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Share this with your friends In the midst of celebrating the first legal recreational marijuana sales in the US in nearly 100 years, there seems to be an awful lot of bitching about the price of legal weed. For every celebratory post on my Facebook news feed, there are at least two critical posts: photos of receipts from adult use shops with nasty comments about pricing, posts about black market pot being cheaper, posts glorifying states where people don’t go to jail for possession of small amounts. And posts about the “greed” of Colorado retail operators. Let’s get something straight: what’s happening in Colorado is HUGE. Colorado is the only place in the entire world where recreational use is actually legal, and this is without question the biggest thing to happen for marijuana in any of our lifetimes. It’s certainly worthy of major celebration. Yes, it’s decriminalized in other places, and medical qualification is pretty liberal in some areas, but that’s not the same thing as legalization, not by a long shot. The critical thing to remember is this: PEOPLE ARE STILL GOING TO JAIL FOR CANNABIS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND ALL OVER THE WORLD, and any advocate or activist who doesn’t recognize the significance of Colorado’s legal status and instead wants to bitch about prices is, for lack of better terms, an asshole. Let’s think for a moment about the people who have opened the first pot shops in Colorado. Application for the first round of adult use retail licenses is limited to operators of licensed Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries. The folks who operate these dispensaries have served the state’s medical patients, lobbied for new laws, and put their freedom on the line in the face of federal law for years…they aren’t johnny-come-lately opportunists simply looking to make a quick buck. And as they open the nation’s first retail stores, these business owners are our “guinea pigs” in terms of gauging how the feds will react to state legalization. These first adult use retail operators in Colorado are assuming a huge risk for their businesses, their finances, and their very freedom, and they aren’t doing it behind closed doors, they’re doing it in front of news media from around the world. Opening a pot shop in Colorado isn’t cheap. License fees for retail operations are not cheap: after an initial $500 application, owners must pay $250 for each “key employee,” $75 for each member of support staff, $250 for vendor registration, and between $3,750 and $14,000 for a business license, depending on the existing medical marijuana license held by the owner, which costs between $7,500 and $18,000 depending on the number of patients served. An optional cultivation fee adds another $2,500. Due to concerns about federal asset forfeiture that include real estate, it is notoriously difficult to rent property for marijuana businesses, and property owners generally charge a steep rate that reflects the legal and financial risk of renting to a marijuana business. Marijuana retail business owners are also likely to spend large amounts of money on legal counsel through the planning stages of their business, and will also have paid to retain a lawyer as they begin operation. And it’s not exactly easy to get business loans for marijuana operations – the ability to use banks at all is currently questionable, so operating on a cash basis is necessary. But despite the initial costs, yes, the owners of these shops will probably make money, and lots of it. One proprietor told a local news source his shop’s first day of operation was likely to generate $30,ooo in revenue. At that rate, shop owners should do quite well. And shouldn’t they, after all? Advocates for legalization have been shouting for years that taxing and regulation will be good for our communities. We can’t be so short-sighted as to think that marijuana won’t be regulated to some degree in our country. All of our complaints about the black market would still hold true in an unregulated system: “Dealers don’t ID so kids can get it on the black market,” “you don’t know what you’re getting on the street,” “it will bring money to our communities,” and etcetera ad nauseam…Isn’t this what advocates have been saying all this time in order to get pot legalized? Decriminalization just doesn’t go far enough. Sure, it’s great that recreational smokers don’t go to jail for an ounce of weed. But their pot doesn’t just magically appear. Where’s the protection for the growers? Where’s the protection for your buddy who sells you the weed, the guy who’s likely to have more than an ounce at any given time? Is it ok to have a system that puts folks like them in prison so you can have your bargain priced quarter today? Because the prices won’t always be this high in Colorado. After the news reporters leave, after the first pot tourists go home, and after the initial buzz dies away, supply and demand will dictate market prices, just like it does in any other industry. That’s capitalism for you. And to me, it sounds pretty sweet. Yes, the 27.9% state tax on retail sales is steep, and cities can add additional tax. However, Colorado voters overwhelmingly approved this tax, which will fund education as well as regulation of the new industry. While it adds cost to customers, the tax also makes an effective (and valuable) statement that recreational marijuana is here to stay, and will be a boon to the state, which only adds to public support and perception of recreational marijuana’s potential as a viable and legitimate industry. Considering all this, it’s no surprise that prices are higher than what one might find on the black market – or the medical market – in other states. It’s also important to note that Amendment 64 also allows adult residents of Colorado to cultivate 6 plants at home, so people who cannot afford retail prices do in fact have another option for legal use. So before you start spouting off on Facebook about how much better a deal you can get on your home state’s black market, think for a minute about the cost of getting arrested. Think about the cost of having your home raided, your children taken away, your freedom gone. Even if you feel the security of decriminalization, think about the other folks who don’t. The initial cost of retail marijuana in Colorado may be steep, but freedom is priceless. |
The 45th and 44th presidents of the United States. President Obama’s critics spent eight years dismissing his accomplishments as wildly overambitious, or insignificant. (Some of the very same people who accused him of the former, and warned his socialist agenda would lead to devastation, switched to the latter when their doomsday predictions failed to take hold.) Since November, the indictment has come to focus on the election of Donald Trump, an event Obama’s critics on both the left and right see as a kind of divine justice, both negating his agenda and ultimately defining it. It is more than a bit odd to define a presidency by its successor. Most historians regard Abraham Lincoln as the greatest president in American history, despite the fact that he was immediately followed by the president most of them consider the worst, Andrew Johnson. Yet few people consider Johnson to be a central part of Lincoln’s legacy (even though Lincoln single-handedly enabled Johnson to get the job, by dumping his anti-slavery vice-president, Hannibal Hamlin, and adding the Southern, pro-slavery Johnson to the ticket to help secure his reelection.) Whether Trump manages to reverse many of Obama’s major accomplishments remains to be seen. Trump’s bid to repeal Obamacare has run into a series of immediate obstacles, beginning with the fact that both the 20 million people who get health care through the law and the doctors, hospitals, and insurers who sell it to them are raising bloody hell about snatching it away. Trump will slow down the green-energy revolution Obama started, but he won’t halt it; the economic logic of affordable clean energy displacing expensive coal, and the diplomatic logic of international cooperation to ratchet down emissions, have taken on a momentum of their own. And the bold actions Obama took to prevent a depression — the stimulus, the bank stress test, and the auto bailout — cannot be undone by definition. The fashion for blaming Trump on Obama has less to do with any programmatic analysis of the 44th president, though. It is a tic adopted by Obama’s critics — especially those who dislike Trump but wish to vindicate their fervent opposition to Obama. Former Bush administration staffer Peter Wehner argues in the New York Times that Obama not only failed to produce a sufficiently prosperous economy, he failed in his major domestic policy goal: To make matters worse, the Obama presidency has been characterized by injurious incompetence, in particular with regard to his signature achievement, Obamacare. The unveiling of the website was a disaster, and the promises the president made — that Americans could keep their doctors and plans if they chose to — were false. Mr. Obama guaranteed lower insurance costs to families and lower health costs to the taxpayer; instead, costs rose. Several of the state-run exchanges appear to be headed for collapse. These are familiar grounds on which to prosecute the case against Obamacare. Yes, the website didn’t work for a few weeks, until they fixed it quickly enough so as not to impact the initial enrollment period. The promise of lower insurance costs for families and taxpayers has been resoundingly kept; since Obamacare began, health-care inflation has fallen to its lowest level in half a century. The cost to the taxpayers has come in well below projected levels and has been revised downward repeatedly. As an S&P analysis found, premiums in the exchanges were initially set too low, but have since stabilized. The federal government is now spending less than it was expected to spend before Obamacare passed, but is covering 20 million more people. It is true that Obama overpromised that everybody could keep their plan. The architects of the Affordable Care Act considered the non-group market a disaster, rife with plans that cherry-picked healthy customers, denying usable coverage to anybody with a preexisting condition. Their goal was to overhaul that market while keeping the employer-based system intact. Obama made this promise in the context of Republican attempts to frighten people into thinking his reforms would take away their employer-sponsored insurance, like in this 2010 speech: It builds on the current system where most Americans get their health insurance from their employer. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. Yes, sometimes Obama omitted the qualifiers and context. And it is true that his reforms eliminated existing plans in the non-group market. That meant young, healthy individuals who were able to buy cheap insurance — because they didn’t have to pool risks with older or sicker people — lost that ability under Obamacare. Obama should have been more precise with his promise. Yet conservatives have fetishized his misleading use of the phrase “keep your plan” to the degree that they have convinced themselves it is the defining quality of Obamacare — as if the achievements of giving millions of people access to medical care, and bending the cost curve, were dwarfed by a misleading, oversimplified catchphrase. Wehner concludes his column by charging that Obama’s alleged failures “create[d] the conditions that allowed a cynical demagogue to rise up and succeed him, one who will undo the achievements he most prizes.” Now, think about this for a minute. Wehner served loyally under George W. Bush and refuses to acknowledge that administration’s catastrophic failures. This is an administration that sold an entire war on false premises, pressuring the intelligence community to bend its findings to support the claims the president and vice-president were determined to press from the outset of their presidency. Bush then presided over a historically weak recovery that produced no wage gains — a charge Wehner, falsely, levels against the Obama recovery — and relied upon a massive housing bubble. The collapse of the Bush bubble created the greatest economic crisis in three-quarters of a century, and an economic gulf so deep it took years to recover. This is not to mention the widespread incompetence, scandals, and hackery that permeated everything Bush touched. And yet here is a veteran of the Bush administration arguing in all apparent sincerity that Trump’s rise was fueled by economic weakness and presidential incompetence and dishonesty of a previous president, and that president is Barack Obama. Trump does say something important about the Obama years. But what he says is something very different. Republicans have spent eight years insisting Obama holds some or even all the blame for their refusal to negotiate with his policies. Why would a party that once advocated Keynesian stimulus and an individual mandate and cap and trade come to denounce all those ideas as ruinous socialism? The explanation offered by conservatives, and taken seriously by many fair-minded observers, held that the party had undertaken a serious process of ideological self-evaluation. Republicans had simply embraced deep-seated beliefs in stringent fiscal conservatism, Constitutional absolutism, and the principles of limited government. The rise of Trump shows how false that explanation rings. Here is a candidate who makes a mockery of all those alleged principles. Trump reveals that the backlash against Obama was exactly what liberals said it was, racialized hysteria against social change, and that no negotiating strategy or policy concessions could have calmed the rage on the right. Obama produced a tremendous amount of progress in spite of a backlash he could do nothing to stop. And he will leave the White House with peace and prosperity and an approval rating hovering around 60 percent. Trump belongs to the right. He is a product of the backlash against Obamaism, and the personal and ideological antithesis of the urbane, intellectual, sober, empirically minded 44th president. Trump is related to Obama only in that he is the perfect incarnation of the rage, bigotry, and ignorance that defined his opposition. |
Solving the Barilzar's Laboratory Experiment Puzzle in the tower requires activating five colored crystals in the correct order. This page has a solution guide to the Barilzar's Tower Puzzle. Location [ edit ] Quest [ edit ] Barilzar's Puzzle [ edit ] Clue [ edit ] The hint Barilzar gives you is that "it's all about colors, like a rainbow" The key word here is "Rainbow". See pic below for colors of the rainbow: Barilzar's Laboratory Puzzle Solution [ edit ] The sequence you activate the crystals is the order in which colors appear in the rainbow, from top to bottom. So the answer is: Red - Yellow - Green - Blue - Violet Therefore, you should press the color crystals in the order specified: Reset the Puzzle [ edit ] If you make a mistake or activate colored crystals out of order, you must reset the experiment and try again: Strategy Guide/Tips [ edit ] |
click to enlarge Photo via Gods & Monsters/Facebook When Artegon Marketplace shut its doors back in January, local tenants had no choice but to pack up and leave. Gods & Monsters , the mall's popular comic book store, relocated to a 7,000-square-foot store in the Orlando Crossings mall. But its new location isn't the only change coming to this geek haven.According to the, Gods & Monsters is partnering with Hourglass Brewing in Longwood, with each shop planning to sell the other's merchandise and cross-promote each other.Gods & Monsters is planning an expansion, moving its retail items into the extra space at Hourglass that the brewery isn't currently using. The shop will be separate from the brewery, with a wall dividing the two spaces. Hourglass Brewing says it also plans to hold events in the new space, like Free Comic Book Day.Gods & Monsters plans to turn its Orlando Crossings location into a "gaming bar," switching out its merchandise for retro arcade games.Todd Fisher, cofounder of Gods & Monsters, told thethat the store wants to move most of their retail items into the brewery because the mall is frequented by Brazilian tourists, who have little interest in collecting comic books.The new mall location will instead feature a gaming lounge with retro arcade games and offer a selection of Hourglass Brewing's beers at its new bar.The bar will be called Vault 5421 and will be themed around a post-apocalyptic fallout shelter like those found inor, complete with bartenders dressed like apocalypse survivors.Gods & Monsters is currently open at the Orlando Crossings mall, but its new bar won't be completed until later this year. The store has a temporary lease, but plans on making the location permanent.There is no word yet when the expansion at Hourglass Brewing will be complete. |
Ain, the Envoy of The Goddess, Is Making His Way Towards Elrios. He’s Descending Soon! By GM Amelia Heya adventurers! Remember that silver-haired guy? Who knew he was so important to the El Search Party that he became a member! Just goes to show that you too can become a member if you have silver-hair, are good-looking, and an angel sent by a Goddess! Believe in yourself, adventurer! We have all manners of Christmas-y stuff for you at the Item Mall to get you in a jollier mood, so don’t forget to check that out tomorrow! Ain Pre-Creation Event He may not be all here yet, but you can reserve a name for your new angel to avoid becoming Ain12345 (unless that’s the name you really want, then I say go for it!) when he’s finally released! You even get rewarded for it! Totally awesome! If you want to make your hits extra special, to really feel that critical damage on your enemies, then we have new Damage Skins that will do the trick! You can easily get these by logging-in. How simple is that?! that will do the trick! You can easily get these by logging-in. How simple is that?! You can also exchange the Damage Skins (Damage Custom A, Damage Critical A) you got from logging-in for a different set of Damage Skins (Damage Custom B, Damage Critical B) ! Just go to Ariel and exchange them and if you decided you want your original ones, you can exchange them again! you got from logging-in for a different set of Damage Skins ! Just go to Ariel and exchange them and if you decided you want your original ones, you can exchange them again! Create your Ain when the Character Select Screen prompts you to, and you’ll be given the Thank You for Creating Ain ♥ Cube which contains permanent costumes and accessories for Ain (which you’ll get when he’s here)! Item Mall Goodies This little Christmas Fairy will bring you good cheer all year, but don’t underestimate her cute and smiley demeanor. She packs a mighty (probably) peppermint-flavored punch for when your enemies become thirsty! Adopt Fairy Merheem tomorrow! It’s truly a nightmare before Christmas when you visit your enemies wearing this ominous set and announce their impending doom. But remember, it’s not about the Christmas vibe, it’s about sending a message. Dress your heroes in Fairy/Messenger of the Dark Clouds tomorrow! Our heroes Luciel and Rose are getting ready for school early! They’re gearing up to become top performers in their crisp, new Star Academy Uniforms. Now that’s dedication! Don’t you let them fail, get it tomorrow! That’s all for now friends~ See y’all in-game! |
In recent days and weeks, there’s been a raging debate about New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and his chances at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Network was the first to chime in, saying that while Manning is currently on the bubble, he should be considered a “best bet” to eventually reach Canton. But ESPN’s Bill Barnwell quickly offered his rebuttal, saying Manning absolutely does not belong anywhere near the Hall and that he wouldn’t vote for him. “On numbers alone, Eli shouldn’t be there,” Barnwell wrote earlier this month. “He has made four Pro Bowls, and while he has put together a very nice second peak after the arrival of Ben McAdoo, nobody who watches Manning on a week-to-week basis thinks that he looks like a Hall of Famer by any stretch of the imagination. “The list of guys who have won Super Bowl MVP two or more times includes Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady, Joe Montana and Bart Starr. They’re all in (or will be in) the Hall of Fame. I’d also argue that Eli doesn’t belong on a tier with those passers because of what they all did in the other hundreds of games they each played over the course of their respective careers. I wouldn’t vote for him, but some will.” For whatever reason, Barnwell went at Eli like an awfully bitter man with something yellow in his cheerios, but that’s a topic for another day. Now an actual Hall of Famer has chimed in and he feels Manning has a very legitimate and warranted chance at enshrinement in Canton. “The fact that he’s won two Super Bowls, he definitely has a shot. I don’t vote, [but] he definitely has a shot of getting in there,” Dan Marino, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, told the Metro. “As time goes on, the longer he plays, the better the opportunity he has.” For all the knocks on Eli’s numbers, he’ll finish his NFL career in the Top 10 (and in some cases, Top 5) of every major statistical passing category. He’ll also own nearly every single franchise record. Needless to say, Marino, with experience in hand, seems far more realistic and spot on than Barnwell. And Lord knows his opinion certainly carries more weight. |
Duke Energy Corporation said Friday it would seek permission to cancel the Lee Nuclear project slated for Gaffney, South Carolina, noting that it would ask regulators for permission to recover at least $368 million from ratepayers that were incurred as pre-construction costs. On the heels of the cancellation of the two-reactor expansion project at the V.C. Summer Nuclear plant in Jeninsville, S.C., Duke said that “nuclear energy is also a vital component of Duke Energy's generation portfolio now and in the future.” However, it said it would seek approval from the North Carolina Utility Commission for permission to cancel the project that was to include two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors and was expected to serve customers in both North and South Carolina. Duke said the cancellation was “due to the recent bankruptcy of Westinghouse Electric Company, a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, and other market activity.” “Most notably, risks and uncertainties to initiating construction on the Lee Nuclear project have become too great and cancellation of the project is the best option for customers. Duke Energy will maintain the license to build new nuclear at this site in the future if it is in the best interest of customers,” the company said. In contrast, Duke said that its recent investments included improvements on “highly efficient natural gas power plant (Anderson County, S.C.) that continues to reduce carbon emissions” and “two new solar sites (Monroe and Mocksville, N.C.) that provide 75 megawatts of emissions-free energy to Carolinas homes and businesses.” Duke has said that it has already spent $542 million on the so-called William States Lee III Nuclear Generating Station, most of that on regulatory licensing and engineering, but also on purchasing the site where the plant would have been built. |
