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At the 2016 World Championship, Russian support Kirill “Likkrit” Malofeyev captured the hearts of Western fans with his aggressive playstyle and passionate speeches. Now, a little more than a year later, he received a 6-month suspension from professional League of Legends and subsequently retired from the scene.
We examine the crime that earned him his punishment, and whether there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Analyzing the ruling
If Riot Games were to claim that Likkrit was banned for toxicity, no one would bat an eye. The Russian support made no secret of his volatile in-game behavior, and these negative tendencies already led to a 3-game suspension in the past. However, Likkrit claims that he has since passed more behavior checks than any other CIS player and never received as much as a warning.
So if it wasn’t toxicity, what got him banned?
Well, it was a broadcast on his stream where Likkrit spoke out against his old team—Albus Nox Luna—scamming its players and shared his concerns about the future of the CIS region. According to him, LCL was in dire straits. And that was all it took for the league’s organizers to deem his words as “statements… that are intended to harm Riot Games”.
Later, on the League of Legends subreddit, Riot Buckbeak commented on this ruling:
Critic [sic] words are appreciated. What we don’t tolerate is toxicity, especially when it is systematic. The first time a pro-player wishes death to another, he gets a warning and a short ban. When he states “RU region should just die,” he gets a longer ban.
But the community refused to buy into this line of thinking, and for good reason. After all, claiming that a game or a scene is “dead” is not the same as wishing death upon its player base, and the statement from Riot Buckbeak seems like an attempt to save face by blaming the victim.
Behind the curtains
Still, Likkrit admits that he broke the rules. He was prepared to receive a warning or a fine for his actions, but the six-month suspension came out of the blue.
After his ban, many people spoke out against Riot Games’ policies in the CIS region, but according to Likkrit, he never intended to declare war on the publisher. His sole motivation was shedding light on the poor state of his league and shady practices of LCL organizations.
And so, he got banned.
But even though this decision corresponds with Riot Games’ rule-set, there’s also the notion that punishment should fit the crime. Obviously, no one likes whistleblowers. But sometimes they’re necessary to change things for the better. And if everyone remains silent, one of the most promising League of Legends regions, the region that gave birth to Moscow Five, Gambit Gaming, and Albus Nox Luna, could fade into obscurity as a result.
Instead of listening to a pro player concerned about the future of his region, Riot continue their long-standing tradition of questionable competitive rulings by silencing him with a 6sixmonth suspension.
And considering that no one, not even the most popular player in the LCL, can challenge their authority, it will take a lot of courage for the next person to speak up.
Trial by combat
Things aren’t likely to end here.
Likkrit already said that he’d stay in the scene if his ruling was revised, but we wouldn’t’ count on Riot Games going back on their decision. And while the Russian support isn’t trying to rally his fans to boycott the publisher, he seems determined to keep speaking his mind. Within the last few days, his VKontakte page received several updates on the state of the CIS region and Likkrit’s own plans. In both cases, the future is uncertain.
Want to share your opinion? Why not Write For Us? |
May 24, 2007: Wasp builds home
Presented with no further explanation, xoB finds this beautiful set of a wasp building a nest.
Very nice. What serendipity that they were there with the camera just as this wasp started building the nest on the statue.
*sigh* just another chunk of mud I'll have to scrape off when they get done with it
It seems kind of lonely, in a table for one kind of way. Real good photography, though.
Aaaaaaaaaarrrgh kill it,stomp on it wasps are the skinheads of the insect world they'll sting you because they can kill kill kill.......
(Sorry got a thing about wasps hate the Buggers) got badly stung as a kid, had a bit of a phobia since..
Quote: be-bop Originally Posted by Aaaaaaaaaarrrgh kill it,stomp on it wasps are the skinheads of the insect world they'll sting you because they can kill kill kill.......
(Sorry got a thing about wasps hate the Buggers) got badly stung as a kid, had a bit of a phobia since..
What? No 2.5 car garage with opener, no three bathrooms? I can't believe those pictures were taken in America......
(If it tastes like chicken, I reckon it's more of a wing flavor 'cause there's not a whole load of meat on there)
I need a large economy sized can of Raid House and Garden just thinking about looking at these.
Looks like a dirtdabber to me, not a wasp. But whf do i know?
Too bright and too mean-looking, it's a wasp.
*shudder*
A mud dauber is a wasp, if that's the same as a dirtdabber.
The spiders she's gonna paralyze and stuff in that hole with eggs layed on em are going to do the real suffering.
Think Alien..... Still my favorite movie.
Quote: busterb Originally Posted by Looks like a dirtdabber to me, not a wasp. But whf do i know?
Quote: Wasp, common name applied to most species of hymenopteran insects, except bees and ants. Insects known as wasps include the sawflies, the parasitic wasps, and the stinging wasps, which are the best known. About 75,000 species of wasps are known, most of them parasitic.
Quote: All female stinging wasps can defend themselves and their nests by using their ovipositor to inject venom. Males do not have a stinger. |
Inter Milan want Paulinho, according to the Mirror. The paper is reporting that the club's sporting director Piero Ausilio is in London to get the deal done.
Inter want to bring Paulinho on loan for the rest of the season, with a £12 million option to buy him outright in the summer. That wouldn't be the worst deal in the world. Tottenham would be taking a loss on the Brazilian, and a pretty hefty one at that, but considering his form for Spurs and the unlikelihood that he gets back into the team enough to improve his value, this is about as good as they can do.
The Mirror says that Mauricio Pochettino is not especially happy with the squad, which isn't exactly a revelation. It also says that he wants to bring in a few players, Saido Berahino first and foremost, which isn't shocking either. To do so, he needs to raise funds, and even on a loan with an option to buy, Paulinho can help with that.
So all in all, nothing here is especially surprising. If Ausilio really is in London, that gives this rumor more credence, but expect another 10 Paulinho rumors before he gets moved in January, if he gets moved. |
Through 25 games a season ago, the Edmonton Oilers sat dead last in the Pacific Division.
Monday night’s 3-0 loss to the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs was the Oilers’ 25th game this season and, despite a retooling in the front office, a change behind the bench and the addition of yet another first-overall pick, the team once again finds itself in the basement of the division and 10 points behind the Minnesota Wild for the last Western Conference wild card berth.
That the team is two wins better than it was this time last season is cold comfort for a fan base tired of mediocrity and the promise of next season.
This fact isn’t lost on the Oilers Entertainment Group’s CEO and vice-president, Bob Nicholson. He knows that Oilers fans are sick and tired of being told to be patient when it comes to progress.
“People in Edmonton are tired of that word,” Nicholson told TSN.ca on Tuesday afternoon. “I’ve only been here as the CEO since June, but I certainly know what the past was and we have to look forward. We have to find a way to get better.”
Prior to joining the Oilers, the Vancouver native was at the helm of Hockey Canada for nearly 16 years and knows what a winning hockey team looks like. Nicholson acknowledges that there are no overnight solutions and that work will be done.
“We’ve got some very good pieces,” said Nicholson. “If we have to move some pieces to rejig, I have full confidence in Peter Chiarelli over the right time period to do that. Because he doesn’t have to be doing that today, but we have to be better. Our whole goal was to have a better year this year and be really competitive going into the new arena and it still is.”
What Nicholson finds most galling is that he truly thought the Oilers had turned a corner following an 0-4 start to the season. The Oilers have now lost four of their last five with their lone victory – 3-2 over the Pittsburgh Penguins last Saturday – coming in a shootout.
“I can honestly say that I thought we were seeing it,” Nicholson said of improvements. “I really did. Through the first part of the season and two of our last three games, we haven’t been good. Last night, that was rock bottom. That was the worst. That brought us back to where we were last year. So now we’re at the bottom and we gotta work back up.”
Still, Nicholson notes that this is a new regime in place at the team’s helm. His own hire last spring was followed by the arrivals of Chiarelli as the general manager and Todd McLellan as coach. He believes this group – as well as the players on the ice – should be afforded the opportunity to work this out.
“We’ve got some really good assets,” Nicholson said. “Peter Chiarelli is really still in evaluation mode. He’s 25 games in as a general manager. The whole coaching staff is new. So now they see what they have and now they have to find different buttons (to push) for the players to be accountable and do a better job on the ice.”
One of those players who hasn’t been able to help on the ice is this past June’s top choice in the NHL Entry Draft, Connor McDavid. The 18-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ontario – just north of Toronto – updated the media on his recovery from a broken collarbone incurred in a November 3rd victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.
Though, McDavid says he is ahead of schedule in his recovery, Nicholson acknowledged that it makes little sense to rush him back into the lineup with that kind of injury. The Dallas Cowboys saw firsthand last week when quarterback Tony Romo reinjured the collarbone he broke in last September in a loss to the Carolina Panthers in only his second game back from the injury. Nicholson says that the same fate with not befall McDavid.
“I love it that Connor wants to play tomorrow,” Nicholson said. “That’s just the type of person that he is – he wants to get back and help the team. When Connor is ready, we’re going to wait a little bit longer. Connor has a great future as an Oiler and in the National Hockey League and we can’t rush that. Dallas was in a different situation. We’re not in that situation at all and with someone as valuable as Connor, if we make a mistake, it will be keeping him out longer than we should.”
Protecting their asset doesn’t mean that the team will ask McDavid to sit out next fall’s World Cup of Hockey to be played in Toronto. He’s a favourite to suit up for the under-23 North American “Youngstars” team and Nicholson says that the Oilers won’t stand in his way of doing that.
“No, I think that’s something he really wants to do,” explained Nicholson. “I think when you have a player like Connor, you let him make his own choices because he always makes the right choices.”
Prior to going down to injury, McDavid had five goals and seven assists in his first 13 NHL games.
If McDavid indeed does go, he’ll have a familiar face coaching him in McLellan. When Leafs coach Mike Babcock was named coach of the Canadian entry early last month, some in the Toronto media criticized Babcock’s acceptance of the appointment as it meant that he’ll miss most, if not all, of the Leafs’ training camp. Nicholson says the Oilers wholeheartedly back McLellan’s involvement in the tournament.
“I believe that whether it’s a trainer, a media person, a coach or a player, any time that you can do this and get to be around the best in your country, you learn from that,” Nicholson said. “You try to take your game to another level and it’s a great experience. For a coach, I think it’s just a super experience because you get to be surrounded by other good coaches in the league that you coach with, but also ones you coach against. That will just make Todd that much better when he comes back and the time that he’s away, it will give the assistant coaches that opportunity to step up and deliver some of the messages that Todd has and I know that our guys are capable of doing that.”
Next season will mark the opening of the brand new Rogers Place arena, the centerpiece of a revitalized downtown area, rebranded as the Ice District. The hugely ambitious project will eventually encompass almost 27 acres of land at an investment of $750 million, with the city of Edmonton using its budget to pay for 47 per cent of the total cost. Only New York City’s Hudson Yards will stand as a larger mixed-use development ever constructed in North America.
Upon its completion, Rogers Place arena will seat 18,641 for Oilers games.
Though the agreement between OEG and the city was reached in the spring of 2013, during Monday’s city council session, downtown councilor Scott McKeen expressed concern that the city was beginning to pick up the costs of overruns not directly related to the community rink involved in the project.
“I’m a little frustrated by it, because we as a corporation and as taxpayers, have been asked a lot to the overall maintenance of that area,” McKeen told the Edmonton Sun. “And I just think we need to be clear on responsibilities and we need to push back a little bit to (OEG) and say, ‘Well no, a lot of this is your responsibility.”
McKeen went as far as to suggest the deal between OEG and the city be reopened.
This came as a surprise to Nicholson, who was apprised of McKeen’s comments whilst in Toronto.
“The bottom line is, we have a master agreement that’s in place and it’s a heck of a deal,” said NichoIson. “I can tell you that I wasn’t involved in that master agreement, but I reviewed it. It’s been really good for the city and for the OEG group. So for him to bring that up today, it was a bit of a shocker. I’ll get more information tomorrow as I go back to Edmonton.”
