strong opposition from Conservative MPs. Prime Minister David Cameron recently said giving inmates the vote made him feel "physically ill" but warned that the government faced paying out more than £160m in compensation if it did not do so - a move which could be even more unpopular with the public than extending voting rights. 'Not arbitrary' At present, all convicted prisoners are barred from voting, but the European court ruled in 2004 that such a ban was unlawful. The government had indicated it was prepared to grant voting rights to all prisoners serving under four years. However, the prime minister is now thought to accept that the Commons is unlikely to vote for a proposal that could involve granting the vote to up to 28,000 prisoners, including 6,000 jailed for violent crime, more than 1,700 sex offenders, more than 4,000 burglars and 4,300 imprisoned for drug offences. Instead, the BBC understands that ministers are considering limiting the right to those prisoners sentenced to serve a year or less. A Downing Street spokesman said the government wanted "to ensure that the minimum number of prisoners get the vote". He added that a statement would be made "in due course". The decision to set a lower sentence limit for those voting is not straightforward and the government would have to prove in court that Parliament had not acted in an arbitrary way in choosing it. Lawyers had reportedly advised that a four-year limit would have been safe from legal challenge because it is the sentencing threshold for what are technically defined as "serious offences". For: Juliet Lyon, Prison Reform Trust Morally, by establishing the right to vote we are recognising that people sent to custody must lose their liberty, but not their identity. It is no surprise that prison governors and senior officials in the prison service see voting as an ordinary part of resettlement and rehabilitation. Enfranchising prisoners would provide an opportunity for the coalition government to catch up with most other European countries where prisoners are able to vote. The UK's blanket ban is out of place in a modern prison system, and should be overturned without further fuss or delay. However, ministers are aware that many of the crimes below that level - violence, sexual assault, drugs - will seem too serious to many. They are also aware that a one-year limit could be tested in the courts and that they might lose again. Any concession may not persuade many MPs who want to make a stand against the Strasbourg court. The Commons will have the opportunity to defy the court's ruling in a couple of weeks' time when it debates a motion tabled by the Conservative David Davis and Labour's Jack Straw. John Hirst, a prisoner convicted of manslaughter, had successfully argued in the European Court that his human rights had been violated by not being allowed to take part in elections. He told the BBC the government's attempts to water down the plans did not "have a cat in hell's chance" of succeeding. "If I'd have gone to court and said I'm not accepting a judge's life sentence where would that put us?" he said. Removing the blanket ban on prisoners voting is not a choice but a legal obligation Spokesman, Cabinet Office "You have to accept that the law applies to everybody and it applies to the government, and David Cameron is not above the law and he'll find out that very shortly." That sentiment was echoed by Sean Humber, a partner at law firm Leigh Day & Co, which is representing 550 prisoners suing over the denial of voting rights. "Any attempt to limit the right to vote to certain prisoners, while excluding others, is likely to be unlawful and almost inevitably lead to further legal challenge and claims for compensation," he said. Against: Tom Harris, Labour MP and blogger First of all, how many prisoners who are in prison at the moment voted before they went to prison? I suspect the percentage is in single figures. We do deprive people of some of their human rights when they go to prison and depriving them of their vote is a pretty common sense one to do. I will be voting with Jack and David. There is a big majority in Parliament - and the wider public - against giving prisoners the vote. It is disappointing that the judiciary of Europe are imposing common law across the whole of the European Union. I don't think that's appropriate. A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "Removing the blanket ban on prisoners voting is not a choice but a legal obligation as a result of a court ruling. "Failure to implement the ruling would not only put the government in breach of its international obligations but risk paying out taxpayers' money in compensation claims." Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan welcomed the government's "U-turn". He said: "The government should be standing up for the victims of crime but instead they are slashing police numbers and giving dangerous convicted prisoners the vote." But the director of the Prison Reform Trust, Juliet Lyon, said the professionals running the penal system now felt it was time to enfranchise convicts. "It's been described as 'nasty medicine'," she told the BBC, "when it should be seen as people taking responsibility." The voting rights of prisoners is a UK-wide issue and will affect Scotland and Northern Ireland even though the administration of justice is devolved. The Westminster government has said it will work closely with ministers in both regions before legislation is introduced. Read a selection of your comments: I am a former prisoner - 13 years inside - and I think some, but not all, prisoners should be allowed to vote. For example, those who are nearing the end of their sentence and are working in the community and paying taxes should not be excluded from the electoral system. Rehabilitation should be part of a prison sentence and prisoners should be taught how to be. Andrew Bell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne What a lot of fuss about nothing. You'd think the government had bigger problems