A tale of sadness and woe from the liberal democrat professionals in the State Department: Mr. Miller got just five minutes with the secretary of state, the former officials said. Afterward, Mr. Miller, a career Foreign Service officer, was pushed out, joining a parade of dismissals and early retirements that has decimated the State Department’s senior ranks. Mr. Miller declined to comment. The departures mark a new stage in the broken and increasingly contentious relationship between Mr. Tillerson and much of his department’s work force. By last spring, interviews at the time suggested, the guarded optimism that greeted his arrival had given way to concern among diplomats about his aloofness and lack of communication. By the summer, the secretary’s focus on efficiency and reorganization over policy provoked off-the-record anger. Now the estrangement is in the open, as diplomats going out the door make their feelings known and members of Congress raise questions about the impact of their leaving. Rex “The Butcher” Tillerson has been apparently acting like Jason from Friday the 13th and going from room to room massacring every soul in sight… just for his own pleasure. The Democrats are sending “strongly worded” letters to stop Rex “The Butcher” Tillerson at the State Department. He isn’t even listening to John “The Songbird Traitor” McCain! In a letter to Mr. Tillerson last week, Democratic members of the House Foreign Relations Committee, citing what they said was “the exodus of more than 100 senior Foreign Service officers from the State Department since January,” expressed concern about “what appears to be the intentional hollowing-out of our senior diplomatic ranks.” Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, sent a similar letter, telling Mr. Tillerson that “America’s diplomatic power is being weakened internally as complex global crises are growing externally.” WHY IS HE DOING THIS!? WHYYY!? Because this is why: Mr. Tillerson, a former chief executive of Exxon Mobil, has made no secret of his belief that the State Department is a bloated bureaucracy and that he regards much of the day-to-day diplomacy that lower-level officials conduct as unproductive. Even before Mr. Tillerson was confirmed, his staff fired six of the State Department’s top career diplomats, including Patrick Kennedy, who had been appointed to his position by President George W. Bush. Kristie Kenney, the department’s counselor and one of just five career ambassadors, was summarily fired a few weeks later. … In the following months, Mr. Tillerson launched a reorganization that he has said will be the most important thing he will do, and he has hired two consulting companies to lead the effort. Since he decided before even arriving at the State Department to slash its budget by 31 percent, many in the department have always seen the reorganization as a smoke screen for drastic cuts. Mr. Tillerson has frozen most hiring and recently offered a $25,000 buyout in hopes of pushing nearly 2,000 career diplomats and civil servants to leave by October 2018. Massive, across the board cuts to the bloated bureaucracy in the State Department. What would inspire this… monster, to do such a thing? Racism! Of course! His small cadre of aides have fired some diplomats and gotten others to resign by refusing them the assignments they wanted or taking away their duties altogether. Among those fired or sidelined were most of the top African-American and Latino diplomats, as well as many women, difficult losses in a department that has long struggled with diversity. One of them was Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a career Foreign Service officer who served as ambassador to Liberia under Mr. Bush and as director general of the Foreign Service and assistant secretary for African Affairs during the Obama administration. Ms. Thomas-Greenfield was among those asked to leave by Mr. Tillerson’s staff, but she appealed and remained until her retirement in September. “I don’t feel targeted as an African-American,” she said. “I feel targeted as a professional.” Nevermind. Rex “The Butcher” Tillerson just hates professional people, he doesn’t understand or appreciate that the problems the world faces can only be solved by career democrat professionals at the State Department. For those who have not been dismissed, retirement has become a preferred alternative when, like Mr. Miller, they find no demand for their expertise. A retirement class that concludes this month has 26 senior employees, including two acting assistant secretaries in their early 50s who would normally wait years before leaving. The number of those with the department’s top two ranks of career ambassador and career minister — equivalent to four- and three-star generals — will have been cut in half by Dec. 1, from 39 to 19. And of the 431 minister-counselors, who have two-star-equivalent ranks, 369 remain and another 14 have indicated that they will leave soon — an 18 percent drop — according to an accounting provided by the American Foreign Service Association. In this, Tillerson has done a wonderful job removing the rot at the State Department despite his other issues. The “top talent” that was responsible for the disastrous foreign policy of the last two administrations needs to be flushed down the drain. In fact, it needed to be flushed yesterday. |
An 81-year-old Florida man, who police say posed as a door-to-door physician and duped at least two women into having their breasts examined, has struck a plea deal with prosecutors. Phillip Winikoff was charged in 2006 with three counts of sexual battery, two counts of practicing medicine without a license, two counts of simple battery and one count of using the title of doctor without a license. Winikoff, of Coconut Creek, was 76 years old when police arrested him for fondling two women's breasts and genitals while masquerading as a doctor giving free, unsolicited checkups in an apartment complex. On Tuesday, his lawyers told Broward Circuit Judge Sandra Perlman that they had reached a deal with prosecutors. The attorneys were late arriving in court, so Perlman, who had another trial to oversee, said she would reschedule the plea hearing. No firm date was set, The Sun Sentinel reported. Five years ago, Winikoff, carrying a black "doctor's" bag, went to an apartment complex in Lauderdale Lakes. The phony doctor knocked on a unit belonging to a 36-year-old woman. He allegedly said he was visiting on behalf of a local hospital. "He told the woman that he was in the neighborhood offering free breast exams," Broward County Sheriff's Office spokesman Hugh Graf said. The unwitting patient let Winikoff into her apartment and he began the exam. After allegedly touching the victim's chest, Winikoff moved an ungloved hand to the woman's genitals and further molested her. Suspecting that Winikoff was not a real doctor, the victim contacted the sheriff's office. When deputies arrived, the white-haired, fake physician had already left. He did not go far, however. Instead of fleeing the area, Winikoff found another victim, a 33-year-old woman who lived in the same apartment complex as the first victim, police said. The second victim told police a similar story, saying Winikoff had presented himself as a doctor who was in the area giving free breast exams. Again, the woman let Winikoff into her apartment and again, he allegedly sexually battered his victim. Deputies later located Winikoff and took the phony physician into custody without incident. READ THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT: (ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW) According to Graf, Winikoff was not licensed to practice medicine. At the time of his arrest, he was employed at an automobile dealership as a shuttle driver. In November, authorities in Idaho investigated a similar case, involving a 37-year-old woman who allegedly impersonated a plastic surgeon and conducted breast exams in local bars. The disposition of that case is not immediately clear. Neither the prosecution nor the defense has commented on whether Winikoff's plea deal includes any jail time. Had the case gone to trial, Winikoff would have faced up to 55 years behind bars. Check Out More Suspects Accused Of Dumb Crime PHOTO GALLERY Dumb Crime: Masterminds Need Not Apply |
BRISBANE Roar’s desperation to shine on the Asian stage and return to the attractive style of football that made them the most feared club in Australia contributed to the sacking of A-League coach of the year Mike Mulvey. Mulvey has been dumped just six months after guiding the Roar to the premiership-championship double and will be replaced by interim coach Frans Thijssen. Thijssen, 62, is a former Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest midfielder who made 14 appearances for the Netherlands. His coaching career includes stints with Dutch clubs Vitesse, De Graafschap and Fortuna Sittard, Swedish outfit Malmo and time in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in youth and assistant roles. REPORT: JADE NORTH OWN GOAL DOWNS ROAR Thijssen had been in line to join the Roar in May next year as a technical director, but will now arrive this week to take over from Mulvey and attempt to save the club’s season, both domestically and in next year’s AFC Champions League. “Short-term it’s going to raise a lot of eyebrows and there’s going to be some pain but the focus really is on Asia and building out and making sure that as a club, our systems, our training methodology, our conditioning methodology keep improving,” Roar managing director Sean Dobson told The Daily Telegraph last night. “If it’s not improving, we have a duty and obligation to correct it.” Mulvey had been put on notice less than two weeks ago by Roar chairman Chris Fong following the champions’ shocking start to their title defence. Brisbane lost for the fifth time in six matches when they went down 1-0 to Melbourne Victory at Etihad Stadium on Friday night. Such was the drab and defensive manner in which the Roar played, not even a win would have saved Mulvey. “It’s got little to do with the results and more to do with the overall progression of the club and taking our game plan, structure and our style and philosophy forward,” Dobson said. It’s understood Mulvey had been warned even during last season’s successful campaign that the Roar board was not happy with aspects of his coaching. Poor off-season recruitment also did not help Mulvey’s cause. “It’s not about the short term. It’s about the preparation, the structure and the training and making sure that come Asia we are where we need to be, playing Brisbane Roar football,” Dobson said. Current technical director Ken Stead, who didn’t see eye-to-eye with Mulvey, is an ally of Thijssen and will take a more hands-on role for the remainder of the season, as will current youth team coach Jeff Hopkins. “Kenny is the guardian of the football knowledge and the guardian of our philosophy,” Dobson said. Dobson was expecting some fan backlash on Saturday when the struggling Roar host high-flying Perth Glory at Suncorp Stadium, but called on supporters to back the players. “We don’t make these decisions lightly. The last thing we want to see is the support for the team to diminish,” he said. |
To improve recovery for heart attack patients, hospitals should maintain normal day and night cycles for those patients during the first few days after the attack, say University of Guelph researchers. Their new study shows for the first time that interrupting diurnal rhythms impairs healing immediately after a heart attack, said Prof. Tami Martino of the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Researchers already knew that circadian rhythms, or day-night cycles, can affect timing of a heart attack. This is the first study to show the importance of circadian rhythms during the few days after an attack. The study led by U of G scientists appears this week online in Circulation Research journal. "We have devised a simple way to better practise medicine to improve the outcome from heart attacks by considering normal circadian rhythms," she said. She and PhD student Faisal Alibhai conducted the study with clinician collaborators, who are already looking at ways to use the results to change practices in intensive care units (ICU). "It has an immediate life application," said Martino. Hospital ICUs are busy places at night, with noise, light, nursing and medical procedures, and other interruptions that disturb acutely ill patients. The team induced heart attacks in mice, and then compared rodents held under normal light and dark cycles with others whose diurnal cycles were disrupted for five days after the attacks. Early heart repair and remodeling were impaired in the disrupted mice. Diurnal disruptions interfered with their normal inflammatory and immune responses crucial for scar formation and healing. "These mice were likely to go more quickly to heart failure," said Martino. "Disrupting circadian rhythms for the first few days after a heart attack worsens the disease outcome." The first five days after a heart attack are crucial for proper scar formation, removal of dead tissue, proliferation of new cells and growth of blood vessels in the heart. |
Facebook is reaping the benefits of designing its own energy efficient servers. Today at the Open Compute Summit, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that “In the last three years alone, Facebook has saved more than a billion dollars in building out our infrastructure using Open Compute designs.” Facebook started the Open Compute Project back in April 2011 and it’s since blossomed into an industry-spanning coalition of companies that open source green technology designs for servers, data centers, and more. It includes Intel, AMD, Bloomberg, Box, Cumulus Networks, IBM, and Microsoft. While the Open Compute Project has saved the world a lot of energy, it’s also cut back on energy Facebook would have had to pay for. Zuckerberg proudly told interviewer Tim O’Reilly on stage at the Summit that “In just the last year we’ve saved the equivalent amount of energy of 40,000 homes in a year, and saved the amount of emissions equivalent to taking 50,000 cars off the road for a year.” Considering that recently the average US houshold used 903 kilowatt hours per month at an average price of $0.1209 per kilowatt hour, that means Facebook could have saved somewhere in the ballpark of $52 million in energy thanks to Open Compute designs. Facebook’s VP of Engineering Jay Paraikh also noted that over the past three years, Open Compute designs have let Facebook save $1.2 billion. Along with helping the environment, the project lets Facebook crowdsource improvements to its infrastructure and allows multiple vendors to produce identical equipment that gives Facebook supply chain diversity. The whole thing is probably a great engineer recruiting tool too. From a high-level, Open Compute fits nicely with Internet.org — a project designed to make basic Internet devices and data connections affordable to five billion people still disconnected. Together they illuminate Facebook’s recent modus operandi: figuring out ways to help the world that also save it money or expand its empire. — More Recent Facebook News: Facebook Hilariously Debunks Princeton Study Saying It Will Lose 80% Of Users Facebook Now Shows Fewer Text Statuses From Pages, More From Friends Facebook Launches Trending Topics Zuckerberg Calls Snapchat A “Privacy Phenomenon” [Images via The Register, Karl Fruend] |
Palestinians Flood Into Israel, If Only Briefly Enlarge this image toggle caption Daniel Estrin for NPR Daniel Estrin for NPR As Palestinian Muslims in the West Bank celebrated the end of Ramadan this past week, many traveled to a place that's usually off limits: Israel. At the main Israeli checkpoint between the West Bank and Jerusalem, you could hear the taxi drivers offering to take Palestinians to the beach in Tel Aviv. The drive is no more than an hour from the West Bank boundary to Israel's Mediterranean coast. Yet many Palestinians have not taken a dip in years, if ever. Back in the 1990s, when Israelis and Palestinians were holding peace negotiations, more than 100,000 Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip entered Israel every day. Most came to work, but also to shop, study, visit relatives or go to the beach. But after the Palestinian uprising began in 2000, Israel systematically cut back on the number of Palestinians who could enter Israel, and now relatively few can enter. "After years of Palestinian attacks, terror attacks against Israel civilians, the government of Israel decided no more. No one enters here without a reason. In order to get to Israel, you need a reason," says Ofer Meital, a lieutenant colonel in Israel's army. Some Palestinians still get permits to work or to visit hospitals in Israel. The permits are now hard to come by, though this past month was an exception. Enlarge this image toggle caption Uriel Sinai/Getty Images Uriel Sinai/Getty Images Opening The Doors For The Holiday Israel loosened entry restrictions for Ramadan and the three-day Eid el-Fitr holiday that followed. Israel gave permits to 100,000 Palestinians, double the number from last year. One morning last week, hundreds of Palestinians lined up at the Qalandia checkpoint on the edge of Jerusalem, clutching their permission slips. Majida, a 20-year-old from Ramallah, waited in line with her husband. They were headed straight to the Mediterranean, which Majida had never seen. She spoke about Israel as if it were a faraway land. "I heard the shopping there is wonderful," she said. One Israeli mall manager reported Palestinian shoppers this week gave his stores a 10 to 50 percent spike in sales. At an outdoor mall in Jerusalem, Israelis were browsing alongside Palestinians. Rana Matour, 40, was checking out a pair of khaki pants at The Gap, a store she had never been able to shop in before. Her West Bank home in Ramallah is just a 20-minute drive from Jerusalem, but this was the first time since the 1990s that she had received a permit to visit. Asked what it felt like to be in Jerusalem, she said, "After 15 years, to come for first time, it's good, nice." Mixed Israeli Response Across from The Gap, the Israeli cashiers at Abercrombie and Fitch say they've seen a lot of Palestinians come through their doors this month. Reactions are mixed. "They don't like me and I don't like them," said one cashier. "It's good they are coming in. They have to live, also," said another. In addition to issuing special permits for Palestinian visitors to Israel, authorities also let in large numbers of Palestinians who wanted to attend prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites in Islam. The mosque compound is in East Jerusalem, and the Palestinians are seeking this part of the city as the capital for a future state. Israel, which captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, though this is not recognized by any other nation. All together, Israel recorded 1.2 million Palestinians visitors this past month. That's about 40 percent of the entire Palestinian population in the West Bank. The army says there were some thefts by Palestinians, but no attacks. So why aren't more Palestinians allowed into Israel the rest of the year, asks Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator. "If 1.2 million Palestinians were allowed to enter Israel, the question about so-called security is not valid," he says. The Israeli army says it stepped up security significantly during the Ramadan period and can't afford to stay at that level all the time. Now, with the holiday over, the Palestinian permits have expired and the Tel Aviv beaches and Jerusalem malls are no longer packed with Palestinians. |
A one-day strike in Finland halted public transportation and shut down ports nationwide Friday as workers protested against government cutbacks aimed at trying to drag the Nordic country out of a three-year economic downturn. Trains and city buses were not running. Finnair, the national carrier, cancelled about two dozen domestic flights and there were delays at airports,including in the capital Helsinki, where security staff briefly walked off site. However, ferries, including those to Sweden and Estonia, were running normally. Some shops were closed during protest rallies in Helsinki and other major Finnish cities. Meanwhile, up to 30,000 protesters gathered peacefully outside the capital's main train station in pouring rain. The strike comes after talks on a collective agreement on wages and working hours collapsed. Three unions claiming to represent some 2.2 million people — nearly half of Finland's population of 5.5 million — are protesting government cutbacks, including limits to holiday benefits and overtime pay. On Friday, Prime Minister Juha Sipila tweeted that he would give unions and employers more time, until Sept. 30, to come forward with proposals. Sipila's three-party ruling coalition announced “painful decisions” after taking office in May. His government includes the Finns Party that had voiced strong opposition to the financial bailout of other European countries and advocated the ouster of Greece from the eurozone. “I consider our economic situation a smaller problem” than the influx of migrants and asylum seekers to Finland, Sipila was quoted as saying by Finnish broadcaster YLE. He said some 1,000 asylum seekers were expected to arrive in Finland on Friday, after some 500 migrants, mainly Iraqis, entered via Sweden on Thursday. Finnish officials have said the Nordic country may see up to 30,000 asylum seekers this year, compared with just 3,651 last year. Many fear that Finland's economic downturn could enter a fourth year after recording the lowest growth in the eurozone in the second quarter. Unemployment in Finland is expected to rise. In July, it was 8.4 percent, up from 7 percent a year earlier. The Associated Press |
