text stringlengths 0 100k |
|---|
Bitcoin has been enjoying a preposterous and an unbelievable journey since its origin in 2007, reaching noteworthy peaks and crossing obstacles before finally becoming a mainstream concept. This is the place where Bitcoin sits presently as hard-nosed administrative measures and reputed applications still afford the credibility of this crypto-currency. There is a change in the industry from those dark days when Bitcoin was leveraged as a tool for laundering money to buy illegitimate items from the popular yet infamous Silk Road. Clearly from the threshold of extinction, it has risen like a Phoenix and can now be deemed as a viable currency with humongous potential. Influence of online gaming and the rise of Bitcoin Perusing the success of Bitcoin, the first question that comes to mind is whom should Bitcoin thank for their success? Well, considering Bitcoin's recent growth and popularity, it has much to thank the online gaming realms. In 2015, traditional casinos in Las Vegas started accepting Bitcoin for buying small items before they introduced it as a more acceptable payment option. Currently the online slot makers and such other games are even introducing Bitcoin payments, driving immediate withdrawals and deposits and making it simpler for the players to manage their bank payments. With this in kind, there can be many similarities drawn between virtual reality and Bitcoin. Both were fanciful concepts initially which enjoys ups and downs since their origin. Both the concepts also direly needed practical application guide their development and online gaming offered this through VR headsets and Bitcoin. This even allowed the regulators to create guidelines which create mainstream technical concepts. Bitcoin has successfully made a scene in the online gaming industry With the inception of Bitcoin, the online gaming industry eventually experienced the promising market for Bitcoin gambling. Currently Bitcoin makes its presence felt more strongly and the newly found market reaches its stage of maturity with the advancements of technology. Customers have increased manifold and gaming sites tripled in number within the last 3 months. This was purely predictable because Bitcoin seems to be perfect for the industry, particularly due to its benefit to the gambling operators on the web. There are some, who believe that even though Bitcoin fails to taste success in the mainstream market, yet it will definitely find a secured place in the arena of online gaming. The future success of Bitcoin is uncertain but its impact on the business perspective of online gaming is huge and gamers should add Bitcoin technology to their gaming services more than ever as they ought to benefit. Valid reasons behind operators using Bitcoin The uniqueness of Bitcoin lies in its technology and this is what makes it perfect for the market and lucrative for the stakeholders of the online gaming industry like affiliates, players and operators. Keeping in mind the Bitcoin innovations which are beneficial for gaming operators, it gets clear why more and more Bitcoin casinos, poker rooms, sports betting websites and gaming sites were launched in the industry. Here are some valid and worthy reasons to use Bitcoin. Starting off with a Bitcoin gaming business is simpler than engaging in the online gaming industry which is operated through fiat, in terms of market, time, operation expenses and setup costs. Transaction fees are zero, if not zero, then negligible as compared to the fees that you're familiar with in the online gaming industry. Operators can offer better odds and higher payouts due to the absence of hefty fees. You can widen the market reach through Bitcoin as anyone can use this peer-to-peer crypto-currency anywhere as long as he has internet access. Amongst a large pool of gambling enthusiasts, Bitcoin casinos can effortlessly attract players. Also keep in mind that due to regulations and laws, you might not be allowed to access certain Bitcoin gambling platforms. Bitcoin transactions are usually non-reversible and hence there are no chargebacks. Operators will benefit as it eliminates chargebacks, which is usually dreaded by the online gaming operators. All withdrawals and deposits are considered final with Bitcoin and it has new ways of challenging the fraud team as well. The best part is that you don't require a gambling license. Although Spain has legalized the Spanish gaming sites which wished to use bitcoins and asked them to apply for a license, yet it hasn't been still considered as a currency in the US which means there's no need of a license. |
Polls Say… GOP Voters Overwhelmingly Want Party To Stand Behind Donald Trump [VIDEO] According to a recent Politico/Morning Consult poll, GOP voters want the party to support Donald Trump in the wake of the release of a foulmouthed video from 2005. This fact appears to be lost on a few Republican elected officials who are calling for him to step down. Not going to happen. Trump has stated he will not drop out, that there is zero chance of that. Maybe these officials need to start listening to their base, oh wait, that’s not going to happen either. It is the ineptitude of the establishment GOP that created the need for Trump. So now they will reap what they’ve sown. They gave up their right to have a say the 800th time they ignored the desires of their base and the reasons they were elected. Trending: The 15 Best Conservative News Sites On The Internet This poll, taken on Saturday and published on Sunday, showed that of Republican voters, 74 percent want the party to stay behind Trump and 13 percent said the opposite. When all voters were taken into consideration, 39 percent thought Trump should end his run but 45 percent thought he should stay in. When party is looked at, 12 percent of Republicans wanted him to step down but predictably, 70 percent of Democrats thought he should step down. The poll surveyed 1549 registered voters and 1390 likely voters. It had a plus or minus 2 margin of error. Trump is staying. Get with the program GOP officials. Understand your base chose him. And he is going to win. You want to be on his side when that happens. See video below. You Might Like |
Update: Indeed, a UCLA scientist tells us the stretchable LEDs will one day be used for clothing, and -- exceeding our most rave-tastic expectations -- be able to "display videos." Details after the jump. Originally posted at 12:35 p.m. Continue Reading When UCLA scientists unveiled a fine new discovery in the field of "stretchable electronics" last week, they likely pitched it harder to medical circles than L.A.'s expanding plurr community. But we think this stuff is poised to be the next spirit hood or shaggy leg warmer at megaraves across SoCal. At least we hope so; the costumes at Hard Summer on Saturday night were the most unimaginative batch of Electric Daisy Carnival leftovers we never could have hoped for... ... Though that could have had something to do with the sweeping ban on anything shiny or indicative of rave culture. (That way, officials could pretend no one was on E. Ha!) But once the newest "wearable electronics" out of UCLA hit the mainstream market, the hasty dress-code regulators at the entrance gates will have no choice but to usher intrinsically lit-up ravers right on through. All thanks to science! The UCLA press office explains: Today's conventional inorganic electronic devices are brittle, and while they have a certain flexibility achieved using ultrathin layers of inorganic materials, these devices are either flexible, meaning they can be bent, or they are stretchable, containing a discrete LED chip interconnected with stretchable electrodes. But they lack "intrinsic stretchabilty," in which every part of the device is stretchable. Now, researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have demonstrated for the first time an intrinsically stretchable polymer light-emitting device. It's a big step up from the makeshift glowstick bodysuits and stiff LED T-shirts we're used to (read: super sick of) seeing at raves. We're no scientists, but UCLA's new "metal-free devices," which can be stretched to about 50 percent of their resting size, sound like the perfect building blocks of a glowing full-body catsuit: Because the devices are fabricated by roll lamination of two composite electrodes that sandwich an emissive polymer layer, they uniquely combine mechanical robustness and the ability for large-strain deformation, due to the shape-memory property of the composite electrodes. This development will provide a new direction for the field of stretchable electronics. We've contacted the study's authors for more insight into what this could become, on the costuming front. But here's a riveting three-second video to hold you over until the dreamwear becomes a reality and Hard glows good again: Update: UCLA professor Qibing Pei, who invented the flexible light-up plastics with a team of post-doc students, tells us that glowing clothes were definitely a motivating factor behind the research. (Guess we were wrong to assume serious medical breakthroughs are the only thing on a UCLA nerd's brain.) Pei says that because the entire synthetic system is stretchable, including the LEDs, this exciting new technology will one day allow ravers (or whoever) to "display videos" on their clothing. And that -- no matter your position on Ecstasy-fueled LED culture -- is the raddest thing ever. The main obstacle left to conquer, Pei says, is "packaging." In tests, the material he and his team used to sandwich the LED chip was "quite air-sensitive. It will not last long. We tested it in controlled environment." In the future, in order for it to be used in clothing, Pei says the light "will have to be sealed with other materials that provide a better barrier to oxygen... and moisture." Because any good researcher knows that any good rave is, in a word, moist. [@simone_electra/swilson@laweekly.com] |
Private prison operator CoreCivic has donated roughly $146,000 to the campaigns of 65 current members of the Tennessee General Assembly since 2006, according to records from the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. A review of state campaign finance records from the past eleven years reveals that CoreCivic has given money to the campaigns of legislators of both parties and in both chambers of the state legislature through its political action committee and through direct corporate donations. Formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America, the Nashville-based business, founded in 1983, is the largest private corrections operator in the country. It houses over 66,000 prisoners in 61 federal, state and local facilities across the United States. As of March 2017 over 7,500 inmates were incarcerated in the four CoreCivic-managed prisons in Tennessee. The single largest recipient of campaign funds from the company since 2006 is Rep. Johnny Shaw, a Democrat whose district includes part of Hardeman and Madison counties. CoreCivic has donated to Shaw every year since 2006 for a total of $9,000. Shaw’s district contains two CoreCivic facilities: the Hardeman County Correctional Center and the Whiteville Correctional facility. The state senator from the area, Republican Dolores Gresham, is the second largest recipient of campaign funds from the company. CoreCivic campaign donations by House district \ Rep. Shaw defended his relationship with the company in an interview by highlighting what he saw as its positive impact in his district, both socially and economically. “They’re active in our community and donate to worthy causes, plus they provide a huge payroll for us. We’re a distressed community,” Shaw said. Shaw also claimed that private prisons made criminal justice reform less expensive because the state could more easily walk away from private prisons than state-run facilities. “I‘m not out advocating for private prisons or even state prisons, I’m out advocating for a way to reduce the crime rate and reduce the recidivism rate but at the same time we have invested a lot of money into brick and mortar, “Shaw said. “So if we have to close facilities it would be cheaper for a private facility to close on our part than it would be if it were one of our own prisons. We have to look at the total picture.” “CoreCivic actually incarcerates people cheaper than [the state] can do it. To my knowledge there is no cost with opting for that cheaper option.” Asked about conditions at CoreCivic facilities in the state, Rep. Shaw said he was satisfied. Sen. Gresham and CoreCivic could not be reached for comment. CoreCivic campaign donations by Senate district While few legislators received as many donations from the company as Shaw or Gresham, CoreCivic’s influence in state politics is still “significant,” according to private prison critic Alex Friedmann, associate director of the Human Rights Defense Center and managing editor of Prison Legal News. “CCA spends freely on the state level through campaign contributions and lobbying, and state lawmakers that have (or want) private prisons in their districts, which bring money and jobs, are especially susceptible to private prison influence,”said Friedmann. Friedmann, who spent 6 years incarcerated in CoreCivic’s South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton, Tennessee, added “Under our system of government, campaign contributions are a legalized form of bribery.” CoreCivic's Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility, Nashville, TN The company has been subject to numerous complaints by advocacy groups, state governments and the federal government over its treatment of prisoners and conditions within its facilities. CoreCivic’s Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Hartsville, Tennessee, the largest prison in the state, had to temporarily stop accepting new inmates in May 2016 due to “serious issues” with violence and understaffing, according to a memo from the company to the Tennessee Department of Corrections first reported by the Associated Press. Three female visitors to the CoreCivic-managed South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton, Tennessee sued the company in 2015, claiming they were forced to undergo strip searches to prove they were menstruating after attempting to bring tampons into the prison. According to an August 2016 report from the U.S. Department of Justice”s Office of Inspector General that looked at private federal prisons managed by CCA and two other companies, private prisons suffer from more violence, contraband and inmate complaints than federally managed facilities. Shortly after the publication of that report the Department of Justice under President Obama announced its intention not to renew any federal private prison contracts, but that plan was quickly canceled by President Trump’s new Attorney General Jeff Sessions. CoreCivic donation totals by legislator Legislator District Party Chamber Total Shaw, Johnny 80 Democrat House $9,000.00 Gresham, Dolores 26 Republican Senate $8,750.00 McCormick, Gerald 26 Republican House $7,250.00 Sargent, Charles 61 Republican House $7,000.00 Haile, Ferrell 18 Republican Senate $6,500.00 Harwell, Beth 56 Republican House $5,500.00 Yager, Ken 12 Republican Senate $5,500.00 McNally, Randy 5 Republican Senate $5,000.00 Hensley, Joey 28 Republican Senate $4,250.00 Overbey, Doug 2 Republican Senate $4,000.00 Tracy, Jim 14 Republican Senate $4,000.00 Weaver, Terri Lynn 40 Republican House $4,000.00 Fitzhugh, Craig 82 Democrat House $3,250.00 Lamberth, William 44 Republican House $3,250.00 Brooks, Kevin 24 Republican House $3,000.00 Ketron, Bill 13 Republican Senate $3,000.00 McDaniel, Steve 72 Republican House $3,000.00 Sexton, Cameron 25 Republican House $3,000.00 Travis, Ron 31 Republican House $3,000.00 Wirgau, Tim 75 Republican House $3,000.00 Casada, Glen 63 Republican House $2,500.00 Ramsey, Bob 20 Republican House $2,500.00 Watson, Bo 11 Republican Senate $2,500.00 Johnson, Curtis G. 68 Republican House $2,250.00 Matheny, Judd 47 Republican House $2,250.00 Dickerson, Steven 20 Republican Senate $2,000.00 Hawk, David 5 Republican House $2,000.00 Johnson, Jack 23 Republican Senate $2,000.00 Littleton, Mary 78 Republican House $2,000.00 Stevens, John 24 Republican Senate $2,000.00 Faison, Jeremy 11 Republican House $1,750.00 Lynn, Susan 57 Republican House $1,500.00 Marsh, Pat 62 Republican House $1,500.00 Southerland, Steve 1 Republican Senate $1,500.00 Tate, Reginald 33 Democrat Senate $1,500.00 Alexander, David 39 Republican House $1,000.00 Bowling, Janice 16 Republican Senate $1,000.00 Byrd, David 71 Republican House $1,000.00 Carter, Mike 29 Republican House $1,000.00 Harper, Thelma 19 Democrat Senate $1,000.00 Hill, Matthew 7 Republican House $1,000.00 Hulsey, Bud 2 Republican House $1,000.00 Kelsey, Brian 31 Republican Senate $1,000.00 Norris, Mark 32 Republican Senate $1,000.00 Ragan, John 33 Republican House $1,000.00 Swann, Art 8 Republican House $1,000.00 Doss, Barry 70 Republican House $850.00 Pody, Mark 46 Republican House $750.00 Powers, Dennis 36 Republican House $750.00 Sanderson, Bill 77 Republican House $750.00 Beavers, Mae 17 Republican Senate $500.00 Butt, Sheila 64 Republican House $500.00 Calfee, Kent 32 Republican House $500.00 Coley, Jim 97 Republican House $500.00 Daniel, Martin 18 Republican House $500.00 Gilmore, Brenda 54 Democrat House $500.00 Green, Mark 22 Republican Senate $500.00 Keisling, Kelly 38 Republican House $500.00 Moody, Debra 81 Republican House $500.00 Powell, Jason 53 Democrat House $500.00 Reedy, Jay D. 74 Republican House $500.00 Rogers, Courtney 45 Republican House $500.00 White, Mark 83 Republican House $500.00 Williams, Ryan 42 Republican House $500.00 Farmer, Andrew 17 Republican House $250.00 Akbari, Raumesh 91 Democrat House $0.00 Bailey, Paul 15 Republican Senate $0.00 Beck, Bill 51 Democrat House $0.00 Bell, Mike 9 Republican Senate $0.00 Briggs, Richard 7 Republican Senate $0.00 Brooks, Harry 19 Republican House $0.00 Camper, Karen D. 87 Democrat House $0.00 Carr, Dale 12 Republican House $0.00 Clemmons, John Ray 55 Democrat House $0.00 Cooper, Barbara 86 Democrat House $0.00 Crawford, John 1 Republican House $0.00 Crowe, Rusty 3 Republican Senate $0.00 Curcio, Michael G. 69 Republican House $0.00 DeBerry, John J., Jr. 90 Democrat House $0.00 Dunn, Bill 16 Republican House $0.00 Eldridge, Jimmy A. 73 Republican House $0.00 Favors, JoAnne 28 Democrat House $0.00 Forgety, John 23 Republican House $0.00 Gant, Ron M. 94 Republican House $0.00 Gardenhire, Todd 10 Republican Senate $0.00 Goins, Tilman 10 Republican House $0.00 Gravitt, Marc 30 Republican House $0.00 Halford, Curtis 79 Republican House $0.00 Hardaway, G. A. 93 Democrat House $0.00 Harris, Lee 29 Democrat Senate $0.00 Hazlewood, Patsy 27 Republican House $0.00 Hicks, Gary 9 Republican House $0.00 Hill, Timothy 3 Republican House $0.00 Holsclaw, Jr., John B. 4 Republican House $0.00 Holt, Andy H. 76 Republican House $0.00 Howell, Dan 22 Republican House $0.00 Jackson, Ed 27 Republican Senate $0.00 Jernigan, Darren 60 Democrat House $0.00 Jones, Sherry 59 Democrat House $0.00 Kane, Roger 89 Republican House $0.00 Kumar, Sabi 'Doc' 66 Republican House $0.00 Kyle, Sara 30 Democrat Senate $0.00 Lollar, Ron 99 Republican House $0.00 Love, Harold M., Jr. 58 Democrat House $0.00 Lundberg, Jon 4 Republican Senate $0.00 Massey, Becky Duncan 6 Republican Senate $0.00 Matlock, Jimmy 21 Republican House $0.00 Miller, Larry J. 88 Democrat House $0.00 Mitchell, Bo 50 Democrat House $0.00 Niceley, Frank S. 8 Republican Senate $0.00 Parkinson, Antonio 98 Democrat House $0.00 Pitts, Joe 67 Democrat House $0.00 Roberts, Kerry 25 Republican Senate $0.00 Rudd, Tim 34 Republican House $0.00 Sexton, Jerry 35 Republican House $0.00 Sherrell, Paul 43 Republican House $0.00 Smith, Eddie 13 Republican House $0.00 Sparks, Mike 49 Republican House $0.00 Staples, Rick 15 Democrat House $0.00 Stewart, Mike 52 Democrat House $0.00 Terry, Bryan 48 Republican House $0.00 Thompson, Dwayne 96 Democrat House $0.00 Tillis, Rick 92 Republican House $0.00 Towns, Joe, Jr. 84 Democrat House $0.00 Turner, Johnnie 85 Democrat House $0.00 Vacant 95 N/A House $0.00 Van Huss, James (Micah) 6 Republican House $0.00 White, Dawn 37 Republican House $0.00 Whitson, Sam 65 Republican House $0.00 Windle, John Mark 41 Democrat House $0.00 Yarbro, Jeff 21 Democrat Senate $0.00 Zachary, Jason 14 Republican House $0.00 Individual donations by CoreCivic to legislators |
"Put the health and well-being of your constituents first. Block and resist the cruel and heartless Graham-Cassidy bill and stop right-wing Republicans’ last-ditch effort to gut health care for millions of Americans." Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Trump Republicans have not given up their quest to gut our health care. Two extreme right-wing Republican senators from South Carolina and Louisiana – Senator Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy, respectively – just introduced a so-called compromise bill (Graham-Cassidy) to win over the supposedly moderate wing of their party. But make no mistake, their latest proposal is just as cruel and heartless as the Trumpcare bills that came before it. Graham-Cassidy would roll back Medicaid expansion, end protections for people with pre-existing conditions and cut funding to Planned Parenthood.1 Mitch McConnell is so desperate for a win on health care that he is now trying to ram through a vote on the Graham-Cassidy bill next week to avoid a democratic filibuster and the public scrutiny of this dangerous bill.2,3 Our collective activism helped stop Trumpcare three times before. Now, we need to use the same grassroots power to block this latest attack and make sure that we defeat the Republicans’ zombie Trumpcare bill once and for all. Tell Congress: Do everything in your power to protect our health care. Block the dangerous Graham-Cassidy bill. Republicans are using the same old dirty tricks to advance this latest version of Trumpcare. Once again, they are pushing through a secretive bill to steal health care from millions of people that they drafted behind closed doors and with no time for public hearings, constituent input or amendments. The Graham-Cassidy bill would: End employer-provided health coverage for many Americans. Eliminate subsidies that help middle- and low-income people purchase health plans. that help middle- and low-income people purchase health plans. Dramatically cut funding to support states’ Medicaid costs and allow states to impose work requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries, an attack that could leave millions of people with disabilities and low-income families without health coverage. an attack that could leave millions of people with disabilities and low-income families without health coverage. Give states the power to remove more expensive health services like maternity care from the list of essential benefits that insurance providers are required to cover. that insurance providers are required to cover. Allow insurance providers to charge more and reduce the quality of care for people with pre-existing conditions. Defund Planned Parenthood. Increase health care premiums for seniors.4,5,6,7 Graham-Cassidy would also replace federal funding for Medicaid expansion and health care subsidies with a state block grant that would shrink over time. The block grant gives states the power to design their own health programs but less money to run them. Many Democratic states like California, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and the federal government gave them more funding to cover the cost of new and more Medicaid beneficiaries. Graham-Cassidy would force states to absorb the cost of expanding Medicaid and eventually roll back the expansion. By 2026, states that expand Medicaid would have 50 percent less federal funding to keep the program going.8 Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who opposes the bill, has called Graham-Cassidy’s block grant scheme a “game” to take away federal funding from Democratic states.9 It is also an insidious attack on the health care of more than 15 million low-income people covered under Medicaid expansion.10 Senate Republicans claim they are just a few votes short of repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with Graham-Cassidy, which is why we must speak out now.11 Tell Congress: Do everything in your power to protect our health care. Block the dangerous Graham-Cassidy bill. We have signed petitions. We have made calls. We have showed up to congressional offices. We have shared videos, graphics and articles via our social media channels. Our activism has worked to defeat Trumpcare before, and we can win again if we put forward a massive show of resistance against Trump Republicans’ latest attempt to gut our health care. Will you help ramp-up the pressure now to make sure members of Congress do the right thing and reject the heartless Graham-Cassidy bill? Tell Congress: Do everything in your power to protect our health care. Block the dangerous Graham-Cassidy bill. Thank you for your activism. References: |
On his official Facebook page, The Flash star Grant Gustin took time out ahead of Tuesday's season finale to thank the cast, crew and fans of the hit CW series. The show, which debuted to the highest-ever ratings on the network, has turned out to be one of The CW's flagship series. It's happening, guys. The finale is finally here. THIS TUESDAY. It was a long, emotional season and it's all about to come to an end. Well, there will be some closure at least. It is the season finale of The Flash after all.. it can't be ALL sunshine and smiles. You'll just have to come back for season 2. Check out the trailer if you please. I do suppose it could be considered SOMEWHAT spoilery. As usual though, it does not reallyyyyyy give away any of the big reveals... AGAIN, I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for tuning in to our show all season and making it the hit that it has become. Every time I stop and think about the fact that I get to play The Flash and Barry Allen and there are people out there that love our show... I can't even fully explain it to be honest. It almost feels like I'm watching it happen to someone else at times. I will always feel grateful for getting to do what I love to do and now I have all of you to thank for helping me get to do that, AND on what I think is a ground breaking show led by geniuses Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg & Geoff Johns. I really believe they are the perfect people to be bringing this iconic character to life. They love this character & they're incredibly passionate about getting him right. They're also pretty okay guys and I love working with them. I feel incredibly lucky. I also feel very lucky to get to work with the cast & crew every single day on this show. We have spent some lonnnggggg days & nights together and we all know how challenging it was to make every single one of the 23 episodes we made this season. I have so much respect for every person I got to work with on this first season. It was no joke. I especially love our cast. Jesse, Tom, Candice, Danielle, Los & Pretty Ricky. The "we moved to Canada to make this tv show" group. I love you all. You inspire me every day and getting to work with you is a dream. Our show doesn't accidentally rock. It's because you all bust your butts because you want to and it's fun. I can't wait to start season 2 with you. I can't not mention awesome cast members John Wesley Shipp, Patrick Sabongui, Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Emily Bett Rickards, Brandon Routh, Paul Blackthorne, Katie Cassidy, Wentworth Miller, Dom Purcell, Victor Garber, Liam McIntyre, Malese Jow, Clancy Brown, Michelle Harrison, Logan Williams, Greg Finley, Chad Rook, Nicholas Gonzalez, Andy Mientus, Emily Kinney, Paul Anthony, Anthony Carrigan, Dani Nicolet, Britne Oldford, Micah Parker, Devon Graye, Chase Masterson, Doug Jones, Peyton List, Kelly Frye, Roger Howarth, Michael Smith, Matt Letscher, Michael Reventar, Amanda Pays, Isabella Hofmann, Jeremy Schuetze, Robert Knepper, Vito D'Ambrosio, Al Sapienza, David Ramsey, William Sadler & Mark Hamill. I realize that's a long list of people, but for me being relatively "new" to the business and having never been a regular a show before, getting to work with all of those actors and watching them help bring our show to life always made it feel like that much more of an authentic world to me. Those are some heavy hitters and bad ass actors on that list. SO i guesses I should also thank David Rapaport for bringing all of them to us and for jump starting this opportunity for me as well. OKAY. I apologize for the ramble. Thank you for putting up with it if you made it through all of my poor grammar and absurd train of thought. Point is...thank you & watch the season finale please. |