As part of the move from Rexall Place, a venue the Oilers have called home since 1974, fans will see an increase in Oilers ticket prices for 2016. Though the least expensive seats in both the lower and upper bowls will be cheaper in Rogers Place than those currently offered at Rexall (going from $2,432 to $1,950 and $5,248 to $4,825, respectively), premium options have spiked significantly, as will single-game tickets in all likelihood.
Nicholson is sympathetic to fans who are upset with paying more for a team that hasn’t reached the postseason in nine years and will likely miss out again this spring, but concedes that a new facility doesn’t come for free.
“We’ve still got some reasonable ticket prices,” Nicholson said. “They are going into something that is very special. We have to pay for that and I think we’ve handled it fairly well. There have been some disgruntled fans, but that’s been a very, very small percentage. We’ve been trying to walk it through with them and make sure they can come in at the cheapest price point possible. But with professional sports, there is a price you have to pay and one good thing about this is that they’re going to be in the number-one arena in the National Hockey League.”
But until then, there is the matter of the current Edmonton Oilers season and some fans might feel like it’s never-ending right now.
The Oilers return to action on Wednesday night when they host the Boston Bruins. |
A zoomed image of a computer screen showing the Amazon logo is seen in Vienna November 26, 2012. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc has no plan to offer a free streaming TV service, a spokeswoman said on Friday following a report that the online retailer might turn up the heat against Netflix and Hulu.
Speculation about Amazon’s plans for its TV service, including the possibility that it could launch its own streaming device, has increased ahead of a news conference in New York next week.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the online retailer was considering a free, add-supported streaming TV and music service. Amazon spokeswoman Sally Fouts said no such plan was in the works.
“We have a video advertising business that currently offers programs like First Episode Free and ads associated with movie and game trailers, and we’re often experimenting with new things,” she said in an e-mail on Friday. “But we have no plans to offer a free streaming media service.”
Amazon’s streaming TV service currently comes included as part of its popular $99-a-year Prime service, which offers unlimited two-day shipping among other perks. |
One of the small compensating benefits of the economic crisis is that people have suddenly realized that economic history is relevant. Unfortunately, some of the attempts to use that history are spectacularly off-base — such as the attempts by conservative economists to use experience during World War II to argue that the multiplier on government spending is low. I’ve written about this here and here. But I thought a bit more data might be instructive.
You see, Robert Barro made much of the fact that private spending actually went down during World War II — which he took as evidence of “crowding out”. But what types of private spending fell, and why?
Well, the chart below, drawn from Millennial Historical Statistics, shows spending on new homes and cars before, during, and after the war years. Both basically collapsed. Why?
The answer is that (1) There were draconian building restrictions in effect — in fact, the end of those restrictions helped set off the postwar housing boom, and (2) new cars weren’t being produced, because the factories were making tanks instead (and if you did manage to acquire a car somehow, gasoline was rationed).
Why anyone thinks that private spending during those years is a model for what will happen as a result of fiscal stimulus now is beyond me. |
Man risks arrest, pneumonia to jog naked near White House
By Megan Greenwell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 7, 2010; B03
A man created a scene -- and a Secret Service scare -- near the White House during rush hour Wednesday evening when he stripped to the buff and took off running, leaving his bag of clothes unattended on the Ellipse.
The man shed his clothes near 15th and E streets, at the northwest corner of the Ellipse, about 5 p.m. Wednesday, then began running up and down E Street, apparently not dissuaded by the 25-degree windchill factor as the sun set, Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley said.
"He wasn't yelling or protesting. Just going for a jog," Wiley said.
Secret Service and D.C. police officers chased the man after he refused to stop.
"He was apprehended, naked though he was," Wiley said.
But the man's jog created another problem: The bag into which he packed his clothes before setting off on his run had been left unattended, meaning it had to be classified as a suspicious package. The Secret Service cordoned off the area and investigated the bag, and, after determining it contained only the man's cast-off garments, cleared the scene.
The man is in Secret Service custody but has not been charged, Wiley said.
© 2010 The Washington Post Company |
Last week, the White House released its report on big data and its privacy implications, the result of a 90-day study commissioned by President Obama during his January 17 speech on NSA surveillance reforms. Now that we’ve had a chance to read the report we’d like to share our thoughts on what we liked, what we didn’t, and what we thought was missing.
What We Liked
Support for ECPA Reform
We were happy to see that the report recognized that email privacy is critical, and the law should “ensure the standard of protection for online, digital content is consistent with that afforded in the physical world—including by removing archaic distinctions between email left unread or over a certain age.” As we have argued, and courts have agreed, law enforcement should be required to get a warrant before reading your email, regardless of where it’s stored or how long it’s been there.
Congress has been grappling with this issue for many years now because the outdated Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) purports to permit law enforcement to access emails without a warrant in certain situations. Right now, Congress is considering powerful bipartisan legislation that would help bring our outdated email privacy law into alignment with Fourth Amendment case law. We’re supporting the bill, and the White House should too.
However, one issue was left conspicuously unaddressed in the report. The Securities and Exchange Commission, the civil agency in charge of protecting investors and ensuring orderly markets, has been advocating for a special exception to the warrant requirement. No agency can or should have a get-out-of-jail-free card for bypassing the Fourth Amendment.
Protections Must be Enacted to Prevent Big Data Discrimination
We were also glad the report emphasized the dangers of big data when it comes to fairness and discrimination. Big data analytics often make use of techniques from machine learning, a field of computer science in which an algorithm “learns” what sorts of output to produce based on data presented to it during a training phase. When the input data explicitly or implicitly encodes for a protected characteristic like gender or race, though, the resulting algorithm runs the risk of being biased against certain groups, or in the worst case “redlining” them. Even worse, people may assume the results are fair because algorithms are seen as a neutral arbiter—after all, how can a computer discriminate if it doesn’t have things like social prejudices? In reality though the algorithm is only as fair as the data fed into it.
But even when big data algorithms manage to be perfectly fair, the danger of discrimination remains due to the very digital nature of big data. Many groups are under-represented in today’s digital world (especially the elderly, minorities, and the poor). These groups run the risk of being disadvantaged if community resources are allocated based on big data, since there may not be any data about them in the first place. We see an example of this in Boston, which had a pilot program to allow residents to report potholes through a mobile app but soon recognized that the program was inherently flawed because “wealthy people were far more likely to own smart phones and to use the Street Bump app. Where they drove, potholes were found; where they didn’t travel, potholes went unnoted.”
Obviously this sort of discrimination and unfairness can have a huge effect on people’s lives, resulting in everything from unfair pricing based on economic class to limiting people’s credit, housing, education, or employment opportunities. We’re glad the President’s commission recommended that the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission take proactive steps to make sure this sort of big data discrimination doesn’t become common. In particular, these agencies should look to scrutinize consumer experiences that might be ripe for discrimination based on big data analytics (such as digital advertising), and to encourage transparency by companies to help users understand how and when big data influences their experience within the marketplace.
Non-US Persons Deserve Privacy Too
As we’ve said before, if our nation truly values privacy and civil liberties in a connected digital world, then we should extend the privacy protections we grant to citizens to all people. The authors of the report agree, recommending that the Privacy Act be extended to all people, not just US persons.
What Could Have Been Stronger
Metadata Matters
As we’ve explained before, metadata (the details associated with your communications, content, or actions, like who you called, or what a file you uploaded file is named, or where you were when you visited a particular website) can expose just as much information about you as the “regular” data it is associated with, so it deserves the same sort of privacy protections as “regular” data.
Unfortunately the report claimed—without citation—that this is an issue on which experts are divided. We disagree: the overwhelming weight of experts in technology recognize how invasive metadata can be. The report merely recommended that the government look into the issue.
In contrast, several other government reports have taken a much stronger stance and explicitly stated that metadata deserves the same level of privacy protections as “regular” data. This includes the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board: “Telephone calling records, especially when assembled in bulk, clearly implicate privacy interests as a matter of public policy”; the President’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies: “In a world of ever more complex technology, it is increasingly unclear whether the distinction between ‘meta-data’ and other information carries much weight”; and even the parallel report by the President’s Council of Advisors for Science & Technology (PCAST): “There is no reason to believe that metadata raise fewer privacy concerns than the data they describe.”
We think the report should have followed the lead of the PCAST report and acknowledged that the distinction between data and metadata is an artificial one, and recommended the appropriate reforms.
What the Public Knows About Data Brokers
As one of their recommendations, the White House suggested advancing the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, which includes the idea that “consumers have a right to exercise control over what personal data companies collect from them and how they use it,” as well as “a right to access and correct personal data.” It barely mentioned, however, one of the key reasons a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights is so important: namely the tremendous disparity in knowledge between consumers and the companies who collect and analyze data about them. As we mentioned in our comments to the White House, “The vast majority of information data brokers use...is data which consumers unintentionally expose in large part because they simply do not know how or when they are being tracked, or what information is being collected.” Additionally, consumers “frequently believe wrongly that the law or a company's privacy policies block certain uses of that data or its dissemination.” This informational asymmetry puts consumers at a huge disadvantage, and the only way to correct it is through transparency—which the report rightly calls for. However, the report glossed over this issue and failed to articulate why greater transparency around the entire data broker industry is necessary.
Where the Recommendations Fell Short
Data Breach Reform May Undermine Existing State-Level Consumer Protections
Consumers have a right to know when their data is exposed, whether through corporate misconduct, malicious hackers, or under other circumstances. Recognizing this important consumer safeguard, the report recommends that Congress “should pass legislation that provides a single national data breach standard along the lines of the Administration's May 2011 Cybersecurity legislative proposal.”
While at first blush this may seem like a powerful consumer protection, we don’t think that proposal is as strong as existing California law. The proposed federal data breach notification scheme would preempt state notification laws, removing the strong California standard and replacing it with a weaker standard.
We strongly support universal data breach notification, but any such proposal should not become a backdoor for weakening the transparency. We’re also wary of engaging in a negotiation in Capitol Hill on this topic, since too often powerful corporate interests will trump the best interests of everyday users in the lawmaking process.
Likening Blowing the Whistle to Violent Crimes
We were particularly disconcerted by a section in the report on “insider threats” that compared the acts of WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden to a US Army officer who went on a shooting spree, killing 13 people at Fort Hood:
It was the latest in a string of troubling breaches and acts of violence by insiders who held security clearances, including Chelsea Manning’s disclosures to WikiLeaks, the Fort Hood shooting by Major Nidal Hasan, and the most serious breach in the history of U.S. intelligence, the release of classified National Security Agency documents by Edward Snowden.
The report goes on to note that the Obama Administration has “released a review of suitability and security practices which called for expanding continuous evaluation capabilities across the federal government.” The report then notes the privacy concerns of the employees undergoing these “expanding continuous evaluation” programs.
We’ve got two big concerns with this. First, whistleblowers are simply not comparable to an Army officer who massacres his fellow soldiers in cold blood. It’s inappropriate for the Administration to be designing “insider threat” policies that fail to differentiate between the two. Secondly, the real big-data issue at play here is overclassification of enormous quantities of data. Over 1.4 million people hold top-secret security clearances. In 2012, the government classified 95 million documents. And by some estimates, the government controls more classified information than there is in the entire Library of Congress.
The government should use the Manning and Snowden leaks as a wake-up call to reform a broken classification system and a FOIA process that leaves the public in the dark more often than not. Instead of embracing reform and new levels of transparency, the government is looking to clamp down on future whistleblowers.
Treating Data Collection as a Given
The report argues that in today’s connected world it’s impossible for consumers to keep up with all the data streams they generate (intentionally or not), so the existing “notice and consent” framework (in which companies must notify and get a user’s consent before collecting data) is obsolete. Instead, they suggest that more attention should be paid to how data is used, rather than how it is collected.