NAD ‘ALI, Afghanistan - As the fighting season begins to unfold, the Afghan National Army has decided to take the fight to the enemy. With British soldiers in an advisory role, all six kandaks with 3rd Brigade, 215th ANA Corps, along with local police, cleared insurgency and eradicated poppy throughout Nad ‘Ali, Afghanistan, during Operation Shafuq, April 18 through 23. The mission was to provide support to the Afghan National Security Forces as they cleared the area of insurgency and poppy, said British army Maj. Rupert King-Evans, adviser to Lt. Col. Mohammed Hamayoun, commander of 3rd Kandak, 3rd Brigade, 215th Corps. King-Evans is the commander of the Grenadier Guards of Inkerman Company, who throughout the five-day operation, patrolled countless kilometers of land alongside ANA and Afghan National Police and kept guard as they plowed rolling fields flourishing with poppy. Throughout the operation ANA and ANP forces would routinely receive Taliban resistance through gunfire and even improvised explosive devices, but that did not deter them from their mission. “We’ve disrupted the enemy, we found a number of IEDs and destroyed them, we found a number of weapons systems,” said King-Evans. “We captured at least two high-level insurgents on the watch list. I think overall its’ been a tremendous success.” The entire operation from the planning to final execution was done under Afghan leadership, showing just how ready the Afghan Security Forces are to take over. “I think they have done a really good job and I think that they know it,” said King-Evans. “It’s quite clear that there’s fantastic interaction between the ANA and the ANP who are clearly driving forward the government’s mission in Afghanistan and extending their reach massively.” The Grenadier Guards have worked with the ANSF in the past years, allowing them to see the growth the force has made toward a more independent operating organization. “It was quite good to work with the ANA, I’ve worked with them before,” said Sgt. Michael Fogg, a section commander with 12th Platoon, Inkerman Company, who previously deployed here in 2010. “It was really good to see the change from the first time I came out here, to what their like now. They’re really much better.” A noticeable difference in the tactics and procedures of the ANA and ANP was observed by the British forces, reinforcing the belief that the ANSF are ready to take the driver’s seat and lead Afghanistan into a safer tomorrow. NEWS INFO Date Taken: 04.26.2012 Date Posted: 04.26.2012 08:15 Story ID: 87370 Location: AF Web Views: 327 Downloads: 1 Podcast Hits: 0 PUBLIC DOMAIN This work, ANSF take the lead for Op Shafuq, by Cpl Anthony Ward Jr, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. |
IN THEORY, all 5,400 listed firms on America’s equity markets are always for sale. In reality, bids rarely come out of the blue. That may explain why a notice posted on May 14th on the website of America’s main stockmarket regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), of a ludicrously high bid for Avon Products, a beleaguered door-to-door cosmetics company, prompted investors to buy first and ask questions later. By the time the soaring share price had forced three trading halts on the New York Stock Exchange, those who had bothered to read the relevant filings closely were ready for Avon’s shares to plunge, as they duly did. The bidder, whose announcement the SEC posted automatically, claimed to be incorporated in the British Indian Ocean Territory, home to more long-range bombers than corporate raiders. Its name, PTG, was a play on TPG, a big private-equity firm. Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks. Eventually, Avon announced that it had not heard from any would-be buyer, and that it was not even sure PTG existed. (Curiously, after the hoax was exposed, Avon’s share price came to rest above its starting-point. The thought that even a fictitious investor was interested seems to have encouraged investors.) The FBI is on the hunt for those responsible, who are assumed to have instigated the deception to profit from the subsequent gyrations in Avon’s share price. The episode inflicted genuine losses on any entity that bought Avon’s stock as it bubbled. High-speed traders, for whom checking information is inevitably an after-thought, if a thought at all, presumably suffered most. The hoax “undermines confidence in the accuracy of trading prices which everyone relies upon,” says Joseph Frumkin of Sullivan & Cromwell, a law firm. Yet the SEC is blasé. “Filers are responsible for the truthfulness of their filings,” it explained. That need not be so, of course: access to the SEC’s website could be limited to those who prove their identity. Bankers, brokers and lawyers, after all, are required to know their customers. But if the SEC were to adopt an elaborate system to screen filers, it would be adding to the cost and hassle of participating in the capital markets. A radical alternative would be to remove safety nets instead of adding them. If the circuit-breakers limiting price movements were scrapped, all investors would have to be more wary. And if the SEC stopped distributing information altogether, a private firm could emerge whose fortunes depended on the quality of its wares. |
The media scholar Nancy Baym talks about “social shaping” as a middle way between technology being our master and us being its master. As Roger Silverstone and Leslie Haddon wrote in 1996, there’s a play between how a technology is designed and how its users “domesticate” it. As a result, by the time most people are introduced to something like the Internet, the early adopters have already understood it one way or another. That understanding usually reflects the uses for which the tech was designed, but it may not. So, when someone first showed you the Internet, they told you what it was for, loaded up a page or an app, and implicitly or explicitly told you want they think is important about it. That shaped your understanding of it. This accords with Eleanor Rosch’s “prototype theory” that says that humans don’t understand things in terms of neat, clean definitions, but through examples we take as clear and of the essence. I think this pretty well captures how technodeterminism works. Some folks invented the Internet for some set of purposes. They gave it a name, pointed to some prototypical examples—sharing scientific papers and engaging in email about them—shaping the way the early adopters domesticated it. But over time, the Internet escaped from its creators’ intentions. It became a way to communicate person-to-person via email and many-to-many via Usenet. The web came along and the prototypical example became home pages. Social networking came along and the prototype became Facebook. Mobile came along and the prototype became apps—although I’m not convinced that this last step has actually happened. Keep in mind that a prototype is simply what is taken to be a clear, unambiguous example of something. It leaves plenty of room for less clear examples. At this point it’d be weird if you asked someone, “What’s this Internet that people are so excited about?” and that person pointed to a Nest thermostat. No, the person is far more likely to load Facebook or Snapchat on a mobile phone, and then might point to Nest as an extended example, saying something like, “Even that thermostat is part of the Internet.” And it’s not just what we point at. The values conveyed by the prototype depend on how we explain it. If Facebook is the prototype, it’ll be one thing if our guide says, “See how you can stay in touch with your friends?” and another if she says, “See this never-ending stream of gossip and chatter from people you barely even remember? GET OUT OF MY HEAD FACEBOOK DEVILS!!!” (Did you spot the difference there?) As always with humans, there’s no separating prototypes from values. I don’t think technodeterminism is any more mysterious or mystical than that. * * * If you had asked me in 1986 what the prototypical use of the Internet was, I would have said UseNet. I used email much more than UseNet, but email seemed too much like real mail, and too much like the text-based terminal-to-terminal systems I’d seen but not used in the 1970s. But UseNet was new: a discussion forum where strangers could talk about whatever they wanted. The different topical forums had even evolved their own forms of rhetoric and governance. Social and emergent. Most excellent! |
THE main pro-UK parties face a massive task convincing voters they will deliver promised further powers for Holyrood, the Scottish Government's former chief economist has warned. Professor Andrew Goudie said Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats faced a "serious question of credibility" over their proposals to extend devolution in the event of a No vote in September's referendum. His comments came in a paper for the Fraser of Allander Institute think tank published yesterday. All three parties have published proposals for further devolution in recent months. They agree Holyrood should have greater control over tax, including income tax, but their detailed plans differ significantly. In a bid to reassure voters, who according to polls favour more powers, the three Scottish party leader issued a joint statement earlier this week highlighting their commitment to further devolution following a No vote. Mr Goudie, now a visiting academic at Strathclyde University, said the prospect of more powers could have a "huge" impact on the referendum debate. But he added: "It is surprising that the pro-Union group has managed this issue so poorly and in such an incoherent manner. "The inability to offer a unified view on what enhanced powers might constitute is arguably one sign of this, with the Scottish Labour Party, Scottish Liberal Democrat Party and Scottish Conservative Party all producing their own documents." He said the failure raised a "serious question of credibility," adding: "Can this stance be trusted to deliver, following a No result? What might this compromise set of new powers entail? Whether this disparate set of constitutional alternatives is understood, or is sufficient to persuade the electorate is, of course, the key issue. Convincing a highly sceptical and suspicious electorate will be a massive task." In a separate development, Finance Secretary John Swinney accused the No parties of failing to explain how they would address Scotland's economic challenges in the event of independence being rejected. The Scottish Government has faced claims that its aim of growing the economy to boosting tax revenues by £5 billion by 2030 is not realistic. But in a speech today, Mr Swinney will defend the plans and say: "Those opposed to independence have had nothing to say on how they would address Scotland's economic challenges or seize our opportunities. "There are no proposals from those opposed to independence to boost Scotland's productivity performance, to bring our investment in research and development up to the level of other European nations, or to create more skilled jobs in Scotland." * Britain's nuclear capability would be "wrecked" by the SNP Government's desire to remove Trident from Scotland following a Yes vote in September, Sir John Major has insisted. The former Conservative Prime Minister also rejected as "absurd" the assertion made by First Minister Alex Salmond that the UK parties would renege on their promise to give Holyrood more powers in the event of a No vote. |
BEIJING -- Chinese officials accused the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, of trying to sabotage this summer's Beijing Olympics, suggesting Friday they are prepared to take harsh measures against any group causing instability in the Himalayan region. The ruling Communist Party routinely accuses the Dalai Lama of trying to undermine Chinese authority by pushing for independence for Tibet, although he says he wants meaningful autonomy for the region, not independence. "China earned the qualifications in order to host the Olympics. But he is even trying to sabotage this important event and spread rumors," said Zhang Qingli, the region's Communist Party secretary, its top official. Zhang did not say how the Dalai Lama was trying to sabotage the Games, which are five months away. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate reportedly told British broadcaster ITV News earlier this year that protests at the Olympics could highlight government policies he says are eroding Tibet's traditional Buddhist culture. Tibet will be highlighted during the Olympic torch relay, which follows an ambitious route that includes a stop at the top of Mount Everest, which straddles the border between Tibet and Nepal. Activists have indicated they may use the high-profile event to air their grievances against the Chinese government. But the head of China's armed police command in Tibet, Kang Jingzhong, warned against any protests. "If there is an unstable element in Tibet, for example, the sabotage activities of the Dalai clique, then under these special and individual circumstances we will take corresponding measures to uphold stability," he said. Zhang and Kang spoke at a meeting at Beijing's Great Hall of the People with delegates attending the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's ceremonial legislature. Chinese Communist troops occupied Tibet in 1951 and Beijing continues to rule the region with a heavy hand. Beijing enforces strict controls on religious institutions and routinely vilifies the Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 amid an aborted uprising against Chinese rule and won the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially an independent state for most of that time. |
The Uttar Pradesh power corporation limited (UPPCL) is planning to upgrade the electricity infrastructure of the city to meet the ever-increasing demand. Officials of the Uttar Pradesh electricity regulatory commission (UPERC) and UPPCL held a meeting and discussed the current status of the city’s electricity infrastructure and the framework required to set up the electricity system in accordance with Master Plan 2031. With the city growing rapidly and many industries setting up shop here, it becomes imperative to upgrade electricity equipment to meet the demand. “We have roughly 1.90 lakh electricity consumers in the city and the daily demand for power in peak summer is 1100 MW,” said Mukul Singhal, superintending engineer (SE), UPPCL. “Besides that, we have proposed 10 additional sub-stations in the city,” Singhal, the superintending engineer, said about the plan to meet consumer demand in the city. “A private company hired by the Central government is working in this regard (framework as per Master Plan 2031) and it presented the work it has done so far before a panel in Delhi on Wednesday,” Singhal said, adding that the next review meeting will be held before November end. “We have asked the company to submit the entire plan by the end of November or mid-December at the latest,” Singhal said. “We will disclose the plan once it is complete,” Singhal said. At present, the city has four different types of power sub-stations - one 400KV sub-station at Pali in Greater Noida, six sub-stations of 220KV, seven of 132KV and 73 sub-stations having 33KV capacity. Meanwhile, despite the UPPCL’s assurance of zero power cuts during the festival season, following a direction from the UP government last month, residents complained of power cuts, that lasted between two and four hours, across the city. “Noida has been declared a zero power cut zone but there are power cuts happening daily. The UPPCL should ensure people can celebrate Diwali with uninterrupted power supply,” said Joginder Awana, a resident of Sector 18. First Published: Nov 05, 2015 12:46 IST |
The Coachella 2016 Lineup is slated to be released sometime in January (last year the lineup was released on January 6th) so with only a couple of months until the official release, it’s time for the lineup rumors to start spreading. Year after year we continue to post the most accurate Coachella lineup prediction on the internet. Our list for the Coachella 2015 Lineup was 65% accurate: of the 106 artists we predicted, 69 ended up playing Coachella. This list of Coachella 2016 lineup rumors was compiled through researching 2016 album releases, music forums, artist tour dates, and respected music blogs to discover what new artists are making a splash. We’ve also watched the weekly bill on two Los Angeles club venues that are owned by AEG/GoldenVoice: The Henry Fonda Theatre and the El Rey Theatre. If you have an insider tip on an artist that will be playing Coachella 2016, please feel free to email me. Coachella 2016 Lineup – Headliners Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, The Offspring and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are all releasing albums in 2016 and can be considered viable headliners. But given Coachella’s tendency to book a hip/hop artist, pop artist and rock artist, the following are leading the rumors for Coachella 2016 headliners: LCD Soundsystem In 2011 James Murphy and his Grammy-nominated band shocked music fans when they announced they would be parting ways despite the commercial success of their third studio album This is Happening (2010). They played their last show together to a sold-out Madison Square Garden, the performance was captured in the documentary Shut up and Play the Hits. Now, nearly five years later, it appears the band will reunite in 2016. A number of sources, including Billboard, have shared the band’s plans to headline “three major North American music festivals” next year. These rumors point to LCD almost being a guarantee at Coachella 2016. Coachella tickets on TicketNetwork Guns N’ Roses AC/DC put on a memorable performance to a massive crowd at Coachella 2015, so Goldenvoice will not hesitate to book another hard rock band. According to music industry insiders, 2016 will be a “big year” for GNR; there are rumors that the 1987 lineup of Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, Slash and Axl Rose will reunite for a tour. With an all-ages appeal, hits like Paradise City and Welcome to the Jungle, a legendary status and a cult following, Gun N’ Roses would be an awesome addition to the Coachella 2016 lineup. Coachella is no stranger to reunions, in fact, the Pixies, Outkast and Rage Against the Machine are just a few major bands to reunite for shows on the Polo Fields. Eminem or Kendrick Lamar Coachella’s choice for a hip/hop headliner boiled down to three options this year: Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and NWA. All three are Dr. Dre affiliated. Kendrick released his third album To Pimp a Butterfly in March and backed it up with a national tour, which conveniently ends in late March, just a couple of weeks before Coachella in April. Kendrick headlined Bonnaroo last summer to wide acclaim. Could this be his year to close the Main Stage in Indio? Earlier this year, rumors swirled about a possible NWA reunion tour with Eminem filling in for Eazy-E, until publicists from both Dr. Dre and Eminem denied the possibility of a rumor (NWA, minus Dr. Dre, went on to reunite for the BET Experience at Staples Center.) With the hype of the Straight Out of Compton movie, Coachella’s booking of Dr. Dre + Snoop Dog in 2012, and Goldenvoice’s ability bring artists together, we’re not ruling out an NWA performance at Coachella 2016. Eminem, who performed on stage with Dr. Dre at Coachella in 2012, is looking the most likely to headline Coachella given his scheduled performances at several Lollapalooza shows in South America next spring. Slim has been busy this year, working on remixes with The Weeknd and songs with D12. Is he poised to make a comeback and release a new album in 2016? If so, count on him headlining Coachella 2016. Undercard Acts ZHU The mysterious LA producer has been making a big splash in the music world in the last couple of years, and he even earned himself a Grammy nomination for his song Faded. Just a few weeks prior to Coachella 2014, an unattributed mashup of Outkast songs appeared on SoundCloud, which many listeners claimed was released by Disclosure. It was only weeks later that the real identity of the artist was revealed: ZHU. He become an instant sensation and many were disappointed he wasn’t included on 2015’s Coachella Lineup. But ZHU is ready for a grand festival circuit this summer. He debuted his new, spectacular live show at CRSSD Festival in San Diego in October and played to thousands of fans that packed the stage to catch a glimpse of him. CRSSD is a Goldenvoice festival, so ZHU has likely earned himself a late-night set on either the Outdoor Theatre or even the Main Stage this April. Coachella tickets Years & Years Years & Years will be at Coachella 2016, just take look at their tour schedule, which list dates in Southwest cities in early April. If that evidence isn’t strong enough, then consider the massive popularity of their hits King, Desire and Shine which reached top 10 spots on several charts. The UK band is hitting their stride and is poised for a massive festival circuit in 2016. Get to know their songs by listening to our Coachella 2016 Lineup playlist on Spotify. Jack Ü The last year has been a massive one for Diplo and Skrillex, the collaborators behind Jack Ü. Diplo’s Lean On from his Major Lazer project was a commercial success, and Jack Ü’s Where are Ü Now peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Top 100 chart. The duo were missing from Coachella’s 2015 lineup despite playing major festivals like Ultra in Miami. Given their current buzz, it’s very likely we’ll see Jack Ü closing out the Sahara or even the Outdoor Theatre this year. Beach House Coachella’s promoter, Goldenvoice, is known to book acts that sell out their Los Angeles venues El Rey, Fonda and Club Nokia. And this December a dream pop band from Maryland is playing three sold out shows at the El Rey theatre: Beach House. The band just released their sixth studio album, Thank You Lucky Stars, and is promoting it with an international tour that ends in March. Consider Beach House a sure thing for Coachella 2016. CHVRCHES CHVRCHES were in high demand during the 2014 festival season, following the release of their critically acclaimed album The Bones of What you Believe which included hits like The Mother we Share and Recover. The band has already committed to a number of festival shows in Australia for early 2016 and returns to the US in March for a show in Miami. You will be hearing CHVRCHES synth-pop sounds on the Polo Fields this April 🙂 Coachella tickets on TicketNetwork The Chemical Brothers Starting around 2010, Coachella began moving towards more mainstream, big-room EDM acts like Swedish House Mafia, Tïesto, Kaskade and AfroJack. But The Chemical Brothers, legends in the EDM world, have always been a Coachella favorite and have played the festival on five different occasions, including the first Coachella in 1999. The release of their 2015 album Born in the Echoes earned them a headlining spot on the “Other Stage” at Glastonbury last June, so it only seems rights that we’ll see these British rockers playing a late set at Coachella this year. Coachella 2016: Full Lineup Prediction This list will continuously be updated as we get closer to the event, be sure to check back for details. Above & Beyond AlunaGeorge Alvvays Andhim Animal Collective Avicii Bakermat Beach House Best Coast Big Data Big Grams Black Bear Black Coffee Bob Moses BØRNS Breakbot Caravan Palace Chic CHVRCHES Chris Stapleton Classixx Courtney Barnett Coldwar Kids Cloves Cut Snake D’Angelo and the Vangard Dan Deacon Deafheaven Death Cab For Cutie Deerhunter Disclosure Dubfire Eagles of Death Metal Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Elle King Fetty Wap Coachella tickets on TicketNetwork FIDLAR Field Music Flume Foals Future Islands Garbage Gary Clark Jr. Giorgio Moroder Golden Features Gold Room Grace Potter Grimes Gun N’ Roses Halsey Hardwell Hayden James HEALTH Hop Along Hot Chip Hudson Mohawke Iron Maiden Jack Garratt Jack Ü Jean-Michel Jarre Joanna Newsom Julio Bashmore Kamasi Washington Kendrick Lamar KSHMR Kurt Vile L7 Lana del Rey LCD Soundsystem Leon Bridges Lost Frequencies Lucero Lush Maceo Plex Major Lazer Manlo Le Tough Matt & Kim Maya Janes Cole Metric Mew Miami Horror Miike Snow Minus the Bear Moses Sumney Moon Taxi My Morning Jacket Neon Indian Nicolas Jaar Nosaj Thing NWA Of Monsters And Men Ought Phantogram Pokey Lafarge Portugal. The Man Purity Ring Robin Schulz Savages Shamir Sia Silversun Pickups Sleater-Kinney Snakeships Steve Angello St. Germain Sufjan Stevens Tchami The Arcs The Chainsmokers The Drums The Internet The Jesus and Mary Chain The Kills The Knocks The National The Neighbourhood They Might Be Giants The 1975 Thomas Jack Titus Andronicus Tobias Jesso Jr. Tokimonsta Tortoise Travis Scott TV on the Radio Twenty One Pilots Unknown Mortal Orchestra Vampire Weekend Vince Staples Vintage Trouble Walk The Moon Wavves Wax Motif Wolf Alice X Ambassadors Years & Years Zed’s Dead ZHU – Coachella 2016 tickets Find Coachella Tickets for Sale on this page. Coachella pre-sale tickets sold out in May, but there are some tickets being resold on TicketNetwork. Please note that these are tickets being resold by people that bought them and that may not be able to attend the festival. These are not tickets sold directly by Coachella. TicketNetwork is the best place to buy after-market Coachella tickets because they offer a 125% money-back guarantee on tickets purchased through their site. More information can be found here. Weekend 1 and 2 Coachella tickets |