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that she did not support a proposal from her Bavarian sister party to cap the number of refugees entering the country in 2016. "This is not the chancellor's position," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Monday. "We do not believe that a limit on refugee numbers can be achieved by one country acting alone." The suggestion had come from Horst Seehofer (pictured above with the chancellor in December), leader of Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU). Seehofer, whose state is the first port of call for the majority of migrants reaching Germany, has repeatedly criticized Berlin's summer 2015 decision to open its doors to hundreds of thousands of people. On Sunday, the head of Bavaria's state government named a figure of 200,000 as the absolute maximum number of refugees Germany should be willing to accept in the coming year. "Limiting the number of migrants must be the main objective in 2016," Seehofer told the "Bild am Sonntag" newspaper ahead of his party’s annual conference, to be held this week in the resort town of Wildbad Kreuth. Chancellor Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron are scheduled to attend the conference. "This figure (of 200,000) is tolerable and, in that case, integration would also work properly. For me, anything above that is excessive," Seehofer continued. A problem at the EU level Merkel scoffed at the idea, saying that the refugee crisis in a Europe-wide problem that requires implementing tougher controls at the 28-member bloc’s outer borders and the redistribution of asylum seekers throughout the member nations. Any solution must come at the EU level, Merkel's spokesman Seibert added, saying that only then could they create "a situation where illegal migration becomes legal migration and where we reduce the number of new arrivals markedly and sustainably." Asked whether Merkel might be able to persuade her ally at this week's CSU conference, Seibert refused to commit: "Their positions are well known and the discussion in Kreuth will be an open one, as ever." Opposition slam Seehofer, AfD focuses on Denmark Seehofer’s plan was critcized across the political spectrum. Aydan Özoguz, the integration specialist for grand coalition partners the Social Democrats (SPD), called it "unserious and dangerous," to the German press. The head of the opposition Left party, Bernd Riexinger, went even farther – accusing Seehofer of trying to "consolidate his claim to leadership through the usual suspects of right-wing populism at the expense of people in need." Meanwhile, the populist right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, polling strongly in recent months, on Monday said it supported Denmark's decision to reintroduce border checks at the crossing with Germany. Party leader Frauke Petry took to Twitter, saying: "That which we've been demanding for our borders for months is now being implemented there." The post had an attached photo, with the slogan: "Denmark is protecting itself from 'stupidity without borders' and is introducing controls at the crossings to Germany." es/msh (AFP, dpa) |
Earlier today, iOS 5.0.1 hacker extraordinaire pod2g said that the long anticipated iPad 2 and iPhone 4S jailbreak was “almost ready to pop”. Considering he’s been promising the jailbreak any time now for a couple weeks, though, what does “almost ready to pop” really mean? It means keep hitting “refresh” on your browser. pod2g has just written a new blog post, and he’s now promising the jailbreak in just a few hours, courtesy of a tool called Absinthe. pod2g writes: I know the wait was long, too much long, but it’s about to end! You’d be able to free your iPhone in some hours. A tool named Absinthe and developped by the Chronic Dev Team will install the untether on your device. Also the iPhone Dev Team will release a CLI (command line) tool to help diagnose issues and repair things if it goes wrong. This is a little scary I know, but the chance you break something is really small, since we made lots of tests to verify the process on different devices. But it is the first time we use the backup / restore functions of iTunes to install software, and there are maybe things we are not aware of. As you already know, different security researchers put a lot of energy to work out the different issues we had to install the untether on new devices. The Absinthe tool will unlock the iPhone 4S running iOS 5.0, 5.0.1 (9A405 and 9A406) or any iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1. Keep checking Cult of Mac: we’ll update as soon as Absinthe goes live, along with jailbreaking guides for the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. |
Michael Price, the Domino's driver shot to death in the Lower 9th Ward on his way to deliver a pizza early Tuesday morning (March 24), was the 42nd murder victim in New Orleans in 2015. The year is not even 3 months old, so there's been on average a murder every two or three days. That is a dramatic spike over the same period in 2014. Mayor Mitch Landrieu's administration and police officials caution against drawing conclusions so early in the year. "There are always fluctuations throughout the year," said Charles West, who heads the city team that crafted the NOLA For Life murder reduction plan. "Even if the early trends seem to shift that way, it doesn't necessarily mean the entire year will play out that way." New Orleanians across the city have to hope that he is right. But the pace of murders is frightening. Mr. Price, the 36-year-old father of three, wasn't the only victim to die in New Orleans in the past week. A 27-year-old man was shot to death Monday afternoon (March 23) on Alabama Street as he worked on a car in his front yard. The night before (March 22), one man was killed and another wounded when a shooter fired on them with an AK-47 as they sat in a car on Dwyer Road. When police arrived, the 35-year-old man in the passenger seat was dead. A 32-year-old man who was lying next to the car survived the shooting. Also that night, Herbert Meyers was killed in his home on Oriole Street near the University of New Orleans. Police have arrested his son in the shooting. Before those four deaths, 25-year-old Bruce Tims was killed in a double shooting on Conti Street in the French Quarter in the early morning on Saturday, March 21. A second man was wounded. Police said the shooting stemmed from a "disturbance" in the 800 block of Conti and said the men were probably fleeing that spot. All that carnage came in four days -- and at a time when the New Orleans Police Department's Homicide Section is seriously understaffed. The department is down to 22 homicide detectives, a loss of nearly a quarter of the staff since 2014 when the unit had 29 officers. To make matters worse, another veteran detective is planning to retire in May. No reinforcements were moved into the Homicide Section on March 20, which was the most recent date for transfers to be made. "We've got a lot of good investigators in this city. I don't get to have all of them, unfortunately," said Detective Sgt. Nicholas Gernon, commander of the Homicide Section. "If I take a detective from a district to work murders, then that district just lost a very experienced robbery or burglary detective. And if they replace that burglary detective with a guy off the street, now that platoon has lost an experienced officer who would've been handling calls for service. It's a very delicate balancing act." The pressure may ease a bit in the next few weeks, when more than two dozen rookies finish their field training and can be assigned to districts. These are the sorts of stresses that occur when officers leave the force without being regularly replenished. The NOPD has shrunk by approximately 25 percent since May 2010, from 1,540 commissioned officers to 1,156. As officers retired or left for other jobs, the city went long stretches without training new recruits. The hiring slowdown started in Mayor Landrieu's first term, when he inherited a $79 million budget deficit from the Nagin administration. But the troop losses went on too long without being addressed. With academy classes ranging from 24 to 30 recruits, the renewed effort to increase the ranks has been slow going. Superintendent Michael Harrison, who took over the Police Department's top job last fall, is working to improve retention and also to lure veteran officers back. The goal currently is to get to 1,600 officers, although a consultant is being brought in to look at how many officers are optimal and how NOPD can operate more efficiently and effectively. Residents across the city are experiencing the pains of having too few officers on patrol. They complain about unacceptably long waits for an officer to answer a call for service -- and some simply don't feel safe because of a lack of police presence. Homicide detectives come in on the back end of crime, of course. But their work can act as a curb on violence, Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche said. An unsolved murder could allow a killer to target more victims or could spark revenge killings, he said. That could put entire neighborhoods at greater risk. And then there are the families of murder victims. NOPD should do everything possible to ensure that they get the closure they need and deserve. The rising count of killings makes that mission more difficult -- and makes the need for additional homicide detectives more urgent. |
Scientists from NASA's Kepler mission have discovered the first planet to orbit in the "habitable zone" — an area where liquid water could exist — of a star similar to our sun (via CNN). Although Kepler-22b is 2.4 times the radius of the Earth and 600-light years-away, the distant planet's 290-day orbit around a host star like Earth's sun makes it similar to our planet, reports NASA. Scientists still don't know the exact composition of Kepler-22b. The Earth-like planet is just one of more than a 1,000 new planet candidate discoveries that will be announced by the team of Kepler scientists at a conference in Ames this week. An artist's interpretation of Kepler-22b is depicted below: NASA Don't miss: Amazing HD Videos Of Outer Space Like You've Never Seen It Before > |
NEW DELHI — Greenpeace India said in a statement on Friday that its permit to operate had been revoked on the grounds that it had falsified financial documents, the latest in a series of government actions taken against the environmental organization. The move against the group is one of many “clumsy tactics to suppress free speech and dissenting voices” by the government, Vinuta Gopal, the interim executive director of Greenpeace India, said in the statement. The organization will fight the authorities’ cancellation of the permit in court, she said in a telephone interview. Greenpeace India received a notice from the authorities in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where the group is registered, giving it one month to dissolve because the “business of the society was conducted fraudulently by falsifying balance sheets,” according to a letter from the authorities that was dated Wednesday and was released by the organization. |
Muriquis and other large primates are vanishing from tropical ecosystems. (Photo: Pedro Jordano) The loss and decline of animals around the world — caused by habitat loss and global climate disruption — mean we're in the midst of a sixth "mass extinction" of life on Earth, according to several studies out Thursday in the journal Science. One study found that although human population has doubled in the past 35 years, the number of invertebrate animals – such as beetles, butterflies, spiders and worms – has decreased by 45% during that same period. "We were shocked to find similar losses in invertebrates as with larger animals, as we previously thought invertebrates to be more resilient." said Ben Collen of the U.K.'s University College London, one of the study authors. Although big, photogenic species, such as tigers, rhinos and pandas, get the bulk of the attention, researchers say it's clear that even the disappearance of the tiniest beetle can significantly change the various ecosystems on which humans depend. "We tend to think about extinction as loss of a species from the face of Earth, and that's very important, but there's a loss of critical ecosystem functioning in which animals play a central role that we need to pay attention to as well," said lead author Rodolfo Dirzo of Stanford University. "Habitat destruction will facilitate hunting and poaching, and species will have difficulty in finding refuge given land use change and climatic disruption," added Dirzo. The study reported that around 322 species have gone extinct over the last five centuries. Scientists have coined the phrase "anthropocene defaunation" — meaning human-caused animal decline — to describe this apparent mass extinction. Five times in the history of the Earth, a huge percentage of the planet's life has been wiped out in what are called mass extinctions, typically from collisions with giant meteors. About 66 million years ago, one well-known extinction killed off the dinosaurs, along with three out of four species on Earth. About 252 million years ago, the "Great Dying" snuffed out about 90% of the world's species. What's new about this extinction is "that the underlying driving force for this is not a meteorite or a mega-volcanic eruption; it is one species - homo sapiens," said Dirzo. Overall, scientists estimate that due to all of the past extinctions, about nine out of 10 of all life-forms that have existed on our planet are extinct. Another article in this week's Science, led by Philip Seddon of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, details the way we can reduce this mass extinction by reintroducing animals to wild populations and recolonizing entire populations — such as giant tortoises — to areas in which they've gone extinct. That study found that "some substantial progress in reversing defaunation is being achieved through the intentional movement of animals to restore populations." A third report in the journal finds that animals such as gibbons, orangutans and various types of foxes, bears and rhinoceroses have been steadily disappearing from large, protected areas of land around the world. The papers in this week's Science continue research into the mass extinction; a study this year in Science found that species of plants and animals are becoming extinct at least 1,000 times faster than they did before humans appeared. Science is published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a non-profit science society based in Washington. Contributing: Associated Press Aldabra giant tortoises were introduced to Round Island, Mauritius, as ecological replacements for the extinct Mauritian giant tortoises. (Photo: Nik Cole) Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1rE0kUW |
The world economy is slowing, both structurally and cyclically. How might policy respond? With desperate improvisations, no doubt. Negative interest rates have already moved from the unthinkable to reality (see charts). The next step is likely to include fiscal expansion. Indeed, this is what the OECD, long an enthusiast for fiscal austerity, recommends in its Interim Economic Outlook. But that is unlikely to be the end. With fiscal expansion might go direct monetary support, including the most radical policy of all: the “helicopter drops” of money recommended by the late Milton Friedman. More recently, this is the policy foreseen by Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater, a hedge fund. The world economy is not just slowing, he argues, but “monetary policy 1” — lower interest rates — and “monetary policy 2” — quantitative easing — are largely exhausted. Thus, he says, the world will need a “monetary policy 3” directly targeted at encouraging spending. That we might need such a policy is also the recommendation of Adair Turner, former chairman of the Financial Services Authority, in his book Between Debt and the Devil. Why might the world be driven to such expedients? The short answer is that the global economy is slowing durably. The OECD now forecasts growth of global output in 2016 “to be no higher than in 2015, itself the slowest pace in the past five years”. Behind this is a simple reality: the global savings glut — the tendency for desired savings to rise more than desired investment — is growing and so the “chronic demand deficiency syndrome” is worsening. This stage of demand weakness must be seen in its historical context. The long-term real interest rate on safe securities has been declining for at least two decades. It has been near zero since the financial crisis of 2007-09. Before then, an unsustainable western credit boom offset the weakness of demand. Afterwards, fiscal deficits, zero interest rates and expansions of central bank balance sheets stabilised demand in the west, while a credit expansion funded massive investment in China. Loose western monetary policies and loose Chinese credit policies also drove the post-crisis commodity boom, though China’s exceptional growth was the most important single factor. The end of these credit booms is an important cause of today’s weak demand. But demand is also weak relative to a slowing growth of supply. At the world level, growth of labour supply and labour productivity have fallen sharply since the middle of the last decade. Lower growth of potential output itself weakens demand, because it lowers investment, always a crucial driver of spending in a capitalist economy. It is this background — slowing growth of supply, rising imbalances between desired savings and investment, the end of unsustainable credit booms and, not least, a legacy of huge debt overhangs and weakened financial systems — that explains the current predicament. It explains, too, why economies that cannot generate adequate demand at home are compelled towards beggar-my-neighbour, export-led growth via weakening exchange rates. Japan and the eurozone are in that club. So, too, are the emerging economies with collapsed exchange rates. China is resisting, but for how long? A weaker renminbi seems almost inevitable, whatever the authorities say. No simple solutions for the global economic imbalances of today exist, only palliatives. The current favourite flavour in monetary policy is negative interest rates. Mr Dalio argues that: “While negative interest rates will make cash a bit less attractive (but not much), it won’t drive . . . savers to buy the sort of assets that will finance spending.” I agree. I cannot imagine that businesses will rush to invest as a result. The same is true of conventional quantitative easing. The biggest effect of these policies is likely to be via exchange rates. In effect, other countries will be seeking export-led growth vis-à-vis over-borrowed US consumers. That is bound to blow up. One alternative then is fiscal policy. The OECD argues, persuasively, that co-ordinated expansion of public investment, combined with appropriate structural reforms, could expand output and even lower the ratio of public debt to gross domestic product. This is particularly plausible nowadays, because the major governments are able to borrow at zero or even negative real interest rates, long term. The austerity obsession, even when borrowing costs are so low, is lunatic (see chart). If the fiscal authorities are unwilling to behave so sensibly — and the signs, alas, are that they are not — central banks are the only players. They could be given the power to send money, ideally in electronic form, to every adult citizen. Would this add to demand? Absolutely. Under existing monetary arrangements, it would also generate a permanent rise in the reserves of commercial banks at the central bank. The easy way to contain any long-term monetary effects would be to raise reserve requirements. These could then become a desirable feature of our unstable banking systems. The main point is this. The economic forces that have brought the world economy to zero real interest rates and, increasingly, negative central bank rates are, if anything, now strengthening. This is what the world economy is showing. This is what monetary policy is indicating. Increasingly, this is what asset prices are demonstrating. Policymakers must prepare for a new “new normal” in which policy becomes more uncomfortable, more unconventional, or both. Can the world escape from the chronic demand weakness? Absolutely, yes. Will it? That demands greater boldness. When one has exhausted the just about possible, what remains, however improbable, must be the answer. martin.wolf@ft.com Letters in response to this column: Tax cuts for the rich have brought us to the brink / From Guy Wroble Governments and individuals are key to global demand / From Christian Hadjiminas |
Xenoblade Chronicles X Will Have A “Deep” Sci-Fi Story By Ishaan . November 25, 2014 . 2:20am Xenoblade Chronicles writer Yuichiro Takeda is also the main script writer behind Xenoblade Chronicles X, director Tetsuya Takahashi revealed via Twitter today. Prior to Xenoblade, Takeda had worked with Takahashi on the anime adaptation of Xenosaga. “After the basic fantasy story for [Xenoblade], we’re having him write a deep and distinctive sci-fi story this time around,” Takahashi tweeted. Takahashi then went on to remind fans that composer Hiroyuki Sawano (Attack on Titan) is in charge of sound, while Kunihiko Tanaka (Xenogears, Xenosaga, Xenoblade) is in charge of character designs. Regarding Tanaka, Takahashi stated: “I’ve known Mr. Tanaka for a long time, but this time I asked for his cooperation to bring out the Xeno-ness in the art.” Xenoblade Chronicles X will be released for Wii U in Japan this Spring. Nintendo are targeting a 2015 release window for North America and Europe as well. |
An alleged white supremacist shot in the head after a car chase and gun battle with police in Texas may be linked to the murder of Colorado prison chief Tom Clements, sources tell CBS Denver affiliate KCNC. Police believe Texas shootout linked to Colo. manhunt Colo. official shot at front door Parolee Evan Ebel is being investigated for that killing, sources tell CBS Denver affiliate KCNC. The 28-year-old Denver man is being kept alive on life support and is not expected to survive. KCNC's Rick Sallinger also reports that Ebel has been identified as a member of the white supremacist prison gang known as the "211s," a.k.a. the Brotherhood of Aryan Alliance. The chase began when Texas officers in Montague County tried to pull over a known drug suspect and were fired on by someone inside the black Cadiliac. The Montague Sheriff's office said James Boyd, the deputy who first approached the vehicle, was shot, but Boyd is expected to make a full recovery. A chase spanning two counties ensued. Eventually, the suspect crashed the Cadillac into an 18 wheeler near Decatur, Texas. After the crash, he emerged from the wreck and opened fired on police. Deputies returned fire, and he was shot in the head, authorities say. "He didn't plan on being taken alive," said Decatur Police Chief Rex Hoskins, according to KCNC. "It didn't look like he wanted to be caught or taken alive." Clements, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, was killed Tuesday night when he answered the door at his home in Monument, Colo. Texas authorities are checking whether the black Cadillac with Colorado plates in the car chase was the same vehicle spotted near Clements' home the night he was killed. Ebel is also being investigated in Sunday's shooting death of a Denver Domino's pizza delivery man, Nathan Leon. The "211s" gang was founded in 1995 by habitual criminal Benjamin Davis at Colorado's Denver County Jail. Suspect is carried on a stretcher following a car chase and crash in northern Texas. Jimmy Alford / Wise County Messenger Clements is the fifth criminal justice official in the United States to be targeted since the beginning of the year, including the still unsolved murder of a Texas prosecutor shot dead outside a courthouse in January, CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann reports. Glenn McGovern, an investigator with the District Attorney's Office in Santa Clara County, Calif., found that there were 35 such attacks or attempted attacks between 2010 and 2012. That's nearly as many as all the attacks on public officials over the prior nine years. The primary motive, McGovern told Strassmann, appears to be revenge. "It's very worrisome," McGovern said. "No government agency besides maybe the Secret Service provides 24-hour protection. We can't do that." |