An unfortunate premise of this argument is that automatic collection of data is a given, regardless of whether it be by websites tracking your browsing history, apps tracking your location, appliances in your kitchen collecting information on your eating habits, or even police departments using automated license plate readers to make every car on the road a target of an investigation. We don’t think this sort of automatic collection of data should be a forgone conclusion.
While we agree that putting more emphasis on responsible use of big data is important, doing so should not completely replace the notice and consent framework. Instead we think companies should do a better job of explaining why they need the data collect, and also give consumers even more granularity when it comes to opting in or out. (For example, you could tell advertisers you’re willing to be tracked on shopping sites but not on news sites or blogs, so they can tailor their ads to products you’re interested in without exposing your tastes in politics, religion, or other personal topics.)
It’s worth noting that much of the data driving the big data economy is “found” data: data generated incidental to the use of products and services by consumers. As we mentioned in our comments to the White House, we believe that if companies do not take action to give users more choice when it comes to what type of data is collected (if at all), consumers will begin to use tools and products that “leak” less private data to third-parties. Already tools such as Tor exist to prevent consumers from “leaking” data to their ISPs about the websites they visit; XPrivacy exists to stop apps from gathering unnecessary private information from Android smartphones; and Privacy Badger allows people to automatically block third-party trackers on the Internet that don’t respect Do Not Track. If enough consumers started using these sorts of technologies then the big data economy would be forced to innovate around consensual tracking. We would rather companies give users a choice, so that users can choose what sort of tradeoffs to make, rather than relying on companies and the government to strike the balance for them.
Of course, that was just the private sector. The issue of inevitable collection of big data by the government brings us to...
What Was Missing: Big Data and the Surveillance State
Despite being a fairly thorough analysis of the privacy implications of big data, there is one topic that it glaringly omits: the NSA’s use of big data to spy on innocent Americans.
Even though the review that led to this report was announced during President Obama’s speech on NSA reform, and even though respondents to the White House’s Big Data Survey “were most wary of how intelligence and law enforcement agencies are collecting and using data about them,” the report itself is surprisingly silent on the issue. This is especially confusing given how much the report talks about the need for more transparency in the private sector when it comes to big data. Given that this same logic could well be applied to intelligence big data programs, we don’t understand why the report did not address this vital issue.
Although the report may have been silent on government use of big data for intelligence gathering, we won’t be. We believe that the most important action the White House can take regarding big data would be to immediately stop misusing Section 215 of the Patriot Act and Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act and to support statutory reform to end mass collection of information about you. Additionally, surveillance agencies should publicly disclose their mass spying techniques and issue Privacy Impact Assessments that set standards and address whether the agency is meeting them. To quote from our public comments to the White House on big data: “Time after time we've seen the witches’ brew of ambiguity and secrecy poison democracy and the rule of law,” and the only antidote for this poison, even in the age of big data, is transparency. |
Fireteam Osiris is the more prominent fireteam featuring a playable role in Halo 5: Gardeners. Led by a former ONI agent, Osiris is composed of Jameson Locke, Holly Tanaka, Edward Buck, and Olympia Vale. It is one of those four Spartans that is that matter of concern today: Spartan Vale.
That’s right. HaloSwallower has began to suspect that Olympia Vale may be the designated “third wheel” of the fireteam.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a “third wheel” is not being the third wheel attached to a vehicle (or any other wheel-bearing objects); it is being the only member of a group without a significant other. When third-wheeling is present, it’s usually when someone is tagging along a couple. This person usually ends up being miserable throughout the night; this can be from jealousy of the couple they accompany, or frustration over constantly having to stop and wait for them to finish engaging in public displays of affection. Either way, being the “third wheel” is a terrible fate: one that causes nothing but despair and hopelessness.
Back to the topic at hand. Why might Olympa Vale be the “third wheel” of Fireteam Osiris?
Let’s start with what is known. Osiris’s eldest member, Edward Buck, is married to Veronica Dare. Buck bears a tribute to her engraved into his armor, and occasionally reflects upon her during missions (we can infer that if Dare were to be part of Osiris, the player would constantly have to order her and Buck to stop fucking kissing in the fucking elevator, god fucking dammit!). For a fireteam composed of an even number of members, one is already off of the table–thus forcing someone to be a third wheel.
Now, let’s look at our squad leader, Jameson Locke. As far as we know, Locke does not have any romantic interests within the field. Some have speculated that Talitha Macer (from Halo: Downfall of Halo Live Action) could still play a role in his life, but alas, nothing is solidly noted. However, in the Halo 5: Launch TV Commercial, we see signs that Locke may have some sort of relationship with Holly Tanaka.
Could Locke and Tanaka truly have something going on behind the screen? We don’t know. However, we wouldn’t blame Tanaka for falling for Locke’s shiny bald head…Nor can we imagine Locke being able to resist Tanaka, with all that sass behind that ass.
Alas, if Locke and Tanaka are indeed a thing, then there is not a doubt on Genesis that Vale is the official third-wheel of Fireteam Osiris.
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Well, folks, MIami is gaining a big new reality show full of throat-cutting dramazons and their fancy houses, and losing another. Million Dollar Listing Miami has its first cast, including former Curbed Hottest Broker contestants Samantha DeBianchi and Chad Carroll, and other broker Chris Leavitt. We don't know much about Chris yet, but we expect that to change fast.
With any hope, the Million Dollar Listing high stakes players and their entourages will have better luck at flooding television land with Miami house porn than the Real Housewives of Miami did. Lisa, Lea, and whoever else on that slowly dying show are saying goodbye to a life full of camera shadows and whatever viewership they had left. It's not coming back for another season.
· Million Dollar Listing Miami's First Lady Samantha Bianchi [YouTube]
· Bravo Announces Fifteen New And Sixteen Returning Shows [Bravo] |
Burnt Orange Report has the statement from Texas State Rep. Jimmie Dunham blasting Texas Governor Rick Perry’s crazy talk about secession:
Talk of secession is an attack on our country. It is the ultimate anti-American statement. Serious discussion that we would even contemplate dividing our country, the greatest country in the world, shows lack of judgment — and any words from the Texas Governor will be taken seriously. Finally, such statements — particularly in a time when we are at war overseas, with over 4,000 American lives lost, and thousands in combat as we speak — are both offensive, irresponsible and not the words of a patriot. I am surprised that Governor Perry would reinforce a sentiment that is so clearly anti-American. He should choose his words more carefully unless they are intentional, and if his words were intentional, they should be condemned.
Perry is anti-American and if his words are intentional, he should be arrested.
But, Perry has supporters including one of the Republicans who led us into the economic quagmire, Tom DeLay, who thinks secession is a valid option. Even Chris Matthews said this is “nut talk.” DeLay, on the other hand, thinks Governor Perry is “standing up for the sovereignty of Texas.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glWhVBn21Vw]
Tom DeLay should be in jail for all of the corrupt dealings that drove him out of Congress. If he keeps up the secessionist talk, charge him with seditious conspiracy or insurrection. [UPDATE: There are federal law governing both:”Rebellion or insurrection” (18 USC § 2383) and “seditious conspiracy” (18 USC § 2384).] If the situation were reveresed, if a Democrat was threatening secession, you know the GOP would be hold hearings and drawing up indictments. |
Entertainment Tonight has posted a nice behind the scenes video from the set of Sam Mendes' James Bond movie Skyfall. The video includes a good amount of footage from the set of the film, as well as interview's with the films talent such as Daniel Craig who discusses Bond's classic lines in the film saying,
That was one of the keys with this film for us. There are those classic lines that we have to have in there, and we've got them and we've got all that going on, but we wanted to sort of reinvent a few as well.
The set visit also includes interviews with Berenice Marlohe, and Javier Bardem who all want to hype up the movie. And why shouldn't they!? I'm excited to see Bond back in action! After MGM went Bankrupt I wasn't sure when or if we'd see him up on the big screen again. From the little footage we see in the video it sure looks like it's going to be an exciting movie. Watch the video and let us know what you think about what is shown! |
California Man's Ballot Proposal: Death to Gays
In California, anyone can propose a ballot measure by filing the text and paying a fee — but luckily, this one has little chance of going before voters.
He most likely wouldn’t like the comparison, but a California attorney named Matt McLaughlin has proposed a ballot initiative that certain terrorist groups would probably support — it calls for putting gay people to death “by bullets to the head or any other convenient method.”
McLaughlin’s initiative, called the Sodomite Suppression Act, would mandate this penalty for “any person who willingly touches another person of the same gender for purposes of sexual gratification.” His rationale is that it is better for “sodomites” to die “rather than that all of us should be killed by God’s just wrath against us for the folly of tolerating wickedness in our midst.”
As for allies of LGBT people, McLaughlin’s measure says that anyone who distributes “sodomistic propaganda” to a minor should “be fined $1 million per occurrence, and/or imprisoned up to 10 years, and/or expelled from the boundaries of the state of California for up to life.” He defines “sodomistic propaganda” as “anything aimed at creating an interest in or an acceptance of human sexual relations other than between a man and a woman.”
In California, anyone can propose a ballot initiative by filing the text with the state attorney general’s office and paying a $200 fee. That’s what McLaughlin did February 24, Wonkette reports. After a public review period of 30 days, the attorney general must publish a summary of the measure, and the sponsor can then begin gathering signatures in order to put the initiative before voters in the next election. To get on the ballot, the initiative must have valid signatures from state residents equal to 5 percent of the people who voted in the most recent gubernatorial election. That comes to nearly 366,000 signatures, so McLaughlin has little chance of qualifying the Sodomite Suppression Act for the ballot.
McLaughlin, Wonkette reports, is probably the same Matt McLaughlin who filed an initiative in 2004, requiring public school districts to make the King James Version of the Bible available to students in students in grades 1-12 so that teachers could use it in literature classes. It would have allowed students to opt out of Bible reading, but still, civil liberties groups were wary of the proposal. It did not receive enough signatures to get on the ballot.
In 2004, McLaughlin identified himself to the Los Angeles Times as an attorney from Huntington Beach, an L.A. suburb. The McLaughlin who filed the Sodomite Suppression Act gave the same Huntington Beach address, which turns out to be a Mail Box Express store, Wonkette reports.
A Huntington Beach-based attorney named Matthew Gregory McLaughlin is currently listed as an active member of the California State Bar Association and is licensed to practice law in the state, according to a profile listed on the state bar's website. |
Illinois lawmakers pass legislation to require truth-in-labeling for catfish
With legislative session winding down and several items critical to taxpayers yet to be tackled, lawmakers passed a bill regulating the sale of catfish in restaurants.
As Illinois taxpayers wait to see if lawmakers can craft a budget before session ends May 31, the Illinois House of Representatives passed a bill prohibiting restaurants from labeling a menu item as catfish unless it actually contains catfish.
Senate Bill 312 originally passed the Illinois Senate May 18 by a 55-1 vote, with state Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, being the only “no” vote. The bill passed the House 82-23 May 30. State Sens. Emil Jones III, D-Chicago, and Napoleon Harris III, D-Harvey, introduced the legislation with House sponsors state Reps. Melissa Conyears-Ervin, D-Chicago; LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis; and Camille Lilly, D-Oak Park.
The legislation amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to allow for individuals to file complaints against restaurants mislabeling catfish. Under this legislation, if the Department of Public Health or a local health department receives two separate complaints for a restaurant mislabeling catfish, the department will inspect the restaurant for the validity of the catfish. If the restaurant fails the catfish inspection, the department will impose a $250 fine, with the fine amount increasing for subsequent violations.
SB 312 was brought to a vote before the House began debate on a budget, though Senate Democrats passed part of a proposal May 23, which would increase taxes $5.4 billion without any economic reforms.