FAKE NEWS FAIL=>MSM Reporters Fall for Fake Document With Absurd Demands by POTUS Monday, hordes of MSM reporters fell for a fake “White House” document that showed President Trump making absurd requests and demands of his hosts in Israel. A Twitter account called “Rogue White House Senior Advisor” tweeted out a picture on Friday of what they claimed to be the President’s bizarre and potentially offensive demands, including “roughly a metric ton of sugary and non-kosher junk food,” the Washington Free Beacon reports. Pres has a lot of demands for his Middle East trip. pic.twitter.com/EcRfcQ4Y7W — Rogue WH Snr Advisor (@RogueSNRadvisor) May 19, 2017 The account appears to clearly be fake and a parody intended for trolling and humor, but some MSM reporters apparently can’t see through the schtick. Jerusalem Post’s Anna Ahronheim believed the document to be legitimate tweeting: “The catering requirements for #TrumpInIsrael seem kinda OCD: 6 boxes of Double Stuffed @Orea cookies—unwrapped and stacked in rows of 8…” The catering requirements for #TrumpInIsrael seem kinda OCD: 6 boxes of Double Stuffed @Oreo cookies—unwrapped & stacked in rows of 8… pic.twitter.com/tBTQVluc09 — Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) May 22, 2017 Reporters from Business Insider, the Nation, the Washington Post, and Mother Jones all jumped in adding to the complete lack of credibility. It is almost a meme in and of itself to have fake news MSM reporters fawning over a completely phony “official” White House document from an obvious parody account. The Nation’s Joshua Holland tweeted the following before deleting his post: “Do they need to don their tinfoil hats or something before plugging in the microwaves?” Some more ace reporters chimed in: That’s a lot of sweets. Also, 8 Hungry Man dinners? https://t.co/hwLl7X02oL — Christopher Woody (@chrstphr_woody) May 22, 2017 Traveling to the Middle East and Europe and bring loaves of white bread???? #TrumpInIsrael https://t.co/FByPd0CiVV — Gary Weiss (@gary_weiss) May 22, 2017 Doesn’t take much these days to fool the MSM. |
Buy Photo Congressman Steve King speaks during a rally for Republican Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016 in Prole. (Photo: Brian Powers/The Register)Buy Photo Even the most ardent supporters of U.S. Rep. Steve King have to acknowledge that as a legislator, as a man whose job it is to make laws, he is profoundly ineffective. During the 14 years the Republican from Kiron has been in office, he has not authored a single piece of legislation that has become law. In fact, not one of King’s bills has even made it out of committee for a vote by the full House. Granted, there are other ways to measure the effectiveness of a congressman. Some, for example, use their position to shape public opinion or pull colleagues to the right or the left on an issue. They’re influential in ways that can’t be calculated by the number of bills that carry their name. Unfortunately for King, he wields zero influence in the House and is regarded as a publicity-seeking extremist even by members of his own party. Former Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner once used an expletive to describe King in the wake of the Iowa congressman’s claim that many Mexican immigrants are drug mules with “calves the size of cantaloupes.” But Boehner is gone, and in a few days Republicans will control not only the House and the Senate, but the White House. They now plan to immediately repeal the Affordable Care Act and begin the process of building a 2,000-mile wall on the nation’s southern border — two initiatives that have long been close to King’s heart. Given all that, you’d think King would be eager to hand over the mantle of chief agitator and flamethrower to one of his younger colleagues in the House while he attempts to establish himself as an experienced statesman who has long fought for conservative values. But the 115th Congress had barely been sworn in last week when King took the opportunity to introduce a bill — if it can even be called that — seeking to prohibit the Supreme Court from citing its own past rulings on the Affordable Care Act in any future decisions made by the court. “Obamacare should be ripped out by the roots,” King said. “And, thus, I have introduced this legislation in conjunction with my repeal bill in an effort to look ahead and bar the Supreme Court from citing Obamacare in forthcoming decisions as binding precedent ... By prohibiting the Supreme Court from citing Obamacare cases, we will be truly eradicating this unconstitutional policy from all three branches of government so that the repeal will be complete.” NEWSLETTERS Get the Register Opinion newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong A sneak preview of the newest editorials, columns and opinions from The Des Moines Register. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-877-424-0225. Delivery: Mon-Sun Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Register Opinion Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters King’s bill demonstrates a complete disregard for the separation of powers between the judicial branch and the legislative branch, which is a concept King claims to wholeheartedly embrace. It also signifies a fundamental lack of understanding as to the basic duties of Congress and the courts. Perhaps the congressman should spend some time at CongressForKids.net, which explains, through colorful cartoons and games, the role of Congress and the courts. The site even includes a link to “The Constitution Power-Grab Game,” which promises to explain how the separation of powers “functions to protect the individual citizen from illegal power-hungry politicians.” Not that it would help. King can’t possibly be so ignorant as to think his bill will ever come to a vote, let alone be passed. In all likelihood, this is just another piece of stagecraft in the congressman’s ongoing campaign to draw attention to himself, regardless of how foolish it makes him, or his party, appear. In that sense, Steve King seems to be the exemplar of the adage typically attributed to P.T. Barnum: “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/2ic6DQ0 |
From Sexiest Man Alive to President of the United States? Never underestimate Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. On Sunday the Baywatch star (and PEOPLE’s reigning Sexiest Man Alive) addressed his recent headline-making interview with GQ, in which he said that he would consider running for president. Get push notifications with news, features and more. Asked by PEOPLE if he might become the first SMA to be elected POTUS, he said, “If I were a betting man, which I’m not” — he then winked comically — “I would say yes.” Then, he added with a laugh, “In five years I’m aiming for a repeat [of Sexiest Man Alive].” Jason Koerner/Getty In the meantime, the father of two, 45, has been juggling multiple roles in some of the year’s biggest films, including The Fate of the Furious and Baywatch, which opens May 25. (Johnson slips into the red swim shorts famously worn by his TV predecessor in the role, David Hasselhoff.) Frank Masi Earlier this month, Johnson told GQ that he began to ponder the question of a political career about a year ago when pundits floated the idea. “There was a real sense of earnestness, which made me go home and think, ‘Let me really rethink my answer and make sure I am giving an answer that is truthful and also respectful,’ ” he told GQ, adding, “I didn’t want to be flippant.” Asked if he might honestly give up acting to run for office, he said, “I think that it’s a real possibility.” |
It's unlikely that President Obama will ever shake his reputation among Republicans as a big spender. But a key fact counters that rap. As a share of the economy, spending on domestic and defense programs has been on the decline since 2010, and is on track to reach the lowest level in more than 50 years by 2023. At its height in 2010, "discretionary spending" under Obama reached 9.1% of GDP. That was largely due to the stimulus law intended to dig the country out of a deep recession. But even at that high level, it wasn't that much higher than the 40-year average of 8.4% and was still below the 40-year peak of 10% reached in 1983. Today, levels are well below the long-term average. And the Congressional Budget Office projects that by 2023 discretionary spending will fall to 5.3% of GDP, the lowest since 1962. Related: 7 setbacks for the middle class Of course, Obama can't take all the credit (or blame, depending on your perspective) for the downward trend in discretionary spending. A big driver of that trend is the Budget Control Act, which both parties agreed to in 2011 to avert a disaster over the debt ceiling. The Budget Control Act gave birth to the ill-conceived sequester -- the arbitrary budget cuts that primarily hit domestic and defense spending and put a restraint on discretionary spending levels for much of the next decade. Deficits, too, are falling. That's because of the lower discretionary spending but also various tax hikes on very high-income households and the recovering economy. Under Obama, the deficit peaked in 2009 at 9.8% of the overall size of the economy, but has fallen every year since. This year, the CBO projects it will come in at 3.4% of GDP and drop to 2.1% by 2015. Then deficits will starting to climb again, reaching 3.5% by 2023. And in the decade after, they will get bigger still. That's partly due to an expected rise in interest rates -- and hence higher interest payments on the country's accumulated debt. But two other big reasons: Obama and lawmakers have yet to tackle the growth in spending on entitlements and to figure out how to overhaul the tax code. |
Glenn Beck opened his television program last night by previewing the forthcoming Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage with David Barton of WallBuilders and Kelly Shackelford of the Liberty Institute. The three Religious Right activists warned that if gay marriage bans are struck down, churches will be stripped of their tax-exempt status, average citizens will be fired from their jobs simply for attending a church that opposes gay marriage, and the government may even attempt to strip Beck of his broadcasting license because his church won’t perform gay marriages …spectacular incidents that haven’t occurred in any of the 37 states that already have marriage equality. To kick things off, Barton flalsely claimed that 2009’s hate crimes law protected pedophiles, which means that if the Supreme Court now legalizes gay marriage, pedophilia will also become legally protected. Not to be outdone, Beck later chimed in to warn that anti-gay churches will lose their tax-exempt status, people will lose their jobs for attending such a church, and ultimately the Bible will be outlawed as a “hate book.” “Maybe right away, maybe not right away, but definitely it will happen,” Beck declared. |
Edwards: "Shame" that Louisiana hasn't progressed further since MLK's day BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's new governor compared his fight against poverty to the civil rights movement of the 1960's. "The shame is we haven't made as much progress as we should have," Governor John Bel Edwards said Monday Edwards, who was observing Martin Luther King Day at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, told a crowd of hundreds that his efforts to expand Medicaid, raise the minimum wage and reform prisons were in line with MLK's principals. "It fits the theme that we're all brothers and sisters in Christ which was part of the message that Dr. King gave in his Mountain Top speech the night before his assassination," Edwards said. After the church service, the NAACP led dozens on a march to City Hall. |
As a follow-up to its original Astron watch that used a low-power GPS chip to automatically set the time based on wherever in the world it was, Seiko's new Stratosphere version features mostly aesthetic upgrades. But that doesn't mean anyone with the original model won't want to upgrade. The most remarkable feature of the new Stratosphere is a domed sapphire crystal that covers the watch's face all the way to the edge of its silicon band. Because sapphire's hardness is second only to diamonds, each dome requires more than ten hours of polishing to achieve its crystal-clear finish. Advertisement And when viewed at the right angle, the soft glow of the watch face's luminous paint makes it seem as if you're actually at the edge of space staring through the Earth's atmosphere—hence the name Stratosphere. As far as premium watches go the Astron Stratosphere's $2,600 price tag is cheap. And compared to what it would cost you to actually go into space for this view, it's a downright bargain. [Seiko via Acquire] |
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Opposition to the war in Afghanistan is at an all-time high, with 63 percent of the public now opposed to U.S. involvement there, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey. Just 35 percent of survey respondents say they still support U.S. involvement. The increase in opposition to U.S. involvement comes as pessimism about how the war is going is rising. According to a poll done Dec. 17-19, 56 percent of the public believes that "things are going badly for the U.S. in Afghanistan." "The war has not always been unpopular -- back in March, when a majority thought that the war was going well, the country was evenly divided. But by September, the number who said that things were going well for the U.S. in Afghanistan had dropped to 44 percent, and opposition to the war had grown to 58 percent," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Today, with Americans remaining pessimistic about the situation in Afghanistan, they also remain opposed to the war." There are, however, at least two groups where there is still a slim majority of support for the war -- the Republican Party establishment, and Tea Party activists. Here's a look at the partisan breakdown of supporters and opponents: TEA PARTY: 52 percent favor, 45 percent oppose. REPUBLICAN: 52 percent favor, 44 percent oppose. CONSERVATIVE: 49 percent favor, 48 percent oppose. DEMOCRAT: 24 percent favor, 74 percent oppose. LIBERAL: 20 percent favor, 80 percent oppose. INDEPENDENT: 35 percent favor, 63 percent oppose. MODERATE: 32 percent favor, 66 percent oppose. Income level also seems to play a significant role: 70 percent of people making under $50,000 annually said they oppose the war; only 54 percent of those making more than $50,000 annually said the same thing. As the Los-Angeles Times reports, "This has been the war's deadliest year for noncombatants and combatants alike, with civilian casualties for the first 10 months of this year running 20% higher than the same period a year ago, according to the most recent figures available from the United Nations." The number of foreign troops killed in the nine-year war has hit an all-time high, with more than 700 lives lost. Nearly 500 U.S. servicemembers were killed this past year alone, according to the site iCasualties.org. A new report by Reporters Without Borders also finds that the country remains dangerous for journalists. There was a "major increase" in the number of journalists kidnapped in 2010, with Afghanistan a hot spot of trouble. "The case of French TV journalists Hervé Ghesquière and Stéphane Taponier and their three Afghan assistants, held hostage in Afghanistan since 29 December 2009, is the longest abduction in the history of the French media since the end of the 1980s," writes the organization in its report. There are approximately 140,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan. Last year, President Obama ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops be sent there. He has promised that the United States will begin withdrawing troops in July 2011. |
UBC got some flack this year for their mega tuition increases for international students. Domestic students have been spared from drastic changes in the cost of education in recent years thanks to a BC government policy limiting tuition+fee increases to 2% a year since 2005. But that policy is very quietly being reinterpreted. I have copied a recent Socratic exchange between Neal and I, with a few extra links, to explain. Neal: If you’re back from China and want a story tip, I’ve got one for you. Also we bought a futon so you are welcome to visit any time! Maayan: Hi Neal! I’m back to Vancouver. But I don’t really want to get bogged down with reporting a story right now since I’m starting my comp exams. Better give it to the Ubyssey. What’s it about though (out of curiosity) N: AvEd [The BC Ministry of Advanced Education -ed] opened a giant loophole in its tuition policy for fee increases. Before, fees + tuition were considered part of an overall envelope. Various components within the envelope could go up by more or less than 2% but the entire envelope could not go up by more than 2%. So you couldn’t introduce a new fee without something else decreasing or being frozen. M: Except for AMS fees – like the fee for the new Nest is outside of the 2% calculation. N: Yes. Also new tuition. M: Ah. What’s new tuition by the way? Tuition for new programs? N: Yeah for new programs. That’s always been exempt, along with AMS fees. M: And now other fees can go up more than 2% without affecting the tuition calculation? N: Right. Now, AvEd has “reinterpreted” the tuition limit policy to say that new fees don’t count towards that calculation, the same way as new tuition is exempt. So BoG could create a whole new fee, call it whatever the hell they want, for whatever amount they want, and it would be allowed. The new “UBC excellence fee” of $500/year per student or whatever. So it’s a loophole big enough to drive a truck through. M: Was the 2% cap legislated or just a ministerial directive thingy? N: It was just ministerial policy. And the wording of it hasn’t changed, just the official ministry interpretation of it. M: And this is documented how…? N: A college invented a new fee, mentioned it in the Board documentation to support the fee (look starting on page 60). Now that I google it, this was apparently in the news in March. So it’s not like it’s a scoop… I wasn’t paying attention M: We should still post about it ….looks like it’s way under the radar N: If only to use the phrase “UBC Excellence fee” sarcastically and then probably have them create a fee with that exact name. Now go study for your comps |
A robot that can be controlled with your thoughts and brain signals has been developed, says new research. The robot was developed by researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Switzerland. The robot can be controlled remotely through brain signals and can perform various tasks. The team of researchers, headed by professor Jose del R. Millain, particularly had disabled people in mind while working on the concept to restore a sense of independence to the disabled. Nine disabled people and 10 healthy people in Italy, Germany and Switzerland took part in the task of piloting a robot with their thoughts. For several weeks, each of the subjects put on an electrode-studded hat capable of analysing their brain signals. They then instructed the robot to move, transmitting their instructions in real time via Internet from their home country. By virtue of its video camera, screen and wheels, the robot, located in an EPFL laboratory in Switzerland, was able to film as it moved while displaying the face of the remote pilot via Skype. The person at the controls, as if moving in place of the robot, was able to interact with whoever the robot crossed paths with. "Each of the nine subjects with disabilities managed to remotely control the robot with ease after less than 10 days of training," said Millain. The brain-machine interface developed by the researchers goes even further. The robot is able to avoid obstacles by itself, even when it is not told to. To avoid getting overly tired, the pilot can also take a break from giving indications. If it doesn't receive more indications, the robot will continue on the indicated path until it receives the order to stop. The tests revealed no difference in piloting ability between healthy and disabled subjects. In the second part of the tests, the disabled people with residual mobility were asked to pilot the robot with the movements they were still capable of doing, for example by simply pressing the side of their head on buttons placed nearby. They piloted the robot just as if they were uniquely using their thoughts. "Will robots soon become a fact of daily life for people suffering from a disability too soon to say," Milan said. "For this to happen, insurance companies will have to help finance these technologies," he added. The findings were published in a special edition of Proceedings of the IEEE. |