After the opening sequence, the title card is shown. We then go into the episode. INT. Absolution TOM is relaxing in his seat. TOM Yo SARA, go make some dinner. Kinda getting hungry here. SARA walks into the room. SARA All right, TOM. She starts to head out the door into the kitchen. SARA It'll be ready in ten minutes. TOM Ten minutes. Okay. INT. Kitchen SARA takes some steak out of the fridge, not realizing part of it is moldy and spoiled. She puts it in the oven and sets a timer. Soon, the steak is ready. SARA Steak! Come and get it! INT. ABSOLUTION A starving TOM looks up and runs into the dining room. INT. Dining room SARA puts TOM's steak on a plate and begins to eat hers. TOM is obviously hungry because of his eating disorder. SARA leaves, but TOM tries to eat all of his, until he finds a spoiled piece. TOM Huh? He decides to eat it anyway, but then gulps as he feels sick. INT. TOM's room TOM is keeled over on his bed, clutching his stomach, as he has a bad stomach ache. TOM (weak and strained) SARA... SARA hears TOM's cry for help and goes into his room. SARA TOM, what's wrong? TOM I ate something weird... and now my stomach's upset. SARA How bad is it? TOM Really bad. Take me to the hospital... now... TOM moans in pain. INT. Hospital TOM is laying down on a table. SARA is standing near him, and a pink-haired girl in a nurse outfit, Nurse Pascal, is inspecting him. Nurse Pascal 'Scuse me for a moment... She helps an ailing TOM up as they go into another room. SARA waits for them to return. They do, and Nurse Pascal is worried. NURSE PASCAL This is nasty... I took an X-ray of TOM, and he has a horrible stomach cramp... Nurse Pascal turns to TOM, who's gone back to laying down on the table. NURSE PASCAL When did this start, TOM? TOM (in pain, so much that he can barely talk) I ate some weird piece of food... NURSE PASCAL I knew it. He has food poisoning. SARA What should we do? TOM moans, and Nurse Pascal motions SARA into another room. Room Nurse Pascal brings out a machine. It's portable, like a ray gun. SARA What's that? NURSE PASCAL I'll tell you in a minute. You're gonna get shrunk with this, and you're gonna go inside TOM and cure his food poisoning. SARA That sounds cool, but why? NURSE PASCAL I can't do it from the outside. Considering the level of TOM's stomach ache, there'd be too much work to do. It'd be quicker if you did it from the inside. (points to the machine in her hand) And this is a shrink ray. SARA Are we gonna do it now? NURSE PASCAL Not yet. Wait a while until I get it ready. Why don't you sit in the waiting room? SARA Okay. Int. Waiting Room SARA is sitting on a couch waiting for Nurse Pascal to prepare the shrink ray. "Plastic" by Alanis Morissette is playing on the radio. Soon, she hears Nurse Pascal's voice. NURSE PASCAL (offscreen) SARA, it's ready! Come in! INT. HOSPITAL SARA enters the room to see Nurse Pascal holding the shrink ray. TOM is still laying on the table, looking even worse. A glass of water is on the desk next to the table. NURSE PASCAL Let's get going! SARA TOM, I'm coming to rescue you! TOM groans in pain, sounding a bit nauseated. Nurse Pascal zaps SARA with the shrink ray. SARA shrinks down to microscopic size, and Nurse Pascal picks her up and puts her in the glass of water on the desk. NURSE PASCAL Drink this, TOM. Nurse Pascal hands the glass over to TOM, who drinks the water. TOM's body SARA is sent down TOM's throat with waves of water. She goes further and further down his esophagus until she propels herself off and flies down. SARA lands in TOM's stomach, which is filled with gastric acid. The stomach's walls vibrate occasionally, which means it's upset. SARA Now what could this mean? White blood cells rush toward SARA. They all have faces and are anthropomorphic. White Blood Cell #1 You're the virus! SARA No, I'm not-- WHITE BLOOD CELL #1 Let's get her! They charge toward her, but she escapes just in time and flies away. SARA continues to fly through TOM's stomach, being chased by the white blood cells. WHite Blood Cell #2 We know you're the virus! White Blood Cell #3 You're making the body sick! SARA I'm NOT the virus! Soon, they corner her. SARA Guys, guys, guys! White Blood Cell #4 What? Stop lying and trying to show remorse. You're definitely the virus. SARA I'm not the virus, okay? I was sent in by Nurse Pascal to cure TOM. Besides, I MADE the food that carried the virus! I didn't know it was spoiled! And last of all, I'M A GIRL! WHITE BLOOD CELL #1 (pauses for a moment to think) Yeah, I guess you're right. WHITE BLOOD CELL #2 How could she be the virus if she's a girl? SARA That's right! The white blood cells leave SARA alone. SARA starts flying throughout TOM's stomach, seeing if she can locate the virus. INT. HOSPITAL TOM is laying on the table still, getting more and more sick. He's in pain and nauseous, crying out. TOM Someone... help... TOM'S BODY SARA has entered TOM's intestines. They're wiry and metallic, and food is currently being digested. SARA (a bit disgusted) Is that steak...? Suddenly, SARA hears rumbling from above and a muffled voice shouting. She can't make out what it's saying. SARA Uh-oh, sounds like trouble. She tries to climb back up, but can't, as she's trapped in the intestines. A determined expression spreads across her face. SARA Okay, I'm going commando. SARA forcefully grabs the meshy intestines and fights against the rapid current of food flowing through. INT. HOSPITAL TOM yelps as he feels what's going on inside him, but soon goes back to feeling the pain of his stomach ache. TOM'S BODY SARA has successfully made her way out of the intestines, and she's back in the stomach. She feels it rumble once again, and the walls are vibrating. SARA puts a hand to one wall, and it feels warm. She hears the voice again and runs to where it's coming from. Soon, she's face to face with a cackling, villainous germ, which is the real virus. Virus AHAHAHAHA! You can't stop me, as I have taken full control of TOM's stomach! SARA I'm SARA, and oh, another thing? That's not true! VIRUS Oh, really? Watch as I make the pain worsen and worsen until TOM cries out in anguish! The walls rumble and vibrate. INT. HOSPITAL TOM screams in utter pain, and Nurse Pascal runs over to him. NURSE PASCAL What's wrong, TOM? Speak to me! TOM (anguished, extremely sickened) Help... h-h-help... The camera zooms into TOM's stomach. TOM'S BODY The virus cackles in delight. VIRUS I made that happen, and now that you know my power, you'll never be able to rid TOM of me! SARA Oh yeah? Watch this! SARA charges at the virus and delivers a kick to his face. The white blood cells from earlier arrive at the scene. WHITE BLOOD CELL #1 (gasp) That's the virus! WHITE BLOOD CELL #2 And there's that girl! I guess she was doing us a favor! WHITE BLOOD CELL #3 Let's help her out! SARA sees the blood cells coming. SARA Hey, you're helping me now? Cool. SARA and the white blood cells rush at the virus, trying to punch his face in. VIRUS HAHAHAHAHA! Try to beat this! The virus makes the walls shake and vibrate again. INT. HOSPITAL TOM clutches his stomach and moans in pain. TOM'S BODY SARA That's no match for us! Take it away, everyone! The white blood cells circle the virus and SARA gets the opportunity to punch and kick at him until he finally explodes. VIRUS How could you do this to me--? NOOOOOOO! The virus explodes and leaves no trace behind. INT. HOSPITAL TOM, cured of food poisoning, is relieved. TOM (sighs) Ahhhhhh... TOM pats his stomach, having an almost orgasmic reaction to the relief. TOM'S BODY We see SARA flying up TOM's throat. INT. HOSPITAL SARA flies out TOM's open mouth and grows back to her normal size. Nurse Pascal starts clapping. NURSE PASCAL You did it! TOM springs up from the table. TOM I feel so much better... SARA I went inside you and fought the virus myself. TOM Thank you, SARA. ext. Hospital TOM and SARA are shown walking out of the hospital. They board the Absolution. INT. ABSOLUTION TOM is shown relaxing in his seat, just like the beginning of the episode. TOM Hey, thanks again, SARA. You saved me. You're a hero. SARA You're welcome, TOM. TOM (kind of orgasmic) That's the way I like it. fade to black |
The Warden Hey folks, A stumpy new danger waddles down the dank corridors of your dungeon. He’s heavy. He’s well-armed. In another time and place, he’d be a huge MC Hammer fan. This week, we’ll be taking a look at: Unit Spotlight: The Warden Dwarves have always been fearsome, stocky little blighters, far too enthusiastic about violence and yeasty beverages. Strap on a heaving suit of armour and really work at that Napoleon complex, and you’ve got a recipe for an indomitable Dwarven warmaster. Wardens are the first-line tanks of the Dwarven military; sturdy, experienced, and loaded with an unnecessary number of weapons, they’re able to stand firm in the face of many a foe. Wardens are trained to be a wall of meat and metal that none may pass, and those that do will have to live with an enduring limp. It’s well-known that Dwarves have this … thing about kneecaps. It’s quite neurotic, really. Wardens have a particular knack for bone-breaking and brain damage. Let’s go over some of their techniques. Abilities: Shield Bash (Active): The Warden slams an enemy with his shield, knocking it back and dealing a moderate chunk of damage. The Warden slams an enemy with his shield, knocking it back and dealing a moderate chunk of damage. Pulverize (Active): The Warden crushes an enemy unit between his hammer and shield, temporarily turning them into a vegetable and stunning them for a brief period. The Warden crushes an enemy unit between his hammer and shield, temporarily turning them into a vegetable and stunning them for a brief period. Flense (Active, Special): The Warden spins in a circle, slicing up the groins and guts of all nearby enemies, and slowing them down for several seconds. Thanks for checking in on us this week! We’ll see you when we’re another 7 days closer to release. Until next time Underlord, – WFTO Team Click here to discuss this update on our forums! |
Apprentices who have yet to complete their qualifications stand to lose thousands of dollars in an axed tax-free cash payment that will be replaced by a HECS-style loan from July 1. Thousands of apprentices eligible for the federal government's Tools for Your Trade payment, worth up to $5500, have been told they will not get future instalments and can instead apply for the newly introduced Trade Support Loan. Disappointed: Apprentice chef Alex Martin will miss out on her last two instalments. Credit:Sahlan Hayes Students close to finishing their apprenticeships are furious that the payment, which helps with training costs and is paid in five instalments during an apprenticeship, will not be honoured. Alex Martin, who is due to finish her chef apprenticeship in October, will lose $2700, as will her classmates at Ultimo TAFE. |
Well, this is rather interesting. Michael Lombardi is a former NFL executive for such organizations as the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders. He is most closely affiliated with the New England Patriots heads coach Bill Belichick. For the last three seasons, he worked with the Patriots as the assistant to the coaching staff. Currently he works for Bill Simmons website, The Ringer. Lombardi appeared on "The NFL Show" today, and during the conversation, he says that he has heard that the Baltimore Ravens have discussed possibly trading defensive linemen Timmy Jernigan after they resigned Brandon Williams. Jernigan is currently entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2017. Below is what Lombardi said: "I hear they're talking about moving Jernigan. I think Jernigan is a fabulous player but they can't afford to sign him. If you're a team like Jacksonville, and you know you can afford him, why not give up a third- or fourth-round pick for Jernigan and get another defensive linemen and do it before free agency and keep the kid." After the team resigned Williams to a 5-year, $52.5 million contract with $24.5 million guaranteed, it does make bringing back Jernigan much tougher, and when you look at Baltimore only having seven draft picks entering next month's NFL Draft, maybe trading Jernigan for an early to mid-round pick wouldn't be such a bad idea. Especially if Newsome is afraid of losing Jernigan if he has a great year next season, and he's only 24-years old. Per OverTheCap.com, if the Ravens trade Jernigan, it would free up $1 million in cap space, while opening up $376,891 in dead money. Now, this is only one person's take, and this hasn't been reported by multiple media outlets. Lombardi has worked with Ozzie Newsome dating back to their days in Cleveland, so maybe this story does have legitimacy to it. Either way, with the Ravens being more aggressive this offseason, and when you look at the fact that the team might give contract extensions to such players like C.J. Mosley in the near future, the situation with Baltimore's 2014 2nd round pick out of Florida State could be something to monitor. What do you guys think about this? Would you want the Ravens to extend or trade Timmy Jernigan? |
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, jailed in Iran for 18 months, had a chance to be home for Christmas before Boris Johnson’s careless interference. Her husband says he is not angry but is finding it increasingly difficult to cope Famous people often swear that they never read their own reviews. Some are lying, but as the policy is manifestly wise, on the whole, I believe them. I cannot, however, recall anyone claiming to apply the same rule to their interviews – until now. Richard Ratcliffe will not read this, he tells me, because “I just don’t expose myself to what I can’t control”. That the only interviewee indifferent to public image should be one for whom publicity is a literal matter of life or death is an obvious irony. But then, almost everything about Ratcliffe’s story is a bitter or bewildering irony. We first met last year, after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had seized his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as she was about to board a flight home with the couple’s then 19-month-old daughter, Gabriella. The Foreign Office had advised him to keep quiet, but after five weeks the mild-mannered accountant lost faith in the strategic silence that appeared to be getting him nowhere, and took the unilateral risk to go public. That this stunningly self-possessed and sympathetic character could be considered a diplomatic liability struck me then as absurd – and 19 months later his measured composure is even more remarkable, when the foreign secretary’s own carelessness has put Ratcliffe’s wife in danger of seeing her five-year sentence increased to 16 years. Unlike Boris Johnson, Ratcliffe maintains an extraordinary degree of self-discipline. Not once during our two-hour conversation does he afford himself the luxury of an emotion – “this is not the time to feel” – even though he has campaigned tirelessly for 18 months to “tell our story from the heart, and try to get people to care”. Public opinion is hard to win over, however, when “people think there’s no smoke without fire. That’s why the foreign secretary’s recent comments have been so problematic.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was jailed in Iran after visiting her family there last year. Photograph: PA And yet, even after Johnson told the foreign affairs select committee that she had been “training journalists” in Iran, erroneously corroborating Tehran’s suspicions of sedition, Ratcliffe resists the temptation to demand his resignation, but is trying to leverage Johnson’s disgrace instead. The strategic logic of this is obvious. The self-control to pull it off is highly unusual. “We’ve seen a different dynamic in the last couple of weeks,” offers Ratcliffe. “Because we’ve got so much bigger. Immeasurably bigger in the media.” It is, he concedes, surreal to find his family’s fate tangled up with public feeling about Boris. “But it’s with Brexit too. Some of the most extreme trolls are saying: ‘Why are you making this Boris’s fault?’ They’re essentially defending Brexit. But you know, we live in angry times. The Foreign Office’s advice is: stay away from politics. And you think, how on earth can you do that?” Ratcliffe didn’t even vote in the referendum; all that matters to him is that Johnson now has a personal interest in helping his wife. “I think it really helps.” When the two men met this week there was no mention of his error. I ask if Johnson appeared penitent. “No. But engaged.” Does the Ratcliffes’ plight feel more hopeful than it did before Johnson’s error? “I think it’s much faster-moving. I think there’s generally ... I think, for me, the fear was always inertia. And we’re not in that space now. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ratcliffe said Boris Johnson was not penitent for his error when they met, but is now engaged in his wife’s plight. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/AFP/Getty Images “I think the government has limited energy and would rather solve other things. The Iranian government’s got limited energy too, and would rather solve other problems. And the Revolutionary Guard are happy to wait. So the only people who don’t have time are us. And Nazanin is the one who pays the price for a waiting game. So it’s always been important to me to try to add some urgency.” The FCO – and Ratcliffe’s father-in-law in Tehran – disagree. Does Ratcliffe ever panic in the middle of the night that his “dirty laundry diplomacy” strategy of “putting it all out there” is a mistake? Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband meets Boris Johnson Read more “Well, it is counter-intuitive to think that doing nothing would work. There are not many spheres of life in which it does. My father-in-law is sure that doing something is making it worse.” He allows a dry chuckle. “He’s not wrong, to be honest. My plan has not yet delivered results. Except, perhaps for the fact that Nazanin knows I care and that we care. Instrumentally, who knows what works? But I do know that Nazanin is sitting in her prison cell knowing that people are shouting for her and rooting for her, and that’s profoundly important. So I do know I’m helping her to know she’s not alone.” During her first month in prison, she was held in solitary confinement “and told her husband had abandoned her and was going to take her daughter away”. She was “in a room with a light on all the time, no window – you don’t get to see anyone else except your interrogator, you’re being told relentlessly that you’ve been abandoned, there’s no contact, you don’t get to hear any news, it’s complete sensory deprivation. It doesn’t take many days before you’ll believe anything. But she knows that stuff’s not true now.” Play Video 0:35 Boris Johnson: 'I apologise to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family' – video Until five weeks ago, Ratcliffe imagined his campaign for her release was more symbolic than material. “I’m thinking, ‘I’m keeping my promise to keep campaigning, but actually it’s from a position of complacency’.” After serving a third of her sentence, with good behaviour she would have been eligible for parole next week. “She’ll be home by Christmas,” he thought. The shock of fresh charges carrying a sentence of up to 16 years “blindsided” him, and “devastated” her. As ever, the judicial process was bafflingly opaque. But having been assigned the “mildest” judge, and then taken to the dentist when she was due to come before him, she and her husband began to hope the fresh charges were an empty threat. “It was in the balance as to whether this goes forward or not.” But then Johnson gave his evidence to the select committee. “Suddenly it wasn’t in the balance any more, and she was in front of the judge who’d tried her original case.” Is he furious with the Iranian authorities? “No space for rage,” he murmurs. He feels no anger towards Iran, “because it’s so far off the page – we’re in a different moral register. But with this government I have expectations, and sometimes it feels like they’ve not been entirely honest with me. So that’s the bit that will provoke me. So for instance, Michael Gove saying, ‘I don’t know [why Nazanin was in Iran when she was arrested].” Ratcliffe wrote to the FCO, and Downing Street issued a clarification. “You’ve got some citizen reminding cabinet ministers of what their own policy is. Mental.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ratcliffe and his family’s supporters took part in a protest earlier this month outside parliament. Photograph: Paul Davey / Barcroft Images Why did Gove say he didn’t know? “I don’t know. I haven’t stopped to try to work it out. It wasn’t the worst thing that happened that day.” The worst thing was the news that Nazanin had found lumps in her breasts. She has now seen a specialist, had an ultrasound, and will learn the results when she sees another specialist this week. She has a family history of breast cancer, but Ratcliffe is more worried about her mental health. “When I say she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, I’m not being melodramatic.” Contact between the couple during their first year apart was so “sporadic” that they could go two months without talking. Nazanin is now allowed to call him every Sunday, and can use other inmates’ unwanted phone time to call at other times, but gets angry if he doesn’t pick up. “She can be very volatile.” The mystery to me is why Ratcliffe isn’t going mad, too. He couldn’t sleep in the early weeks, but manages to do so now without pills. He hasn’t taken to drink or smoking, or any other vice, nor found solace in therapy or even exercise. How does he unwind? Where does he find any pleasure? “What do I do to get away from it? Probably go back to old friends and spaces from before. I’ll go for a drink with old school friends, or people who knew us way back. Old and trusted friends.” He’s not, he grins ruefully, much of a friend himself these days. “There’s something almost a bit like grief, in that I’m on my own journey, and I need energy and then I walk off. I need energy again – and then I walk off again. It’s not like I’m giving back.” He doesn’t go to the cinema or theatre, and “I don’t really have the sustained concentration to read a book”. I wonder what, if anything, he can register beyond Nazanin. What, for instance, does he know about Harvey Weinstein? “Barely anything. I’d see his picture on the news and think: why isn’t my wife on the news, because that’s more important! I am in my own world. Someone said it’s raining today, but I didn’t notice. I can go out and I’m surprised it’s cold; I shouldn’t be if I’d bothered to check the weather forecast, but I didn’t. I’m in my own world. I mean, there was this whole thing on the news this morning about a sausage roll in a nativity thing? Not sure I see why that’s an outrage.” Ratcliffe with Nazanin and their daughter Gabriella, who is living with Nazanin’s grandparents in Iran. Ratcliffe has applied for a visa to visit his daughter but has had no response. Photograph: Reuters His job as a City auditor went out the window for the first three months of Nazanin’s captivity. “The next three I’d go in, but not really do very much.” Since September he has been back at work full-time, “But at times when stuff’s happening I’m more distracted.” Nazanin frets about the family’s finances and worries about him losing his job. “She worries about the mortgage getting paid. She wants a home to come home to.” But Ratcliffe’s employer is “very, very understanding”, accommodating his absences and distractions while keeping him on full pay. But if a semblance of professional normality is sustainable, no plausible imitation of family life feels possible. Last Christmas, all Ratcliffe could focus on was his wife’s appeal in January. Thinking there was “every chance” she and Gabriella would soon be home, he wanted to wait until they could celebrate it together, but was persuaded in the end to join his parents in Hampshire. “Mr Grinch in the corner, not adding much to it.” She lost her appeal. Ratcliffe has not seen his daughter in 19 months – half her life. He applied for a visa to visit Iran and see her, but has received no response. At one point, the prison authorities issued an ultimatum; either Gabriella went to live with Nazanin in prison, or the child would be sent back to the UK. Her mother fought both options, and eventually won twice weekly prison visits with her daughter, and the right for the child to live with her grandparent’s at their home. Gabriella’s grandparents speak only Farsi, and by now she has forgotten all English apart from “I love you’” and “see you tomorrow”. Ratcliffe talks to her on Skype three times a week, with her uncle on hand to translate, but accepts that he is no longer a meaningful parent but more an abstract idea. Gabriella understands that her mum is in prison, and knows she isn’t supposed to tell anyone, but tends to forget. “Oh, she’s in prison,” she’ll offer breezily to a stranger in the park who asks where’s her mother. The only time Ratcliffe visibly relaxes is when he talks about his daughter. “Gabriella was telling her mum a few weeks ago that she told her English teacher: ‘I live with my granny and I visit my mummy in another place. I didn’t say you were in prison! I said you were in another place.’ She was very pleased with herself.” She thinks, he says with a wan smile, that her dad is in prison, too. It strikes me that she isn’t wrong. “She said she’s been praying to God for Mummy and Daddy to be released from prison.” |
Shumlin says he was within 'three feet of getting 'arrrh.'' Vermont gov. chased by 4 bears MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin says he was chased and nearly caught by four bears that were raiding his birdfeeders. Shumlin says he was in bed in his rented Montpelier home late Wednesday night when he heard what turned out to be four bears in the backyard. Story Continued Below He says he looked out and saw the bears, including two cubs. He tried to chase the bears away, but they kept coming back. Shumlin says he ran out barefoot in an attempt to rescue his birdfeeders. He says one of the bears charged him on the porch. Shumlin tells the Valley News editorial board that Vermont "almost lost the governor." He says he was within "three feet of getting 'arrrh.'" This article tagged under: Peter Shumlin Vermont |
I am going out on a limb here to differentiate between people who appreciate the sound of music as opposed to people who appreciate music analytically. At some point, poor quality headphones will degrade any listeners experience, but the analytic types are more interested in the form, structure, lyrics, meaning, story, color, theme, and other technical elements of music than they are the overall sonic impression. These people enjoy robust, well reproduced music, or live, but it's not as necessary for a rewarding experience. Romantics are one example of this. Impressionists are an example of the other kind of listener. They seek the sound and music moves them more on that level. They will be interested in production values, technical execution of the art, instruments and their highly differentiated sounds. These people sometimes can't get past low grade reproduction because the sonic impact of it all is what they crave. Most of us are a healthy mix too. I simply put what I understand to be polar examples out there to highlight where the differences can be. My own preferences vary some and I generally enjoy music whether or not the quality of reproduction is upper crust. I enjoy live music the best, and when I can't get that, I do gravitate toward the better reproduction I can get. I find well designed headphones limit enclosure resonances and have a flat response overall, with perhaps a peak at the high end, centered at 12-14Khz, and a peak down low, say 50-100Hz. Cheap-o headphones will have internal resonances which lead to a "boxy" sound that really ruins things for me. I can hear those peaks or valleys where sounds are missing easily and the result is a lot like looking at a kick ass great painting through blurry glasses, or one with a scratch in them. Still a great painting, but the whole thing just isn't immersive like it could be. Generally speaking, most people are more tolerant of distortion than they are ugly curves in the response profile of the headphones. A second sensitivity is overall bandwidth. Again, cheap-o headphones will have poor < 100Hz response and spikey, or just missing >14Khz response, making the music sound "crushed", "tinny", "flat", etc... Most adults can enjoy bandwidth of 16Khz or so, some unable to differentiate that from say, 14 or 12Khz, and some able to still hear into the 19-21Khz range. Young people typically hear to 20Khz+ My own was 22Khz until my early 30's. It's rolling off slowly now to around 19Khz or so... And with that roll-off we've seen increasingly crappy production values more than not too, which makes me happy I'm the analytic enough to enjoy things despite these human changes. Some peers who are into the peak sound reproduction have lost interest in music due to changes in hearing. Nobody wants that. One other thing I've noticed: Compressed audio is often just good enough to deliver a solid experience on quality gear. Lower quality headphones tend to highlight already crappy compressed music, particularly on the higher end where many temporal flaws create "watery", "slurry" sounds instead of crisp, detailed highs. The sound of cymbals will highlight these artifacts easily. Higher compression rates or loss-less audio tends to help make the best of under-performing headphones. YMMV. |