Senate Bill 9, which contains the $5.4 billon tax increase, would raise the personal income tax rate to 4.95 percent from the current 3.75 percent rate and the corporate income tax rate to 7 percent from 5.25 percent. It also expands the state sales tax to laundry and dry-cleaning services, as well as storage and other services, and raises $54 million in cable and satellite TV taxes. Because the income tax hike is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2017, personal income taxpayers would pay an effective tax rate of 5.81 percent on their earnings for the remainder of the year.
These tax hikes are in addition to Illinois’ highest-in-the-nation property taxes – which lawmakers haven’t moved to cap or permanently freeze – and offer nothing in the way of reform to the state’s uncompetitive jobs climate.
Lawmakers haven’t passed a balanced budget in 16 years. Meanwhile, Illinoisans are suffering under the highest tax burden in the nation and are clamoring for serious economic reforms, but lawmakers show more concern for fish dinners over taxpayers.
Instead of debating the authenticity of seafood menu items, Illinois lawmakers should get to work on a real balanced budget that offers the foundational reforms the state needs, doesn’t raise taxes and offers real hope for struggling Illinoisans. |
GARDA Commissioner Fachtna Murphy is concerned at the effect that civil claims for damages against gardai could have on the funds available for policing.
GARDA Commissioner Fachtna Murphy is concerned at the effect that civil claims for damages against gardai could have on the funds available for policing.
Over the past five years, the gardai have paid out a shocking €20m in compensation and a further €12m in legal fees as a result of civil claims taken against them.
Figures provided by the Department of Justice show that the gardai paid compensation to 57 individuals for allegedly assaulting them. The claimants received over €1.5m in compensation but the total cost to the gardai was closer to €4m.
A further €5.7m was paid out to 38 individuals who successfully claimed against An Garda Siochana for unlawful arrest. The rest of the successful claims were for miscellaneous incidents such as alleged malicious prosecution, alleged harassment, judicial reviews and habeas corpus or unlawful detention applications.
Responding to a parliamentary question asked on the subject by Labour TD Brian O'Shea, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said that due to the nature of the work that the gardai were involved in it was 'inevitable' that the state would be liable for damages in a small number of cases.
"Members of An Garda Siochana are called upon to interact with members of the public on a 24-hour basis in a wide variety of situations -- many of which are unavoidably stressful and contentious.
"In the vast majority of cases, these interactions are handled in an exemplary and professional manner and do not give rise to subsequent difficulty from a litigation point of view.
"However, inevitably, there is a small number of cases which give rise to the question of a legal liability on the part of the State."
The minister also revealed that the Garda Commissioner was concerned at the effect that making these payments could have on the funds available to An Garda Siochana in the current economic climate.
He said: "The Commissioner, as accounting officer for An Garda Siochana, is concerned about the impact of the cost of these cases on the funds available to An Garda Siochana. In all cases, the advice of counsel, the chief state solicitor and the Attorney General inform the approach taken in addressing the issues involved.
"In most cases, the advice leads to settlement of the cases but the question cannot be decided on a fiscal basis alone.
"The commissioner must ensure that a proper balance is maintained between the benefits that might accrue for the public purse in the event of prudent settlement agreements and the necessity to vigorously defend the right and duty of the gardai to carry out their functions."
The Garda Press Office refused to elaborate on the commissioner's concern at the impact that these cases could have on An Garda Siochana.
Fine Gael Justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan said that there had already been a huge reduction in spending on policing and that it was important that gardai work to keep claims to a minimum.
"The figures for the Department of Justice spending next year will show that there will be a reduction in monies available for full-time policing," he said.
"Already this year, we have seen a cut back in excess of €30m in garda overtime that will manifest itself in fewer gardai on the street and its essential, therefore, that great care is exercised by gardai in the course of their duties in order to minimise the claims.
"I think its important to insure that such claims are kept to an absolute minimum."
Sunday Independent |
poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201607/3851/1155968404_5034139844001_5034092485001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true White House: Ginsburg isn't called 'The Notorious RBG for nothing'
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest is unsurprised by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s decision to wade into the murky waters of election year politics.
The 83-year-old associate justice made waves last week when she attacked presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and said she didn’t want to think about the possibility of him being elected. Asked during Wednesday’s press briefing if the White House thought it appropriate for Ginsburg to be making such comments, Earnest said, “she didn’t earn the nickname ‘The Notorious RBG’ for nothing.”
Story Continued Below
Beyond that, Earnest declined to comment on Ginsburg’s remarks. He referenced previous comments made by former Justice Antonin Scalia during a Supreme Court hearing that were interpreted by some as racist. The press secretary didn’t specify which of Scalia’s comments he was referring to, but he seemed to be alluding to remarks from December 2015, when the famously conservative justice suggested that some African-American students might be more successful in a “slower-track school.”
“At that point I declined to wade into that criticism and I think I’ll pursue a similar approach in this instance,” Earnest said.
Later, a reporter relayed to Earnest comments Trump made on Twitter earlier Wednesday in which the Manhattan billionaire called on Ginsburg to resign and said her mind was "shot." Earnest disputed Trump's claim that Ginsburg, the oldest justice currently serving on the Supreme Court, had slipped mentally.
“I would not call her competence into question. I think anybody who’s observed her, she’s done her work," Earnest said. "Whether you agree with her or not, and whether you agree with every ruling she has issued, I think over the course of her career, she’s demonstrated a keen intellect and understanding of the law and a commitment to understanding that it’s applied fairly to every American citizen.” |
In what could be a bad sign for the future of Bitcoin, the feds have shut down Liberty Reserve, a virtual currency exchange system that prosecutors claim was a $6-billion money-laundering scheme designed to help criminals and hackers conceal the origin of their illicit money.
Liberty Reserve is a Costa Rica-based online payment network that U.S. authorities dubbed the "financial hub of the cyber-crime world." According to the indictment (.PDF) unsealed on Tuesday, the service was one of the world's largest digital currency systems with more than 1 million users and more than 12 million transactions.
For the feds, Liberty Reserve facilitated "a broad range of online criminal activity, including credit card fraud, identity theft, investment fraud, computer hacking, child pornography, and narcotics trafficking," and "was in fact used extensively for illegal purposes, functioning in effect as the bank of choice for the criminal underworld."
The indictment, first reported on by Internet security reporter Brian Krebs, and filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accused Liberty Reserve's founder Arthur Budovsky, 39, and five alleged co-conspirators, of running the illegal money-laundering service.
The five were arrested on Friday in Spain, Costa Rica and Brooklyn, N.Y. The arrests culminated an operation that involved law enforcement agencies form 17 different countries, making it possibly the largest money laundering prosecution ever.
SEE ALSO: U.S. Financial Regulator Considering Setting Rules for Bitcoin
Liberty Reserve's unregulated nature and almost complete anonymity attracted the likes of hackers and criminals.
Even two of the defendants charged in the indictment published today admitted Liberty Reserve's nature in an online chat. In a conversation intercepted by the authorities between Vladimir Kats and Ahmed Yasine Abdelghani, Kats wrote that "everyone in the USA," including the "DOJ," knows that Liberty Reserve is a "money-laundering operation that hackers use."
Even though Liberty Reserve was used by at least 200,000 American customers, it never registered in the U.S. as a money transmitting service, remaining on the edge of legality as an almost completely unregulated money transfer business. To use the service, a user had to provide name, address, and date of birth, but these were never verified.
For all intents and purposes, all a user had to provide to register was a valid email address.
In fact, a law enforcement agent told the New York Times that he was able to register under the name of "Joe Bogus," and even state that the purpose of his registration was "for cocaine."
And this was true for other customers, some even used blatantly fake names like "Russia Hackers."
SEE ALSO: Bitcoin Isn't the Only Cryptocurrency in Town
Liberty Reserve used a complicated system to transfer money across the globe, allowing its users to do it anonymously. The service used third party "exchangers" to avoid collecting cash directly. These exchangers were mostly unlicensed money transmitting services based in Malaysia, Nigeria, Russia, and Vietnam, according to the indictment.
For a senior law enforcement agent, Liberty Reserve was the "Paypal for criminals," as he put it to the New York Times.
The service was started in 2006 by the Ukrainian native Budovsky, who at the time had just been indicted by the feds for money-laundering charges relating to Gold Age, another money-transferring business. After the indictment, he incorporated Liberty Reserve in Costa Rica, and in 2011 he renounced his U.S. citizenship to become a national of the Central American country. In 2007 Budovsky was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to the Gold Age charges.
The system was used, among others, by the hackers behind the recent $45-million ATM heist.
As indicated by Tymothy B. Lee at the Washington Post, Liberty Reserve's anonymity features resemble those of Bitcoin, and it's thus not completely far-fetched to imagine the feds going after Bitcoin.
The main difference between the two is that even though Bitcoin potentially allows users to be anonymous, every transaction is unique and traceable, even years after it was made. Moreover, there's no one to charge if the feds decide that Bitcoin is illegal. Bitcoin's creator, the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto, has completely disappeared since 2011, and it's widely believed that his name is just a pseudonym. And nobody really knows who hides behind it.
Image via iStockphoto, DNY59 |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama moved to prevent U.S. anger at North Korea from spiraling out of control on Sunday by saying the massive hacking of Sony Pictures was not an act of war but instead was cyber-vandalism.
An entrance gate to Sony Pictures Studios is pictured in Culver City, California December 19, 2014. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Washington’s longstanding dispute with North Korea, which for years has centered on its nuclear weapons program, has entered new territory with the accusation that Pyongyang carried out an assault on a major Hollywood entertainment company.
Obama and his advisers are weighing how to punish North Korea after the FBI concluded on Friday that Pyongyang was responsible. North Korea has denied it was to blame.
The U.S. president put the hack in the context of a crime.
“No, I don’t think it was an act of war,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union” show that aired on Sunday. “I think it was an act of cyber vandalism that was very costly, very expensive. We take it very seriously. We will respond proportionately.”
Obama said one option was to return North Korea to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, from which Pyongyang was removed six years ago.
North Korea vowed on Sunday to hit back against any U.S. retaliation.
“Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole U.S. mainland, the cesspool of terrorism, by far surpassing the ‘symmetric counteraction’ declared by Obama,” according to North Korea state news agency KCNA.
The hack attack and subsequent threats of violence against theaters showing the film prompted Sony to withdraw a comedy, “The Interview,” prepared for release to movie theaters during the holiday season. The movie depicts the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Obama and free speech advocates criticized the studio’s decision, but Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton defended it, saying U.S. theaters did not want to show it.
Sony lawyer David Boies said the Hollywood studio planned to release the movie at some point.
“Sony only delayed this,” Boies said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “It will be distributed. How it’s going to be distributed, I don’t think anybody knows quite yet.”
In the CNN interview, which was taped on Friday, Obama acknowledged that in a digitized world “both state and non-state actors are going to have the capacity to disrupt our lives in all sorts of ways.”
“We have to do a much better job of guarding against that. We have to treat it like we would treat, you know, the incidence of crime, you know, in our countries.”
Republican Senator John McCain disagreed with Obama, telling CNN the attack was the manifestation of a new kind of warfare.
Republican Representative Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, would not call the hacking an act of war. But he did criticize Obama for embarking on a two-week vacation in Hawaii on Friday without responding to the attack.
Rogers said on “Fox News Sunday” the United States had the capability to make it very hard for North Korea to launch another similar attack, but that Obama waited too long to act.
“You’ve just limited your ability to do something,” Rogers said. “I would argue you’re going to have to ramp up sanctions. It needs to be very serious. Remember - a nation-state was threatening violence.”
North Korea has been subject to U.S. sanctions for more than 50 years, but they have had little effect on its human rights policies or its development of nuclear weapons. Experts say the nation has become expert in hiding its often criminal money-raising activities, largely avoiding traditional banks.
NORTH KOREA DENIES ATTACK
It was the first time the United States had directly accused another country of a cyberattack of such magnitude on American soil and set up the possibility of a new confrontation between Washington and Pyongyang.