When Ji-hyun Park fled North Korea for China, she was forced into marriage, separated from her child and imprisoned in a labor camp. Today, she uses her story to raise awareness of human rights abuses back home. In 1998, when North Korea was in the grip of a famine that eventually killed up to 1 million people, Ji-hyun Park’s father told her to take her brother and run. Park, then 30, escaped to neighboring China, today the destination for many North Koreans fleeing the repressive, abusive regime back home. However, she became the victim of trafficking. Forced into marriage, she lived as little more than a slave, under the constant threat of being repatriated to North Korea. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea estimated in 2014 that a large percentage of women and girls who enter China unaccompanied end up being trafficked for forced marriage or sex work. Those who are caught by Chinese police are often sent back to North Korea, where they face certain punishment – including torture and arbitrary detention in labor camps. Women have also reported being subjected to forced abortion, infanticide and rape. Even after their release, many can’t find a way to survive in North Korea, so they return to China despite the risks. Park spoke with Women & Girls Hub about her ordeal, the nightmares that haunt her and the responsibility she feels to share her story. Women & Girls Hub: How did you became a victim of human trafficking? Ji-hyun Park: In February 1998, I left North Korea for the first time because of the famine. My uncle died of starvation. My father was sick, but there was no medicine available at the hospital. He told me to leave the country with my brother. I left my father dying alone in a cold room, because those were his last wishes. In China, the broker who was helping us said, “If you want to save your brother you need money, and for money you have to marry a Chinese man.” At first I said, I can’t marry a Chinese man. “If you can’t, we just repatriate you and your brother,” he said. I was so scared. If we were repatriated, my brother would be sent to a prison camp or be executed. So I didn’t have a choice. One day, five or six people came to look at me. Different ages get different prices – younger women in their 20s got 10,000 yuan ($1,500), but women in their 30s get 5,000–8,000 yuan ($800–1,200). At that time I was 30, so the price I got was not so high. I was sold for 5,000 Chinese yuan ($800). But I couldn’t save my brother. We were separated because the Chinese man didn’t need my brother. Women & Girls Hub: What was life like after you were married off? Park: When North Korean women married Chinese men, we were not family. We were just slaves. When I arrived at the village, I was so surprised. [The house] was very dirty, the toilet was collapsed and the smell came into the house. It was very difficult for me. Women & Girls Hub: What happened to you in China? How long were you there? Park: I lived there for almost six years. My son was born in 1999. After two years, I was arrested by the police of the village. They sometimes arrested North Korean women because they needed money. But my Chinese family didn’t have money. So the police said, “You can sell your son because many people want a son.” I was shocked. My husband wanted to sell my son. I really hated him. I wanted to leave him. But when I went back to ask the broker for help, he told me, “You have no identity card, so you can’t rent a house and you can’t leave your husband.” In 2004, I was arrested and repatriated to North Korea. My son was left in China. I spent six months in a North Korean labor camp, and my leg was hurt [due to gangrene]. The police said I couldn’t survive with that leg, so they released me. I found myself homeless and helpless, begging on the street and seeking refuge at an orphanage for street children. A herbal doctor saw me on the street and started to secretly treat my leg and eventually the gangrene healed. My son was in China, so I eventually found another broker. We walked 400km [250 miles] across the mountains. My leg was not fully recovered, but I thought only about my son. We arrived late at night at the house. The broker helped me contact my son. I was so lucky; this time the broker was very kind. Women & Girls Hub: Was your plan to try to make a life in China? Park: I couldn’t stay in China. I could have been repatriated again and maybe this time I would never see my son. We wanted to go to South Korea, so we went to the embassy in Beijing, but they didn’t help us. In 2007, we went to Mongolia, but this was not successful. In 2008 [it was] a dangerous time before the Beijing Olympics; China was repatriating all illegals. I was very scared, but I met a Korean-American pastor who helped us. Women & Girls Hub: You eventually ended up in the U.K. How is the trauma you went through still affecting you? Park: In my dreams, I see the cold room where my father took his last breath as I left North Korea. I also see my younger sibling, who was repatriated back to North Korea. I dream of being chased by Chinese authorities, of being repatriated and sent to forced labor. After these terrible dreams, my body is sweaty and I am filled with guilt, of not being able to stay with my father for his passing, and for my brother. These dreams I have every night. Women & Girls Hub: Did you receive counseling or help to cope with what you had gone through? Park: No one helped us. I still have problems with nightmares and my leg. When I went to the hospital in the U.K. about my injured leg and explained what happened, they could not understand. North Korean women suffer from many different health problems. At first, I didn’t speak about my experience. Then I was part of a short documentary, but I hid my name and face. But then my son said, “Mommy, I want to ask you one question. Why did you abandon me?” When I was arrested and repatriated, he was five years old. The Chinese told him I had abandoned him. He said he counted to 100 days, but I didn’t come back. I didn’t know this. Women & Girls Hub: But you are telling your story now… Park: I’ve changed my mind about speaking out: I am now telling the world about North Korean human rights issues, especially for North Korean women. Many North Korean women don’t talk about their human trafficking experience because they think it is very shameful. Some make new families in South Korea or in the U.K. They can’t share their past. |
JeffR FHM Producer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Kelowna, BC Posts: 9,983 Thanks: 97 Thanked 8,815x in 3,012 posts Announcement: Franchise Hockey Manager Release Date, Preordering, and Beta First, I'd like to thank everyone for their continuing interest in FHM, and particularly those of you who've made an effort to spread the word about our game. Naturally, there's been a lot of discussion and speculation lately about the release date. After careful consideration of the current state of the game, the resources we have available, and the demands of OOTP's release schedule, we've decided that the first version of Franchise Hockey Manager will not be released until September 3. While we're happy with the way the game is shaping up, it's clear that pushing a 1.0 version out the door now, before it's ready, would be a disservice to our customers and could do a lot of long-term harm to what we think is going to be a great game. So we're going to take the time to do it right. And yes, that is a firm date this time - not "sometime in September," not "during the third quarter." Tuesday, September 3, 2013. However, if you're really anxious to play, you won't have to wait that long to get your hands on the game. Since we realize that many people have been patiently waiting for a long time and were expecting a release this winter, we're going to begin accepting pre-orders much earlier than we normally would - March 4, to be precise. And anyone pre-ordering will get access to the Beta version of the game at that time. The pre-order price will be $29.99, $10 off the full price of $39.99. For that, you'll get the release version of the game in September, as well as all the Beta versions between March and the release. Now, just to be very clear about what kind of a game you'll be getting in March if you choose to pre-order, I emphasize the word Beta. There will be bugs. There will be missing features. The database will not be as polished as it will be in September, and may be missing some playable leagues at the start. Your saved games will become obsolete as newer versions of the Beta are released. In short, all the annoying things you'd normally expect to see in a pre-release game. Over the next month, we'll be announcing a detailed list of exactly what will and won't be in the Beta. We don't want anyone spending their money without having a good understanding of what to expect. But the Beta version will be as playable and feature-heavy as we can make it, and we're going to spend the next month making sure of that. To that end, I've recently accepted a full-time position with Out of the Park Developments, and will be working as FHM's Producer, That brings our full-time FHM staff to three and allows Sebastian and Malte to spend more time coding and less dealing with all the other demands of a getting a game ready for release. We'll also be adding a few more researchers to our database team. So, on behalf of the FHM team, I thank you for your continued patience, and ask for just a little more of it. We want this game to be one you'll play for many years to come. Jeff Riddolls Producer, Franchise Hockey Manager |
LGBT community prepares for round two in the battle for their rights, as new government legislation is expected to outlaw the ‘promotion’ of homosexual acts “Go away! We know who you are. We don’t want you in our country. If we see you, we’ll burn you to death.” Melanie Kiwagama reads out the text messages she received last year, after Uganda’s notorious anti-homosexuality bill came into effect. Since then, she says the flow of threats towards her and her partner have been constant. Despite being annulled by the country’s constitutional court on a technicality last summer, MPs haven’t given up on attempts to further criminalise homosexuality. According to a leaked draft, a new law is in the making. “We had no clue what was happening,” says Kiwagama’s girlfriend Rachael Kungu, referring to the heightened prejudice they face. The couple have been together for 12 years and are raising a five-year-old son. “Of course there was gossip before, and we’d receive threats. Sometimes we would hear stories of a guy being beaten up because he was trying to hit on some man or something. But the hate wasn’t that widespread until now.” Kungu is a famous DJ in Uganda, and a popular figure in Kampala’s nightlife scene. But where tabloids like Red Pepper and Hello! Uganda previously wrote about her performances, her name and photos now feature in articles headlined “Exposed!” or “Straight by day, gay by night”. She saves a copy of each of these newspapers behind her bed. “Evidence,” she shrugs. “In case something happens.” Discrimination In Uganda, homophobia has been widespread since the prohibition of homosexuality in the 1950s. But it wasn’t until February that president Yoweri Museveni signed a law that not only outlawed homosexual acts, but also compelled citizens to report suspected homosexual activity to the police, triggering increased levels of prejudice, violence and discrimination against the gay community. In August 2014, just a few months later, the legislation was annulled: the law was passed without the requisite quorum, meaning that not enough MPs were present at the vote. The judgment was received by activists with cheers of joy, even though the verdict was based on technical grounds, rather than moral or ethical concerns. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kiwagama, a wedding planner, has continued to work despite ongoing discrimination. Photograph: Melanie Kiwagama “It’s a bad habit,” says politician Medard Bitekyerezo, a member of the ruling NRM party, in an interview. “I will never believe that homosexuality has something to do with genetics.” According to the politician, homosexuals are recruiting children with the intention of teaching them homosexuality. He shows a photo of his children he keeps in his wallet: two sons and a daughter. “I don’t want anybody to harm them.” Bitekyerezo is one of the MPs pushing for new anti-homosexuality legislation which was expected to be brought to parliament before Christmas, but seems to be delayed. It not only curbs acts of homosexuality, but also the “promotion” of it. If found guilty, those convicted could receive prison sentences of up to seven years. Outcry It’s purely about politics, says Nicholas Opiyo of the human rights organisation Chapter Four Uganda. Opiyo contested the law in court last summer, which led to its annulment, and is getting ready for the next round. According to him the whole mechanism surrounding the legislation is not really a legal matter, but a political one. “Members of parliament are jumping onto this as a popular cause for their own political survival.” For Museveni, this issue seems to have put him in a difficult position. Not only is he being pressured by his party to reinstate the law, but he is also aware of foreign policy implications that may ensue. Startled by the international outcry earlier this year, the president has urged his party not to rush. But this is not a sign of a change of heart, says Bitekyerezo. “He’s talking, but in his heart he knows what is there. Jesus knows what is in the heart of the president. I do not think that the president of Uganda will allow anybody to come here and destroy the children of Uganda.” Kungu and Kiwagama await the possible new law with dread. But whether it will be implemented or not, for Kungu the damage has already been done. “People have fled the country, lost their homes, lost their jobs – you can’t change that.” Once very popular, the DJ has lost numerous gigs this year. Clubs where she once performed have abandoned her. “The morning my name was in the paper, I knew I would lose a gig that same afternoon. People are afraid to be associated with me.” Comparatively, Kiwagama has had more luck over the last year. As a wedding planner, she relies on the advertising by word-of-mouth from happy clients. She knows her job is not without irony, though: she will probably never enjoy the freedom of marrying the one she loves in her own country. Saskia Houttuin is a Dutch foreign news journalist with the programme VPRO Bureau Buitenland. |
A truck driver has died in Victoria after her vehicle tipped over the edge of a quarry. The female driver was pinned under the truck after it rolled down an embankment of a sand quarry at Nyora in South Gippsland. The accident occurred at about 1pm on Tuesday March 1. The tragic death marks the fifth workplace death in Victoria this year, however this is the first death in the Australian resources industry in 2016. The quarry was acquired by Metro Quarry Group in 2013, which described the previous company’s safety culture as “lackadaisical” in statements to the Fair Work Commission last month. This is the second death at the same quarry in six years, with excavator operator Adrian Dowell killed in 2010 when a collapsing slope buried him alive. |
Buy or sell 2017 1/10 oz South Korea Chiwoo Cheonwang .999 Gold BU (White Assay) (Red Spot) at the best price online from LPM. Bulk & payment discounts apply! Chiwoo Cheonwang 1/10 oz Gold Medallion comes packaged in an Assay Certificate. Now,you can conveniently put "Chiwoo" the Guardian figure and symbol of Victory into your pocket or wallet. May victory be in every means of your life and evil spirits shall not stand in your way. Traditionally, ancient Korean folks made "Do ggae bi:, Korea;s unique ghost, monster or a god and hung at the both ends of roof tiles for the purpose of placing a stronger spirit to chase away evil spirits. Chiwoo Cheonwang is known as the 14th leader of ancient Baedal, a legendary figure who was famous for casting magical spells and controlling weather during the battles. Numerous victories won him the mythical title of God of War. The observe of the medal depicts the cultural heritage of Silla Dynasty that normally call "Do ggae bi Ki-wa", along with Chiwoo Cheonwang figure. The reserve of medal features Chiwoo Cheonwang carrying a spear and shield before a battlefield. |
The thousand-year-old telephone, a marvel of ancient invention, surprises almost all who hear about it. Reportedly found in in the ruins of Chan Chan, Peru, the delicate communication artifact is thought to have been made 1,200 to 1,400 years ago and is known as the earliest example of telephone technology in the Western Hemisphere. This seemingly out-of-place-artifact is evidence of the impressive innovation of the coastal Chimu people in the Río Moche Valley of northern Peru. Ramiro Matos, curator of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) told Smithsonian, “This is unique. Only one was ever discovered. It comes from the consciousness of an indigenous society with no written language.” A man dressed as a Chimu elite or priest among the ruins of Chan Chan, Peru. ( Johnathan Hood, Flickr/ CC BY-ND 2.0 ) The early “telephone” appears to be a rudimentary speech transmission device, much like the “lover’s telephone” that has been known for hundreds of years but which became popular in the 19 th century, It was usually comprised of tin cans connected with string, used to speak back and forth; and mostly seen as a novelty. This ancient Chimu device, described as an instrument, however, is composed of two gourd tops bound with a length of cord. The gourds, each 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) long are coated in resin and act as transmitters and receivers of sound. Around each of the gourd bases is stretched-hide membrane. The 75-foot (22.8 meter) line connecting the two ends is made of cotton-twine. The simplicity of the device disguises its implications. The enigmatic ancient communication device. Credit: Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian This one-of-a-kind artifact, reportedly predates the earliest research into telephones from 1833 (which began with non-electric string devices) by more than a thousand years. The gourd-and-string device is too fragile to physically test, but researchers can piece together how the instrument might have worked. What they must continue to speculate on, however, is how the Chimu used this ancient phone: what was its purpose? As the Chimu were known to be a top-down society, it stands to reason that only the elite or priest class would have been in possession of such a valuable instrument, posits Matos. The precious telephone, with the seemingly magical ability to channel voices across space to be heard directly in the ear of the receiver was, “a tool designed for an executive level of communication” said Matos. There might have been many applications, such as communication between novices or assistants and their higher-ranking elites through chambers or anterooms. No face-to-face contact would have been needed, preserving status and ensuring security. Like many other ancient marvels , it might also have been a device to astound the faithful. Disembodied voices emitting from a hand-held object might have shocked and convinced people of the importance and station of the upper class or priests. Or, there are some who consider the gourd and twine object as merely a child’s toy. If such novelties are not our modern sacred objects, why must they have been believed to be religious items or priestly tools to humans of the past? The artifact was in the possession of Baron Walram V. Von Schoeler, a Prussian aristocrat, who is less flatteringly described as a “shadowy Indiana Jones-type adventurer.” He participated in many excavations in Peru in the 1930s, and may have dug up the artifact himself from the ruins of Chan Chan. He distributed his collection among various museums, and the artifact eventually ended up at the storage facility of the National Museum of the American Indian in Maryland, USA, where it is treated delicately, preserved in a temperature controlled environment as one of the museums greatest treasures. Matos, anthropologist and archaeologist specializing in the study of the central Andes explained, “The Chimu were a skillful, inventive people,” who possessed an impressive engineering society. This can be shown by their hydraulic canal-irrigation systems and their highly detailed, elaborate metalwork and artifacts. The god Naymlap on his boat, gold plate, Chimu 1000-1450 AD. ( CC BY 3.0 ) Chan Chan sculpture and architecture. (Belinda Grasnick, Flicker/ CC BY-ND 2.0 ) The Chimu were the people of the Kingdom of Chimor, and their beautiful capital city was Chan Chan (translated as Sun Sun ), a sprawling mud brick complex —the largest such adobe in the world— and it was the largest city in Pre-Columbian South America. Chan Chan was almost 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles), and with 100,000 residents during its height around 1200 AD. The entire city was made from shaped and sun-dried mud, and was elaborately decorated with sculptures, reliefs and wall carvings on almost every surface. The amazing constructions of the Chimu capital city, Chan Chan. (Carlos Adampol Galindo, Flickr/ CC BY-SA 2.0) Chimu culture arose about 900 AD, but was eventually conquered by the Inca around 1470 AD. The Chimu telephone, and many other amazing ancient technologies, remind us that ancient cultures were capable of marvelous inventions, ideas, and creations long before our ‘sophisticated’ modern societies dreamed them up (sometimes for a second time). Featured image: Chan Chan, Peru ( Wikimedia Commons ). Inset: The enigmatic ancient communication device. Credit: Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian By Liz Leafloor |