No words can tell the story as well as those posted on Facebook by police in Lufkin, Tex. Here they are verbatim: “PURSUIT VIDEO: Toscha Sponsler, 33, of Pollok, stole a patrol unit Saturday following a call of a possible shoplifter at Ulta. After officers ran her down on foot, Sponsler was cuffed behind her back and seat belted into a patrol unit. As officers went through her bags of stolen goods, Sponsler removed her seat belt, slipped her cuffs and climbed through a window partition to the driver’s seat. She then led officers on a 23-minute, 100 mph chase that began at Ulta and ended in Zavalla after a DPS Trooper used a PIT maneuver to make her lose control of the vehicle. Sponsler nearly went head on with two Lufkin officers and a Huntington constable during the pursuit. Throughout the chase, officers could see her reaching for the officer’s shotgun which was mechanically locked to the vehicle. She waived medical treatment at the scene and was taken to the Angelina County Jail where she remains on a collective $18,000 bond. Sponsler is charged with escape causing serious bodily injury/threat of a deadly weapon, aggravated assault against a public servant, possession of a controlled substance, evading arrest with a vehicle with a previous conviction and unauthorized use of a vehicle. #policepursuit #highspeedchase #driveitlikeyoustoleit #foolmeonce “ Fred Barbash contributed to this post. More from Morning Mix Getting to Harvard, the Corey Lewandowski way DACA: Late-night comics strain for humor in ‘man-made disaster unfolding in Washington’ A Florida man had his parents travel from India to help him beat his wife, police say |
Update (March 25): Sony has confirmed that the version 2.5 PS4 firmware will be available for download tomorrow, March 26. In addition to the features discussed below, Sony announced the update will also bring the ability to back up the PS4's internal hard drive to an external USB disk, to find PS4 friends through a Facebook account connection, and to upload recorded videos to DailyMotion in addition to other options. More details are available on the PlayStation Blog. Original Story (March 12) Way back in February 2013, Sony's Mark Cerny promised that the PlayStation 4 would include a handy suspend and quick-resume feature. The idea was to pause a game, then leave the console in an "idle mode" that kept the game state in memory, allowing players to pick up later from that exact point with no loading required. Then, just before the system's November 2013 launch, Sony announced that the feature wouldn't be ready in time for the system's North American release. Nearly 17 months after that launch, Sony is finally ready to make good on its promise. The resume/suspend feature is part of the system upgrades planned for the version 2.50 firmware update, which Sony said will be available "soon." The long-delayed feature will be "supported by nearly all PS4 titles," Sony Director of Product Planning & Software Innovation Scott McCarthy said in an announcement post for the upcoming firmware , dubbed "Yukimura" inside Sony. Microsoft has had a similar "quick startup" feature since launch, as demonstrated in the comparison video on this page Elsewhere in the update announcement, Sony also discusses new system-wide accessibility options that will be welcome news to those with certain disabilities. Those with vision limitations will be able to take advantage of "text to speech, enlarged text, bolder fonts, higher contrast UI, zoom for displayed pictures, inverted colors on screen," across the platform. The update will also include a system-level button configuration utility, letting players reassign functions from shoulder buttons to face buttons across games, for instance, and "making it easier for users with limited manual dexterity or limited reach and strength to play." The update also comes with a slight upgrade to streaming gameplay through the Remote Play and Share Play features. That streaming will now be available at a maximum of 60fps, up from a 30fps cap previously. That's a nice upgrade, but you're going to need an extremely healthy Internet connection to take full advantage of it based on our tests. One final relevant new feature in the upcoming update: the system will now automatically take a screenshot when you earn an in-game trophy. That's sure to help satisfy all those "pics or it didn't happen" jerks on your social media feeds. |
“So it’s not like you hear a gasp?” “It’s not like a gasp … ” “But when it ended, people were like — whoah?” Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the ascendant dons of Comedy Hollywood, have a ton on their plate. A Lego Movie sequel. An animated Spider-Man. Freelancing on The Flash. A female-led Jump Street installment. A Men in Black/Jump Street crossover?! But right now, their primary concern is the last few minutes of The Last Man on Earth. On Sunday, the season finale of the postapocalyptic comedy aired on Fox. Lord and Miller cocreated the show with their pal Will Forte, and the duo are its executive producers. Miller had seen the episode with an audience; Lord had not. And so a quick conversation about the response to its revealing twists was necessary. It’s settled: more of a whoah than a gasp. Last week, with the first season out of their way and a second-season pickup secured — and before all that other nonsense gets in their way — Lord and Miller talked to Grantland about LMoE. [Note: Spoilers about the finale are amply marked below.] The basic premise of the show allows you to go in so many different directions. Was there any early iteration of this that was solely focused on the character of Phil Miller? You know, a much quieter show? Miller: That was never a part of the plan. The way the show came about is, we wanted to work together [with Will Forte], we kicked around a couple of ideas, we came upon this postapocalyptic comedy idea, and then after talking about it for a little while, Will went off and wrote a treatment for what the first season would be. And that involved all these other characters. It was very similar to what ended up happening. More Grantland Q&As Click here for all of our interviews with fascinating people from the worlds of sports and pop culture. There was definitely a debate as to how long he should be alone before Carol showed up. But it was hard to have a narrative drive without another character to play off of. You can give him some artificial goal — I gotta repair the satellite tower so I can get communication! Then it’s something like Cast Away, or All Is Lost — I wanna get off the island, I wanna get back to civilization. But there’s no civilization to get back to! The whole end-of-the-world thing is about finding out who you really are. But he’s not struggling to survive, exactly. Lord: A lot of the stuff we like to do has a heightened sense of an everyday experience. It’s like we stripped the background away and it turned into a cartoon. It’s a very simple struggle. When Kristen Schaal and January Jones come in, it’s this very boiled-down elemental problem: There’s the girl you should be with and the girl you want. And then there’s every new situation: What’s it like when there’s a rival in town? What’s it like when you get kicked out of a group? It’s regular social problems and social skills, but it’s intense, because it’s life-and-death. But there’s still Doritos. It’s life and death with Doritos! At one point, it dawns on the characters that repopulating the Earth would require a fair amount of, well, incest. Is that something you agonized over? Miller: It was definitely something we talked about a lot. [Ultimately], it’s really — whatever’s funny [ends up on the show]. It’s still the early stages, they have their own psychological issues to come to terms with. They’re still figuring out the way their society is gonna be. I think they gotta sort that out before they figure out the optimal situation for repopulation. There’s one brief flashback to a pre-apocalypse birthday party, but otherwise you don’t really use the device. Was there a time when you thought you’d rely on those more? Lord: Well, we shot a big one … Chris, can I reveal what it is? Miller: Yeah, I think so? Lord: It was with Will’s boss, and he’s giving him a really hard time. He tells him, “You gotta wash my car, bro.” And he makes Will wash his car. And his car is that red car that Will blows up. There’s this whole backstory for why it’s really fun for him to blow up. A lot of [planning] was about, “Do you think [Phil Miller’s] gonna be sympathetic?” [The flashback] was kind of a hedge. And Will wanted the whole time to stay [in the present] with him. You fill in the blanks. What’s your relationship with Will like? Miller: We worked with him on Clone High, but we’ve never worked with him in live action, or as closely as we worked with him on this. We were a little bit nervous: We’re good friends and we really love and respect each other, but you never know when you work together if it’s gonna be a little off-kilter. But it ended up being a really wonderful collaboration. Will has such a strong voice, and our goal from the beginning was, “Let’s get Will’s voice on television in its purest form.” It’s so unique. It’s not like any other comedian out there. So our attitude going in was, “This isn’t the Chris and Phil show,” this is Chris and Phil helping Will get his show on the air. I think we were able to help him preserve the integrity of what he was trying to do, and to shape it for a broad audience. It was a really positive collaboration. [Self-consciously overly serious voice.] It only strengthened our beautiful friendship. Anyone who’s seen some of his more out-there SNL stuff or the MacGruber movie knows that Forte is a wonderfully insane person. Is there a sense that you have to check some of his more out-there impulses for this show? Lord: I don’t know if we did a lot of that. Our thinking was, “Let’s just make sure this is sympathetic and emotional. And then let’s fight to keep all the really insane parts.” And I think a big part of it was just wanting to prove to him that we’d become better directors since Clone High. The other small thing we contributed is we really encouraged him to improvise after the first few takes. That wasn’t the typical way he’d worked, and he loved the script, and the script was great. But improvising allowed a bit of looseness, and that made a really big difference. Miller: And certainly with people as talented as Kristen Schaal, you’re not exploiting all the superpowers of your team if you don’t get some of that [looser] stuff in there. But yeah, it’s crazy how he can go between really, really small and personal, and kind of heartbreaking, and then to, you know, screaming and using his pants as a tent. Some people do their best work on SNL, and that’s not a bad thing: SNL is just the best vehicle for certain performers’ talents. Knowing Forte, did you think SNL was that for him? Or did you always anticipate this nice post-SNL run he’s having? Lord: We always thought he was interesting as an artist. Before he went to SNL, he had this whole career as a comedy writer. We never doubted that he’d do something interesting after the show. Also, because of our feature [movies] career, we’ve seen the list of leading men. When you try to cast a leading part, those lists are pretty short. You think, They need a guy that’s young enough to be single in a movie, and is really funny, and is handsome, and it’s like, please, he’ll get gobbled up in two seconds. And on top of that, he’s such a deliberate, careful performer. It’s not surprising to me that he was great in an Alexander Payne movie. As you’ve pointed out, one of the funny ways being on a network has restricted you is with the sex scenes — you can show them naked from the shoulders up, and you can show them on top of one another in a bed, but you can’t actually show the sex partners moving. Miller: Yeah, and it made it even funnier. It’s so odd. And Carol already has an odd way of having sex. And then the fact that they can’t move — they can’t thrust, at all. It just makes it all the weirder. Which I think is delightful. As you might imagine, with sex scenes, we definitely had the most arguing and back-and-forth and cuts with the standards department. Lord: A lot of the back-and-forth was over what sounds Kristen could make. How sexual the sex sounds could sound. Moaning wasn’t really [allowed]. So we were like, “OK, we’ll just make them sound like cat screeches.” SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE BELOW. The finale has two big twists, one of which is the reveal that Phil Miller’s brother is alive and well, alone in a spaceship orbiting Earth. That brother is played by Jason Sudeikis, who we saw once before, during a brief glimpse of a Miller family portrait. So had people picked up on that? Were they asking you when Sudeikis would show up again? Miller: Only a few people picked up on the setup of Sudeikis in the picture in the pilot. It goes by so quickly. Lord: Yeah, it wasn’t like they were wondering how it was gonna play out. They seem to have seen it as a tossed-off nod. Miller: But obviously, it was really gonna be a part of the plan from the beginning. The other twist is that Phil and Carol decide to ditch their fellow survivors. So are we ever going to see Todd, Melissa, or Sexy Phil again? Lord: It’s all up in the air. Part of it is that we haven’t started writing the second season yet. I don’t wanna box Will in in the writing. It’d be kind of a dick move … It certainly seems like there’s a lot of possibilities. I have always wanted to, with every episode that we’re making, to feel like the show changes from week to week. Miller: It reminds you of how the dynamic of the show can keep shifting. It reminds you that you can shake up the dynamic of the show in various different ways that aren’t always just adding new characters. The moment it settles into a routine, that’s when it gets away from the heart of the concept. Before you go: You guys have so much else going on, like this 21 Jump Street spinoff with women— [Publicist jumps in:] Hey, Amos, this interview is only for Last Man on Earth. If you don’t have any more Last Man on Earth questions … Oh, I, uh … Lord: [Laughing.] Good publicist. OK, well, this isn’t really about the show, but you know how whenever you’re written up people love referencing “Everything Is Awesome”? Have you considered that, if, God forbid, anything starts to go south for you guys, how quickly everyone will jump on the phrase “everything is not awesome”? Lord: Well, yeah, that’s another reason we want to keep our streak [of successes] alive: to save the universe from a bad pun. |
Our transport system, whichever way you look at it, is broken. Sure, most of us eventually get to where we need to go, but congestion and pollution are constant problems in cities across the world. When you consider the amount of time we spend just getting from one place to another, it makes you think there must be a better way. The greatest minds in the transport industry have spent most of the last century offering us solutions such as bigger planes, faster trains, and more recently, greener automobiles. But if we want to truly revolutionise the transport experience for the better, then perhaps we need to look to individuals from outside the industry. Later today Elon Musk, the co-founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX, is expected to publically unveil details of Hyperloop, a proposed mode of transport he claims could cover the 340 miles (550km) from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 30 minutes. Musk may get the headlines; however, others are thinking even more radically about the future of transport. A group of students from the University of Glasgow and the Glasgow School of Art in the UK have devised Horizon, a system in which planes would lift and drop moving railway carriage-like “pods” from and onto the ground, thereby drastically cutting journey times. After studying the problems facing modern long-distance travellers, Andrew Flynn, Ewan Alston, Martin Keane and Mason Holden, sought to create a system that would significantly reduce the time it takes to get from points of departure to aeroplanes, and from them to destinations. “One of the key things that we found was the lack of coherency between modes of transport – road, rail, and air,” says Holden. “There is no streamlined interface between the different modes.” By the year 2050, the group imagines a long distance traveller will start their journey at a neighbourhood “SkyStation” where their luggage will be taken from them. The only security check required for the entire journey is carried out at this point. Passengers then board a “SkyLink” pod – essentially an autonomous train carriage propelled along a rail by magnetic levitation. The 48 passengers these carry can, if they choose, remain in the same seat throughout the journey. Each pod has a battery large enough to provide power for not just itself, but also the plane. The battery is recharged through induction when the pod is on the ground, in a similar way proposed road-based charging of electric cars. Pods will also have luggage space, and two articulated hooks to attach them to planes. The aircraft, which remain in the air almost all the time, will be a blended wing design - a flattened shape in which the body and wings are distinct but more smoothly blended than traditional planes. The result looks something like a manta ray. This design has the advantage of being able to fly at slower speeds. On approach to a destination city, passengers are told to return to their seats from the bar or observation deck before the plane, which has no wheels or landing gear, swoops down at 150mph (240 kph) and is attached temporarily to the SkyLink track using electromagnetic coupling. The arriving pod is deposited onto the rails. As it decelerates, a departure pod on a parallel track accelerates to match the speed of the still moving plane. Once it is safely attached, the plane takes off again, fully charged and new passengers. Without a lifetime of experience working within a specific industry, members of the Horizon System group are free of traditional restraints or predetermined beliefs about the way things should be. As part of their research they highlighted examples of people taking three hours to get from a city centre to an airport, and of walking between gates at airports taking up to 40 minutes. “What we want to do it break up these large, standalone airports, into smaller more diverse hubs that could be placed around cities to be much more accessible for people living there,” says Flynn. The Glasgow group is not the only one looking at plane-train hybrids. A team from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne, in Switzerland, is proposing Clip-Air, a modular aircraft with detachable pods. The assembled vehicle looks similar to today’s planes, but with three tubular bodies that can be removed or replaced individually to hold passengers, cargo or fuel. “Sometimes today airplanes are flying above capacity, but sometimes they’re empty,” says Bilge Atasoy, a student involved in the design. “The most important thing is being flexible, being able to adjust to demand of either passengers or cargo.” Of course gargantuan hurdles would have to be overcome before anything resembling the Horizon concept could become a reality. Planes cannot currently be powered by electric power alone, and developing the ability to do so would require advances in materials and other technologies. Obtaining the international agreements for a standardised system could take decades. Yet with the global population set to reach nine billion by the middle of this century, and existing transport systems already at full stretch, something as radical as Horizon may be our only hope. Asked what we can expect if we do not think more imaginatively about how we move long distances, Clip-Air project leader Claudio Leonardi’s summary is succinct and to the point. “Congestion,” he says. If you would like to comment on this article or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. |
Amelia Templeton/OPB An iconic Portland goat herd is looking for a new home in the city. The Belmont goat herd consists of 14 goats — and one hen who keeps them company. They’re not working animals. They don’t clear brush or produce milk. They just hang out on an empty lot, napping, eating and enjoying the occasional scratch behind the ear from the pedestrians that pass by. “These goats are kind of goats of leisure, rather than working goats,” says Bix Frankonis, who helps run the nonprofit that cares for the animals. Frankonis said the herd provides a little laid-back, rural calm in an increasingly busy city. Goat therapy, some of their fans call it. “It’s certainly a very social herd. Even when we’re not open, they will come to the fence and interact with people through the fence,” Frankonis said. The goats first became a Portland fixture several years ago when a local business brought them to an empty lot in inner Southeast. Development on that lot forced the goats to move. For the past two years, the goats have lived on a lot that belongs to the Portland Development Commission in the Lents neighborhood. “The city and the neighborhood specifically wanted interesting, attraction kind of things out on these lots as they were gearing up to do a fresh push to get the town center redeveloped out here,” Frankonis said. Now, that land is slated for new construction and the Belmont goats’ lease is up in June. The goats are looking for a new neighborhood to take them. They don’t need much: a big empty lot, access to water and nearby public transit so people can visit them. And, hopefully, a place with free rent. The Belmont Goats nonprofit is hoping Portlanders interested in having a community goat herd in their neighborhood will suggest empty lots and help identify landowners who might be willing to lease to a goat herd for two to three years. They’ve put together a how-to on hosting the goats. |
You know, the Religious Right might not like Florida Gov. Charlie Crist very much, but God sure seems to, which is why he’s prevented his state from being hit by a hurricane during his time in office: Could it be divine intervention that’s kept Florida safe from hurricanes since Gov. Charlie Crist took office? Crist said he isn’t trying to take credit, but he told a group of real estate agents Friday that he’s had prayer notes placed in the Western Wall in Jerusalem each year and no major storms have hit Florida. Crist noted that just before his election in 2006, Florida had been affected by a total of eight hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. “Do you know the last time it was we had a hurricane in Florida? It’s been awhile. In 2007, I took my first trade mission. Do you know where I went?” said Crist, a Methodist, referring to a trip to Israel. He then told of going to the Western Wall and inserting a note with a prayer. He said it read, “Dear God, please protect our Florida from storms and other difficulties. Charlie.” “Time goes on – May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December – no hurricanes,” Crist said. “Thank God.” Last year, Sen. Nan Rich was traveling to Israel and Crist asked her to put a note in the Western Wall, a holy site in Judaism and a place where written prayers are traditionally placed. “It was the same note, by the way, the same prayer,” Crist said. This year a friend was going to Israel and he gave him a prayer to put in the Western Wall. “You can do it on the Internet now, but I’d rather have it physically in there,” Crist joked. The note was placed in the wall in May. “May, June, July, August – we’re getting closer,” Crist said. “Knock on wood. I would ask you all to say a prayer.” Afterward, he said he’s not taking credit for the lack of storms in this hurricane-prone state. “I give that to God,” Crist said. “But it’s nice.” |
Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), left, teams up with tech-savvy trainer Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) in “Cars 3,” directed by Brian Fee. (Disney/Pixar) FOR YEARS, most of Pixar’s films had male leading characters. A Jesse or an Elastigirl might get her moments in the sun, but these universes generally revolved around the dudes, be they a toy or an ant, a race car or a rat. But a funny thing happened on the way to this weekend’s “Cars 3″: More Pixar creatives became inspired by their daughters. Brenda Chapman broke barriers by directing Pixar’s “Brave” as a cinematic love letter to her daughter, she told Comic Riffs at the time. Pete Docter said his “Inside Out” was inspired by observing his tween girl. And “Finding Dory” blended an obvious sequel choice — given the fan affection for Ellen DeGeneres’s blue tang character — with the aim to move toward more equal representation. Now, with “Cars 3″ (opening Friday), fans may come for ol’ Lightning McQueen, but they will leave surely appreciating new car Cruz Ramirez (voiced by comedian Cristela Alonzo) as a breakout character. In the case of the new film’s director, Brian Fee, the parenting of daughters Lucia, 11, and Eleanor, 8, has enlarged his perspective. “A lot of them is in Cruz,” he says. Through much of his career, Fee says, he wrote from the male perspective because, as the old literary adage goes, “Write what you know.” And as a child of the ’80s while growing up in northern Kentucky, he notes, the movies he gravitated toward — the “Indiana Jones” and “Back to the Future” and original trilogy “Star Wars” films — had male leads. “Now that I have two daughters, I see the world through their eyes,” the director says. “I see how little they have [culturally], and I see what they’re up against. I see how they hold themselves back. “It’s still, ‘Write what you know.’ It’s just that now, I know this other side.” In the film, Cruz enters Lightning McQueen’s life as a seemingly confident motivational trainer. But gradually, we see that she has forfeited her dream of becoming a race car because she was told it would never happen — that she couldn’t compete with the big boys. “I have empathy for my daughters,” says Fee, noting that he recently suggested to them that they might take up an instrument. The reply: “Daddy, guitars are for boys.” One daughter, he says, “had already drawn that conclusion and line for herself — that this was no longer an option. … That breaks my heart.” Director Brian Fee, actress-comedian Cristela Alonzo and executive producer John Lasseter this month at the world premier for Pixars Cars 3 at Cars Land at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) Such moments, though, inspired the filmmakers to turn Cruz — who was originally conceived as a male character — into a female car. Many of the existing characters were male, he notes, as they looked around to make the gender representation more even. “Cars 3″ is also a tale about mentorship — Fee’s parenting of daughters led to parallels in how Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) guides Cruz to strengthen her self-belief to overcome prejudice. “That found a way onto the screen in some ways,” Fee says. “I can’t wait for that day when there are no barriers, but until then, I want to help them break those barriers.” Last week at the premiere for “Cars 3,” a red carpet reporter asked the director’s younger daughter what she thought of the film. Eleanor summed it succinctly: “It was funny but also inspiring.” “I didn’t tell her to say that,” Fee says with a laugh. “They don’t really know how much they inspired a lot of the Cruz character.” |