to address. What difference will it make if prisoners can vote? The only problem I can see is if they were allocated to the constituency containing the prison, which might conceivably create a special lobby group. As long as they are allocated to the constituency they last lived in what possible difference will it make? For one thing, it is unfair that one person can get a suspended sentence and be able to vote, while someone else guilty of the same offence can go to jail and lose that right. Dorothy Macedo, London Imprisonment is the deprivation of liberty. The right to vote (as the American colonists taught us) is one of the clearest expressions of liberty. Therefore only those who have not been removed from society due to their own transgressions against their fellow citizens should have a say in shaping that society. Stuart Edwards, Hitchin, Hertfordshire I was sentenced to three months for drink driving, my first ever offence at 33. I served two weeks, I would never have expected to be able to vote, I was doing my time. I had extenuating circumstances (don't we all?) but come on, pay your taxes, be a citizen, you get the right to vote. People who do not serve their country well should not be allowed to vote, full stop. Anonymous Part of the punishment for convicted criminals should be that they forfeit the right to vote. The right to vote is not a basic human right, it is a privilege for those who live in a civilised society and accept its laws. By violating those laws you place yourself outside that society. The human rights legislation is one of the worst aspects of our European membership. Victor Bagnelle Snr, Lowestoft, Suffolk As an ex-prisoner I think it is perverse that prisoners are allowed to watch the X-Factor, yet are not allowed to participate in something constructive. It is interesting now that Jack Straw's career is winding down that we see his true colours; be it attacking young Muslim males or this 'throw away the key' mentality. R Steele, Shipley The right to vote in a democratic country is a basic human and universal right as a citizen. It is not subject to qualification by any government. Once that principle is ceded then dubious governments of every hue can claim the ability to set its own and safety; not to be subject to degrading or inhuman treatment, etc. Loss of liberty is the punishment for their crime(s), not the loss of their citizenship and human rights, amongst which is the right to vote for the government - which may determine the laws that effect/alter their sentence! Fr Ray Lyons, London Should prisoners be entitled to vote? Certainly not! They have been incarcerated for a reason, and in my eyes have forfeited any rights to the 'pleasures' that we law-abiding citizens enjoy. Giving criminals the vote (regardless of their sentence) is a slap in the face of the ordinary person. Daniel Everitt, Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland Prisoners are in prison for a reason, to be punished. They already appear to have life very easy - games stations, televisions, radios etc. They should not be allowed to vote as the whole reason behind prison, as said, is to punish and the right to vote is enjoyed by people who are free and law abiding. Did the criminals who want to vote think of the victims' human rights when committing the crime? I don't think so. Prisoners should have no vote, end of story. William, Northamptonshire The opportunity to vote has been taken away from the unfortunate victim of Mr Hirst so if I was him I would just be grateful that I was still alive and leave it at that. My opinion is when you commit a crime (especially taking another persons life) you forfeit your rights that the law abiding citizens enjoy. Janice Shell, Middlesbrough, UK |
Gotham has yet another villain, and it’s Jada Pinkett Smith. According to Deadline, who broke the news this morning, Pinkett Smith will play Fish Mooney, who was earlier revealed to be the young Penguin’s boss. Deadline had the following to say about Mooney: “[she is] an imposing, hotheaded and notoriously sadistic gangster boss and nightclub owner with street smarts and almost extra-sensory abilities to read people like an open book who is not one to be crossed.” Pinkett Smith, whose previous credits include The Matrix series and Collateral, will certainly be interesting in the role, though (from the way I see it) anyone who works above Oswald Cobblepot probably doesn’t have good chances for survival… Get your news and reviews about all kinds of Bat-media right here From the Batcave, and be sure to like From the Batcave on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the scoop first! Source: Deadline Advertisements |
By Jung Min-ho Animal rights activists from around the world are calling for the boycott of September's Incheon Asian Games, while planning to stage street protests against "bosintang" or dog meat soup. "We mailed the hard copy of a petition containing 45,928 signatures along with comments, research reports and photos to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) office in Kuwait," a volunteer at Koreandogs.org told The Korea Times. OCA is the governing body of sports for Asia and the Middle East. They are now detailing their schedule for street campaigns in the city during the 16-day competition. As of Thursday noon, an online petition on the website www.change.org denouncing dog eating in Korea has received 63,997 signatures and the campaign appears to be drawing increasing interest. The campaigners are also ramping up their effort to attract global attention through activities on social media. The volunteer added: "We will continue to seek more support for this petition and we plan to send another petition signature package to the OCA when we reach 100,000 signatures… As long as Korea continues to torture and kill ‘man's best friend,' Korea will not enjoy true respect from the world community." The slogan of the Incheon Asiad has been decided as ''Diversity Shines Here.'' Incheon officials might be tested on just how much diversity they could take. Preparing the Asiad has been a challenge for Incheon, a city that has been struggling to navigate out of financial problems. The total budget for the Asian Games is $1.62 billion, with the central government and the Incheon metropolitan government covering 19 percent and 78.9 percent, respectively. During the preparation, the city's debt surpassed 3 trillion won ($2.66 billion) in 2012, compared with 1.4 trillion won in 2007. The main target for animal rights activists now is the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Protestors have accused Sochi authorities of ramping up a campaign to kill stray dogs with poison. The allegation has further clouded the atmosphere of the Olympics, which has already been mired in corruption scandals and criticism over the country's suppression of sexual minorities. |