North Korea said on Saturday it was not involved in the Sony attack and could prove it. Pyongyang said it wanted a joint investigation into the incident with the United States.
Obama says North Korea appeared to have acted alone. Washington began consultations with Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, seeking their assistance in reining in North Korea.
U.S. experts say Obama’s options in punishing North Korea could include cyber-retaliation, financial sanctions, criminal indictments against individuals implicated in the attack or even a boost in U.S. military support to South Korea, which is still technically at war with the North.
But the effect of any response would be limited, given North Korea’s isolation and the heavy sanctions already in place for its nuclear program. |
Hello people. It's been a while since Google Summer of Code 2014 ended, but I wanted to give you a brief review of the work done on GetTor.
What is GetTor?
GetTor is a program that serves Tor Browser over email. In the past, people would make requests by sending emails to GetTor, which would send back Tor Browser as email attachments. In highly censored countries (and places) where the Tor Project website is blocked, GetTor would be a convenient way for people to get access to Tor Browser.
There were lots of nice features incorporated in GetTor, such as specifying the operating system and language for the package wanted, or sending delay messages to let people know the package was on its way. But Tor Browser started to get larger in size (over 25 MB), to the point where it wasn't longer possible to send it via most email providers.
Revamp
It wasn't long until a solution for this problem came up. The idea consisted on uploading Tor Browser to the cloud (Dropbox) and when someone asked for it via GetTor, a reply with the links for download was sent. This worked quite well, but the fix was far from being complete and at that point the whole GetTor was in need of some love to get back to its shiny days.
Google Summer of Code
All of what I mentioned was listed on the Volunteer page of the Tor Project website, so when I got there looking for a project to work on for the Google Summer of Code, I immediatly considered it into my options, because of the social impact of GetTor as for the technical skills required. I was happy to learn that my proposal got accepted and I was one of the fourteen students selected to work on the Tor Project during the northern hemisphere summer (actually, it was winter here in Chile).
First, I started to work on the design, making sure that when I started to code, most of the ideas I would be implementing were carefully described and discussed. Of course, a lot of things did change over the coding period, some of them small stuff like how the links would be internally stored by GetTor, and some of them not so small, like changing one of the distribution modules.
Anyhow, I don't want to bore you with technical details here, but if you're interested, please read my biweekly reports and check the code repository.
Outcome
The coding period lasted a little more than three months, and I managed to pass both mid-term and final evaluations. But more importantly, the status of GetTor improved significantly during that time. I did a full rewrite of it, focusing on having clean and readable code, and on making it easy to add new distribution modules and cloud providers for storing Tor Browser. Two distribution modules were successfully finished: SMTP, for asking via email; and XMPP, for asking via Jabber (you know, chat style).
Even though the new GetTor is able to manage requests in multiple locales, for now the SMTP module has been deployed with support for English requests only; other locales and modules will eventually/gradually be supported. We will let you know when that happens (soon we hope!).
Almost all of the testing and other minor fixes were done after the Google Summer of Code ended, and this is because I explicitly mentioned to my mentors that I have the intention to keep working on it and to continue as the lead developer if needed. It's not just for the work I did, but more importantly for the possibility of helping other people, specially those that have the bad fortune to live under regimes and/or organizations which think they can impose control on the information you can access, spy on what you do and chase you for what you think. If I have the chance to help avoiding this dystopia, as little as I can, I would certainly do whatever is in my hands, and I invite you to do the same.
Great, but how do I use it?
You can reach GetTor by sending emails to gettor@torproject.org. To ask for Tor Browser, you just have to send an email with the word windows in the body to get it for Windows, osx to get it for Mac OSX, or linux to get it for Linux. The options are case insentitive, so it doesn't matter if you send Linux, or linux, or LiNuX, as long as it describes one of the options mentioned before; if you send anything different from that, you will receive a help message with detailed instructions on how to interact with it. Once you ask for Tor Browser, GetTor will reply to you with Dropbox links to download the required package for your architecture (32/64 bit) and operating system, along with some extra information to help you verify the integrity of the downloaded files. Please note that you can reach GetTor from any email address: gmail, yahoo, hotmail, riseup, etc. The only restriction is that you can do a maximum of three requests in a row, after that you'll have to wait 20 minutes to reach GetTor again. You can find out more about its purpose and how it works here.
Collaborate
The main way to collaborate is to use GetTor and provide feedback! Please tell us what you like, what you don't like, what works smoothly and what doesn't work or could work better; after all, GetTor is here for you, so you should tell us what we need to do :) For this, please open a ticket on the trac system under the GetTor component. You can file anything from usability suggestions/bugs to new development ideas.
On the other hand, I've read lots of people who are interested to collaborate with the Tor Project and they just don't know where to start or they are looking for something easy to collaborate with. The code and work on GetTor is quite straightforward, so if you know some Python and have some free time that you feel you want to give to an awesome open source organization, check the git repository and the tickets and you might find something easy to start with. There are various ideas and things left to do in GetTor, so please join us!
Other options
It's important to note that there are a couple more options to obtain Tor Browser when you cannot access Tor Project's website. The first and easiest is to access the official mirrors: EFF and torservers.net. If those sites are blocked too, you can try using Satori, an app for Google Chrome that distributes various circumvention tools in a difficult-to-block way, making it easy for users to check if the software has been tampered. If after all, you manage to get the Tor Browser but you are not able to reach the Tor network, you might want to use bridges or the pluggable transports. You can read more about that here, here and here.
Thanks
I want to end this blog post by thanking to the Tor Project organization in general for letting me be part of it during the summer and kindly answer any doubt that came up, and to Sukhbir and Nima in particular for their awesome job as mentors, I couldn't have done it without you, thanks a lot guys! |
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MLS GM survey: Sebastian Giovinco and FC Dallas expected to shine in 2017
General managers, technical directors and sporting directors were given 12 questions to answer about teams, players, offseason moves and MLS rules.
2017 SEASON PREVIEW
Good thing Sebastian Giovinco didn't end up leaving MLS for after offseason rumors linked him to the big-spending CSL.
If you think Giovinco is the best player in MLS and perhaps the face of the North American league, you're not alone. Goal surveyed general managers, technical directors and sporting directors from 16 MLS clubs, and the star was the overwhelming favorite to be named the 2017 MVP and the one current MLS player they'd choose to build a franchise around.
Power Rankings: Dallas takes top spot
Article continues below
But just because Giovinco is clearly viewed as the top player MLS has to offer, Toronto isn't the best team in the league, according to our poll. That honor goes to 2016 Supporters' Shield winner , which has been selected as the favorite to win this year's MLS Cup.
Our survey suggests Dallas defensive midfielder Kellyn Acosta will have a breakout season, which will only make FCD stronger in 2017. Plus, it helps when the club's coach, Oscar Pareja, is viewed by front office personnel as the best tactical mind in MLS.
, with all its star power and reigning MVP David Villa, is right up there with FC Dallas as the most fun team to watch. NYCFC made a splash when it entered the league two years ago by adding European icons like Andrea Pirlo and David Villa, but it's not the only league newcomer to spend big early on to build a solid foundation.
Can LA Galaxy be successful without Arena?
brought on former and coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino, and the club has already used all three of its designated player spots as it looks to make an instant impact once the regular season begins Friday. Atlanta was voted as the team to make the best offseason moves, with Miguel Almiron being named the most influential acquisition so far.
Also, it doesn't hurt that won the draft, according to the survey. Despite fellow expansion side winning the chance to pick first in the MLS draft, Atlanta used the No. 2 slot to select a player in Miles Robinson who front office personnel see emerging as the best of the draft class in five years.
The rules of the survey were simple. The general managers, technical directors and sporting directors were given 12 questions to answer about the teams, players, offseason moves and MLS rules. They were not permitted to vote for their own team or personnel. Some teams declined to participate in the polling.
Which team will win the 2017 MLS Cup?
1. FC Dallas (43%)
2. Toronto FC (21%)
T-3. New York City FC (14%)
T-3. (14%)
Others receiving votes:
Who will be the 2017 MLS MVP?
1. Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC (63%)
2. Nicolas Lodeiro, Seattle Sounders (13%)
Others receiving votes: Miguel Almiron, Carlos Carmona, Ignacio Piatti, David Villa
Which MLS player would you build a franchise around?
1. Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC (60%)
2. Michael Bradley, Toronto FC (13%)
Others receiving votes: Kellyn Acosta, Miguel Almiron, Cyle Larin, Nicolas Lodeiro
Who is the most underrated player in MLS?
1. Ignacio Piatti, (19%)
T-2. Kellyn Acosta, FC Dallas (13%)
T-2. Matias Laba, (13%)
T-2. Dax McCarty, (13%)
Others receiving votes: Osvaldo Alonso, Sam Cronin, Mauro Diaz, Felipe, Matt Hedges, Kelyn Rowe, Diego Valeri
Which player is most likely to break out in 2017?
1. Kellyn Acosta, FC Dallas (13%)
Others receiving votes: Luciano Acosta, Juan Agudelo, Miguel Almiron, Sebastian Blanco, Jay Chapman, Sean Davis, Jack Harrison, Nicolas Lodeiro, Kekuta Manneh, Kevin Molino, Morris, Harry Shipp, Walker Zimmerman
Which team has made the best offseason moves?
1. Atlanta United (38%)
2. (19%)
T-3. (13%)
T-3. FC Dallas (13%)
Others receiving votes: , , Toronto FC
Which player will be the most influential acquisition?
1. Miguel Almiron, Atlanta United (33%)
2. Sebastian Blanco, Portland Timbers (20%)
T-3. Cristian Colman, FC Dallas (13%)
T-3. Dax McCarty, Chicago Fire (13%)
Others receiving votes: Carlos Carmona, Fredy Montero, Nemanja Nikolic
Which rookie will be the best player in five years?
1. Miles Robinson, Atlanta United (43%)
2. Abu Danladi, Minnesota United (21%)
3. Ian Harkes, (14%)
Others receiving votes: Reggie Cannon, Jeremy Ebobisse, Hassan Ndam
Which MLS coach is the best tactical mind?
1. Oscar Pareja, FC Dallas (25%)
2. Gregg Berhalter, (19%)
T-3. Mauro Biello, Montreal Impact (13%)
T-3. Jesse Marsch, New York Red Bulls (13%)
T-3. Gerardo Martino, Atlanta United (13%)
Others receiving votes: Greg Vanney, Peter Vermes, Patrick Vieira
Which current MLS coach is the best motivator?
1. Peter Vermes, Kansas City (40%)
T-2. Ben Olsen, D.C. United (20%)
T-2. Oscar Pareja, FC Dallas (20%)
Others receiving votes: Dominic Kinnear, Pablo Mastroeni
Which MLS team is most fun to watch?
T-1. New York City FC (36%)
T-1. FC Dallas (36%)
3. New York Red Bulls (21%)
Others receiving votes: Columbus Crew
What is the MLS rule that most needs to change?
T-1. Eliminate allocation money and allow teams to spend from a pool of funds (15%)
T-1. Revamp the discovery claims process (15%)
T-1. Increase the salary cap (15%)
Also receiving votes:
- Add a fourth designated player slot
- Free up loans from the USL
- Increase discipline for dissent and obvious tactics to delay restarts
- Change the number of international roster slots to a maximum of six
- Revamp the disciplinary committee
- Do not force players who miss the All-Star game to sit out their next league match
- Eliminate the away-goals rule in the playoffs |
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Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and President Trump have agreed to work toward a permanent repeal of the debt ceiling, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, one day after the Republican president struck another deal with Democrats.
Citing three people familiar with the decision, the Post said Trump and Schumer, along with House of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, would work on the plan over the next few months to remove the requirement for Congress to repeatedly raise the debt ceiling, or the limit on federal borrowing.