The researchers, a team of physicists from City College of New York, used lasers to encode and read data on these tiny spaces, which they treated like magnets that could repel or absorb an electron. To encode simple grayscale images like a smiley face, Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger they added an electron by shining a green laser and took one away with a red laser. They read their data like a computer reads 0s and 1s, but instead of digits there was light, which indicated the presence or absence of electrons. While both use light to read data, the concept is a little different from DVD storage, said Jacob Henshaw, a graduate student who worked on the study. “A DVD is like a 2-D puzzle, and this diamond technique is like a 3-D model,” he said. Unlike the DVD, which has only one surface, a diamond can store data in multiple layers, like a whole stack of DVDs. This storage would also work differently than a magnetic hard drive, because diamonds, as they say, are forever. Every time you access or rewrite your hard drive, the material it’s made of degrades, and after five or 10 years, it’s dead. But the defects in the diamonds don’t change, and if you do nothing, your data could last as long as your diamond. “There is a no way you can change it. It will sit there forever,” said Siddharth Dhomkar, the lead author on the study. |
Consistency across an album Consideration also has to be made for how the individual tracks work together when played one after another in an album sequence. Is there a consistent sound? Are the levels matched? Does the collection have a common “character” and play back evenly so that the listener doesn’t have to adjust the volume? This process is generally included in the previous step, with the additional evaluation of how individual tracks sound in sequence and in relation to each other. This doesn’t mean that you simply make one preset and use it on all your tracks so that they have a consistent sound. Instead, the goal is to reconcile the differences between tracks while maintaining (or even enhancing) the character of each of them, which will most likely mean different settings for different tracks. Preparation for distribution The final step usually involves preparing the song or sequence of songs for download, manufacturing and/or duplication/replication. This step varies depending on the intended delivery format. In the case of a CD, it can mean converting to 16 bit/44.1 kHz audio through resampling and/or dithering, and setting track indexes, track gaps, PQ codes, and other CD-specific markings. For web-centered distribution, you might need to adjust the levels to prepare for conversion to AAC, MP3 or hi-resolution files and include the required metadata. The history of mastering The earliest forms of mainstream recording technology did not require the recording, mixing, and mastering processes to be separate disciplines. Rather, the recording was cut directly to a wax disc via a stylus connected to a diaphragm, which was in turn driven by an acoustic horn through which the sound was captured. These wax discs were then used to make stampers, which themselves were used to press shellac-composite 78 rpm discs. The introduction of the 331/2 rpm long play (LP) vinyl record in 1948, and the 45 rpm in 1949 contributed to a change over time in the record making process. Recordings were being made to tape and engineers were tasked with preparing a master disc from the tape recording. When cutting master discs, these engineers now had to watch for and reduce loud transient peaks present in the tape recording. The energy of these peaks could potentially burn out the disc cutter head or cause the stylus to pop out of the groove when the record was playing. In order to detect and reduce these peaks, dynamics processing tools such as compressors and limiters were introduced. This was the first time sonic adjustments began to impact the audio after the recording and mixing processes. The need to monitor these tools and adjust the settings for an optimum playback experience without compromising the sound quality was the earliest form of mastering. The introduction of the standardized RIAA curve meant that equalization (EQ) became part of the mastering discussion. Intended to allow records to be cut with narrower, tighter grooves (and thus, a longer playing time), one side effect of this curve was that the pre-emphasis curve applied to the recording could enhance high frequency transient peaks, and the de-emphasis applied upon playback could cause a boost in low frequency energy that would cause the stylus to pop out of the groove. Slowly but surely, the necessity of these tools to ensure a positive consumer experience meant that the skills of those who could utilize them effectively became highly prized. Some engineers (notably Doug Sax, Bob Ludwig, Bob Katz, Bernie Grundman and others) began to focus exclusively not just on the practicality of these tools, but also ways in which they could be used to further enhance the listening experience. Thus, the art form was born. To this day, mastering remains a combination of practical and aesthetic processes. Though there isn’t any one ‘correct’ way to master, there are many recommended practices that mastering engineers follow. |
In October 2015, California passed one of the most progressive equal pay laws in America. The California Fair Pay Act mandates equal pay for “substantially similar work,” as well as giving all workers the right compare salaries without retribution from employers. According to Patricia Arquette, the law will have a disproportionate effect on Hollywood. Arquette, who has been one of the most public faces for equal pay in Hollywood, said today that the entertainment industry, “...[is] going to have to make a radical readjustment, and they know that, because they know for decades they have been paying unfairly.” Though the California law is expansive, it does have a few proverbial “outs” for employers. It allows employers to defend pay disparity based on “quantity and quality of production,” as well as merit and seniority. Arquette said that these reasons could be used in the entertainment industry to defend unequal pay. Variety reports: “When you work in TV, you have something called a TVQ as an actress. So that is kind of your rating, how many people recognize you on TV. There’s a value to that. There is a value to that you won an award. So obviously, the industry will be trying to show different values and how things make sense.” Advertisement Hannah-Beth Jackson, California Senator and co-author of the bill, said that Arquette’s Oscar acceptance speech (which later went off the rails) had given the bill “momentum.” Arquette’s speech was one of the first public acknowledgements since the Sony leaks that Hollywood had a pay gap problem; an issue that’s also been addressed by Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lawrence. Arquette said: “Jennifer Lawrence pays someone to negotiate on her behalf. But guess what? She is paying the same person those guys are paying. And yet subconsciously, their agents think, ‘This is just the status quo, this is the way the business is.’ They have allowed that to happen. The people she has been paying, and every woman has been paying Hollywood, have been allowing them to be undervalued. Their managers, Their agents. The studio. Everybody has to make a shift and go ‘Wait a second, dude, we know you are paying him whatever.’” Advertisement California’s law goes into effect on January 1st. It will be interesting to see what, if any, effect it will have on the film industry. Image via AP. |
CLOSE Iona Gaels men's basketball senior forward Jordan Washington was among the local players and coaches honored this season by the Met Basketball Writers Association. Josh Thomson/lohud Iona's Jordan Washington earned All-Met first-team honors from the Met Basketball Writers Association. Jordan Washington #23 of the Iona Gaels drives to the basket against Dylan Ennis #31 and Dillon Brooks #24 of the Oregon Ducks in the second half during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 17, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images) Story Highlights Washington, a 6-foot-8 forward from Queens, was named first-team All-Met. Washington led Iona in scoring (18.0), rebounding (7.6) and field goal percentage (55.2). He was also named first-team all-MAAC. First, Jordan Washington proved he was Iona's best, then that he belonged among the best in the MAAC. Now, the 6-foot-8 forward from Queens has earned one of the tri-state's top honors. The Iona senior was named first-team All-Met when the Met Basketball Writers Association announced its annual awards on Monday. He was joined on the first team by five other players from Division I schools in the tri-state area. Washington gave the Gaels at least one first-team pick for the seventh straight season. In fact, he was the 11th first-teamer and 17th All-Met pick overall during Tim Cluess' seven seasons in New Rochelle. MBWA: Men's and women's All-Met picks 2016 MBWA AWARDS: With NBA decision looming, Whitehead wins Haggerty The MBWA will honor this year's recipients during Wednesday night's 84th NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown. The Haggerty Award for Men's Player of the Year will be announced that night. Iona Gaels forward Jordan Washington (23) shoots the ball over Siena Saints forward Javion Ogunyemi (0) at the Times Union Center on Monday, March 6th, 2017. (Photo: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports) As a senior, Washington led Iona in scoring (18.0), rebounding (7.6) and field goal percentage (55.2). He was named first-team all-MAAC and earned tournament MVP honors after spurring the Gaels to a second straight MAAC tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. Earlier this month, Washington participated in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a senior showcase event for pro prospects. It was the sixth straight year Iona had a player invited — the longest streak of any school in the nation. Washington was joined on the All-Met first team by Seton Hall's Angel Delgado and Khadeen Carrington, Monmouth's Justin Robinson, LIU's Jerome Frink and St. John's Shamorie Ponds, who was also named Rookie of the Year. Seton Hall's Kevin Willard, the former Iona coach, was chosen as the Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season. Buy Photo St. Thomas Aquinas' Justin Reyes shoots under pressure from Mercy's K.J. Rose during their game at STAC Feb. 16, 2016. Reyes had 20 points in the 79-44 win, STAC's 15th win in a row. (Photo: Peter Carr/The Journal News) St. Thomas Aquinas' Justin Reyes repeated as the Division II men's Player of the Year. The 6-foot-4 junior led the Spartans to a 28-6 record and averaged 20.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Senior guard Chaz Walter earned second-team honors. Reyes and Walter will be joined among the honorees — again — by Tobin Anderson, who earned a third straight Coach of the Year. He led St. Thomas Aquinas to a third straight 20-win season, third straight conference title and second straight NCAA berth, which included a run to the Elite Eight. The Division I women's All-Met awards will be announced Tuesday. Twitter: @lohudinsider |
John Oliver wasted no time in addressing the biggest controversy of the weekend in the premiere of his late-night show, Last Week Tonight. The former Daily Show correspondent kicked off his HBO on Sunday night by taking a jab at Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers who is at the center of controversy following a leaked audio recording in which he made inflammatory and racist remarks. THR COVER: John Oliver on the Luxurious 'Freedom' of HBO, His Complicated Relationship With NYC "It turned out to be a rough week for unrepentant racists and recording devices," Oliver quipped. He then showed a news report wherein the reporter noted that Sterling became upset after his girlfriend, V. Stiviano, posted a photo of herself with Magic Johnson on Instagram. "Wow, that is genuinely shocking: An 80-year-old man knows about Instagram," he wisecracked. He then went on a lengthy bit about a major election happening in India and how the U.S. media has pretty much ignored it but showed other reports out of the U.S. about a "crazy" incident in India in which a leopard escaped. "It's not crazy: Leopards are indigenous to India," Oliver joked in response. "If it were a leopard in Times Square on New Year's Eve, that would be crazy. That would be insane." He then showed a photo of a leopard in Times Square with Ryan Seacrest and said, "You get him." PHOTOS: HBO's New Late-Night Host John Oliver Reveals His 5 Comedic Influences Oliver also showed a report out of India that implied that Fox News, in all seriousness, is "famous for its shouting matches." "Congratulations, Fox, you're famous internationally for shouting," he said. "By the way, they don't even get Fox in India, they just hear them from across the ocean." He continued by showing reports out of India that were similar in nature to Fox News' coverage of major events and implied that the media there is trying to be more like the cable news network. "But," he added, "you've forgotten one crucial detail here, India, because if you really want to Americanize your media, there is one thing you have to do, and that is stop covering the India election." Another bit was called "John McCain Tells the Same Joke Six Different Times in Six Different Places." The Arizona senator was then seen making some version of the statement "Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country" in multiple interviews. STORY: How HBO's New Late-Night Host John Oliver Made It Big -- in 5 Easy Steps Oliver also sat down with Gen. Keith Alexander, former director of the National Security Agency, for a taped interview. A la The Daily Show, Oliver asked a series of comical questions in which Alexander managed to keep a straight face through most of the interview. Last Week Tonight airs at 11 p.m. Sundays on HBO. |
David Cameron should challenge the US after a British Muslim family was stopped from boarding a flight to the country where they hoped to visit Disneyland, according to their Labour MP. Mohammad Tariq Mahmood, was travelling from Gatwick to Los Angeles with his brother and nine of their children aged between eight and 19 when they were approached by officials from US Homeland Security as they queued in the departure lounge. Without offering any explanation, they were told their authorisation to board the December 15 flight had been revoked despite the fact that they had been granted travel authorisation online a few weeks earlier. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. “It’s because of the attacks on America,” he told The Guardian. “They think every Muslim poses a threat.” The children were devastated not to be able to visit their cousins in southern California and go to Disneyland and Universal Studios, he added. After being forced to return the duty free they had bought, the family were escorted from the airport, which Mr Mahmood said was one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. Worse still, Mr Mahmood and his brother Mohammad Zahid Mahmood, have been told by their airline that the £9,000 cost of their flights, which they had saved for months for, will not be refunded. Having “hit a brick wall” with her own attempts to get answers for her constituent from the US Embassy, Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, has written to the prime minister to press American officials for answers. She has also asked for clarification on whether Britain monitors the numbers and ethnic and religious background of those who are blocked from travelling. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads. Subscribe now |
Famously weird people have always had weird habits. Mathematician Abraham de Moivre slept twenty hours a day and still managed to come up with all sorts of important mathematical insights. Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla both reportedly hardly slept at all. Jay Leno sleeps four hours a night. Leonardo da Vinci slept for fifteen minutes every four hours. And Salvador Dali, perhaps the king of weird, had his own strange sleep method. New Scientist writes: Related Content From Melting Clocks to Lollipops, Salvador Dalí Left His Mark on the Visual World He would sit with a key in one hand, poised above a metal plate placed on the floor, and let sleep take him. As soon as he began to slumber in earnest, the key would slip from his fingers and clang against the plate – waking him immediately. Dali felt as though sleep was a waste of time. (So did Edison, and many other influential people.) But science suggests that sleep is pretty important, which is good for those of us who like our eight hours. And studies suggest that most of us do need sleep. Perhaps those famous people are the lucky few whose genetics make them better at functioning without sleep. Live Science says that some people simply need less: Compared with the normal mice, those with one mutant gene slept about 1.2 hours less, and mice with two mutant genes slept 2.5 hours less. The mutant mice also bounced back faster than the normal mice from sleep deprivation. Some of us might try to fool ourselves into thinking that we’re one of these super-wakers. But we’re not, says the New York Times: Still, while it’s tempting to believe we can train ourselves to be among the five-hour group — we can’t, Dinges says — or that we are naturally those five-hour sleepers, consider a key finding from Van Dongen and Dinges’s study: after just a few days, the four- and six-hour group reported that, yes, they were slightly sleepy. But they insisted they had adjusted to their new state. Even 14 days into the study, they said sleepiness was not affecting them. In fact, their performance had tanked. In other words, the sleep-deprived among us are lousy judges of our own sleep needs. We are not nearly as sharp as we think we are. And this idea of an eight-hour sleep cycle is pretty new, says the New York Times: The idea that we should sleep in eight-hour chunks is relatively recent. The world’s population sleeps in various and surprising ways. Millions of Chinese workers continue to put their heads on their desks for a nap of an hour or so after lunch, for example, and daytime napping is common from India to Spain. Historically, people were more likely to fall asleep, wake up, and then fall asleep again. The Times again: One of the first signs that the emphasis on a straight eight-hour sleep had outlived its usefulness arose in the early 1990s, thanks to a history professor at Virginia Tech named A. Roger Ekirch, who spent hours investigating the history of the night and began to notice strange references to sleep. A character in the “Canterbury Tales,” for instance, decides to go back to bed after her “firste sleep.” A doctor in England wrote that the time between the “first sleep” and the “second sleep” was the best time for study and reflection. And one 16th-century French physician concluded that laborers were able to conceive more children because they waited until after their “first sleep” to make love. Professor Ekirch soon learned that he wasn’t the only one who was on to the historical existence of alternate sleep cycles. In a fluke of history, Thomas A. Wehr, a psychiatrist then working at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., was conducting an experiment in which subjects were deprived of artificial light. Without the illumination and distraction from light bulbs, televisions or computers, the subjects slept through the night, at least at first. But, after a while, Dr. Wehr noticed that subjects began to wake up a little after midnight, lie awake for a couple of hours, and then drift back to sleep again, in the same pattern of segmented sleep that Professor Ekirch saw referenced in historical records and early works of literature. Older people also seem to need less sleep that the rest of us, and feeling sleepy during the day isn’t normal, Live Science says: “Our findings reaffirm the theory that it is not normal for older people to be sleepy during the daytime,” Dijk said. “Whether you are young or old, if you are sleepy during the day you either don’t get enough sleep or you may suffer from a sleep disorder.” But no one recommends Dali’s key method. More from Smithsonian.com: Better Sleep in the Golden Years? Experiments Show We Really Can Learn While We Sleep Go to Sleep, All-Nighter Cram Fests Don’t Work |
SALT LAKE CITY — Opponents and proponents of same-sex marriage agree on one thing: that the Supreme Court needs to decide whether states have the right to define marriage. In a flurry of friend of the court briefs filed by midnight Thursday, a wide array of interests urged the Supreme Court to take up the issue when it returns from its summer recess next month. Among them was an amicus brief filed by attorneys representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and four other faiths. The brief, which represents faith communities of more than 100 million Americans, urges the high court to hear Utah’s same-sex marriage case. The brief maintains that recent court rulings have burdened religious organizations with legal uncertainty. “The time has come to end the divisive national debate as to whether the Constitution mandates same-sex marriage,” it states. Other faith organizations filing the brief include The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Association of Evangelicals, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Some of the amicus briefs argue that the issue hinges on states rights — whether states have the authority to control social policy in their respective states. But a brief filed on behalf of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians & Gays Inc., Freedom to Marry and two other groups, argued that the "continuing denial of the freedom to marry imposes severe legal burdens and detriments on millions of Americans every day for no good reason." As court after court has now held, "there is no reason to perpetuate and prolong these injuries," attorneys for PFLAG and others wrote. But others, such as the amicus brief filed by Robert P. George in support of the state of Utah, argues that "reducing marriage to a primary mark of social inclusion and equality, would — ironically— spread the very social message it was intended to oppose: that those outside the institution of marriage matter less," George wrote, along with Sherif Girgis. Related: Poll: Utahns support Amendment 3, believe victory unlikely A recent poll shows the majority of Utahns support the state's decision to appeal the ruling that struck down Amendment 3, but an even greater number believe the Supreme Court will rule a ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. George, a visiting professor at Harvard Law School and McCormick professor of jurisprudence at Princeton, University, is a member of the Deseret News national editorial advisory board. The 25-page brief also raises concerns about the "stigmatic harms that children and partners of broken homes often suffer." Moreover, dissolving the links between marriage and "any historic marital norm besides consent, it would harm the state's material interests in providing children with stable ties to their own parents. It would undermine their right to be reared by their own parents whenever possible -- a right affirmed by the United Nations Convention on the rights of children.' In 2004, the Utah Legislature and the Utah electorate, by a margin of 60-40 percent, approved an amendment to the state Constitution that defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Plaintiffs Derek Kitchen and Moudi Sbeity, Laurie Wood and Kody Partridge, and Karen Archer and Kate Call challenged Amendment 3 in federal court in March 2013. Archer and Call joined the suit to have their Iowa marriage recognized in Utah. U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby overturned the Utah law in December, ruling it violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The state appealed Shelby's decision and obtained a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court, but not before about 1,300 same-sex couples were married in Utah over a 17-day period. The state of Utah appealed Shelby's decision to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. On June 25, the appellate court upheld the lower court ruling on a 2-1 decision. The State of Utah has asked the Supreme Court to take up the case on appeal. Meanwhile, the lower court ruling is hold. × Photos Related Links Related Stories |