We have just past the halfway point of the year, which is an excellent time to evaluate real estate sales for the first half of 2017. Comparing the first six months sales numbers of 2017 for the general Pensacola Area* of previous years of residential (homes and condos) sales shows how well our market is doing. While 2017 is shaping up to be a very good year, the number of properties sold in 2017 is only slightly greater 2016. This small increase is due in large measure due to the decrease in the number of properties for sale - our inventory is down by 14% from this time last year. The reduction of local inventory impacts home buyers ability to find the house or condo for the right price. Price Appreciation The price you will pay to acquire a house or condominium this year has also increased over the last seven years. The average price paid for a residential property in the Greater Pensacola Area has increased by 12.5% during the past twelve months and has increased 39% since the bottom of the market in 2010. This appreciation has been gradual and continued year after year as seen in the graph above. Second-Half 2017 Forecast The second-half of 2017 is expected to remain strong as the number of days on the market will shrink and the inventory of homes and condos continues to diminish. Interest rates are expected to remain low posing little to no risk to the real estate market. The factors above combine to produce a seller's market. Given these strong real estate market conditions, buyers should prepare in anticipation of making a winning offer when the right property becomes available. Consider early on whether you will buy with cash or financing. If you plan to use financing, get pre-qualified and find any hidden credit issues that may exist before you make an offer. Sellers are less likely to grant contingencies or concessions when multiple offers presented. Remember; preparation pays off for buyers too. *Pensacola Area - Refers to all cities and communities collectively in Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties. |
The auction for the Sony "GayStation" 4, a custom-made rainbow PlayStation 4, has ended. After more than 180 bids, the system was sold for 28,300 Swedish kroner (about $4,105), with all proceeds supporting the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Rights (RFSL). A standard PS4 sells for $400 in the United States, £349 in the U.K., and €399 in Europe. Specifically, the funds from the "GayStation" 4 auction will go to RFSL Newcomers, described as a network for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex asylum seekers and refugees. The console was sold through Swedish retailer Webhallen. "For many young people, the world of games will become a refuge to escape the taunting or worse of real life," Webhallen said last month when the auction began."On Webhallen, we are gamers in heart and mind, and are keen that as many as possible have the opportunity to feel welcome and enjoy the world's largest and fastest growing interest: video games." |
In Chippewa Falls this morning, a 68-year-old woman from Thorp was arrested for ripping up a recall sign. From the Chippewa Herald: According to the Chippewa Falls Police, Mary Jean Dezurik, 68, parked her white minivan by a group of recall volunteers shortly before 10 a.m. at the intersection of N. Bridge and W. River streets in Chippewa Falls. After stopping, witnesses said she grabbed one of the signs, tore it up, threw it on the ground and drove away. ... Chippewa Falls Officer Brian Zwiefelhofer apprehended Dezurik at W. Central and Bay streets, and arrested her for disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property Read more: http://chippewa.com/... It's about time. I hope we see arrests soon in two cases of petition destruction in Madison. Those incidents happened over two weeks ago but the Dane County District Attorney and local police have so far filed no charges nor made any arrests despite having already identified the likely suspects and having multiple witnesses. UPDATE: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has picked up the West Bend story. UPDATE 2: This might explain the recent arrests. Last week, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) and the state Department of Justice held a training session for local district attorneys on recall-related criminal activity. I'm guessing we won't see many arrests for signature fraud, but lots of arrests for destroying petitions: |