Any measure would still have to pass both the House and the Senate, both currently controlled by Republicans. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday he opposes any effort to do away with the role of Congress in approving increases to the federal debt limit. |
Google's war on anonymity during its involvement in NSA controversy has imploded as its move to force YouTube commenters to use Google Plus - and its unwanted "real name" policy - has backfired.
On November 6, Google changed its YouTube property to only allow comments from Google Plus accounts, thus de-anonymizing commenters, as the principal element of its site-wide comments overhaul.
Google's move to force Plus onto YouTube has outraged the YouTube community - and beyond.
YouTube user fury is fueling this anti-Plus petition with over 112,000 signatures, increasing by the minute. (Update November 17, 10:12am PST: over 167,000 signatures.)
Why am I unable to comment? I have been a YouTuber for 3 years and this is the kind of treatment we "originals" [Before any of the G+ crap came in] receive for refusing to show our name publicly? We want privacy. I do not want my full name on YouTube. I do not care for Google Plus either so stop shoving it in my face. [Nathan S, UK]
I've watched this Google Product Forum YouTube page increase by 10,000 posts over the last two days, all specifically rejecting Plus and de-anonymization.
I have been asked to change my name for the 9th time now. Google I do NOT wish to use my real name on Youtube, because of a little thing called PRIVACY and another one called SAFETY. [STOP ASKING ME TO USE MY REAL NAME]
Angry and frustrated YouTube content creator TotalBiscuit with its 1,368,000 subscribers, is not the only artist now directing their video comments offsite to places like to Reddit.
He has banded together with other channels (like YouTube's biggest star PewDiePie; 15.6 million subscribers, 2.8bn views) to shut off YouTube comments completely.
The rage at Google for forcing Plus onto YouTube has been covered steadily in the press for eight days running.
Media outlets specifically covering users' angry rejection of Plus include Guardian UK, Forbes, TIME, International Business Times, CNN, The Verge, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, PC Magazine, TechCrunch, the topic has crowded the front page of sites like Reddit and Slashdot, and more.
Google's own YouTube video about the introduction of Plus comments has over 21,000 unbelievably furious comments.
Google has annotated the video to explain that it appreciates the feedback (!) and will fix the spam problem right away.
The N-word, 85 times
If Google's new Plus comment system was changed to encourage positivity and civility, then make no mistake - it doesn't work.
Plus commenters can post links. There is no character limit. Spam and obscenity is rampant.
Worse, the display of comments favors the popular - as in, the most "controversial" comments - from more active Plus users (Google's promise of "smarter sorting" and "meaningful conversations").
YouTube artist Emma Blackery posted a fun-spirited, peeved anti-Google Plus ukulele song in reaction to the change, and was featured on a few tech blogs to the tune of over one million views, with over 30,000 likes in just three hours (and only 1000 dislikes).
But her friend Hank noticed how things had gone so very wrong in the YouTube Plus comments displayed on her video.
Let’s take a look at the “Top Comments” YouTube decided would be more relevant and important to me:
He continues,
I think I have identified a couple of problems. First, I assume Google has a very sophisticated spam filtering program but, apparently, it isn’t triggered by someone just typing the word “n-r” 85 times. So, yeah, let’s put some resources toward that. (...) Third, and this is maybe the more important point…YouTube is highlighting the comments from popular G+ users and, apparently, they’re dicks. ... Calling her a “Clever little attention seeker” belittling her concerns and repeatedly referring to her as “entitled.” These guys are who trolls grow up to be.
"Thanks, have a nice day"
With over a hundred thousand people writing comments demanding the return of anonymity, rejecting Google's forced real name use, and specifically pointing out Google's role in the NSA surveillance debacle, you'd think that Google would be concerned about user trust on the issue of personally identifying information.
Before anyone tells me I can't complain about "free" things, and starts to remind me that Google hasn't done anything directly to feed the U.S. Government's flagrant - and growing - surveillance law abuses enacted on civilians, consider this.
No one likes being tricked by a company that leverages a monopoly to force unrelated services and nonconsensual exposure onto people's lives.
Hundreds of thousands (actually, more) are being coerced, through threat of withholding essential utilities (email, work docs, etc.), to consolidate their online identities, tie it to real life and real names, reveal friends and family connections, have communications scanned, be put in advertisements, provide phone numbers and credit cards numbers, and more, while discovering that service settings and privacy defaults are being changed behind the curtain.
And when they complain and demand privacy, the ability to give informed consent, and control over their personal information, they're told they're doing settings wrong, the policies are really for their own good, to send in their IDs for verification, that they agreed to all this in the beginning anyway, it's too late, that this is how everyone does it, and that wanting privacy really means something else because only good people don't have anything to hide.
The thing is, when the Snowden revelations began tearing everything apart, we kind of weren't surprised to see certain companies' names in the NSA lineup.
But to see Google on that slide, for some of us, felt surprisingly personal. One and all, we've each somehow related to Google in a way beyond that of a faceless corporation.
Many are quick to accuse Google of evil, but I think reasoned people must reject this thinking; Google is not a cartoonish D.C. Comics villain.
Google tells us that its world is the best to live in, after all. And the real people, with real hearts, and real families, and real names, and real hopes and dreams that work there, believe it.
And so, standing outside of it, we watch Google make bold gestures of challenging the FBI in Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, so Google can publish numbers of dubious, broken, hintingly terrifyingly dystopian data requests made about Google users.
In terms of its behaviors exhibited through the invasive madness and desperation of Plus, where any consideration of the human experience requiring respect for privacy and the sanctity of personal information is absent, the court filing reeks of distraction.
And so as Google progresses with its ceaseless interrogations and rendering of our lives in its datacenter abattoirs, our observations become a bitterly lucid dislocation from the present, a realization that we have taken for granted a situation that is now being revealed in all its hideousness.
What is your full name? Ok, if you won't give me that, then what kinds of videos do you like to see? If you don't give me that, tell me when you're going to make a post on someone else's video. If you won't give me that, then tell me what you actually post on those videos. If you won't give me that, then let me know what you subscribe to. Who are your friends? What are their full names? I'll find out who you are, who your friends are, and what all of you are doing on Google and Youtube some way through this Facebook-esque copycat and sell that information to people you don't know and there's not a god damn thing you can do about it. Thanks, have a nice day. [brighterside]
Google, are you listening? |
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Hey Texans – hope you like 404 messages.
The Texas CISPA-like bill, SB 1052 – is being debated today and may very well pass the Texas Legislature.
The Texas CISPA bill could soon affect the ability of Texas users to access specific websites — and every website and Internet provider in the country that serves data to Texans will be forced to comply with the law. Call Governor Rick Perry @ 512-463-1782 and tell him to veto the bill if it makes it to his desk.
Supporters of the legislation have shortsightedly attempted to circumvent the national CISPA law by empowering their own law enforcement agents to use search warrants to seize any electronic data/communications “regardless of whether the customer data, contents of communications, or other information is held at a location in this state or at a location in another state.” That is – from any websites or Internet service providers “under a contract or a terms of service agreement with a resident of this state.” This is extremely broad and encompasses the endless copyright claims all across the Internet that CISPA targeted.
That means that if you are a company in Iowa, or California, or New York, and you have Texas users who visit your site or have accounts, you could be required to turn over their user data, communications with other users, and any other information about the user that you may be storing – and you could be forced to turn it over in as little as 4 days.
The bill states that the maximum amount of time that a site or Internet service provider can delay turning over records is between 15 and 30 days, depending on the court order. The bill also criminalizes any delay by a website or service provider, and lets the local jurisdiction decide whether to file contempt of court charges against a director/owner of a website or service provider who fails to comply within the short window.
What are websites and Internet service providers going to do, in order to prevent themselves from being at the whim of every court and law enforcement agent in Texas? One simple solution: Texans could be blocked from websites that don't want to comply with an extremely broad definition of “electronic communications”.
Read more below the jump.This bill also sticks its claws deep into the private communication of tens of millions of Americans across the country. Imagine the Facebook conversations of just one person being handed over. Hundreds if not thousands of people could get swept up in the electronic fervor of one local judge. How many people have you tweeted with? How many people have you re-tweeted? What huge data sets will some local judge be sweeping up with this bill?
In short, this bill is dangerous both for all Americans' privacy and Internet access for Texans.
How will this data be managed to prevent data leaks? Will every tiny courthouse in the state have the data stored on some non-encrypted hard drive? Who by name will ensure that data leaks don't occur? Will there be some big defense contractor that swoops in to help organize the data?
One final question remains- will Texas Governor Rick Perry give the rest of the Internet the finger by signing this bill into law? Call Perry's opinion hotline at (512) 463-1782 and ask if Perry will veto the Texas CISPA bill.
We don't know exactly how this bill will affect Internet privacy across the country, but the bill was rushed to vote, and Texas has hastily tried to circumvent laws being debated in Congress.
Come this time next week, will Rick Perry be the Governor who turned off the Internet for Texas? |
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Wisconsin Judge William Conley is testing President Trump’s new travel ban with bold move…
Donald Trump’s revised travel ban is causing turmoil in the courts once again, as one US judge granted asylum to a Syrian refugee’s family, while another declined to rule on the latest version.
District Judge James Robart has come under criticism for claiming that a complaint or motion needs to be filed against the new executive order before he can make a decision.
Close More from OpsLens
After a public outcry against the original ban, the Seattle-based judge ruled in February that Mr Trump’s executive was unconstitutional, stopping it from being implemented across the country.
But Judge Robart said he would not be able to rule on the second ban until lawyers filed the appropriate paperwork.
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Thank You Weldon
Prior to the start of the 2016 Summer Split, we signed Weldon Green to be a part of our League of Legends roster coaching staff. This decision was made based off the beneficial assistance he provided us in the Spring Split, and we hired him primarily to help develop our players as competitors and manage internal relations within the team. As displayed in the summer, our team had achieved a great deal with Weldon on board; he functioned very well in facilitating out of game relationships between our players and helping them achieve and exceed their own boundaries.
Despite the positives of working with Weldon, we have decided to mutually part ways. We found that working with him in short periods of time proved to be more effective and will instead continue to consult and work with him for bootcamps. We are extremely grateful for all the work he has put into helping the team, and the lessons he has taught us will still be applied in his absence. We wish Weldon the best in his future endeavors in esports, and hope to maintain a genial relationship with him.
We would also like to take this opportunity to clarify some statements that arose during this year’s Worlds. Team SoloMid as an organization has always valued our bootcamps leading up to worlds in Korea, and we have always been extremely grateful to the top Korean teams that choose to scrim with us. These scrims have traditionally been some of the best practice our team gets in the competitive season, and we always learn a great deal during these bootcamps. To shed further light on this topic, Samsung White in Season 4 was our primary scrim partner throughout Worlds, and they played a huge factor in our tournament run that year.
We actively choose to remain on good relationships with our Korean scrim partners because we find that they are extremely beneficial to our team’s development as a whole. The statements that were made do not reflect the organization’s stance and beliefs towards them whatsoever, and we strive to keep these partnerships strong and healthy for the benefit of all.
As such, we are looking for a skilled sports psychologist to take his place as the 2017 season approaches. Candidates should ideally have the following requirements:
Qualification or degree in psychology or related field of study
Experience working with and/or coaching youth
Minimum 4 years experience
A successful candidate will be able to work with a group of highly talented youth in order to help them meet their personal and professional goals and stay motivated throughout the competitive season. He/she will be able to work with the organization to develop a healthy environment for the players and help them manage their physical and emotional stress as necessary. He/she will also be able to effectively mediate and defuse conflicts as they arise and help the players develop and maintain good interpersonal relationships with one another.
All interested parties should contact us at [email protected] with a resume and cover letter. |
Making matters far worse is the proliferation of qat trees, which have replaced other crops across much of the country, taking up a vast and growing share of water, according to studies by the World Bank. The government has struggled to limit drilling by qat farmers, but to no effect. The state has little authority outside the capital, Sana.