What is cooler than a formal portrait of Neil Diamond? A formal portrait of Neil Diamond wearing leather fringe posed with my cat Lola. Yes, this is happening. Thanks to Neil, Lola, Photoshop, and a fabulous Uprinting canvas print, my latest acquisition will be the envy of all the neighborhood. Something tells me portraits of celebrities and cats is an untapped trend just waiting to explode! Now I know what you are thinking: Why Neil Diamond? It’s a long story. But it appears, whether I like it not, Neil Diamond is writing the soundtrack to my life. And given this fact, naturally, his image should hang in my dining room portrait collection along with other friends and family members. Also, he has really good eyebrows and they are a welcome presence on my wall. Plus, I saw him in concert last week and I was in the mood. Again, I know what you are thinking: That picture of Neil Diamond must have been taken 40 years ago, how’d your cat get in there? And how’d you get it blown up so big and fancy looking? Excellent questions. Let’s break it down: Tip For Photoshop Users: If you are seriously considering doing something similar at home, the secret to making it look real is to choose photos with no shadows or very little shadows at all, then shade a few small ones in with the burn tool. Nothing reads as phony as a ‘shop job with shadows from two different light sources. Just avoid them all together if possible. Also, I added a couple of sketching filters on top to help blend the two photos and make it look real *authentical and hand sketched on the canvas. *Spellchecker is telling me authetical is not a real word. Seriously, Spellchecker, we need to work on that. The whole concept for this piece came about when I was approached about trying out Uprint — an easy to use online printing service. They take your images and print them on everything from postcards to business cards to Tshirts and everything in between. It took me exactly 106 seconds to open, upload and order a 16×20″ rolled canvas print of my image, costing approximately $35.00, including shipping. Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Uprinting so I did not have to pay anything this time, but even if I did, I think $35 is a pretty great price for this quality of piece. Canvas prints start at under $14.00 and the canvas is nice and soft — not at all like the vinyl/plastic type of image printing I have ordered before or tried at home (several times actually — I’m dead serious y’all, this is good stuff). In fact, if I wasn’t amassing a portrait collection in the dining room, I would be tempted to sew this canvas into a pillow. Or tote bag. Is a Neil Diamond and Cat tote bag crossing the line? Would I be deemed a crazy person? Do I even care? This project has given me some ideas for custom gifts for friends and family members down the line. I have a friend from work who uses his “World’s Greatest Grandpa” mug like it’s going out of style — I’m thinking it would be fun to have it put on real official looking business cards with his contact information. Oh man, he would hand those out left and right. 16×20″ is a standard size frame — it was easy to find something snazzy at the thrift store for under two bucks! Many thanks to Uprinting for sponsoring this post, providing a great product, and most important– prompting me to create something special that will be treasured for years to come. No, seriously: Thank you. This was fun. Click here to order a Uprinting canvas print of your own. Connect with them on Facebook Twitter Pinterest. |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. manufacturing output increased for a second straight month in October amid gains in the production of motor vehicles and a range of other goods, suggesting that the battered factory sector was slowly recovering. SUVs move through the assembly line at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Arlington, Texas June 9, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Stone Other data on Wednesday showed a moderation in producer inflation last month. Still, the disinflationary impulse is ebbing as oil prices rise and the dollar’s rally fades, which could see an increase in price pressures in the coming months. The Federal Reserve said factory production rose 0.2 percent last month after a similar gain in September. Output was supported by a 0.9 percent rise in the production of motor vehicles and parts. There were also increases in the production of primary metals and computers and electronic products. “With the global economic backdrop more stable and growth set to pick up in the United States, we expect to see activity in the manufacturing sector improve a bit in the coming months,” said Tim Quinlan, a senior economist at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. The report added to a survey early this month showing a second straight month of expansion in factory activity in October. Manufacturing accounts for 12 percent of the U.S. economy. The sector has suffered a prolonged slump in the aftermath of the dollar’s surge between June 2014 and January this year, which has constrained exports. Activity has also been hurt by the collapse in oil drilling after oil prices plunged. Despite signs of improvement, gains in manufacturing output will likely remain modest against the backdrop of a still-strong dollar and sluggish global demand. Heavy machinery maker Caterpillar last month lowered its full-year revenue outlook for the second time this year. It said an “abundance” of used construction equipment, a “substantial” number of idle locomotives and a “significant” number of idle mining trucks had undercut demand. Longer-dated U.S. government bonds were trading higher, while the dollar was little changed against a basket of currencies. U.S. stocks fell marginally. MINING SHINES There was good news on the mining front. Mining production jumped 2.1 percent last month, the largest increase since March 2014, after slipping 0.4 percent in September. Oil and gas well drilling surged 9.0 percent, building on September’s 5.1 percent increase. Despite the gains in manufacturing and mining output, overall industrial production was unchanged last month as utilities tumbled 2.6 percent. Unseasonably warm temperatures last month reduced demand for heating. Economists also blamed the decline in utility production on Hurricane Matthew, which lashed the southeast of the country during the month, causing flooding and knocking out power lines. “The October numbers were likely biased downward by the Hurricane Matthew effect,” said Andrew Hollenhorst, an economist at Citigroup in New York. “We read today’s report as supportive of the idea that the industrial sector is stabilizing.” In a separate report on Wednesday, the Labor Department said its producer price index for final demand was unchanged last month as a rise in the cost of goods was offset by declining services costs. The PPI increased 0.3 percent in September. In the 12 months through October, the PPI increased 0.8 percent, the biggest gain since December 2014. That followed a 0.7 percent rise in September. Shoppers stand by the vegetables aisle inside a Fresh & Easy store in Burbank, California October 19, 2012. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni A key gauge of underlying producer price pressures that excludes food, energy and trade services dipped 0.1 percent after rising 0.3 percent in September. The so-called core PPI increased 1.6 percent in the 12 months through October, the largest rise since September 2014. That followed a 1.5 percent increase in September. “Despite the moderation this month, we expect PPI gradually to pick up and to feed through to a firming in consumer prices,” said Michael Gapen, chief economist at Barclays in New York. |
PO Box 175 Wisdom, MT 59761 (406) 689-3225 Fax (406) 689-3439 wdm3225@smtel.com Big Hole PetroleumPO Box 175Wisdom, MT 59761(406) 689-3225Fax (406) 689-3439 To those who don't know me, I was pretty indifferent about going to the gathering this year. A lot has happened in my life in the last year and I was sorely tempted to sit this one out, use the time to get caught up on sleep, yard work and dissertation writing. But I had already made plans and the path of least resistance was to go home and go I did. As always, I learned a lot about my family, my self and how to create peace and love in any situation. Every year teaches me a new lesson (or ten like this year) or reminds me about things I've learned and forgotten over the years. As always, I am honored to be part of this family and have so much love and thanks to everyone who was on the land in Montana and to all the family who couldn't make it but provided support from afar.To sum up this year's gathering, I felt like we had been pushing against a shut door for so long, that when the door opened, we all exploded through the door, landed on our faces and were a bit confused about what to do next. But once we realized that no one was going to try to kick us out, we picked ourselves up, wiped the mud off our faces and started relearning how to gather.All in all it was a loving, happy, wonderful gathering full of circles, councils, workshops and people sharing with each other. The sight of a thousand flashlights in the meadow searching for a lost child reminded us of how much we really love each other. When a special needs adult went missing, we rallied together, united our brain and muscle power, and took care of what needed to be done. For those who answered my call for help, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know people had other plans, but until each of us is safe, we can't council effectively. Our missing brother was in the hospital, is now getting the help he needs, and has reconnected with his family.There are so many amazing people in this family, I feel like one of the luckiest people alive to count you all as my brothers and sisters. So to start a few shout outs to folks who went above and beyond.My brother P who did fire watch all night long, night after night, mostly by himself and whose goal was to leave every situation with the folks around the fire thanking him for showing up. I lagged on getting you help but you dedicated yourself to educating family on fire safety in a loving way. If I hugged you from now to eternity, I could not convey my love and respect for you. Hopefully, next year we can make fire watch announcements at dinner circle nightly and provide a meet up spot so there are more folks involved.To my young sister D who took it upon herself to bridge communication gaps around the gathering and did so in spite of some pretty intense issues of her own, I feel honored to have spent time with you this gathering. I apologize for not creating the circle that was brought up in our conversation. So next year, in Nevada or Utah, let's get our grandmothers and grandfathers together and have a heart song circle in the home turf of the dirty kids where older people listen to what the younger family have to say. We all need each other and this business of pretending otherwise has got to stop.To my Sister S (B), your vision is true and your heart is stronger than your back. Please share the vision all year long so we can reclaim what we once all knew to be true. This gathering is full of folks who want to learn (and some who think they know it all). What ever happened before I got there, doesn't matter. I will walk with you anywhere anytime.To my other brother P, thank you for the wonderful Shanti Sena workshops. I've done it by the seat of my pants for years (which is how I do most things in life), but you were able to teach me some great new ways to frame problems and to help resolve them. You were focused and calm and created a space where people of different ages and skills could come together and share what we know with each other.To my brother J who pulled the night shift at CALM. Thank you for your quiet service. In a part of the gathering where egos fly, you care for this family and help us heal with no drama. And you're fun to have along on horse wrangling missions.To my brother DJ, you are strong and gentle and bring out the best in all of us. I am honored to be your friend and hope that next time around, I'm up for those more challenging missions. Your quiet and calm, but strong, presence is a lesson to us all that raised voices and hysterics don't help us keep the peace. I promise next year to make sure I'm up to those missions that require an abundance of love and nerves of steel.To my family at TP camp, I love you and hope to learn better communication skills so we can talk more effectively.To my brother DE who brought back breakfast circle and created a calm, grounded space in the meadow each day, thank you for your clarity of vision and your ability to get things done. Breakfast circle was awesome and I met a lot of wonderful family eager to learn more and plug into this crazy experiment in peace we call the Rainbow Gathering.To ND who hooked me up with all the right people when ever I needed it, thank you. Thanks for working on bring both sides of the gathering together. You are a peace creator!To be neighbor A, thank you for sharing your singing and chanting. You increased the peace where ever you went.To every gatherer who took the time to help somone in need by carrying something, sharing food, opening your heart or sharing a hug, one by one we are creating the peace, love and compassion we wish to see on this planet.To the USFS, you rock. Thank you for telling the folks at the town hall in Wisdom that we have a first amendment right to gather. Thank you for sitting in council with us and continuing to be part of the circle. You all are family. Welcome home!Finally, a bit shout out to the Beaverhead County Sheriff's department. When we needed you, someone came and was polite and respectful and helpful. You all are truly "peace officers."Now to a couple of things we could do better next time.........Having a regular, daily (but short) circle from day one on the site until July 1, would help us all stay in better communication about issues, concerns, problems, and solutions and I believe would help us respond more quickly to problems in our gathering. Maybe a daily check in at the Cooperations Space by INFO at Sunset (when most of the day's work is done) with people from each camp and kitchen stopping by and doing a quick one time pass the feather so each person can make a BRIEF announcement about logistical issues, problems starting to develop, or general camp news might help us all stay on top of the problems more effectively.Making sure to keep all family included in what's going on no matter how many or how few gatherings they have been too will help us all to be united in solving problems and creating the peace and love we want.As many have heard, a few people at the gathering have issues with violence and theavery. This situation was especially bad in dirty kid alley and too many of our young family were victims. More would have been except for prompt Shanti Sena response. But it's not enough, we need to make sure all our family have safe places to camp and hang out. We need to give all our family a place to let their guard down from the cruel world and be as children again, playing with each other and creating positive loving energy. We need to make sure that a few people don't prey on the rest of our family.As to the violence, there was too much violence and not enough kind, loving and appropriate Shanti Sena response -- especially during seed camp. My heart bleeds for the victims of senseless violence. My heart also hurts for family who were so scared they called the cops on other family. Next time one gatherer wants to press charges against another gatherer for legitimate reasons, please let's take the person out ourselves - that's the way we've been doing it for decades. Calling the cops and sending them in just diverts energy away from resolving the problem.If you're not familiar with Shanti Sena, there are a collections of great raps in this year's All Ways Free. If you didn't get a copy at the gathering, it's available on line. Being a good Rainbow means being kind and respectful to family no matter where you find them. Unfortunately, some of our family treated the town folks poorly. Some clueless family shoplifted at the grocery store in Wisdom. When they were caught, asked to put the stuff down and leave, one person got angry and broke a window. Not cool family! Shoplifting sucks and breaking windows is just plain mean. Thankfully, some conscious family paid for the window.The all-volunteer ambulance in Wisdom went on three runs without any financial compensation and on one run people cussed out the EMTs. WTF! I'm not sure how we deal with this family, but Ed Stede who owns the gas station is on the volunteer ambulance crew. If folks wanted to make cash donations to cover the out-of-pocket expenses the ambulance incurred taking care of gathering participants, one could send a check or money order with a memo of "for Rainbow ambulance costs" toAnd another thing folks, if you go to a small town and the shops are closed, DO NOT F&XN wake up the proprietors to serve you. When you're in town, be nice, polite and treat people with respect. Just cause folks look and dress different from you don't mean anything. When we are in very small towns, we have the ability to cause a huge negative impact. I love this family so much and am so saddened when my family can't treat other people with respect just cause they wear cowboy boots. We all got belly buttons and we all are family, iffen we know it or not. Be the change you want to see in this world. And if you're in town and some of our family isn't behaving properly, please take the time to address the issue to the best of your ability. Be a peace keeper everywhere you go.I've heard a lot of bitching and moaning from more experienced gatherers that not enough people are plugging in across the gathering. Well as far as I can see, people are ready and willing to help, they just need a bit of direction. So come out to dinner circle and announce where help is needed and how to plug in. Post meet up places on the message board at INFO. We need to be better about making sure folks in camp know where their energy is needed and once they get there to help, we need people on hand to get them started. I've haven't met so many first and second time gatherers wanting to learn and plug in at a gathering since before the times of the worst of the gathering/USFS strife.Peace ain't easy people. We are all learning how to do this. The stakes are high. If we can't learn to do it, what hope do we have for creating peace across the planet."The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them, changes both the maker and the destination."~ John Schaar |
Ranchi, Aug 24 (IANS) A shutdown has been called here Monday to protest the alleged torture of a national gold-medal-winning woman shooter to forcibly convert her to Islam by a man who married her while concealing his Muslim identity. “Many organisations have called for a shutdown in Ranchi on Monday. We demand CBI probe into the entire episode,” Ranchi BJP legislator C.P. Singh told reporters. He said: “Some high-profile people are involved in the case. The alleged person was moving in a car with a beacon light.” Many organisations on Sunday evening took out a torchlight procession, seeking justice for shooter Tara Sahdev. In her police complaint, Sahdeo said she got married in June to a person named Ranjit Kohli. She said the marriage was solemnised as per Hindu rituals. However, during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when people invited her husband for iftar, she came to know that her husband’s name was Rakibul Hussain after it was written on the invitation card. She alleged that Hussain and 20 other people forced her to change her religion. When she refused, she was allegedly beaten up and a dog was made to bite her. Sahdev alleged she was threatened with dire consequences if she told anyone about the conversion. She said she was kept under close vigil but when Hussain went to New Delhi Aug 19, she sent a message to her family members and was rescued. Jharkhand Women’s Commission chairperson Mahua Manjhi met Sahdeo Saturday and assured her of all help. “We heard her story and assured to help her. We hope police will investigate the case properly and take the culprit to task,” Manjhi said. The Shiv Sena has threatened a shutdown here Monday if Hussain, who is absconding, is not arrested. “We are investigating the case seriously. Hussain is on the run and his relatives are absconding. We have sealed his flat and seized three four-wheelers and a bike,” said Anup Birthare, Ranchi Superintendent of Police. |
Would you like to experience owning the body of another person? Perhaps the body of a person of another sex, age, size? Then this is the opportunity for you: body swapping in virtual reality! To give you an idea of how this may look, you can watch this short video. From reality to virtuality Virtual reality is a simulation that creates a virtual environment as convincingly as possible. Often the virtual environment resembles a real one. Usually, this is done with the help of a head-mounted display (see image 1), body tracking and other sensory input devices. All the sensory data is integrated in order to generate a virtual environment that a user can engage with. The person wearing the virtual reality headset is able to move freely and control stimuli in the simulated environment. There is an almost real-time response of the system to interaction with realistically shaded and textured 3D-objects, which creates a lifelike experience for the user. The aim of this technique is to create a sense of immersion so that one is under the impression of being physically present in the virtual world like normally being present in the real world. You may have experienced a similar feeling when watching a movie in the cinema or playing a video game on the computer. However this experience is only a fraction of what to expect from immersive virtual reality. By relating the experience to an individual’s own body and how it is represented in the brain, the impact can be even greater. Switching bodies – body transfer illusion As you might know a body transfer illusion can be created by multisensory integration via synchronously visual and tactile stimulation of a person’s body part and a corresponding fake body part. This illusion can easily be extended to virtual reality. In virtual reality, tactile stimulation on a person’s hidden real body part and synchronous stimulation on the observed virtual body part can induce the embodiment of the virtual body part. Additionally, the illusion can be evoked by simultaneous movements of the virtual and real body part. This is achieved by tracking the movements of the real body and transferring them to the virtual body that is seen through the head-mounted display. More importantly, in virtual reality illusory ownership over an entire virtual body can be induced. The full body illusion works best when having a first person perspective on the virtual body which means seeing the virtual body when looking down at oneself. Thus, the body is seen in a similar way to physical reality, creating an immersive experience in the virtual world and the feeling of ownership over an entire virtual body. This implies the feeling of the virtual body belonging to oneself and the perception of bodily sensations that are unique to this body. I’m sure you will have already come up with numerous ideas of what you would try to do in a virtual reality setting which allows for a body swap. Indeed, there are lots of situations to experience under the body ownership illusion in virtual reality. However, what most people do not think about is how this can help in treating certain disorders. How virtual reality can improve clinical therapy As virtual reality offers a controlled environment that is as lifelike as possible, it is very useful for research in neuroscience and clinical therapy. This technology can manipulate perception and consciousness, and therefore helps to study effects of body awareness and body representation. Specifically, the virtual body ownership illusion can help in treating eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. In these disorders patients have a disturbed body representation which is accompanied by body dissatisfaction. Usually, these patients are underweight, but overestimate their body size and have a negative feeling about their body. Multisensory body illusions are able to alter this misperception and result in an updated and improved experience of the own body. Virtual bodies can be modified regarding the shape and size of a physical body that serves as reference. For example, a body ownership illusion that is induced over a mannequin body that is slimmer than the actual body size of a healthy participant significantly decreases the perceived real body width and at the same time increases body satisfaction. This proposes a causal link between body perception and body satisfaction. As a result, illusory changes in body size via virtual reality can be used in clinical therapy. In anorexia nervosa patients, a decrease in overestimation of size of body parts such as shoulders, abdomen and hips was observed after experiencing a full body illusion over a body with healthy body mass index. This improvement of body image disturbance shows that the experience of body size is flexible and can be changed, even for emotionally relevant body parts. Furthermore, the virtual body swap has enduring implications for the body experience. A change in the memory of one’s own body can be induced. This means that participants in the illusory experience of a skinny body report a decreased estimation of body measures of their real body. Thus, there was an update of the long-term representation of their bodies. For the application in clinical therapy of eating disorders, this is a promising result. Reducing prejudices by altering social cognition Beyond clinical research, there are already some studies trying to investigate how social cognition might be affected by experiencing the embodiment of another body. The results suggest that bodily illusions which led to the feeling of ownership over a body that differed to the own body with respect to gender, age or race significantly reduced the implicit biases against the specific outgroup that was investigated. The changes of perceptual and affective body representations are a result of body ownership illusions and are related to the studies regarding eating disorders. Due to a perceived increase in physical similarity between the self and outgroup members, the implicit bias against the outgroup members is reduced. Positive self-associations are now linked to associations with the outgroup members which lead to positive concepts being related to the outgroup. Thus, prejudices and stereotypes could be weakened with the experience of body ownership illusions. What else is possible with virtual body ownership illusions? As we have seen, virtual reality really is able to affect our cognition. Not only can body representations be altered, but empathy towards outgroups can also be increased. However, the body transfer illusion can also be used in some other fascinating settings. For example, body swapping might be a really enjoyable feature in virtual reality videogames. Visual and tactile feedback from a first person perspective in a virtual environment offers multiple new possibilities for gaming adventures. Or think about the embodiment of additional body parts like three arms or four legs. Wouldn’t it be weird what you could do simultaneously with that many limbs? And how would it feel to own an arm that is twice as long as your usual arm? Some of these questions are answered by research in the field of phantom limb pain. Here the sensations belonging to a non-existing body part, the phantom limb, are investigated. The most popular thought may well be that of multi-destination beaming. Virtual reality might enable the embodiment of multiple bodies at different locations. As for my part, the experience to inhabit multiple bodies and being able to switch between them sounds great. All these imaginations could come true through body ownership illusions in virtual reality. They can help in understanding the brain and its body representations and be used in clinical treatment of certain disorders. Last but not least I recommend watching this entertaining video and checking out this research project on the topic outlined above. |