SCP-2113 Item #: SCP-2113 Object Class: Euclid Special Containment Procedures: SCP-2113 is stored on a raised platform in custom Underground Containment Chamber B-08 at Bio-Site 66. Underground Containment Chamber B-08 is accessed through two entrances; corridor B-08, accessed via floor B2 of Site-66’s main building, or via elevator installed in Outbuilding A-11, which was constructed on the surface above the chamber. Corridor B-08 extends directly from the main building to UCC B-08, and allows for uninterrupted travel directly to the observation lab. UCC B-08 measures 10 metres to each side and is situated at a depth of 90 metres underground. The observation lab sits at 5 metres above the floor level of the chamber, with a glass wall permitting observation of the item and entity. SCP-2113-01 appears to be restricted to the immediate area around SCP-2113. It may occasionally pass through physical barriers in its containment, but a breach has been deemed highly unlikely at this time. Description: SCP-2113 is the collective fragments of an incomplete fossilized skull, identified as belonging to a member of the species Liopleurodon ferox, an aquatic pliosaurid apex predator that existed during the Jurassic period. The specimen was recovered in a damaged state, with a majority of fossil fragments embedded in a stone matrix with a combined weight of 133 kilograms. The remainder of the skeleton could not be located during SCP-2113’s excavation, despite efforts by paleontological teams scouring the area over eight months following initial recovery. SCP-2113-01 is a large, insubstantial entity measuring six to eight metres long, closely associated with SCP-2113. It is actively mobile and faintly luminescent, with an oblong shape that tapers to a blunt point near its front. Its behavior is erratic; while normally relatively docile, the entity has repeatedly displayed outbursts of violent activity resulting in mild telekinetic activity and electromagnetic disturbance throughout Site 66. SCP-2113-01 has not yet proven capable of physically manipulating its surroundings in a direct manner. Mental Effects: When in a docile state and approached by a human, SCP-2113-01 will vanish and not reappear until a period of time has passed, usually lasting between four and nine hours. Mild electromagnetic activity and temperature changes will often occur in the general vicinity of SCP-2113-01's most recent location, the occurrence of which is inconsistent between events. These disappearances are not considered to be containment breaches, due to the entity’s predictability in remaining near SCP-2113. Sporadically, SCP-2113-01 will become aggressive towards living biological entities approaching its containment. When in an aggressive state, SCP-2113-01 will remain suspended still in the air for periods of twenty minutes to two hours at a time, moving rapidly to ‘bite’ prey targets that it detects within ten metres of its location. Due to its non-physical nature, SCP-2113-01 has in the past shown capable of moving through physical barriers to reach its targets. It has never been seen to travel more than 100 metres from SCP-2113-01. Targets 'bitten' by SCP-2113-01 report immediate visual, aural, and tactile hallucinations, which typically last for a period of fifteen to twenty minutes. Additionally, they often experience severe depersonalization and dysphoria, which fade over the course of seven to twelve days. Victims are usually rendered near-catatonic for the duration of this initial effect. Experiences are relatively consistent between victims, with a majority reporting that they found themselves existing as a large animal (presumably Liopleurodon ferox) within a warm aquatic environment. Various activities have been reported, including, but not restricted to, hunting, territorial disputes with other large predatory fauna, and intentional beaching for an unknown reason; individuals with no prior knowledge of Jurassic ecology have accurately described the appearance of various flora and fauna appearing in their particular hallucinations. Victims of this hallucinatory effect universally describe a visceral disconnect from their self, and how they feel as if they are the animal through which these hallucinations are experienced. In most cases, victims in the early stages of recovery exhibit profound confusion and lack of coordination. Rehabilitation is gradual but usually successful, with all past victims of this effect having reached a full recovery within sixty days after the encounter. Interviewees have vividly described the instinctive nature of the experiences, as well as specific physical and emotional sensations consistent across events. Atypical Incident - ██/██/████: On ██/██/████, SCP-2113-01 passed through the bulkhead of the observation lab and attacked Researcher Grier before vanishing for seventy three minutes. Mr Grier was rendered unconscious and could not be roused for two hours sixteen minutes, at which point he became conscious but catatonic. He was put under secure observation for several days, during which he lapsed into brief periods of unconsciousness at irregular intervals. Eleven days after the initial attack, he regained a measure of lucidity, and promptly volunteered an account of his experience. A transcribed log will not be provided here, due to the length and disorganized nature of his account. Researcher Grier's experience was markedly divergent from the established pattern. While initially set underwater and through the eyes of the animal (as expected), he proceeded to describe a vague event, in which the 'water [was] singing and cracking' and that his 'bones were… scraped off'. He then described in detail a series of sensations throughout his body, as it was buried by sediment and remained in place for 'an impossible [length of] time' and that he 'was there until after the desert (?) was gone'. It is believed that these sensations (described, among other things, as 'hardening' or a 'hard numb', enunciation was unclear) corresponded to the fossilization process that led to the creation of SCP-2113. The nature of the other described event involving 'singing and breaking/cracking water' is as of yet unknown, but is hypothesized to have contributed to the creation of SCP-2113-01. Approximately forty minutes after returning to consciousness, Researcher Grier underwent cardiac arrest brought on by persistent exhaustion and physiological stress. No other victim of SCP-2113-01's effect has undergone an event like his. |
WINNIPEG — Almost 100 years later and memories of the world’s first Olympic hockey champions are still alive. A new Heritage Minute produced by Historica Canada launched at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto Thursday. The video honours the Winnipeg Falcons, a team that wasn’t supposed to win the very first gold medal in hockey at the 1920 Olympics. The Falcons were group of Icelandic-Canadians who wanted to play hockey but were excluded from regular leagues because of their ethnicity, so they created their own club. “Like many new Canadians, they dressed different, they spoke different, they ate different things,” said Rich Brownlee, sport heritage manager at Sport Manitoba’s Hall of Fame. Many of the players grew up along Sargent Avenue in Winnipeg’s West End in the early 1900s. The area was full of Icelandic settlers and new Canadians. The club was broken apart in 1917 when they went to fight for Canada in the First World War. When they came back to Winnipeg in 1919 the players reunited and dominated in Manitoba. “The whole team being in the army learned the power of self-discipline and acting together,” said Johannesson. After winning the Allan Cup in Toronto as underdogs, they went on to represent Canada at the Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. The rest is history and the subject of a new Canadian Heritage Minute. WATCH: Historica Canada’s Winnipeg Falcons Heritage Minute “They honoured the fact they won it in the way they conducted themselves,” said Dan Johnson, chairman of Falcons Forever committee. “They didn’t seek fortune and fame from what they accomplished, they were just sort of playing hockey.” The Falcons legacy now lives on in Hall of Fame displays across the country. PHOTO GALLERY: Winnipeg Falcons moments in history |
(CNN) -- Gay and lesbian groups are attacking a decision by the archdiocese of Denver, Colorado, not to re-enroll a child in a Catholic school in Boulder, Colorado, next year because the child's parents are lesbians. The issue centers on the Sacred Heart of Jesus School, where the pre-schooler is currently enrolled. "The Archdiocese of Denver has acted very unjustly in singling out this child for exclusion," said DignityUSA Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burke in a written statement Monday. "Until every student's parents are tested on Catholic teaching, this action by Catholic officials cannot be understood as anything other than discrimination on the back of a child. At a tender age, this child has learned that Catholic officials are willing to inflict pain on children and families." The decision was made public last week. "These actions by the Denver Archdiocese harm the student by taking the child away from friends, teachers and community," said Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "It's deeply troubling to see any school remove a child from their educational program simply as the means of rejecting that child's parents." But the archdiocese defended its decision. "Parents living in open discord with Catholic teaching in areas of faith and morals unfortunately choose by their actions to disqualify their children from enrollment," it said in a statement posted on its Web site. "To allow children in these circumstances to continue in our school would be a cause of confusion for the student in that what they are being taught in school conflicts with what they experience in the home. "We communicated the policy to the couple at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School as soon as we realized the situation. We discussed the reasons with them and have sought to respond in a way that does not abruptly displace the student but at the same time respects the integrity of the Catholic school's philosophy." In a posting of his sermon, the Rev. Bill Breslin, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, supported the move. "The issue is not about our not accepting 'sinners,' " he said. "It is not about punishing the child for the sins of his or her parents. It is simply that the lesbian couple is saying that their relationship is a good one that should be accepted by everyone; and the Church cannot agree to that." About 30 opponents of the move -- "mostly hetero allies of the gay community" -- protested Sunday outside the church during Mass, said Dave Ensign, board president of Boulder Pride, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community center and services organization. Ensign handed out flyers to the protesters and then joined the parishioners as they listened to the sermon defending the church's move. "I was disappointed, but it was pretty much what I was expecting to hear," he said. He added that the larger community's reaction has been positive, saying, "When people hear about this, they speak up, and I think that says a lot about our community." The child has not been identified publicly. No one at the archdiocese or at the school immediately returned calls Monday seeking comment. |
The Path of Resistance, Because to Feel Something Is to Be Alive Simple people,people who don’t exist,prefer things which don’t exist,simple things. e.e. cummings; six nonlectures Al Gore had a few minor errors of no particular consequence in his movie “An Inconvenient Truth“, but his book “The Assault on Reason” was wildly wrong in at least two important respects: i) The internet has proven to be a far more useful tool for the climate change Deniers than it has for the science fact community. This is undoubtedly because it is easier to tweet simple things such as “If evolution climate change is real, why are there still monkeys snowstorms?” than it is to understand the facts. Not that the explanation is that complex, just that it takes more than 140 characters to say and a bit of actual thinking to understand. ii) What we are witnessing is not an “Assault on Reason”, it is the wholesale abandonment of reason. Democracy requires dialogue, a dialogue that simply isn’t happening, and quite possibly cannot happen when one of the camps has chosen paranoid delusions and willful stupidity as their coping mechanisms. In their ongoing crusade to believe simple things that don’t exist the Republicans are seeking to do away with the EPAs’ authority to regulate CO2. To that end they called five “expert witnesses” to testify about the science of climate change, an economist, a lawyer, a professor of marketing, and two scientists (both self-styled “skeptics”). When one of the hand picked scientists failed to read the script that the GOP had spelled out and instead referred to actual science the Denialopshere immediately began disparaging and dismissing him. As Krugman reports: “But what we had, instead of high seriousness, was a farce: a supposedly crucial hearing stacked with people who had no business being there and instant ostracism for a climate skeptic who was actually willing to change his mind in the face of evidence.” “So on second thought, I was wrong when I said that the joke was on the G.O.P.; actually, the joke is on the human race.” Paul Krugman “I think the joke is on… I don’t know who the joke is on, really. I don’t even know if there is a joke.” There is no joke There is much discussion in the climate science community about where the messaging went wrong and what can be done to get it back on track, eg: These and the countless other articles by bloggers, scientists, activists and pundits make many good points. Some important ones are mentioned in the posts I cite, such as the necessity for simplifying the message without being misleading or overly simplistic, being clear and frank about just how dire the emergency actually is, talk and keep talking about it (does the Right ever shut up about a message just because people are tired of hearing it?), that we need to be listening to peoples’ concerns and engaging them, and many more. This is all predicated on the fact that while the Deniers are loud and shrill, they are not a popular majority (and barely so even within the GOP). The broader public may be unconvinced about climate change, but at least they are potentially open to reason. Even so, there is a good chance it is too late for that, or that alone at least. We have known that the threat of climate change is a real, significant and immediate one beyond reasonable doubt for almost 20 years and have done next to nothing to deal with it. We have known that we face an immediate climate crisis for five years and only the rhetoric sped up and took on new force. The Denier camp is motivated by fear, hence those things often cited as “their reasons” are in fact their rationalizations. They “explain” their incoherent rejection of basic facts in ways that are patently ridiculous, but which are obviously more palatable to them than acknowledging “I can’t deal with reality so I am going to pretend it doesn’t exist.” At heart these discussions are about how we improve a dialogue that largely doesn’t exist. To the extent that there is a dialogue all of the points being made are important, and to the extent that we can create that dialogue they will be vital. However simply tweaking what has proven insufficient will not make the difference, and certainly not quickly enough to matter. The methods and approaches being suggested and discussed do need to be implemented, but we no longer have the luxury of years in which to nurture a public dialogue. Besides, experience suggests that as the crisis deepens the Deniers will just escalate their efforts accordingly, and more people will become frightened. A time of courage There are positive signs in the formation of new coalitions working to mobilize and a growing climate justice movement, but that will not be enough either. We need to escalate our methods as well as our energies. Boycotts, hunger strikes, civil disobedience in it’s myriad forms; noncooperation and direct intervention must be the new focus of our actions, of our lives. Not to replace dialogue, but to restore it. The intent [of a trial] is to get a dialogue going, not to be defended. Per Herngren (Path of Resistance 1993, pg 128) The broader public will not grasp the urgency and importance of the issue until we live it. There is no point attending in a climate action rally only to then drive to a fast food joint for a triple burger with bacon strips. Those around us immediately get our real message even if we don’t. Resistance cannot simply be something we do, it has be an expression of what we are, in our political actions, in our personal lives. The Republicans have shut down the US Government rather than cooperate. The Right wing agenda is a simple thing, to preserve the status quo. A status quo that doesn’t exist any more if it ever did, and even if it did it could not be preserved. We must let them know we will shut down society itself until they do cooperate, until they enter into real dialogue conducted openly and in good faith. W. B. Yeats‘ bleak vision was that The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. With the exception of a single phrase I think that sums up our current situation pretty well. The blood dimmed tide really is loosed in that the climate crisis IS upon us. And no one who has ever seen a tea party rally, the Westboro Baptist Church in action, or the House Republicans in climate change hearings can deny that “the worst are full of passionate intensity.” Two years ago I suggested that things had gotten so bad that the time of fear was over, that we had entered the “time of hope.” But now our innocent belief that public education, dialogue, progressive leaders and international negotiations could make the difference is drowned. All that remains to be seen is whether or not “The best lack all conviction.” We get to determine that. You and I. No one else will because no else can. Yes we are just two people, yes we are nobodies, yes it is not enough, yes it may be too late, and yes there may be no hope. We have to do it anyway. We are the best not because we are, but because we must be. Our times demand it. We have to rise to the level of our beliefs, of our truths. We have to find both the conviction and the courage. We have to do it because we feel something, and because to feel something is to be alive. Simple people,people who don’t exist,prefer things which don’t exist,simple things. “Good” and “bad” are simple things. You bomb me = “bad.” I bomb you = “good.” Simple people(who,incidentally,run this socalled world)know this(they know everything)whereas complex people—people who feel something—are very,very ignorant and really don’t know anything. Nothing,for simple knowing people,is more dangerous than ignorance. Why? Because to feel something is to be alive.” e.e. cummings (1944); six nonlectures |
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A Swedish court upheld on Wednesday an arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who has spent two years at Ecuador’s London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of sexual assault. Prosecutor Marianne Ny talks to the media after a public court hearing in Stockholm July 16, 2014. REUTERS/Roger Vikstrom/TT News Agency Swedish prosecutors want to question Assange over the allegations made by two female former WikiLeaks volunteers. Assange denies the allegations and has been fighting a legal battle against extradition since his arrest in Britain in Dec. 2010. Assange says he fears Sweden could in turn extradite him to the United States to be tried for one of the largest leaks of classified information in U.S. history. “All in all, the district court makes the assessment that the reasons for the arrest warrant offset the infringement and adverse effects the measure entails for Julian Assange,” District court judge Lena Egelin said. “He should therefore continue to be wanted for arrest in his absence.” Assange’s lawyers have argued the arrest warrant should be repealed because it cannot be enforced while Assange is in the embassy and the Swedish prosecutor had not considered the possibility of interrogating him in London. Thomas Olsson, one of Assange’s Swedish lawyers, said he would appeal the verdict.Ecuador, which has granted Assange political asylum, wants London to assure him safe passage to Quito. But Britain has surrounded the Ecuadorian embassy with police officers round the clock ready to detain him if he leaves it. British police say they have spent 6 million pounds ($10.28 million) from June 2012 until March this year on policing costs at the Ecuadorian embassy. In an interview with Reuters last year, Assange said he would not leave the sanctuary of the embassy in London even if Sweden stops pursuing sexual assault claims against him because he feared arrest on the order of the United States. |
The family of a British soldier who took an Irish flag home after fighting in the Easter Rising decided to return the remaining scrap of flag to Ireland, and donate it to the Glasnevin Trust. The piece the largest known remnant of the 1916 Jacob’s Tricolour. According to the Jersey Evening Post, in April 1916, Bugler John Le Prévost, a Jersey native, and two other soldiers climbed onto the roof of the Jacob’s Biscuit Factory, which was one of the key locations of the Easter Rising,and while under fire from snipers hauled down the Irish nationalists’ flag. The flag was taken by the soldier and given to his fiancée, Mary La Singe. A piece of the flag has remained in Le Prévost’s family ever since. However, his family did not know its significance until after they read a Jersey Evening Post article written by historian Ian Ronayne in April. David Blake, Bugler Le Prévost’s great-grandson, contacted Ronayne to verify the provenance of his heirloom. Blake then tried to decide what to do with the remnant. For four months he debated whether to sell it for cash or give it to a local or Irish museum. He eventually decided the remaining piece of flag belonged back in Ireland, and in honor of his grandfather and the 2016 centenary of the Easter Rising he decided to travel to Dublin to return it. Blake said: “It is only correct and necessary that the Jacob’s Tricolour comes back home. I feel as if I had it for a reason; as if the family had been caring for the flag so when the appropriate time came, it should go back. This year is the appropriate time.” The remnant was handed over by the Chief Minister of the island of Jersey at a ceremony on Sunday, Journal.ie reports. Jersey’s Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst said: “It is an honor to be involved in this ceremony, which will commemorate not just the brave and historic actions of the Jersey Contingent but also the long-standing ties that exist between the people of Jersey and Ireland.” Chairman of the Glasnevin Trust, John Green, called it a “special day." He said: "It is not only the symbolism of the flag returning to Dublin, to the final resting place of its makers but also the stories it enables us to tell." |
This article is over 1 year old Village council members arrested for allegedly ordering rape of teenager as punishment for sexual assault committed by her brother Police in Pakistan have arrested 26 members of a village council for allegedly ordering the rape of a teenager as punishment for a sexual assault committed by her brother. The girl, 17, was raped last week at the direction of the council as revenge for a sexual assault allegedly committed two days earlier against a child in the same village by the teenage girl’s brother. The man who was ordered to rape the teenager was the brother of the initial victim, local police official Malik Rashid said. He said the state would act as plaintiff in the case and refuse to free those convicted in exchange for compensation, an option available under the country’s Islamic legal system. “The state will not give up any sort of agreement,” Rashid said. The incident, which occurred in Muzaffarabad, a village near Multan in the southern province of Punjab, came to light after the teenage girl’s mother complained to police. The mother alleged in the complaint that members of the council were present at the time of the punitive rape. Medical examinations have reportedly confirmed sexual assaults in both cases. On Thursday the chief justice of Pakistan’s supreme court, Saqib Nisar, ordered a police inquiry on Thursday into the incident, which has sparked uproar in the country and abroad. “Pakistan’s judiciary has time and again declared these local councils to be unconstitutional and [have] no legal standing,” said lawyer and activist Asma Jahangir. “Such decisions and parallel justice should end now.” The village councils, or jirgas, are a traditional means of settling disputes in Pakistan’s rural areas, where the legal system can be mistrusted or out of reach. The councils are illegal but such “honour” punishments are still common, especially in rural areas. In another case that gained international prominence, a village council in 2002 ordered the gang rape of Mukhtar Mai as revenge for taking her rapists to court. Mai was offered refuge in other countries but chose to stay and open a school for rural girls. She tweeted on Thursday that the case showed “we are still in 2002”. Mukhtar Mai (@MukhtarMai) Another Tribe Court (Panchayt) in south Punjab Multan and another girl was raped. We are still in 2002. Her story inspired an opera, Thumbprint, which opened in New York in 2014 and premiered in Los Angeles last month. The chief minister of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, has suspended several police officers including the Multan police chief for delays in conducting arrests. “Unfortunately, there could not be a worse example of extreme negligence by the police,” he said. He told a press conference: “I will not sit with ease until all the criminals in this case are punished in accordance to the law.” Tahira Abdullah, a human rights activist, said the jirga councils invariably marginalised women and “such decisions have ruined the lives of thousands”. “Justice is the right of each and every citizen of the country and only a fair legal system can provide that, not such councils,” she said. Pakistan is regarded as one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman, with 2014 research finding that each day six women were kidnapped, four were murdered, four were raped and three took their own lives. More than 1,000 women and girls in the country are murdered in “honour killings” each year, according to the Aurat Foundation, a human rights group. The dishonourable killing of Qandeel Baloch Read more In one high-profile case last year, a social media celebrity who also lived in Multan was strangled by her brother for posting videos and pictures he considered too provocative. Qandeel Baloch, 26, was compared to Kim Kardashian for her subversive use of social media and sly, sometimes satirical displays of sexuality in the deeply conservative country. British citizen Samia Shahid was murdered in Punjab last year by her father and first husband for divorcing and remarrying without permission. A police report said the 28-year-old’s family felt “dishonoured” by the divorce that Shahid had organised in a sharia court in Bradford in 2012 after a brief and unhappy marriage. In October, Pakistan’s parliament passed legislation that introduced the death penalty for rape and closed a loophole permitting perpetrators of honour killings to go free if forgiven by the victim’s family. But the legislation, which was introduced against the objections of hardline religious groups, still permits victim’s families to waive the death penalty for offenders. |