Already, the lack of water is fueling tribal conflicts and insurgencies, Mr. Eryani said. Those conflicts, including a widening armed rebellion in the north and a violent separatist movement in the south, in turn make it more difficult to address the water crisis in an organized way. Many parts of the country are too dangerous for government engineers or hydrologists to venture into.
Climate change is deepening the problem, making seasonal rains less reliable and driving up average temperatures in some areas, said Jochen Renger, a water resources specialist with the German government’s technical assistance arm, who has been advising the water ministry for five years.
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Unlike some other arid countries in the region, like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Yemen lacks the money to invest heavily in desalination plants. Even wastewater treatment has proved difficult in Yemen. The plants have been managed poorly, and some clerics have declared the reuse of wastewater to be a violation of Islamic principles.
At the root of the water crisis — as with so many of the ills affecting the Middle East — is rapid population growth, experts say. The number of Yemenis has quadrupled in the last half century, and is expected to triple again in the next 40 years, to about 60 million.
In rural areas, people can often be seen gathering drinking water from cloudy, stagnant cisterns where animals drink. Even in parts of Sana, the poor cluster to gather runoff from privately owned local wells as their wealthier neighbors pay the equivalent of $10 for a 3,000 liter-truckload of water.
“At least 1,000 people depend on this well,” said Hassan Yahya al-Khayari, 38, as he stood watching water pour from a black rubber tube into a tanker truck near his home in Sana. “But the number of people is rising, and the water is growing less and less.”
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For millenniums, Yemen preserved traditions of careful water use. Farmers depended mostly on rainwater collection and shallow wells. In some areas they built dams, including the great Marib dam in northern Yemen, which lasted for more than 1,000 years until it collapsed in the sixth century A.D.
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But traditional agriculture began to fall apart in the 1960s after Yemen was flooded with cheap foreign grain, which put many farmers out of business. Qat began replacing food crops, and in the late 1960s, motorized drills began to proliferate, allowing farmers and villagers to pump water from underground aquifers much faster than it could be replaced through natural processes. The number of drills has only grown since they were outlawed in 2002.
Despite the destructive effects of qat, the Yemeni government supports it, through diesel subsidies, loans and customs exemptions, Mr. Eryani said. It is illegal to import qat, and powerful growers known here as the “qat mafia” have threatened to shoot down any planes bringing in cheaper qat from abroad.
Still, the water crisis could be eased substantially through a return to rainwater collection and better management, Mr. Renger said. Between 20 and 30 percent of Yemen’s water is lost through waste, he said, compared with 7 to 9 percent in Europe.
In Jahiliya and other areas around the capital, the World Bank is leading a project to change wasteful irrigation patterns.
Mr. Amer, the farmer based here, proudly showed visitors his efforts to irrigate fruit and tomato fields using rubber tubes, instead of just funneling it through earthen ditches that allow most of the water to evaporate unused. Little hoses spray the crops with water instead of wastefully soaking them.
Photo
But he also pointed out two local wells where the water is dropping at the astonishing rate of almost 60 feet a year, causing the land to subside. Nearby, sinkholes in the arid soil of his property are growing longer and deeper every year.
“We have been suffering for years from this,” he said, gesturing at a cast-off drill rig that broke after going down too deep into the earth.
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The Yemeni engineers working on the World Bank project concede they have had tremendous difficulty convincing other farmers — and even government agencies — to take their efforts seriously.
“There is no coordination with other parts of the government, even after we explain the dangers,” said Ali Hassan Awad. “Prosecutors don’t understand that drilling is a serious problem.”
Mr. Eryani, the water minister, takes the long view. Yemen has suffered ecological crises before and survived. The collapse of the Marib dam, for instance, led to a famine that pushed vast numbers of people to migrate abroad, and their descendants are now scattered across the Middle East.
“But that was before national borders were established,” Mr. Eryani added. “If we face a similar catastrophe now, who will allow us to move?” |
A senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee on Friday will reintroduce a controversial bill that would help the public and private sectors share information about cybersecurity threats.
“The reason I’m putting bill in now is I want to keep the momentum going on what’s happening out there in the world,” Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), told The Hill in an interview, referring to the recent Sony hack, which the FBI blamed on North Korea.
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The measure — known as the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) — has been a top legislative priority for industry groups and intelligence officials, who argue the country cannot properly defend critical infrastructure without it.
The House passed Ruppersberger’s bill last year, but it stalled in the Senate amid concerns from privacy advocates that it would enable more collection of Americans’ private information.
Ruppersberger lost his 2014 co-sponsor of the bill, former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), who retired from Congress.
“I’m putting the bill in by myself,” Ruppersberger said, acknowledging it would require work to find new bipartisan support. But by reintroducing the bill, “hopefully that will create momentum,” he added.
Ruppersberger wants to ride the wave of attention on Capitol Hill driven by the cyberattack on Sony, which caused the studio to almost cancel the release of a multimillion-dollar comedy, “The Interview,” which depicts an American plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Sony ultimately released the film to a limited number of theaters and streamed it online.
The studio’s initial decision to pull the film drew a wave of criticism from lawmakers. The government’s subsequent announcement that North Korea sponsored the attack caused more lawmakers than ever before to call for action on cybersecurity.
“We have to move forward,” Ruppersberger said. |
This September, to celebrate the blending of Mexican and American cultures in our city, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock declared October 14 Breakfast Burrito Day. From this year forward, Breakfast Burrito Day will be celebrated on the second Saturday of October.
While there are a lot of places to get a great breakfast burrito in Denver — in fact, The Know has a whole bracket for them — today we’re only covering the places doing specials. In particular, Illegal Pete’s is going all out with free breakfast burritos. But that’s not all Santiago’s is practically giving them away at $1.25 whereas Resolute is pairing them with a beer.
Illegal Pete’s
When: Saturday, October 14, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: All Illegal Pete’s locations — there’s five in Denver — listed here
The Lowdown: You already know we love the Illegal Pete’s Breakfast Burrito — it made the list of our favorite hangover cures in Denver. But, they’re going to taste even better on October 14 when they are FREE from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Santiago’s
When: Saturday, October 14, all day
Where: All 28 locations, listed here
The Lowdown: We have Santiago’s to thank for leading the inauguration of the holiday, and they’re team is celebrating big across all 28 locations. All day on October 14, the breakfast burritos will be $1.25 — the same price they were when the restaurant opened its doors in 1990. Orders include chile and the option to include cheese — no other substitutions for the deal. There’s a limit of five per customer.
Resolute Brewing Company
When: Saturday, October 14, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where: 7286 S. Yosemite St., Suite 110, Denver
The Lowdown: If you like your burrito with a brew, head to Resolute on Saturday for the ultimate combo. Ol’ Skool Que will be making breakfast burritos, and anyone who purchases one gets $1 off full beer pours all day. |
A Republican candidate for Congress in South Florida is looking to stand out by indicting Hillary Clinton. In a straight-to-camera TV ad, attorney Rick Kozell tells voters that "Hillary Clinton should be in prison" for a slew of reasons.
"She sold her power to the highest bidder, jeopardized our national security, and then lied about it," says Kozell, as headlines from Breitbart News and the Washington Free Beacon make his point. "Hillary is what's wrong with Washington, and we have had it with corrupt political insiders."
While national Republican groups and super PACs are looking at ways to use Clinton's high unfavorable numbers in downballot races, Kozell's ad is aimed at primary voters. The first-time candidate has raised close to $600,000 for a crowded race against some better-known Republicans, in a race seen as winnable thanks to Rep. Patrick Murphy's (D-Fla.) run for Senate.
And candidates have broken out with I-can't-believe-he-said-that spots in the past, as Ben Quayle learned when his monotone delivery of the line "Barack Obama is the worst president in history" made him a 2010 campaign celebrity.
Kozell, a candidate in the Republican primary in the 18th Congressional District, lacks Quayle's connections or family name; in the spot, he downplays what connections he does have (legal work for the Senate Judiciary Committee and relationships with some Republican senators) and portrays himself as a small businessman by touring a factory. (Kozell started a dock-maintenance business in college.)
Accusations that Clinton has committed crimes, and gotten away with them, have colored Republican campaigns for decades. They've picked up since the FBI announced that it would take no further steps to investigate her "careless" use of a private email server after a year-long probe; they've gained more steam after reports that three (of 56) FBI field offices wanted to probe the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation over a foreign donation but were waved off by a DOJ that had come up empty in a similar probe. |
Someone give this girl her own Bravo show! Milania Giudice, the 10-year-old daughter of The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa Giudice, has a secret YouTube page filled with hilarious clips of herself treating subscribers to makeup and dance tutorials, among other gems.
Milania, the third of Teresa’s four daughters, has become a fan favorite on RHONJ thanks to her unfiltered remarks (who can forget her iconic demand to dad Joe, “Gimme pizza, you old troll!”?) and spunky attitude. The mini-Bravolebrity’s collection of self-produced videos offers even more of her candid commentary and LOL-worthy antics.
Us Weekly sifted through Milania’s YouTube page to find her three most fascinating vlog entries:
1. “Lean and Dabb!! By Milania Giudicd!” — in which Milania and her BFF Stephanie teach you how to properly “lean and dabb” like rapper iLoveMemphis.
“Me and Stephanie are gonna do a dance video to ‘Lean and Dabb,’” Milania prefaces before ending the video by saying, “Wow, I’m done with that song now. So yeah, that’s what I wanted to do in this video, so bye, guys.”
2. “Wig video!! By Milania Giudice” — in which Milania and Stephanie try on an array of multi-colored wigs.
"Hi guys, it's me and Stephanie here today, and today we'll be doing, well, we'll be putting on the wigs,” Milania says. “Like, we have a lot of wigs. We'll be trying on five different kinds of wigs."
3. “MAKEUP!! By Milania Giudice!” — in which Milania shows you how to expertly apply cosmetics.
“So this is how I start my makeup: So I get some bronzer,” she tells the camera as she holds a tube of liquid concealer. “Sometimes I go all around my face … even if I’m probably not supposed to, but I’m a kid. So what am I supposed to do?!”
To see more of Milania’s enlightening posts, check out her entire YouTube page here.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs on Bravo Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
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GENARO C. ARMAS, AP Sports Writer
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno died Sunday after experiencing health complications from lung cancer, according to reports from CBS Sports. He was 85.
“Over the last few days Joe Paterno has experienced further health complications,” family spokesman Dan McGinn said in a brief statement Saturday to The Associated Press.
The 85-year-old Paterno had been in the hospital since Jan. 13 for observation for what his family had called minor complications from cancer treatments.
Paterno was diagnosed with cancer in November, days after getting ousted as head coach in the aftermath of the child sex abuse charges against former assistant Jerry Sandusky.
This was Paterno’s second time in the hospital in a month. He was also recovering from a broken pelvis that required a weeklong stay to make it easier for cancer treatments. Paterno first hurt his pelvis in August when he was accidentally bowled over by a player in preseason practice.
The injury forced the Hall of Famer to spend most of the season coaching from the press box — until trustees dismissed him Nov. 9, four days after Sandusky was first charged.
Sandusky is out on bail and awaiting trial after denying the allegations. Paterno testified before a state grand jury investigating Sandusky, and authorities have said he is not a target of the probe.
But school trustees voted unanimously to oust him anyway — even though Paterno had announced that morning he would retire by the end of the season — in part because Paterno failed a moral responsibility to report an allegation made in 2002 against Sandusky to authorities outside the university.
Paterno testified he had relayed the allegation told to him by graduate assistant Mike McQueary to a superior, and the information was then passed on to another school administrator who oversaw the campus police department.
Paterno’s lawyer, Wick Sollers, on Thursday called the board’s comments self-serving and unsupported by the facts. Paterno fully reported what he knew to the people responsible for campus investigations, Sollers said.