By Guest author According to a new report by Freedom House, web freedom across the globe declined for the sixth consecutive year. Turkey placed among the red-flag states in terms of web freedom in 2015-2016 and is now rated “not free” in “Freedom on the net 2016” report after repeated blocking of social media. The country’s status score is “61/100 not free” with 13/25 for obstacles to access, 21/35 for limits on content and 27/40 for violations of user rights. Turkey entered a state of emergency on 21 July 2016, and this will remain until 21 January 2017, if no further extensions are made by the government. Along with unprecedented attacks on media pluralism and prosecution of journalists, writers, academics and public servants after failed coup attempt, internet restrictions continue at an alarming rate in the country. Tensions heightened in the country following general elections in June and November of 2015 and a series of deadly terrorist attacks. Gag orders on the dissemination of images and videos of the bombings were introduced by the authorities, resulting in the blocking of hundreds of websites – over 100 000 websites were reportedly blocked as of 2016. Gag order blocking continues to increase, affecting a wide variety of political, social, and religious content. Access to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube was repeatedly throttled until the companies removed controversial content. Specific hashtags related to the bombing locations, like #Istanbul, #Ankara, and #Diyarbakir, were temporarily filtered from Instagram. Counterterrorism operations in the southeastern region of the country repeatedly resulted in the suspension of 3G networks, affecting millions of residents for days at a time. The most significant obstacle to internet access in Turkey remains the shutting down of telecommunications networks during security operations, mainly in the southeastern part of the country. These internet shutdowns are obvious violations of the right to information and access at a moment when internet access is of huge importance to individuals. Dozens of news agencies, media outlets and social media accounts covering Kurdish issues have been either blocked or shut down for allegedly promoting terrorist propaganda over the past year. The most recent social media blockage that also included virtual private network (VPN) restrictions occurred starting on 4 November. Alternative Informatics Association (Alternatif Bilisim) released an emergency notice for further dissemination and international coverage. This strategic operation was also planned at a specific time when detainment and arrest of dissident politicians took place in southeast Turkey. Turkey is consistently featured among the countries with the highest number of removal requests sent to Twitter. Of all of the tweets “withheld” by Twitter around the world in the second half of 2015, Turkey accounted for almost 90 percent. According to Transparency Report, requests from courts and government agencies reached 2211 and rose to 2493 in the first half of 2016. In each reporting period, Twitter indicated it complied in 23 percent of cases. Twitter did file a court case after being fined by the Turkish information and communications technology authority (BTK) for failing to remove “terrorist propaganda”. Over the past year, hundreds of Twitter users faced charges of insulting government officials, defaming President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, or sharing propaganda in support of terrorist organisations. In some cases, individuals, mostly journalists have been imprisoned. Privacy and data protection is also a sensitive issue in Turkey. Even though a new data protection law has been adopted, how this law will be implemented still remains a mystery with the dismissal of the Turkish Telecommunications Authority (TIB) and transfer of all authority to BTK. The Alternative Informatics Association issued a press release on the massive data leak in March 2016, including the addresses, identity numbers, and other personal information of almost 50 million Turkish citizens. Binali Yildirim, Transport and Communication Minister at the time, admitted that the breach appeared to date back to at least 2010. An expert stated that the data was taken from the government’s official Population Governance Central Database (MERNIS) around 2009 and later illegally sold to foreclosure firms. Active internet users and developers in Turkey were alarmed and shocked on 9 October 2016 when cloud storage services including Google Drive, Dropbox and Microsoft’s OneDrive as well as code hosting service GitHub were blocked by the government to suppress the leak of emails belonging to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak, who is the son-in-law of President Erdogan. The ban was lifted after 48 hours following the public protest and pressure by prominent actors of the digital market. Digital surveillance and cyber security measures are also worrisome for netizens in Turkey. Before the passage of the Homeland Security Act in March 2015, the law allowed Turkish security forces to conduct intelligence wiretapping for 24 hours in urgent situations without a court order. With the new law, the time limit was increased to 48 hours; the new requirement is that wiretapping officials notify their superiors. In addition, the Ankara High Criminal Court is solely authorised to decide whether the wiretapping is legitimate. It is necessary to mention that despite constitutional guarantees, most forms of telecommunication continue to be tapped and intercepted. With social media purported as a threat to national security, intrusive government surveillance and the proven use of sophisticated malware tools by law enforcement authority, internet freedom is on a very negative course in Turkey. Freedom on the net 2016: Silencing the messenger: Communication apps under pressure https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/freedom-net-2016 Freedom on the net 2016: Turkey, country profile https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2016/turkey To no one’s surprise, Erdogan backs extending Turkey’s state of emergency (29.09.2016) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/09/29/to-no-ones-surprise-erdogan-extends-turkeys-state-of-emergency-after-failed-coup/ New internet shutdown in Turkey’s Southeast: 8% of country now offline amidst Diyarbakir unrest (27.10.2016) https://turkeyblocks.org/2016/10/27/new-internet-shutdown-turkey-southeast-offline-diyarbakir-unrest/ Emergency notice: Internet blockages in Turkey https://www.alternatifbilisim.org/wiki/Emergency_notice:_Internet_blockages_in_Turkey Transparency report: Turkey https://transparency.twitter.com/en/countries/tr.html Twitter sues Turkey over ‘terror propaganda’ fine http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/twitter-sues-turkey-terror-propaganda-fine-160107173150687.html Journalist detained in Turkey over tweets http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/journalist-detained-in-turkey-over-tweets.aspx?pageID=238&nID=98552&NewsCatID=341 Turkey blocks Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and GitHub to stop email leaks http://thenextweb.com/asia/2016/10/10/turkey-reportedly-blocks-google-drive-dropbox-onedrive-github-stop-email-leaks/ National Security Council under Erdoğan updates top secret national security “book” http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/national-security-council-under-erdogan-updates-top-secret-national-security-book.aspx?pageID=238&nID=81757&NewsCatID=338 EDRi: Turkey: “The worst menace to society” helps to defeat the coup (Contribution by Asli Telli Aydemir, EDRi member Alternative Informatics Association, Turkey) |
Current Events Green Lantern Corps Annual #1 served as the final entry in the story arc for The Rise of the Third Army. Guy Gardner travels to find Kilowog in subterranean Oa and reacquired his ring. At the same time reinforcements of Lanterns arrive and offer their support (including Soranik Natu.) Elsewhere John Stewart and Fatality are on Mogo and witnessing its rebirth after previously being destroyed in the War of the Green Lanterns story arc. Guy leads a diversionary attack on Oa and engages the Guardians of the Universe in a brief battle before the arrival of the New Guardians (including Carol Ferris and Kyle Rayner), the Manhunters and the Red Lanterns. The combined power is too much for the Guardians to deal with so they instead tap the power of the First Lantern. The result is a surge of power to which the outcome is unknown. Origin Mogo is a sentient planetoid, the largest of any Green Lantern officer, that is often referred to as male but is eventually identified as female. When Mogo desires to do so, its affiliation with the Green Lantern Corps is marked by moving the foliage around its equator into a green band with a Green Lantern symbol in the middle. Creation Mogo's first appearance was in Green Lantern #188 (May 1985), in a story entitled "Mogo Doesn't Socialize" written by Alan Moore. Character Evolution Fatality and Stewart discuss Mogo's fate and gender. Mogo has gone from being a background character (sometimes not even really regarded as a sentient character at all) to a living and sentient member of the Green Lantern Corps. She was destroyed in the story arc War of the Green Lanterns (which additionally caused friction among certain Green Lantern members.) In the story arc the Rise of the Third Army, after Fatality and John Stewart witness her rebirth she is identified as a female for the first time. Later in the story Dead World, Raga calls Mogo his brother when he tells of how Mogo killed him. It is unclear is this was a editing mistake or if Mogo has changed sexes since the events happened in the past. Major Story Arcs In its early appearances, Mogo is not a social Green Lantern - hence the title "Mogo Doesn't Socialize" - and its interactions with the rest of the DC Universe are not well-documented - allowing for any and all retcons. It avoids announcing its presence, preferring to represent itself using holograms. In Mogo's first appearance, it is explained that the planet-sized Mogo's gravitational field would wreak havoc on any other planet it would try to "visit"; hence Mogo "doesn't socialize." Although, Mogo has shown the ability to control its gravitational force so this may just be a convenient fact for Mogo to exploit and remain secluded. Mogo the Living Planet Bolphunga the Unrelenting was one of Mogo's first direct adversaries; having tracked the mythical Green Lantern Mogo to the planet where he apparently 'resided', Bolphunga spent years searching the planet for Mogo, searching for any sign of a power ring, until closer examination of patterns in the foliage prompted him to realize that Mogo was, in fact, the planet he was on. He soon fled after discovering this. Mogo once sent holograms to purchase Lobo's dolphins. When Lobo tried to retrieve them, a Mogo hologram persuaded him not to. Lobo never discovered he was dealing with a sentient planet. At the same time, Mogo has allowed alien races to live on its surface and has been willing to change its climatic conditions to suit them. These inhabitants of Mogo may not always know that their home is alive and watching. Emerald Twilight, Dormancy, and Rebirth When Parallax, who was at that time inhabiting the body of Hal Jordan, destroyed the power battery on Oa and killed the Guardians, Mogo lost contact with the willpower energy that helped sustain him. He traveled to Sector 1014 to seek the aid of Green Lantern Ch'P, unaware that his friend had died long ago. Having relied on the emerald energy of the power battery to sustain him, Mogo lost consciousness and drifted through Sector 1014 until he was discovered by a nomadic alien race. These aliens proceeded to strip Mogo of his natural resources and pollute his environment. Mogo's body reacted instinctively, creating constructs to hinder the aliens' efforts to exploit his resources. Mogo was finally rescued by the last Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, who used his power ring to reawaken the sleeping giant. Mogo offered to allow the aliens to settle on him and offered to take care of all their needs, but the stubborn beings chose to abandon their settlements. Mogo later revealed to Rayner that he was relieved the aliens had left, and that he had planned to give them terrible weather in retaliation for their pollution. Mogo appeared in Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #2, requesting back-up against Rannian and Thangarian forces. Green Lanterns Rayner, Guy Gardner, Stel, and Green Man were dispatched to clear out the enemy fleets, and then enjoyed a respite on Mogo's surface (which Guy quips that Mogo wants to socialize). With the Corps rebuilt again, many Lanterns gain partners. Mogo teams up with Bzzd, an insect-sized Lantern. Bzzd was killed battling Mongul II. With the restoration of the Green Lantern Corps, Mogo has taken on the role of a training and recreation planet for his fellow Green Lanterns. Soranik Natu, Rayner (arguably the closest modern Lantern to Mogo), and other Lanterns have traveled to his sector to ask for his help. Infinite Crisis Mogo played a role in the conclusion of the Infinite Crisis, in which the Green Lantern Corps, Superman, and Kal-L plan to stop the villainous Superboy-Prime. The Supermen took the deluded Superboy-Prime into the red sun Rao in a desperate gamble to depower him. With their powers waning, the Kryptonians crash land on Mogo who had teleported into their flight path to catch them. Superboy is defeated by Kal-El, but Kal-L died of his injuries. After the fight, the rest of the Green Lantern Corps, who had suffered fatalities themselves, take Superboy-Prime into custody. Mogo would later express his regret over the loss of many corpsmen to Hal Jordan. In 52 #41, as Adam Strange and Starfire's ship hurtled towards a sun, Mogo appeared and rescued them. Prophecy and Sinestro Corps War In Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #2, a prophecy narrated to Abin Sur suggests that Mogo will be the last Green Lantern. In a battle with the " Empire of Tears", Ranx the Sentient City will explode a blink-bomb within Mogo's core, killing the sentient planet and ending the Green Lantern Corps forever. Ending Mogo would be a devastating blow to the Corps, as readers learned in Sinestro Corps War. In Green Lantern Corps #11, Mogo showed Kilowog images of his dead species, pushing him into madness and hate against the Green Lantern Corps. He then started tampering with the minds of the Lanterns seeking advice and counseling, in the form of illusions granted by Mogo's powers, framing Gardner for killing and pitting the Lanterns against each other. This behavior was caused by the virus Despotellis of the Sinestro Corps, and according to Gardner was actually unnoticed by the planet, who was immune to the fungus himself (stated by Green Man in issue #13). After the fungus made itself known by drilling towards Mogo's core, the sentient planet proceeded to shift its orbit into the path of an asteroid whose impact noticeably scars Mogo but eradicates the fungus, whose remnants are destroyed by the other Lanterns. The Sinestro Corps attacked Mogo with Ranx, who started to drill into the planet, with the intention of planting the blink bomb. While defending Mogo, Arisia explained that Mogo is responsible for guiding Lantern power rings without users to those who can overcome great fear, and says that "without him, the rings are directionless." In a sense, no Lanterns would exist without Mogo. Thanks to Sodam Yat, as well as a change in the Book of Oa permitting the Lanterns lethal force against the Sinestro Corps, Ranx is destroyed and the Sinestro Corps are driven from Mogo. Blackest Night During Blackest Night, Oa is attacked by Black Lanterns. During the attack, Salaak decreed that all rings from fallen Green Lanterns should be sent to Mogo, so as not to endanger the lives of potential rookies. Soranik Natu then sent all injured patients in the fight to Mogo, but got sidetracked by Kyle Rayner being attacked by a Black Lantern Jade. She sends her partner Iolande to Mogo with the patients alone instead. Mogo shows up at Oa to help in the battle against the Black Lanterns with Kilowog stating "I guess Mogo does socialize after all," another, common tip of the hat to Moore's origin story. Mogo increases his gravity to such a degree that all of the Black Lanterns are pulled down to his surface and absorbed into his core. The superhot green magma, which has led fans to speculate a connection between Mogo and the Starheart, within continually burns up the Black Lantern's bodies, keeping them from regenerating their forms. Mogo describes this as, "They will burn, for all eternity." Following the successful imprisonment and destruction of the Black Lanterns, Mogo and the rest of the Green Lantern corps along with Munk and Miri faced the wrath of a red ring–possessed Guy Gardner. While Miri, a Star Sapphire, attempted to reconnect Guy back to his humanity it is ultimately Mogo who manages to purge the infection of the red light. However, he warned that some influence of the red still remains, and that only a Blue Lantern's power ring could completely remove the influence of the red ring. Mogo creates a tree which is a memorial to all of the dead green lanterns. War of the Green Lanterns Death of Mogo After Krona restored the yellow impurity of the Green Lantern Rings to control all the green lanterns, Mogo started releasing all the spare rings he had to increase Krona's army. John Stewart and Kyle Rayner tried to break him free from Krona's control using the blue light of hope, but were unable to because of the Black Lantern energies still contained in him from Blackest Night. Realizing that Mogo was too far gone to be saved, John tapped into the Black Lantern energies and teleported out of Mogo. He then fired the black lantern energy at Mogo's brain, killing him. The Rise of the Third Army After the Guardians of the Universe trick Guy Gardner and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps to turn on the Alpha Lanterns, Green Lantern Jonathon Stewart is sent on a mission off-world to possibly revive Mogo. He is joined by a Violet Love Lantern Yrra, and in the Green Lantern Corps Annual #1, Mogo starts reforming itself. The Guardians sensing that Mogo is reforming, sends more Third Army Minions to corrupt it and Jonathon Stewart. Mogo starts pulling in pieces of itself and Yrra and Stewart toward it's core, frightening both of the other Lanterns. They relax when they see that Mogo did so to destroy the Third Army Minions. It was at this time Mogo fully reformed itself and joined other Green Lanterns in their fight against the Guardians. With it's and Stewart's arrival to Oa, the Green Lantern Corps were able mount a successful push against the Guardians. The Guardians feeling threatened in the battle, resort to drawing more power from their secret source, the First Lantern Volthoom. This then inadvertently caused the Volthoom to break free from his cage. Wrath of the First Lantern Dead World For more information see: Green Lantern: New Guardians #31 In a flash back it is revealed that Mogo had brother and sisters, but most were killed by the inhabitants that they called to themselves. Mogo's brother Raga, decided to self preserve himself and killed all his inhabitants, and what was worse he was going to replace all worlds with himself. Mogo could not allow this and killed Raga, with a blast from his ring. Future In Legion of Three Worlds #2, it is revealed that in the 31st century Mogo has been long dead and without him, there is no way to distribute the rings and thus no Green Lantern Corps aside from lone lantern Sodam Yat. Other versions In the Green Lantern Vs. Aliens limited series, Mogo was also the adopted home of a group of Aliens. It seems that years ago, Hal Jordan and a group of fellow Green Lanterns were charged with dealing with these Xenomorphs following the death of a Green Lantern, and Hal Jordan wanted to avoid killing them if possible, believing that they were just animals, and thus were not evil. His solution was to deposit them on Mogo, where they would be a threat to no one and would be able to live. Years after that, however, Kyle Rayner and other Green Lanterns, including Salaak traveled to Mogo to rescue the crew of a crashed freighter. This was Rayner's first encounter with the sentient planet, although he didn't speak to Mogo directly. Most of the GL squad did not survive. However, due to its non-canon nature (as evidenced by the dead GLs showing up alive later), in their next encounter, Rayner does not remember this event. Powers and Abilities Mogo is the wielder of a Green Lantern Power Ring which enables him to accomplish a variety of effects. The Green Lantern Ring allows Mogo to manipulate its energies through the use of willpower. The Green Lantern Ring gives Mogo the following abilities: Animating: A Green Lantern can will things to move how he wants. Artificial Intelligence: Every ring has a connection to the Main Battery on Oa, which taps into an artificial intelligence. It acts as an "on-board computer," telling the wearer what they need to know. It can either respond out loud, or silently directly to the wearer's mind. The AI contains a large database of information that may be crucial to a Lantern's success. The ring also translates nearly every language to and from the wearer (though they have difficulty translating profanity), which is why the Corps can communicate with each other. When the bearer of a Green Lantern ring dies, the ring will seek out a suitable replacement for their sector. The AI can be used to play a holographic playback sequence complete with colors across the spectrum based on information in memory banks. The ring can dictate when to pause or stop the playback should an interruption arise where the Lanterns undivided attention is needed. The AI can also alert the wielder of incoming threats or of attempts to manipulate the wielders construct by an outside party. Burglar Alarm: A Green Lantern can coat anything with the ring's beam and thus, if anyone other than himself touches it, his ring will glow, alerting him to the possible theft. Communicator: The ring can act as a personal communicator between Green Lanterns. They have also been seen connected to telephones. Costumes: The wearer of the ring may create any costume they choose, based on their personal preferences, whenever they choose. The ring projects the costume over any clothes already worn at the time. Energy Projection: The rings can also project beams, form protective bubbles and force fields, and fire destructive blasts. Sometimes, depending on the wearer, the beams and blasts make sounds. Kilowog's ring is one such example of blasts making sounds. Energy Constructs: The rings can construct anything the wearer can imagine from hard-light energy, as long as they are willing to make it. The more determined the wearer is, the more complex and intricate these things can be. The constructs can even be so complex as to form working machines, computers, and even people. Flight: The ring allows the wearer to fly in atmosphere or in space, and can achieve incredible speeds, moving from planet to planet in a matter of hours. Invisibility: The ring can make the wearer or anything else invisible. Matter Manipulation: A Green Lantern can use their ring to manipulate nearby matter, such as water, for various purposes such as a construct that acts like an energy construct but can block something yellow and may serve a purpose that an energy construct couldn't perform. Mind Control: The wearer of the Ring can use it to plant post hypnotic commands or control a person. Mirages: The Ring can create mirages/illusions. Phasing: The ring allows the user to go through walls. Power Absorbing: In the JLA's first fight with Amazo, it was GL who defeated him by drawing out all of Amazo's powers. In Green Lantern/ Silver Surfer: Unholy Alliances, Kyle defeated Parallax with SS' power and Thanos with Oa's energy by drawing out all that extra energy from them which made them unconscious. However he couldn't hold all that power nor could his Ring like Hal did with Amazo's powers, so that move isn't often used with so much power. Probing: The ring can probe the Lantern's or another person's mind, allowing him to uncover memories or the person's thoughts. Radiation: Besides light based radiation used to create the energy constructs associated with a Green Lantern, the ring can simulate various forms of radiation. One example of this is the ability to simulate the radiation of Green Kryptonite, a form of radiation that is harmful to Superman. However, this ability is no longer valid and has been retconned. Recharging: The rings need to be recharged by means of a Power Battery. Other large sources of power may be used to recharge a power ring, however effectiveness may vary. The internal power source of a Manhunter Android is, in effect, the same as a power battery, and can be used to recharge a power ring. During the JLA / Avengers crossover, a Cosmic Cubewas used to recharge a depleted ring, although this is not an ideal solution and is available if there are no other options. Ring Duplication: Each ring can duplicate itself, creating a second ring which may be given to another as a backup, for protection, or to help the lantern in times of great need. This duplicate ring is exactly like a normal ring. Temperature Control: The Ring can increase or decrease the temperature of anything, even something as large as stars, or even create bubbles of intense heat or cold, even down to Absolute Zero. Transforming: The ring can transform anyone or anything, be it into an animal, altering their state of appearance, or their size. Once Hal and Alan turned the two Flashes ( Barry and Jay) to light protons in order to free them from prisons. Electro-magnetic scanning: The ring can allow(through the use of x rays) the user to see through walls, without the people on the other side knowing. it can also scan along the Electromagnetic spectrum. Wormhole/Warps: The ring can open wormholes to cut down on distance. Time travel: The ring allows the wielder the ability to travel through time, though the process requires great willpower. Healing: A wielder can command a ring to heal him/her/itself of any injures incurred. It can also heal others. Energy twin: The ring can create an energy copy of the wielder which is connected to the ring wielder, any information the twin gathers is transferred to the wielder upon touch while others cannot see this twin apart from fellow Green Lanterns. Pocket dimension: Within the ring is a pocket dimension which can altered to the wielders specification. It can be used to contain opponents. Sub-routines: The power rings have inner programmings or mechanisms which can executed without the users permission. One such sub-routine is the autoshield. This shield automatically protects a wielder from external harm and has been proven to be capable of protecting the wielder from planetary level attacks. Radiation: Besides light based radiation used to create the energy constructs associated with a Green Lantern, the ring can simulate various forms of radiation. One example of this is the ability to simulate the radiation of Green Kryptonite, a form of radiation that is harmful to Superman. However, this ability is no longer valid and has been retconned. Time travel: The ring allows the wielder the ability to travel through time, though the process requires great willpower. Mogo can also alter his weather and surface conditions such as plant growth, and travel through space at faster-than-light speeds. Mogo has a form of sensory or extrasensory awareness of what is happening around and on it. However, apparently his powers and even consciousness are partially dependent on a constant supply of the energy from a Green Lantern power battery. Mogo also telepathically guides the Green Lantern Power rings to their bearer. Weaknesses Mental Incapacitation: The ring cannot be wielded correctly if the wearer is under the influence of drugs or if there is an involvement of neural interference. Yellow Impurity: In the beginning the Green Ring was vulnerable to the color yellow. It was unable to defend against attacks from wielders of the Sinestro Corps as well. This weakness however has now be changed and can be overcome by veterans who have the ability to overcome great fear. Hal Jordan was of the first of the Green Lanterns to show that this weakness could be overcome. Recharge: Previously had to be recharged every 24 hours or when it has been depleted of energy. This can be accomplished if the bearer of the ring recites an oath into his power lantern while holding the ring to it. However now, the power ring only needs to be recharged when it runs out of energy. Sinestro stated to Hal that it was possible for a Green Lantern to store his.her battery in a pocket Universe and take it with them wherever they went but so far Hal has not displayed the ability to do this. Red Lantern Corps. Bearers of the red ring have the ability to drain a Green Power Ring of its energy. The ring of a Blue Lantern however has the ability to charge a Green Lantern Ring or negate this negative effect. Blue Lanterns rings also have the ability to purge the negative effects that a Red Lanterns Ring can cause upon the wielder of a Green Lantern Ring. Ability To Kill: One of the main weaknesses of the Power Rings that greatly disturbed Sinestro was the fact that the bearers of the Green Lantern Ring were unable to kill. Recently however, this restriction on the rings has been lifted but murder is still against the law of the GL Corps. This restriction was lifted by the Guardians of the Universe during the War of the Green Lanterns. Other Media Mogo appears and plays a key role in the Batman: The Brave and The Bold episode "The Eyes of Despero." Despero takes control of Mogo as part of his plan. It is later freed by G'nort. Here, Mogo exhibits an increased control of his land mass similar to what he exhibits in Blackest Night. Mogo appears in Green Lantern Emerald Knights which recounts his conflict with Bolphunga the Unrelenting. Mogo appears in Green Lantern: The Animated Series where Hal and his team are looking for the owner of a power ring before an asteroid hits. Hal figures out that the planet is the possessor of the ring and drilling into the core of the planet drops the ring in, which Mogo then uses to destroy the asteroid, thanking Hal for giving him the power to protect himself and declaring himself their ally. Mogo also shows a habit of acting as a prison for criminals who crash on him. |