Dextromethorphan shares pharmacological properties in common with antidepressants and, in particular, ketamine, a drug with demonstrated rapid-acting antidepressant activity. Pharmacodynamic similarities include actions on NMDA, μ opiate, sigma-1, calcium channel, serotonin transporter, and muscarinic sites. Additional unique properties potentially contributory to an antidepressant effect include actions at ß, alpha-2, and serotonin1b/d receptors. It is therefore, hypothesized that dextromethorphan may have antidepressant efficacy in bipolar, unipolar, major depression, psychotic, and treatment-resistant depressive disorders, and may display rapid-onset of antidepressant response. An antidepressant response may be associated with a positive family history of alcoholism, prediction of ketamine response, increased AMPA–to–NMDA receptor activity ratio, antidepressant properties in animal models of depression, reward system activation, enhanced erythrocyte magnesium concentration, and correlation with frontal μ receptor binding potential. Clinical trials of dextromethorphan in depressive disorders, especially treatment-resistant depression, now seem warranted. |
The murder of British soldier Sgt. Lee Rigby on a London street in May received massive U.S. media attention. The brazenness of the attackers—who allegedly struck Rigby with a car in broad daylight before hacking him to death with bladed weapons—guaranteed coverage. That the crime was captured on videotape from multiple sources didn’t hurt either. All told, Lee Rigby’s London murder has been mentioned in nearly 500 U.S. newspaper and wire stories, according to a search of the Nexis news database. But the story also fit a comfortable media narrative: The attackers were Muslims who declared religious motivations. One of the assailants called the crime revenge for the killing of Muslims by Western military forces (Reuters, 5/22/13). For many pundits, the Rigby killing provided dramatic “proof” of the violent and dangerous nature of Islam. Fox News liberal Bob Beckel (Five, 5/23/13) told viewers that Muslims are trying to impose a worldwide caliphate, and that Rigby’s killing was “a product of the British allowing Muslims to come into their country.” Bill O’Reilly (O’Reilly Factor, 6/5/13) invited Tommy Robinson, the leader of British hate group the English Defence League, onto his Fox News show. Robinson faced little challenge as he smeared Muslims, saying politicians are “constantly pandering to Islam and they’re constantly worried about what the Islamic community would do and how they will react to anything.” The association of Islam with violence is not restricted to right-wing media. “For a self-described ‘religion of peace,’ Islam does claim a lot of lives,” wrote liberal New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof (9/22/12) in a piece attempting to explain Muslim violence. On CNN (5/5/10), Anderson Cooper telegraphed a similar message when he asked HBO star Bill Maher: “Why is Islam the one religion that so many in America and in the West censor themselves when talking about or making fun of? Is it just fear?” This was a softball for Maher, a commentator known for anti-Muslim bigotry (FAIR Blog, 3/9/12), who responded that Muslims are “violent” and “threaten us.” FAIR’s 2008 report, Smearcasting: How Islamophobes Spread Fear, Bigotry and Misinformation (10/1/08), found violent and dangerous portrayals of Muslims alive and well in centrist and liberal media habitats: The 2006 National Book Critics Circle nominated for an award the flagrantly Islamophobic While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam Is Destroying the West From Within, while the New York Times gifted new subscribers with the anti-Muslim DVD, Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West in 2006. The best-known focus of the whirlwind of smears by the corporate media would be the Park51 Islamic community center, inaccurately but pervasively described as the “Ground Zero Mosque.” Media portrayed the center as a slap in the face to families of 9/11 victims—and as proof that the Obama administration was failing to protect citizens from Muslim extremists (Extra!, 10/10). But is Islam, as Kristof, Maher and O’Reilly suggest, really particularly violent? It’s a curious argument to make from the vantage point of the United States, which has in recent years launched wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and lesser military strikes in at least a half-a-dozen other nations—violence that has cost at least hundreds of thousands of lives over the past decade (Iraq Body Count, 3/19/13; FAIR Blog, 6/7/13). And looking over the last century, the bloodiest in human history, it’s an equally strange argument to make from a Western, Christian-majority nation. As University of Michigan Islam scholar Juan Cole (Informed Comment, 4/23/13) points out, of the more than 100 million war deaths in the 20th century, something less than 2 percent came at the hands of Muslim-majority nations. Most of those dead came in wars where non-Muslim nations played a significant role—such as the Iran/Iraq War, where the United States aided the aggressor Iraq, and the Afghan Civil War, where the Soviet Union was a major military force. Cole also explains that “murder rates in most of the Muslim world are very low compared to the United States,” which is especially violent for a wealthy nation. According to a Gallup poll (8/2/11; FAIR Blog, 5/3/13), Muslim Americans disapprove of violence against civilians at an exceptionally high rate. When asked if it “is justified for an individual or a small group of people to target and kill civilians,” 89 percent of Muslims said that it is never justified, which was the highest disapproval rate of the six religious and nonreligious groups polled. Muslim Americans also rejected military killing of civilians by a wide margin, while a majority of Protestants, Catholics, Jews and Mormons approved of such killings. Glenn Greenwald (5/23/13) makes a strong case that the killing of Rigby, a sergeant in the British Army, though political violence, was not terrorism, which is generally defined as political violence targeting civilians. But U.S. coverage of even strictly defined terrorism gives a distorted impression that most of it is linked to Muslims. In “More Terror, Less Coverage,” Extra! (5/11) showed how a story about an amateurish bomb that fizzled in Times Square in May 2010, planted by a Muslim American, got far more coverage than a much more lethal bomb planted by a white racist in Spokane, Washington, disarmed just hours before its planned detonation during a 2011 Martin Luther King Day parade. This is par for a media that has an especially hard time reporting domestic terrorism with context or proportionality. Charles Kurzman (Think Progress, 9/10/11), author of The Missing Martyrs: Why There Are So Few Muslim Terrorists, noted in 2011 that since 9/11, Muslim American terrorists “have killed 33 individuals in the United States.” The University of North Carolina terrorism expert put that number in the larger context of U.S. violence: “Over that same period of time, there have been more than 150,000 murders in the United States.” That’s 0.02 percent of homicides since 2001 attributable to Muslim American terrorism. A 2010 RAND study found that of the “83 terrorist attacks in the United States between 9/11 and the end of 2009, only three…were clearly connected with the jihadist cause” (Extra!, 5/11). Out of the 3 million Muslims living in the United States, around 100 joined jihadist groups during the study period, which according to RAND suggests that American Muslims overwhelmingly do not agree with radical ideology and the violent actions associated with it. Cole found similar data on Europe. While the European Union’s population is 4.5 percent Muslim (Pew Research Center, 1/11)—“less than 1 percent of terrorist acts in the continent were committed by people from that community” from 2007 to 2009 (Informed Comment, 4/23/13). To successfully equate Islam with terrorism requires downplaying terrorism perpetrated by non-Muslims. As conservative Fox News commentator Brian Kilmeade (Fox & Friends, 10/15/10) put it, “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslim.” Kilmeade was defending Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who’d been criticized for stating on ABC’s View (10/14/10) that “Muslims killed us on 9/11!” Kilmeade later retracted the comment (Fox & Friends, 10/18/10; Media Matters, 10/18/10), but Michael Goodwin, a columnist for Fox’s sibling publication, the Murdoch-owned New York Post (4/28/13), used the exact same phrase in a recent column on the Boston Marathon bombing. But more influential than the overt bigotry of the Kilmeades and O’Reillys is the drumbeat of media attention to Muslim-linked violence compared to violence and terrorism linked to other groups. In June, two men in upstate New York were arrested and charged with conspiracy to support terrorism after building a weapon that would shoot radiation into “enemies of Israel.” Possible target locations included an Albany Mosque and a Schenectady Islamic center (AP, 6/19/13; CAIR, 6/24/13). According to Nexis, only 24 newspapers and newswires covered the story in the U.S. Three weeks before the gruesome murder of Lee Rigby in London, Mohammed Saleem, a 75 year-old Muslim man, was stabbed to death while returning from a mosque in Birmingham, 100 miles north of London. The murder is being considered a hate crime by police (Birmingham Mail, 5/25/13). The entire U.S. media coverage of Mohammed Saleem’s murder, according to Nexis, was a single 136-word dispatch (5/1/13) from the UPI wire service. Extra! August 2013 |
Who are you planning on voting for to be Labour’s next leader? It’s the question Labour members, affiliates and supporters will be asking each other over the summer months. So we put it to our readers. On first preferences Jeremy Corbyn triumphed with a huge 73% of the vote. The Islington North undoubtedly has a large appeal and a sizeable support base. As Maya Goodfellow pointed out on Wednesday the clarity and sincerity of his campaign stands him in good stead. But this kind of landslide victory is extremely unlikely – for any of the candidates. These results, therefore, seem to overstate Corbyn’s popularity. Particularly when you consider that this week’s YouGov poll had him on 43% for first preferences and 53% once two other candidates had been knocked out. What this, in part speaks to, is his supporters’ extremely strong online organisation. It’s also worth mentioning at this point that ours is a self-selecting, unweighted e-mail survey. So although Corbyn does have clear support – and could win the contest, like any of the other candidates – this result should not increase the unnecessary hysteria that has followed evidence of Corbyn’s success. In second place is Liz Kendall on 10%. This is a very different result for the Leicester West MP from the YouGov poll where she came in last. Although our survey and YouGov’s results are not directly comparable what might be seen as her relative success her could be down to a number of factors. There could be a ‘shy Kendall’ effect, or she may have simply picked up more supporters in recent days. Alternatively, it could be that the calls for her to drop out of the contest over the past days inspired a reaction to show support for her candidacy. However, this seems unlikely when we compare this with the other results. Yvette Cooper comes in third with 9%, and two points behind her is Andy Burnham on 7%. When we last asked this question prior to Mary Creagh dropping out of the race Burnham was in second place (13%) and Kendall was in third (11%) and Cooper was in fourth (9%). This means Kendall has taken the lead over Burnham – as has Cooper – but is one point down from last time. This result, then, could be related to outfall from the welfare bill vote – especially as the YouGov polling was carried out prior to this row. Kendall from the outset said she supported Harman, while Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham vocalised their opposition to the bill. However, both abstained after voting for the Reasoned Amendment, which was defeated. It could be that these events dinted Cooper’s and Burnham’s support – the latter more so as he was, arguably, a more vocal critical of the Bill. If this were the case, these results would not suggesting a rise in support for Kendall but a fall in support for Burnham. Although it is, of course, difficult to pin any of this down to one single factor. Regardless, most people who voted are set on their choice, for the moment. Only 2% said they didn’t know who would get their first preference. What’s the picture when it comes to second preferences? The results read as follows: No second preference 40%, Andy Burnham 22%, Yvette Cooper 20%, Don’t know 10%, Jeremy Corbyn 4%, Liz Kendall 4% The results are more interesting when we break them down into who each candidate’s supporters would put as their second preference. A large proportion – 50% – of those who said that won’t put a second preference come from Corbyn supporters. While all other candidates’ first preference voters are inclined to put a second preference (only 11-15% said from each camp they wouldn’t), the same cannot be said of Corbyn’s. This, however, is perhaps reflective again of this active internet following and does not necessarily reflect the Islington North MP’s broader support base. There are some interesting trends. For those who are backing Burnham, Cooper is the favourite in second preferences – 49% put the shadow home secretary as their number two choice. The same is true the other way round; 41% of those who put Cooper as their first preference opted for Burnham as their second. This indicates that there is a degree of overlap in Burnham’s and Cooper’s support and suggests that if either of them did well in the first round, they could end up benefitting from one another’s support assuming the other didn’t come in second. But these two don’t just stand to pick up support from one another’s supporters. Cooper benefits from Kendall supporters (53% put her as their second preference), while Burnham benefits from Corbyn supporters, albeit they are less generous; only 22% put Burnham as their second preference. Essentially from these results Cooper and Burnham stand to do best when it comes to second preferences. Other interesting trends: A larger amount of Burnham supporters would put Corbyn as their second preference than Cooper backers – at 23% and 14% respectively. In fact, more Cooper backers would put Kendall as their second preference than Corbyn. And although a sizeable number of Kendall supporters are likely to be keen on Cooper, this isn’t a mutual exchange. Finally we asked whether there should there be an immediate review into how Labour is running the leadership election. There have been some suggestions that the hustings process has exhausted candidates and stopped them from adequately addressing why Labour lost the election. LabourList readers are split on the subject: 43% said no and 31% said yes. A sizeable 26% aren’t sure. 5,438 people voted in this week’s survey. Thankyou to everyone who took part. |
Abstract Objectives The objective of this study was to compare post-operative visits for upper respiratory infections (URIs) between tonsillectomy and non-tonsillectomy participants (controls). Methods Using the national cohort study from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 1:4 matched (age, sex, income, region, and pre-operative URI visit) tonsillectomy participants (5,831) and control participants (23,324) were selected. Post-operative visits for URI were measured from 1 to 9 years post-op. The equivalence test was used. The margin of equivalence of the difference (Tonsillectomy—Control group group) was set to -0.5 to 0.5. Results There was no difference between the tonsillectomy and control group in 1- to 9-year post-op visits (-0.5 < 95% CI of difference < 0.5). URI visits gradually decreased from 5.5/2 years (pre-op) to 2.1/year (at 1 year post-op) and 1.4/year (at 9 years post-op) in both tonsillectomy and control groups. In the subgroup analysis (children Vs adolescent and adults; rare Vs frequent pre-operative URI), there was no difference in the number of post-op visits for URI between the tonsillectomy and control groups (-0.5 < 95% CI of difference < 0.5). Conclusion Tonsillectomy does not provide a decrease in the number of post-operative visits for URI, and URI decreased over time whether or not a tonsillectomy was performed. Citation: Choi HG, Park B, Sim S, Ahn S-H (2016) Tonsillectomy Does Not Reduce Upper Respiratory Infections: A National Cohort Study. PLoS ONE 11(12): e0169264. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169264 Editor: Alberto G. Passi, University of Insubria, ITALY Received: June 26, 2016; Accepted: December 14, 2016; Published: December 30, 2016 Copyright: © 2016 Choi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data Availability: All of the data are available from the database of National Health Insurance Sharing Service (NHISS) (https://nhiss.nhis.or.kr/). NHISS allows all of this data for any researcher who promises to follow the research ethics with some cost. If you want to access the data of this article, you can download it from the website after promising to follow the research ethics. Funding: This work was supported in part by a research grant (NRF-2015-R1D1A1A01060860) from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea. There was no additional external funding received for this study. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; HIRA, Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service; NHIS, The Korean National Health Insurance Service; RCT, randomized controlled trial; URI, upper respiratory infection Introduction Tonsillectomy with/without adenoidectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgeries, especially in children [1–3]. The reported rate of tonsillectomy in children and adolescents is 7.9 per 1,000 in the US [4] and 2.6 per 1,000 in Korea [3]. Tonsillectomy is generally performed for recurrent sore throat or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) [5, 6]. However, there are no nationally accepted guidelines for when to perform a tonsillectomy [7]. Although Paradise et al reported the “paradise criteria" for tonsillectomy in recurrent tonsillitis [2, 8], the evidence for its clinical efficacy is limited [9]. Some authors have reported that tonsillectomy reduced the incidence of pediatric URI [8, 10], while others have reported that it did not [11]. Even with the current lack of robust clinical evidence, infection (23.2%) remains one of the most common reasons for performing a tonsillectomy [12]. Tonsillectomies are associated with the possibility of complications. Late postoperative bleeding, which has a rate of 1–5%, is the most common complication [7]. Infrequent complications, such as early postoperative bleeding, taste disorder, nasal speech, vascular injury, emphysema, and dysphagia, have also been reported [13]. We should therefore carefully consider whether tonsillectomy should be performed for recurrent sore throat. The purpose of this study is to compare post-operative visits for upper respiratory infection (URI) between tonsillectomy and non-tonsillectomy participants (controls) using a national cohort study. In this study, we matched the tonsillectomy and control group at 1:4 for age, sex, income group, and the number of pre-operative URIs. We followed up the participants for 1 to 9 years. Materials and Methods Study Population and Data Collection The ethics committee of Hallym University (2014-I148) approved the use of these data. Written informed consent was exempted by the Institutional Review Board. This national cohort study relies on data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service—National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS). The Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) selects samples directly from the entire population database to prevent non-sampling errors. Approximately 2% of the samples (one million) were selected from the entire Korean population (50 million). This selected data can be classified at 1,476 levels (age [18 categories], sex [2 categories], and income level [41 categories]) using randomized stratified systematic sampling methods via proportional allocation to represent the entire population. After data selection, the appropriateness of the sample was verified by a statistician who compared the data from the entire Korean population to the sample data. The details of the methods used to perform these procedures are provided by the National Health Insurance Sharing Service [14]. This cohort database included (i) personal information, (ii) health insurance claim codes (procedures and prescriptions), (iii) diagnostic codes using the International Classification of Disease-10 (ICD-10), (iv) socio-economic data (residence and income), and (v) medical examination data for each participant over a period ranging from 2002 to 2013. Because all Korean citizens are recognized by a 13-digit resident registration number from birth to death, exact population statistics can be determined using this database. It is mandatory for all Koreans to enroll in the NHIS. All Korean hospitals and clinics use the 13-digit resident registration number to register individual patients in the medical insurance system. Therefore, the risk of overlapping medical records is minimal, even if a patient moves from one place to another. Moreover, all medical treatments in Korea can be tracked without exception using the HIRA system. Participants Selection Out of 1,025,340 cases with 114,369,638 medical claim codes, we included participants who underwent tonsillectomy (claim code: Q2300) from 2004 through 2012 (n = 6,146). Among these, participants who underwent tonsillectomy for malignancies were excluded (n = 45). Hence, only participants who underwent tonsillectomy for benign causes (e.g., chronic tonsillitis, chronic tonsillar hypertrophy, and obstructive sleep apnea) were included. The tonsillectomy participants were matched 1:4 with the participants (control group) who never underwent tonsillectomy from 2002 through 2013 among this cohort. The matches were processed for age, group, sex, income group, region of residence, and the number of pre-operative URI histories over 2 years. To prevent selection bias when selecting the matched participants, the control group participants were sorted using a random number order, and they were then selected from top to bottom. The tonsillectomy participants for whom we could not identify enough matching participants were excluded (n = 270). Finally, 1:4 matching resulted in the inclusion of 5,831 of tonsillectomy participants and 23,324 control participants (Fig 1). PPT PowerPoint slide PowerPoint slide PNG larger image larger image TIFF original image Download: Fig 1. A schematic illustration of the participant selection process that was used in the present study. Out of a total of 1,025,340 participants, 6,146 tonsillectomy participants were selected. Tonsillectomy for malignancy was excluded (n = 45). The tonsillectomy participants were matched 1:4 with a control group that did not undergo tonsillectomy. Un-matched tonsillectomy participants were excluded (n = 270). Finally, 5,831 tonsillectomy participants and 23,324 control participants were included. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169264.g001 Variables The age groups were classified using 5-year intervals: 0–4, 5–9, 10–15…, and 80+ years old. A total of 17 age groups were designated. The income groups were initially divided into 41 classes (one health aid class, 20 self-employment health insurance classes, and 20 employment health insurance classes). These groups were re-categorized into 11 classes (class 1 [lowest income]-11 [highest income]). Region of residence was divided into 16 areas according to administrative district. These regions were regrouped into urban (Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Ulsan) and rural (Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheongbuk, Chungcheongnam, Jeollabuk, Jeollanam, Gyeongsangbuk, Gyeongsangnam, and Jeju) areas. We defined URI using the following ICD-10 codes: J00 (acute nasopharyngitis) and J02 (acute pharyngitis) through J069 (acute upper respiratory infection). The number of visits to clinics or hospital for URI was counted every year. Pre-operative URI visits were counted for 2 years. The number of visits included in the URI history during the follow up period was counted for each year (e.g., post-op year 1, year 2, year 3…. year 9). Therefore, the participants who underwent tonsillectomy in 2004 were followed up for 9 years, while the participants who underwent tonsillectomy in 2012 were followed up for 1 year (Fig 2). PPT PowerPoint slide PowerPoint slide PNG larger image larger image TIFF original image Download: Fig 2. A schematic illustration of the measurements used for preoperative and postoperative URI visits. The number of visits for URI was measured during the 2 years before tonsillectomy. Post-operative visits for URI were counted for 1 to 9 years, depending on the time of the surgery. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169264.g002 Statistical Analyses An equivalence test was used to compare the number of visits for URI (pre-operative and in post-op year 1, year 2, year 3 … year 9) between the tonsillectomy group and the control group. The null hypothesis was that visits for URI during the follow up period would not be the same between the tonsillectomy and control groups. In a previous meta-analysis, the pooled risk difference in URIs between tonsillectomy and control groups was -0.5 episodes per year.[9] Therefore, the margin of equivalence of difference (tonsillectomy—control group group) was set to -0.5 to 0.5 in this study. For the subgroup analyses, the participants were divided into 2 groups: children (≤ 14 years old) and adolescent and adults (≥ 15 years old); and rare pre-operative URI (< 5 times over 2 years) and frequent pre-operative URI (≥ 5 times over 2 years). For the equivalence test, a 95% confidence interval (CI) for a difference < 0.5 was considered to indicate statistical significance. The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS v. 21.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Discussion We found no difference in the number of URI visits between the tonsillectomy and control groups. After tonsillectomy, URI visits gradually decreased during the follow up period. However, this trend was also observed in control group, which showed the same scale. According to the most recent Cochrane library review [15], which reviewed 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that included children and 2 RCTs that included adults, the number of post-op 1 year episodes of sore throat was lower in the tonsillectomy group than in the control group, and this difference was not observed after post-op year 2 year in children. They also reported that the size of the effect (e.g., tonsillectomy for chronic/acute tonsillitis in children) was very modest because some of the children improved without surgery [16]. Another review study concluded that the frequencies of sore throat episodes and upper respiratory infections became lower over time whether or not a tonsillectomy was performed [9]. Our study supports these previous results. However, we found no difference between the tonsillectomy and control groups even during post-op year 1. We think that this might be because of the relatively low incidence of pre-operative URI visits in this study population (5.5 visits over 2 years). In previous studies, the effects of tonsillectomy were not evident in mild symptoms groups, whereas effects were evident in moderate to severe symptoms groups (3–6 throat infections) [11]. Historically, the tonsils have been regarded as sources of bacteria [17]. Therefore, tonsillectomy was performed to remove an apparent infection focus in recurrent sore throat patients [17]. However, bacterial pathogens have since been discovered not only children and adults with recurrent tonsillitis but also in healthy children and adults [18]. Moreover, asymptomatic carriers (10% of all healthy children) of staphylococci and streptococci do not require treatment [7]. Bacterial pathogens that reside in the tonsils do not always provoke problems in healthy individuals. Therefore, we believe that removing the tonsils is not an effective way to treat patients who present with mild recurrent sore throat. As children grow up, their immune systems come into maturity. This might be responsible for decreases that have been observed in the number of URIs reported during follow up periods between individuals who did or did not undergo tonsillectomy [7, 9]. In this study, URI was not decreased or increased after tonsillectomy compared to control. It means that tonsillectomy would not increase the possibility of infection by affecting immune system. One advantage of this study is the large number of study participants (n = 29,154). We followed up the tonsillectomy group for a maximum of 9 years, whereas other studies have usually used a 2-year follow up [2, 8, 11, 19–22]. To our knowledge, this is the largest study to evaluate the efficacy of tonsillectomy for URI. Another advantage is the availability of comprehensive medical records for each participant. Previous studies needed to ask the participants for their histories of recurrent sore throat [2, 8, 11, 19–22], and this could result in recall bias. In this study, we used patient medical records and HIRA data to count URI visits. These recorded data are not distorted by patient memory. The HIRA data include all citizens of the nation, without exception. We therefore were not missing any participants during the follow up periods, whereas a significant loss to follow up has been a problem in other studies [2, 8]. In our control group, none of the participants changed during observation to the tonsillectomy group. However, we did not use RCT methods, but instead exactly matched our participants to individuals in the control group according to age, sex, income, region of residence, and previous operative URI visits. Income and region matching were important because these are determinant factors of medical procedures. Income levels can be determined very accurately using the Korean NHIS because a patient’s premium is determined based on their income. Our study results are therefore representative of the entire Korean population because the data were selected from a database that covers the entire population, and the representativeness of the data was verified by a statistician. Our study has several limitations. We used health insurance claims data and counted the number of visits for URI. These do not exactly reflect the number of infections. However, we believe that the number of visits for URI can be used as a surrogate index for the number of infections when dealing with this type of big data. We could not measure the severity of each URI in each participant. The medical procedures used for each participant could be variable even when treating the same disease. We included participants who underwent tonsillectomy for chronic tonsillar hypertrophy or OSA because we could not determine the purpose of tonsillectomy in each participant. However, if tonsillectomy reduces URI, the number of URIs in the participants who underwent tonsillectomy for chronic tonsillar hypertrophy or OSA should also be decreased. Conclusion Tonsillectomy does not provide a benefit against URIs. It does appears that tonsillectomy decreases URIs, but URIs also decreased over time whether or not a tonsillectomy was performed. Supporting Information S1 Table. Subgroup analysis of mean values for pre-operative and post-operative URIs between the tonsillectomy and control groups in very frequent pre-operative URI group (≥ 12 times for 2 y). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169264.s001 (DOCX) Acknowledgments This work was supported in part by a research grant (NRF-2015-R1D1A1A01060860) from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea. The manuscript was edited for proper English language, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and overall style by the highly qualified native English-speaking editors at American Journal Experts (631D-C3A5-E0B5-7FA0-A3D6). Author Contributions Conceptualization: HGC SHA. Data curation: BP SS. Formal analysis: HGC SS. Funding acquisition: HGC. Investigation: HGC SHA. Methodology: BP SS. Project administration: HGC SHA BP SS. Resources: BP SS. Software: BP SS. Supervision: BP SS SHA. Validation: SS. Visualization: BP SS. Writing – original draft: HGC SHA. Writing – review & editing: HGC SHA. |
"We have serious concerns about the potential inadequate protection of classified information here," Rep. Jason Chaffetz said. | Getty Chaffetz asks Justice IG to investigate leaks about Flynn House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz requested Wednesday that the Department of Justice launch an investigation into the leaks surrounding the ouster of Michael Flynn. In a letter addressed to inspector general Michael Horowitz released Wednesday, Chaffetz expressed concern over "potentially classified national security information" circulated in recent news reports leading up to the resignation of the former national security adviser. Story Continued Below "We have serious concerns about the potential inadequate protection of classified information here," he said. "In light of this, we request that your office begin an immediate investigation into whether classified information was mishandled here." Chaffetz told reporters on Tuesday, following Flynn's resignation, that he had no plans to have the Oversight Committee investigate Flynn's communications with Russian officials, saying that the situation was "working itself out." President Donald Trump on Wednesday similarly criticized the information leaks, blasting the media for reporting on Flynn "very unfairly." And just hours before his ouster Flynn himself also denounced the leaks as "criminal" in an interview with the Daily Caller. “You call them leaks. It’s a criminal act. This is a crime. It’s not just a wink and a nod,” Flynn told the outlet from his White House office Monday. “In some of these cases, you’re talking about stuff that’s taken off of a classified system and given to a reporter. That’s a crime." Flynn went on to speculate on the origin of the leaks. “One has to wonder, ‘Are they coming out of people in the National Security Council? Are they coming out of people in the intel community? Or State? Or Defense?'” he asked. The letter was co-signed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte. |
Monet’s paintings evoke a sense of energy and life, they leap off the canvas with color and contrast, but Monet somehow managed to avoid using the color black for nearly his entire painting career. By avoiding black in your own designs, you can replicate some of this dynamism. Monet and Other Impressionists Explored Their Medium Monet, and other impressionists, experimented obsessively with their medium: paint, some brushes, and a canvas. So just as pixels prohibit the use of Garamond on the web, the characteristics of the impressionists tools shaped their work. The inherent qualities of oil paint (thick and viscous), paint brushes (just a bunch of hair on a stick), and sometimes the texture of the canvas itself, lent themselves well to paintings being much more – put simply: blurry – than the more realistic paintings that were popular at the time. Photorealistic painters strived to make these qualities invisible, but the impressionists (like pixel fonts did for pixels) embraced them. In the course of this experimentation, impressionists had to experiment with color to create the desired effects. Much like a rich-colored image is dithered when restricted to a 256 color palette, the impressionists experimented with creating the illusion of a color by placing colors next to each other which would create the illusion of the color they desired for the viewer. The Impressionists Became Masters of Color This effect was experimented with further until it became the major focus of some impressionist painters as a technique called pointillism – which involves painting dots of color next to each other to create the effect of a different overall color. Georges Seurat is credited with developing the technique, and one of his paintings close-up doesn’t look all that different from a dithered GIF image, as you can see in this example of a close-up of one of Seurat’s paintings next to a blown-up GIF image with a palette of only 8 colors and a pattern dither. By experimenting this way, the impressionists were doing much more than simply trying to replicate reality: they were analyzing the area between the subject of a piece of art, and the eye of the viewer. They were exploring just what makes ripples on water, with light bouncing off of them, glimmer the way they do. They analyzed what collection of colors make up the shadow of an object to give it dimension, and black wasn’t one of those colors. Color Theory Explains What the Impressionists Discovered Why this is can be explained by color theory. You’ve probably seen a color wheel before. Here’s an extremely basic refresher: One half of the color wheel: from yellow through red, is made of what is called “warm” colors. The other half of the color wheel: from green through purple, is made up of what is called “cool” colors. Because these colors are completely saturated, I’ll go ahead and call them hues from now on. I’ll explain a little later what I mean by that. Also, of note later on: colors that are opposite of each other are called complementary. Complementary colors contrast each other strongly, and any two complements, when mixed together as paint, result in a brownish-grey color. Warm Colors Pop, Cool Colors Recede As a general rule, warm hues pop out at the viewer, giving the appearance of being closer; while cool hues recede, or give the appearance of being farther away. As you can see on the left side of this example, the blue block recedes, looking as if it is a hole in the center of the red block. On the right side of the example, you see the opposite effect, with the red block looking almost as if it is a tower extruding towards you from the blue block. The warm hue – red – pops out at you, and the cool hue – blue – recedes from you. The hue is the pure base color – as taken from the color wheel. To create a more sophisticated color, a hue is tinted or shaded. A tint of a hue is basically a lighter version of that hue. If you were mixing paint, you would just be adding white. A shade is a darker version of the base hue. If you were mixing paint, you would essentially be adding black to create a darker version of the hue. Tints Pop, Shades Recede Its probably no surprise to you that – much like warm hues pop, and cool hues recede – tints pop, and shades recede, as you can see in the example below. With the same color of blue as the backdrop, a tinted square of that blue pops, while a shaded square recedes. Context is Important But will that tinted blue square always pop? Of course not: context is important, too. In this example, that exact same square is barely noticeable on a backdrop of slightly less tint, while it really pops on a heavily shaded backdrop. Temperature is Stronger than Tint This same phenomenon of context applies to the relative position of two hues on a color wheel as well. While neither of the middle squares of both sides of this example have any tint nor shade, their appearance relative to the blue backdrop differs drastically. The square that is purple – a color which is adjacent to blue on the color wheel – almost blends in completely, while the square that is orange, which is blue’s complement, leaps violently off of the blue field. The contrast between these two hues is so great that there is a sense of vibration where they meet. Also note that while purple is a cool hue, it is still slightly warmer than blue, which causes the purple square to pop very slightly. The effect caused by the relative color wheel position of two hues is so strong that it nearly overpowers the effect caused by tint or shade. Even when laid over a shaded purple backdrop, the tinted blue middle square on the left side of this example recedes. Contrast that with the tinted purple square on the right side of this example, which rockets towards you off of the shaded blue backdrop. The impressionists avoided black not only because it nearly doesn’t exist in nature, but because the effects caused by changes in hue are so much richer than those caused by changes in shade. When you use pure black to create contrast, you miss out completely on the powerful effects of changes in hue. The left side of this example is the exact same color combination as the right side of the previous example. Notice how the dark blue backdrop recedes away from the light purple square, lifting it toward the viewer. The black backdrop certainly contrasts with the purple square, but since it has no hue relationship with the purple square, the purple square seems to just float around, while the edges between it and the black backdrop give an unpleasant effect of vibration. Now You Know, Now What? So, how can you use this knowledge to make your web designs better? By understanding how colors interact with one another, you can more strongly establish a heirarchy of information in your typography. Web conventions have made it widely acceptable to use black on white for text on web pages, but this is neither the most readable, nor most aesthetically pleasing option. Enrich Your Typography In the example below, the main text is 16px and pure black, or #000000, while the secondary text is 12px and #888888, or a neutral (neither warm nor cool) grey. You can see that there is a pretty clear heirarchy here. The quick brown fox © The lazy dog This second example uses the same fonts and text sizes, but this time, a warm, dark gray is used as the base color. The main text is #503e2b, a very dark orange (a warm hue). The secondary text is a lighter version of this base color – #9e948a – found with w3school’s handy color picker. There is still enough contrast as to be readable, but the contrast isn’t as harsh as black vs. white. Overall, it’s visually pleasing, and, well – warm. The quick brown fox © The lazy dog The main text in this final example uses the same dark orange from the previous example, but this time – instead of simply using a tint of this color, a complementary (cool) grey is used for the secondary text – #808094. This adds extra dimension to the hierarchy we’re establishing. The secondary text is not only smaller and tinted, but now it’s a cooler color, thus causing it to recede even more. Now there is a color relationship between the two pieces of information, which intensifies our intended hierarchy while still creating a sense of harmony and realism. The quick brown fox © The lazy dog Add Life to Your Graphics Skillful manipulation of color relationships is at the crux of creating engaging and lifelike interface graphics, such as buttons. The example below, created in Photoshop, features two buttons that are created by vector masks sharing the exact same base color (#cc6666), but the highlights and shadows are treated differently. The highlights and shadows for the button on the left are created using a “Gradient Overlay” layer effect featuring a simple black-to-white-to-black gradient, a “Linear Burn” blend mode, and a 26% opacity. The drop shadow on this button is composed of black, at a 75% opacity. This is a generally attractive button, but it doesn’t have quite the richness of the button on the right, which is created using a green-to-yellow-to-green gradient (green being cool, and the complement to red, and yellow being warmer than red), and a dark blue drop shadow – for more harmonious contrast, the text on this button is also a very light yellow. The color swatches adjacent to each button illustrate clearly how the resulting color palettes of these buttons differ. Don’t be so quick to use black: if you really master manipulating color relationships to create dimension, you can really add freshness and life to your designs. Why Monet Never Used Black, & Why You Shouldn’t Either http://t.co/MFSAoBhNS8 — David Kadavy (@kadavy) September 6, 2015 This post originally appeared on the author’s blog. |
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