Nigel Stanford is using Robot Animator to train some new band members. Image: Nigel Stanford Andy Flessas, aka computer animator and roboticist andyRobot, wants to bring robots to life by "animating" them. To date, robots enabled with his unique software have taken to the stages of the likes of popstar Bon Jovi and DJ Deadmau5, to name but a few. Now Flessas wants to bring his software to the artistic masses with "Robot Animator," a plugin for Autodesk's computer animation software Maya, which he released through German robotics manufacturer KUKA just last month. "Robot Animator creates a new interface inside Autodesk Maya that's specific to robotics," Flessas told me. The software simplifies robotic programming for the user and "applies speed and acceleration correction" as users animate their robot in a simulation and see their commands replicated by a robot in real life. "A lot of people were approaching me and wanting to buy a robot that they could control, but no one knows what they want to buy," Flessas told me. "They just know they want to work with robots." Obsessed with technology from a young age, Flessas initially trained as a computer animator before he attended Zurich-headquartered manufacturer ABB's robotics training school in Detroit in 2000, where he certified as a roboticist. A stalwart proponent of the positive uses of technology, Flessas eventually mashed together his knowledge of computer animation and robotics to create his robot animation software, which he's been fine-tuning since the 1990s. With Robot Animator, Flessas wants to allow artists to incorporate a KUKA industrial arm within their installations and art practices without having to invest time into learning complex programming skills, or dishing out lots of money for technical support. "This software reflects what I think it is that people need," he said. andyRobot working on Deadmau5's robotic arm. Image: andyRobot For the moment, Flessas has started collaborating creatively with Nigel Stanford, a visual artist and musician from New Zealand, and Koichiro Doi, a Japanese fashion photographer, to bridge the divide between robot and creator. Stanford, who is using Flessas' software to transform his robotic arms into bandmates, said that working with robots wasn't exactly easy, but that Flessas' software gave him greater control. "[Robots] are potentially dangerous and need to be treated with respect," said Stanford. "Robot Animator was great to use, without it, I wouldn't have been able to program the robots in time to the music, as the standard programming tools are not time-based." Over in Japan, Doi shared similar views, saying that Flessas' software allowed him to control robotic arms more intuitively. Doi intends to use the roving robotic arms instead of static tripods by mounting cameras, props, or lights on them. "I want to create a scene where everything moves in sync," he said."Robots have a very cryptic language and none of them speak the same one." "Robots have a very cryptic language and none of them speak the same one." While Flessas aims to bridge the gap between creators and robots, he also wants his software to provide a common language for industrial robots in the future. Deadmau5's robotic arm. Image: andyRobot "In factories, you'll see a manufacturing line with hundreds of robots and they'll all be from one brand. They don't really mix them in factories," said Flessas. "Robots have a very cryptic language and none of them speak the same one. So what I'm doing is using Robot Animator to create a new language of animation that happens to be robotic." Flessas envisions a future where robots from different companies could collaborate with one another in a manufacturing setting, drawing on the strengths of each other and making whatever task they're carrying out more efficient. "We can mix and match," said Flessas. "What that means for industry is that manufacturers can say, 'Aha, I can talk with a different brand.' It's like the animator becomes the bridge between the different robot languages, bridging together the different robot brands with the common language of animation," he said. |
While there appears to be no breach of Apple's security, the company terminated its relationship with hardware vendor SuperMicro because of concerns about firmware update security, and an update that potentially compromised a Siri server bank, plus the App Store's search server development environment. [Updated] In a report published by The Information on Thursday , Super Micro Senior Vice President of Technology Tau Leng claims that Apple not only discontinued future business as a result of a compromised internal development environment in the middle of 2016, but also returned equipment it had ordered. According to the anonymous sources cited, app search functionality and some Siri queries were handled by Super Micro-provided hardware that was compromised by a bogus firmware update.Apple spokesman reached for comment by The Information denies that Apple found infected firmware from the vendor. Apple also denies that any customer information was pilfered as a result from any incident involving data center security."Apple is deeply committed to protecting the privacy and security of our customers and the data we store," said an Apple spokesman. "We are constantly monitoring for any attacks on our systems, working closely with vendors and regularly checking equipment for malware."Leng claims that after he was informed of the compromised firmware, Super Micro asked for the version number that was installed. According to the executive, Apple provided an invalid number and refused to disclose any additional information to Super Micro.Leng also claims that the bad firmware was for a networking chip used in the servers, and "thousands of customers" utilize the same equipment."Only Apple had this complaint?" asked Leng. "That's the most puzzling portion."AppleInsider was not able to reach Leng, nor has Apple returned our queries about the reported firmware incident. However, Super Micro reported that it had lost business from two long-term significant data center equipment customers in the tail-end of 2016, causing a drop in sales and profits year-over-year.Additionally, in August of 2016, apple was reportedly turning to new server providers said at the time to " cut costs " —but given the new information and the timing it may have actually been done to completely cut Super Micro out of its data centers.An ArsTechnica source claims that that the firmware in question impacted servers in Apple's design lab , and not any active Siri servers. The person added that it was downloaded from Super Micro's support site, where it's allegedly still hosted. |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.