Even with the heavyweight championship at stake, most of the hype as well as interest in UFC 203, came from the unique story of former pro wrestling superstar C.M. Punk making his UFC debut. The story told is that this was a major star making millions who left his former business because he wanted to try MMA. Unlike pro wrestlers who went into MMA with major fanfare like Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley, Punk had no pedigree as an amateur wrestling champion, or any athletic credentials to speak of. He never played sports in high school. He had taken a few martial arts classes as a kid an trained at times with Rener Gracie in Jiu Jitsu. After nearly two years of training, broken up by both shoulder and back surgeries, he went into the UFC cage, and reality struck. Two years of extreme dedication, training at a good gym and having mental toughness wasn't enough to overcome starting out training for the sport at 36 and debuting just before his 38th birthday. He moved to Milwaukee, did two-a-days, earned the respect of the real fighters in his gym, and battled through the wear-and-tear of the 200-matches per year and intense travel schedule in pro wrestling had take out of his body. Punk had considered strongly making the move in 2011, but he had his best years with the WWE after making the decision to sign one more three-year-contract. Because of how successfully he was financially, which allowed him to dedicate himself to MMA at the level he did, he came short of saying he wished he'd have made the move in 2011. In an article he penned before the fight in The Players Tribune, Punk was succinct in why he was doing MMA. "My reasons for pursuing MMA were simple. First off, it's something I've always wanted to do. More important, it makes me happy." When Punk walked to the ring, the common belief was he was walking towards a physical execution, similar to when Nobuhiko Takada, a huge star from the pro wrestling world, took a major payday in 1997 and knew reality would strike his tough-guy aura dead as he stepped into the ring with Rickson Gracie at the Tokyo Dome. But there was a huge difference. Takada looked like a going to the gallows. Punk had a big smile on his face. Even after losing, he called it the second greatest day of his life, trailing only his wedding day, which is not what most fighters say after losing badly in their UFC debut. A lot of questions have been raised in hindsight. Should UFC have signed Punk in the first place? Should Ohio have allowed the fight? Should they have picked Mickey Gall as his opponent? Should they have put a stop to it themselves when the word was out that Punk, while having a great attitude, was struggling in training? All of these can be debated. It happened and the fight went largely as most expected. The untold story of the fight was the decision to put Gall as the opponent. Under normal circumstances, when somebody with a name comes into a fight sport, whether they be an actor or celebrity or star from another sport, promoters will try to find an opponent they could most likely beat. There are exceptions, such as in Japan, where a hyped newcomer losing ones first fight to a name opponent is considered part of the process. The UFC took a different tact. In picking Gall, it was clear they were trying to create a win/win. If Punk would have won, they were fine, as he'd fight again. If he didn't win, they had someone who they could follow-up with. Gall took every advantage of his lottery ticket when it came to marketing. He was put in the spotlight, and in the buildup, came out of it with more name recognition than most fighters on the roster today. The jury is out on whether he'll become a good fighter, as wins over Mike Jackson and Punk really give any insight as to what level of fighter he is, or what potential he'll have. Plus, a 24-year-old formerly unknown rookie fighter thrust into the spotlight and becoming a star can go many different ways. The contrast is how Strikeforce handled Herschel Walker. Now, Walker, even starting nearly a decade older than Punk, was in a different universe as an athlete. But he was put in with opponents that he was expected to beat. Had Walker stumbled, there would have been no stars made off his name, nor was that ever the goal. The goal was to take a famous guy who was rich and had the itch to be a fighter and use him to bring fans to the product. For the UFC, the short-term goal was to use Punk's notoriety to make money, but the long-term goal was to create a scenario where the house wins no matter what the outcome. So the question becomes, what is next for Punk? Punk seemed adamant he still wants to fight. He made it clear he loves the sport and said a lot of inspirational words about not wanting to give up on a challenge that almost nobody in his position would ever take. He was a guy who was motivated by proving critics wrong, and put himself in a position where the odds were his critics would seemingly have the last laugh. Yet, in the end, even in losing, the vast majority were respecting for him in trying. He lost the fight, but as an individual, came out of it as anything but a loser. Dana White strongly hinted afterwards that if Punk fought again, UFC wouldn't be the place. And that was the initial gut reaction, that for a fighter at his skill level, the UFC is not the place for him. In 2010, the UFC cut Kimbo Slice after two fights even though he was a huge star and drew eyeballs like few others, once it was clear he couldn't hang at the UFC level. Today's Punk is nowhere near the 2010 Slice. A key, which we don't know the answer to yet, is, from a business standpoint, did this experiment work? Saturday's UFC 203, based on the lineup, probably would have done in the range of 250,000 to 300,000 buys on pay-per-view if you take Punk out of the equation. Any number above that should be attributed to Punk. Some people may have wanted to follow his journey. Some were ardent fans of his from pro wrestling. Some may have just been curious. There was interest to the extent that there were 1.2 million Google searches related to UFC 203 over the weekend, when the normal range of a show of that caliber would have been between 200,000 and 500,000. Will that correlate to pay-per-view? Almost every time a UFC event hits the 1 million search mark, the pay-per-view numbers end up very strong, so preliminary indications are good. Will they stay interested? With something like this, the first one is going to be the biggest, and even more so in this case because of how the first one went. But if the UFC were to release Punk, and he still wants to fight, a Bellator/Punk relationship makes all the sense in the world. Bellator will, if nothing else, give him a more favorable match-up, and Punk fighting on free television for the first time, and probably a time or two after that, will likely do big numbers. So does UFC want to hand a legitimate drawing card over to the opposition? Another possible direction for Punk would be Rizin, as he's the kind of fighter that fits into that organization. They could probably match him with another name pro wrestler and draw a lot of attention. If Rizin insists on using Kazushi Sakuraba at this stage, Punk, if nothing else, makes for a marketable and intriguing opponent. Keep in mind that I think it's criminal that Rizin still uses Sakuraba as a fighter at this stage, but if they were insistent on still using him for their New Year's Eve show, Punk would be as perfect an opponent as there could be. So let's look at how Fortunes Changed for Five Stars of UFC 203: STIPE MIOCIC - UFC 203 was looking an overall downer of a show, unfortunate because the sellout crowd for the debut at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland was enthusiastic from the start. But the main event saved it. Miocic (16-2), the hometown favorite, survived being rocked early to score a first-round knockout over Alistair Overeem. The incredible reaction of the hometown fans to the champion retaining brought back memories of seeing Georges St-Pierre beating Matt Serra in Montreal or Randy Couture beating Tim Sylvia for his final heavyweight championship. While Fabricio Werdum pushed hard for a title rematch after beating Travis Browne that night, Werdum's battle was not just beating Browne, but looking more impressive than Cain Velasquez did against Browne at UFC 200. The clear edge went to Velasquez (14-2), and that should be the next heavyweight title contender. Werdum has an argument that he beat Velasquez when they met and thus should be the rightful No. 1 contender. But in their most recent fights, Velasquez looked far more impressive. It's not a no-brainer decision, but Miocic vs. Velasquez is a first-time match-up, and one could make a great case that it's also a battle between the two best heavyweights in the sport. FABRICIO WERDUM - If Werdum (21-6-1) doesn't get the title match, his next opponent should be Josh Barnett (35-8). Barnett is coming off a submission win over Andrei Arlovski the previous week, so the timing matches up. It's also a very intriguing fight. Both are about the same age, Werdum being 39 and Barnett being 38. Both are solid as strikers and excellent on the ground. Barnett may be the only heavyweight on the active roster who wouldn't be leery of going to the ground with Werdum. And the winner would have every right to be the next title contender. ALISTAIR OVEREEM - Overeem (41-15, 1 no-contest) is in the unique situation that almost every top heavyweight on the UFC roster except Velasquez would be someone he's faced before, whether it would be Junior Dos Santos, Ben Rothwell, Browne, Arlovski, Mark Hunt, Roy Nelson or even Brock Lesnar. Overeem has never faced Barnett, but this isn't the right time for that fight. He's also never faced Derrick Lewis (16-4). But as far as a marketable fight of sluggers for right now, I'd go with Hunt (12-11-1, 1 no contest) since they haven't met since 2008. MICKEY GALL - Gall (3-0) was ready after his fight to issue a challenge to Sage Northcutt (8-1). It's really the perfect opponent at this stage of the game for both fighters. Gall, from New Jersey, also asked for it to be in Madison Square Garden, but it might not happen at that venue because of Northcutt's staph infection. Gall put himself on the map in calling out Punk, and he's become a perfect example of a guy who would have likely been an unknown fighter for several more years whose aggressive callouts put him, and now should keep him in the spotlight. JIMMIE RIVERA - You rarely see 20-1 records in the UFC. Rivera dominated a potential future Hall of Famer in Urijah Faber, in winning a straight 30-27 decision on Saturday. Rivera's record, and the Faber win, should get him a shot at either Bryan Caraway (21-7) or former champion T.J. Dillashaw (13-3). With it looking like Dominick Cruz will next defend the bantamweight title against Cody Garbrandt, it leaves Dillashaw without an opponent. Rivera vs. Dillashaw is a perfect match for both, because no matter the result, the winner could very viably claim the next title shot. |
In a major legal victory for Montblanc Simplo GmbH, the German manufacturer of luxury writing instruments, the Delhi High Court has restrained an e-commerce platform from manufacturing, selling, advertising, directly or indirectly dealing in writing instruments, wallets, watches, leather goods, jewellery or any other goods bearing the trademark of the company. Advocate Pravin Anand, appearing on behalf of Montblanc, alleged the portal was selling fake products of its premier collections at a lower price. The counsel said due to sale of the counterfeit products from various collections and range, the company had suffered loss in business and also loosing of reputation and image and confidence and trust of their client. It was in July 2013 that the German manufacturer came to know through its Indian sales unit that a Chandigarh-based ecommerce site with the domain name digaaz.com was selling counterfeit products at a discounted rate of 75 per cent. Discrepancies The company also sought damages worth Rs 20,05,000, which were however, denied by the court that observed that it could not prove the extent of actual damages they suffered due to this. To nail the act, the company purchased the writing instrument from the portal and examined it. It found out that the price of original MEISTERSTUCK CLASSIQUE that cost around Rs 30,000 was being sold at Rs 6,860. It pointed out that there were several discrepancies in the look of the product like difference in the colour combination, inferior quality being used. It said that even the trademarks were infringed. Montblanc and Louis Vuitton moved Delhi High Court in 2014 to restrain it from selling their products. In its order, the court took cognizance of the numerous consumer complaints and allegations of fraud against the portal and granted interim injunction in favour of Mont Blanc and Louis Vuitton. The court also directed the registrar of the domain name digaaz.com and the internet service provider providing hosting services to the website to suspend the domain name and the website, respectively. After several complaints from the customers, the cyber crime cell of Chandigarh Police in 2014 filed an FIR under Section 406,420 IPC & 66 AIT Act of PS-39. The police had also seized good number of counterfeit products from the portal and also arrested the directors of the portal. Previous cases Earlier, several other brands such as Hermes, Cartier and Gucci have also earlier resorted to legal recourse to protect their brands from cheap lookalikes. A fashion insider said, "A lot of fakes are linked to underground mafia which is related to terrorism, women and child trafficking. It is not as harmless as it seems." According to an Assocham, the fake luxury goods market in India is reportedly increasing at a rate of 40-45 per cent annually. The industry body noted that web shopping portals account for over 25 per cent of the fake luxury goods market in India. Handbags, watches, sunglasses, perfumes and cosmetics are the most imitated products and come largely from China. |
Rochester, New York, until a few years ago, had relegated my caffeine fulfillment to iced teas in my friend Dan’s kitchen. Now don’t get me wrong—iced tea is delicious—but this charming, mid-size Rust Belt city, famous for lilacs, contact lenses, and obsolete camera film, had a void. A cold, ceramic void, just waiting to be filled with delicious, hot coffee to help its denizens get through the harsh winter months. As of late 2015, we’re happy to report that the caffeinated tides have turned in Rochester. Not only are there established specialty cafes, but everything from pop-up cafes and local roasters to folks representing Rochester in the United States Brewers Cup. We offer you here a quick tour of the city’s finer coffee offerings, with more surely to come as the taste for quality coffee in Rochester continues to accumulate like a drift of lake-effect snow. Pour Coffee Parlor Pour Coffee Parlor may be Rochester’s most chic coffee establishment right now, and not just because it has “parlor” in the name. Possessing atmosphere both serious and college-town-y, its flagship location (just off of Park Avenue, right behind another coffee shop!) walks the line between a fancy, by-the-cup place and a more democratic coffee hangout with a vintage sofa and lots of laptop camping. Coffee comes from their affiliated roaster, Glen Edith, as well as a cast of rotating outsiders, and is served alongside waffles, nitro cold brew, local beer on draft, and wine. The Pour team recently opened a second location, under the name Glen Edith—named such as it will only proffer its eponymous beans—in the NOTA community. A sleek white Slayer anchors the bar here at the Somerton Street shop, adorned with a tribute to the company’s vehicular mascot, the “Bean Cruiser,” a 1986 Toyota van. Something about that rings familiar to us, but we can’t quite place it… Joe Bean Roasters When Joe Bean opened on University Avenue in 2011, it was the first cafe in Rochester to attempt a true specialty, quality coffee service. It’s stayed a stronghold, with a decidedly mature approach to preparation and coffee education—don’t miss their coffee lab in the back, or their multipage printed menus with brewing descriptors like “textural” and “articulate acidity.” Located within a mixed-use building, the shop’s décor strives toward an Italian-American sensibility. The eye is quickly drawn to a copper Victoria Arduino lever espresso machine on the center island bar, which is surrounded along the walls by high tables and window-view benches—it’s a vibe that will be more comfortable to some than others; you can totally take your mom. Joe Bean roasts its own, and will be happy to prepare and discuss with you over coffee flights, Chemex brews, siphons, or even a French press. Already a Rochester coffee classic at just under 5 years old. Fuego Humble but growing, and with some of the friendliest staff in town, Fuego dwells in an attention-getting blocky storefront in Rochester’s Center City, not far from the soon-to-be-filled, once-majestic Inner Loop expressway. Inside, the coffee bar for now is unassuming: the corrugated metal bar hosts a few intimate seats gathered around a compact array of coffee equipment that packs in a lot of choices. Another two-group Arduino waits in the service of your espresso drinks, while Kalita Wave, Chemex, and AeroPress are available as filter-brewing options. The space is currently undergoing some construction, as it expands seating into the adjacent room (which has actual daylight) for early 2016. The renovation follows the move of roasting operations from the back of the cafe’s current small space to a separate facility a few miles away, said co-owner Renee Colon, who also operates a second Fuego location with her husband Tony Colon on the Monroe Community College campus. “It’s been a long time coming,” says Renee. “We have a lot more room to store green beans and actually roast, and nobody is walking through to use the bathroom.” Look for Fuego’s expanded space to include food options from local sandwich artists Orange Glory. We trust the added seating won’t diminish the tight-knit community feel of this downtown bar, which currently feels like a friendly oasis. Ugly Duck The last stop on our coffee tour of Rochester is a moving target—for now. Ugly Duck Coffee, a mom-and-pop-up from husband-and-wife team Rory and Cristina Van Grol, has been a going concern in Rochester since Flag Day 2015 (that’s June 14, but you knew that). The compact cart—which fits easily into the same minivan the couple uses to transport their baby son, Wren—has been popping up around Rochester for regular stints outside restaurants and in the Rochester Public Market, as well as at special events. The minimal cart features a La Marzocco GS/3 and—to the confusion of a few, who assume the Van Grols must be strict vegans—nondairy milk alternatives, owing to the lack of refrigerated space. They’re not new to the city’s coffee scene, though—Rory started his career in coffee at Providence, RI’s New Harvest, before returning to Rochester to work at Joe Bean—where he can still be found one day a week. That will change soon enough, however, as the Van Grols progress on the buildout of their permanent location in Center City (conveniently just a stone’s throw from Hart’s Local Grocers). For Rory, who says he got into specialty coffee “over French presses and Magic: The Gathering,” being able to highlight New York State roasters like Joe Bean and Gimme! alongside further-flung companies like Madcap and Dogwood is clearly a source of delight. The permanent Ugly Duck location will continue to partner with local food businesses, like Scratch Bakeshop, and will indeed feature dairy products—but will forgo the beer and wine popularly found in the Flour City’s other cafes. As the Inner Loop is slowly packed high with rubble—the goal being to fulfill city planners’ dreams of a more accessible, vibrant downtown core—the Van Grols are excited to see what happens. “It’s almost like there’s a neighborhood being built up around this little building,” says Cristina. Liz Clayton is the associate editor at Sprudge.com. Read more Liz Clayton on Sprudge. |
Here’s how Hollywood works today: Somebody writes a script. And especially if it’s an animated feature–a piece that will take hundreds of Pixar artists years to produce–there’s almost no chance it will be made. So filmmakers turn to low budget YouTubing, or even playing out their stories inside video game engines (machinima) in lieu of professional production and distribution. Plotagon (free) is an ingenious alternative. It’s screenwriting software that’s been merged with 3-D animation software. So as you type actions, lines, and settings for your characters, those characters will actually play out your vision on screen, complete with auto-directed cuts. “Now that computers have become so strong that they can be used to produce movies…everything else will be handled by the artists themselves,” foretells Plotagon Founder and Director Christopher Kingdon. “There’s no need for a middle man, no reason to ask for anyone’s permission to make a movie (like a producer). People will express themselves and share directly.” We can’t pretend that Plotagon films look vastly better than a game of The Sims, but the core experience of actually using this software is incredibly impressive. It helps that screenplays, by nature, are a sort of code. They establish a scene (you know, INT. Bar – Night). They say who is around, doing what (John, a typical middle aged man, and Sara, a dragon princess, stand at the bar). Then those people talk and interact, one line and action at a time. In Plotagon, each line of script is essentially a line of code in a directed program. But rather than needing to learn C++ or something, natural language drives the writer’s experience. When “John hugs Sara,” John is recognized as a 3-D model, Sara is recognized as a 3-D model, and they’re simply connected through a pre-scripted, verb-based motion in Plotagon’s library. (It definitely helps that every minimal bit of UI flourish makes finding these preset characters, verbs, and locations as seamless as using Google autocomplete.) But even still, are we looking at Plotagon through rose-tinted glasses? Can auto-machinima really take off to create high-end media that people could become emotionally invested in? According to Kingdon, it can. The Swedish startup has 24 people behind the product, including painters, sculptors, animators, programmers, designers and one classically trained composer. Plotagon is also working closely with KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Scotland, to develop algorithms for “multimodal communications”–basically combining the logic behind a character’s facial expressions, gestures, and body position in a more believable way than animations work today. “Within five years we will be completely photorealistic,” Kingdon promises. “You will be able to make a 3-D avatar of yourself and make a movie when you interact with Elvis and Marilyn Monroe.” |
Rupert Murdoch Links Regulations, ‘Endless Climate Alarmist Nonsense’ To Financial Turmoil Hours after a dramatic rebound among Wall Street stock exchanges that followed days of massive losses triggered by a cratering Chinese economy, Murdoch offered, “So markets bounce. Too much cash looking for a home. Far too few prepared to invest and employ.” “Small business,” he argued, is “the only hope for growth.” But the business magnate suggested that such growth is unlikely. “Global growth dangerously low. Blame politicians’ layers of regulations. Too hard,” he tweeted, adding “US federal regs 170,000 pages before states & cities.” Murdoch is a regular critic of what he says are excessive and outdated government regulations, and in his tweets he focused the criticism specifically on rules related to climate change. “In the last 3 decades carbon in US air has reduced by nearly 50%,” he observed, adding that he is “A climate change skeptic not a denier.” But he proceeded to blast climate change activists, saying “Sept UN meets in NY with endless alarmist nonsense from u know whom! Pessimists always seen as sages.” Full story |
- Advertisement - More than seven years too late, it appears as if a growing number of congresspersons are realizing that they are part of a co-equal branch of government. After allowing their institution to be disrespected and at times ignored by the executive branch, top officials in Congress are finally expressing a willingness to use their full power under the Constitution to rein in an out-of-control administration. The current target: Karl Rove. (Image by Unknown Owner) Details DMCA - Advertisement - Rove has been asked by the House Judiciary Committee to testify about his involvement in the Justice Department’s prosecution and imprisonment of former Alabama Governor Don Siegleman. As Rove has so far refused to testify voluntarily, members of Congress have started sending signals that they are prepared to go to the mat over this. Yesterday, Rep. Robert Wexler sent out a strongly worded E-mail advocating the use of “inherent contempt” against Rove, which would allow the House Sergeant-of-Arms to forcibly bring Rove to the House to testify. Also yesterday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers alluded to the use of inherent contempt. "We'll do what any self-respecting committee would do,” Conyers said. “We'd hold him in contempt. Either that or go and have him arrested." - Advertisement - (And if you haven't already heard, Conyers spoke to a colleague a little too loudly and was overheard by reporters to say, " We’re closing in on Rove. Someone’s got to kick his ass.") It is time for all of us to let our representatives know that we support this forceful action. That is why I just sent an E-mail to my representative through the American Freedom Campaign Web site. I hope that you will join me. To do so, just click this link to send your own. Together, we can restore balance in our system of checks and balances. Thanks for taking action, and for helping preserve the Constitution from the men who swore to preserve it, and lied. JC Garrett - Advertisement - |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.