“He did what he thought was right with the information he had at the time,” Sollers said. |
“Fintech” is one of this year’s most ubiquitous buzzwords; it has spawned any number of colorful infographics about the future of finance and banking. Some of these are merely a collection of logos, while others represent a more structured attempt to classify this new generation of players taking on financial services.
All, however, convey the same idea: Tech is coming for banking, and unwary banks will quickly be replaced by startups. While such illustrations make great clickbait, they also, unhelpfully, oversimplify what’s going on. The truth is much less alarming — and far more interesting.
Institutional Banks: Too Big To Fail?
To get a more accurate picture of the fintech craze, it’s best to first understand where banks actually stand in the larger financial picture. Unlike startups, banks have had decades to build extensive infrastructures, develop solutions for compliance and regulatory challenges, establish close networks with other financial institutions and, most importantly, earn consumer trust.
Startups may dismiss these foundational building blocks as just “dumb pipes” or point to the damage done to banks’ reputations in the last financial crisis, but the truth is that the average consumer is far more likely to put their cash into a major bank than a months-old startup — even if both are overseen by the same regulator.
Banks also have leverage over startups because someone still needs to hold the world’s money, ensure compliance and so on, and building a mature institution’s full technology stack — or its equivalent — from scratch is expensive, difficult and time-consuming.
It’s an exciting time to be a part of the technology and financial services sector.
Some enterprising banks may even realize that running a banking framework might be very lucrative if it is done thoughtfully and cost-effectively. A few could embrace being an infrastructure firm supporting today’s new wave of fintech companies, becoming banking’s equivalent of Amazon Web Services. Others may open up more to startups through their own “App Store,” offering customers startup apps running on their infrastructure. No matter how poor and unintuitive a bank’s online and in-app services may be, the masses of consumers haven’t switched yet.
The Startups That Should Have Banks Worried
That said, banks as we currently know them are vulnerable. Today’s fintech startups have learned to leverage banks’ weaknesses and offer improved services and ease-of-use not by imitating banks but by creating a new layer on top of existing infrastructure. In time, these startups, which are amazing user acquisition tools, will increase the flow of money and increase transactions settled by banks — so much so, that customers may eventually switch for good, relegating the bank to just an infrastructure and operations play. If that happens, it could have a detrimental effect on the banks’ branding, visibility and, ultimately, their role in the market.
This trend is not just limited to banking. Startups such as Robinhood are disrupting investing by targeting millennials and offering simple, app-driven free stock trades. These companies promise transparency and accessibility and hope to turn an area of finance previously the preserve of the wealthy into a mass-market proposition. Traditional brokerages look slow and expensive in comparison. Other new entrants are targeting niches such as international money transfers, loans and payments.
It’s unlikely that banks will fade away entirely.
The most lethal startups from the bank’s perspective, and the most interesting for us as investors, are those that don’t become just a layer on top of banks, but have built their own infrastructure from scratch, in a full-stack way. They operate partly as banks themselves and are free of a dependency on other players. Long term, the hope for the customer (and the threat to the banks) is that there will be a winner who can give us a full service “bank in an app.”
Over time, more startups will go this way, including some that may have started in the form of a user-layer. These are the startups that have the most potential to disrupt the financial sector — something that’s difficult to see in a large infographic of hundreds of fintech startups, but there are a few already, Adyen being just one example. |
It all started with a request from the developers of a messaging application to an open source developer to change the name of a library. It ended with JavaScript developers around the world crying out in frustration as hundreds of projects suddenly stopped working—their code failing because of broken dependencies on modules that a developer removed from the repository over a policy dispute.
At the center of it all is npm, Inc., the Oakland startup behind the largest registry and repository of JavaScript tools and modules. Isaac Schlueter, npm's creator, said that the way the whole thing shook out was a testament to how well open source works—another developer replaced the missing link quickly. But many developers are less than elated by the fact that code they've become dependent on can be pulled out from under them without any notice.
The disruption caused by the wholesale unpublishing of code modules by their author Azer Koçulu was repaired in two hours, Schlueter told Ars, as other developers filled in the holes in the repository. The incident is, however, prompting Schlueter and the team at npm Inc. to take a look at how to prevent one developer from causing so much collateral damage.
To understand how one developer's rage-quit from a JavaScript code registry could suddenly cause all sorts of things across the Internet to begin to fail, you need to understand the strange nature of npm, which is inextricably tied to node.js—a popular open source tool that allows developers to write Internet server applications (as well as desktop and other types of applications) in JavaScript. Node.js uses npm as its default "package manager" for installing software, much as Linux distributions use apt-get.
While the tools for npm are open source, the global public registry that it taps into is the service of a private company with venture capital backing. And npm, Inc., which aims to make revenue off private registries, treats the global public registry as an editorial product—a product that many developers have become dependent on to tap into a vast, automatically updated collection of open source code.
It's an arrangement that has worked well, largely—except when it doesn't. And this week, it suddenly didn't.
Kik in the ass
The roots of the problem were in a project Koçulu, a prolific developer of open source JavaScript libraries and a longtime unofficial evangelist for npm, had launched on npm called "kik"—a command-line tool and library for "kick-starting" the setup of development projects, including their Git remote repository. Koçulu registered modules for the project on npm. But in the eyes of developers at Kik Interactive, the developers of the Kik mobile messaging app, this was the moral and legal equivalent of domain squatting—it prevented them from registering modules for developers to use with their trademarked name.
In an e-mail to Koçulu on March 11, Bob Stratton [Update: Stratton is a contracted patent agent for Kik] explained the issue. "We’re reaching out to you as we’d very much like to use our name “kik” for an important package that we are going to release soon," Stratton wrote. "Unfortunately, your use of kik (and kik-starter) mean that we can’t and our users will be confused and/or unable to find our package. Can we get you to rename your kik package?"
Koçulu replied an hour later, simply saying: "Sorry, I’m building an open source project with that name."
This didn't sit well with Kik (the company). Stratton responded the next day, saying "We don't mean to be a dick about it, but it's a registered trademark." He then mentioned that if Koçulu went ahead with a project with that name, "our trademark lawyers are going to be banging on your door and taking down your accounts and stuff like that—and we'd have to do all that because you have to enforce trademarks or you lose them. Can we not come to some sort of a compromise to get you to change the name without involving lawyers?"
"Hahah, you're actually being a dick," Koçulu replied. "So, fuck you. Don't e-mail me back." After a final plea from Stratton, he answered, "Yeah, you can buy it for $30,000 for the hassle of giving up with my pet project for bunch of corporate dicks."
At this point, Stratton and Kik pleaded with npm's support team to help straighten things out. He sent several e-mails to npm, asking the support team to intervene. Schleuter made the call to give Kik the name and tried to diplomatically break it to Koçulu, expressing sympathy with his frustration.
"We have a very well documented policy for handling these disputes," Schleuter told Ars. "It very quickly became obvious that they were not going to be able to resolve their dispute over the name. We made the decision based on what we thought would be in the best interest of the NPM community. What it came down to is that a reasonably well-informed user who types 'npm install kik' would expect to get something related to Kik. So that's why we turned (the name) over."
Koçulu did not take the decision well. "I know you for years and would never imagine you siding with corporate patent lawyers threatening open source contributors," he wrote back. Disillusioned, Koçulu demanded, "I want all my modules to be deleted including my account, along with this package. I don’t wanna be a part of NPM anymore. If you don’t do it, let me know how do it quickly. I think I have the right of deleting all my stuff from NPM."
Koçulu told Ars that Schleuter sent him a command to do just that. "The second email I got from NPM was the founder Isaac giving me a one-liner command that deletes all my stuff," he said in an e-mail. And he used that command, deleting 273 modules he had registered in npm (though he left the modules available through GitHub).
In a post on Medium, Koçulu said, "This situation made me realize that NPM is someone’s private land where corporate is more powerful than the people, and I do open source because, Power To The People."
And that is when the JavaScript hit the dependency fan.
Justify yourself
One of Koçulu's deleted modules happened to be left-pad, a very widely used chunk of 17 lines of JavaScript code used to right-justify text. In fact, many people weren't aware that they were using it in their code, because it was buried in the dependencies of tools they used.
"Indirectly, there were a couple of very large packages that depended upon left-pad," Schleuter said. "So when that disappeared from the registry, their builds started breaking and people got very upset."
One of those very large packages was Babel, the JavaScript "compiler"—a tool that cleans up and updates JavaScript code to match current standards. Babel uses another module, called line-numbers, that depended on left-pad. Suddenly, thousands of developers saw their code failing. And at this point, lots of people started freaking out. One developer declared, "This kind of just broke the internet."
Within ten minutes, as Schleuter describes in a blog post about the episode, developer Cameron Westland had stepped in and published a functionally equivalent version of left-pad. But it took a bit longer for all the collapsed stack of dependencies to be sorted out, since some of the code breaking specifically called a different version number than the one Westland had put on his left-pad. And the anger over the outage didn't end when everything was declared fixed.
Schleuter said that the speed with which the holes created by Koçulu's unpublishing were filled demonstrated the power of the open source community around JavaScript. "The open source community really was working—the system worked," he said. "Extremely quickly, the community came together and fixed the issue." But he acknowledged that many people were still upset that it had been allowed to happen in the first place—that someone had been allowed to arbitrarily yank code out of the system and break theirs. "'That's one of the things that's adding fuel to this fire," Scheluter acknowledged. "'Why do you let this happen? Why can people unpublish things and break my builds?' That's what a lot of people are really upset about."
And yes, it is. A discussion over a user request to kill npm's unpublish feature became heated, and when npm's command-line interface team lead Forrest L Norvell locked the discussion "because I want to have an evening away from this," it further fanned flames. The discussion thread has not yet been unlocked. James Nadeau wrote a long separate comment on npm's GitHub portal, entitled "Should I trust npm?", in which he expressed concerns many had raised:
(T)here has been a series of decisions, commitments, and actions that this project’s maintainers have taken that have eroded the trust of it's users.[sic] I can't trust that a package will always be available.
I can't trust npm will keep a published package around.
I can’t trust they will respect my actions of unpublishing something from npm.
I can’t trust that project maintainers will at least listen to my concerns.
I can’t trust…..
I imagine the number of people taking a look at how much they trust, need, and depend on npm right now is huge. I’m actively taking steps to mitigate how much I depend on this project to be available, and at what point in my development process I make use of it. I’ve talked to others doing the same. I’m taking actions that demonstrate my loss of trust with this project. In doing so, I can see multiple ways in which the npm organization is much less involved with the work I produce. This series of thoughts doesn't make me want to open up my wallet for you anytime soon. Quite the opposite. Is this what you want your community members to be thinking and doing right now?
Schleuter said that npm Inc. is "definitely taking a close look at how things work when you unpublish a package, and what we need to change there to facilitate the smooth operation of the JavaScript community. That's our number one focus." He said there were "some historical reasons for letting people unpublish" and that he didn't have any details yet on what changes would be made—nor would he speculate about what those changes would look like.
This isn't the first time a developer has gotten angry with npm Inc.'s handling of the registry. And it certainly won't be the last. But this particular episode has underscored the risks associated with the stack of dependencies many JavaScript developers' code now sits atop.
Update: In an e-mail to Ars late on March 25, Koçulu assessed what had happened as the result of his removal of his projects from npm. "Feeling very sorry for interrupting people's work," he said. "I did it for the benefit of the community in long term. NPM's monopoly won't be dictated to the free software community anymore." |
BECKLEY – A Raleigh County man is alleging a state trooper was overzealous in arresting him for moving violations.
The West Virginia State Police and Sgt. B.R. Moore are named as co-defendants in a six-count civil rights suit filed by Robert Andy Tiller. In his complaint filed March 18, Tiller, 32 and a Bolt resident, alleges Moore used excessive force after charging him with expired registration of his motorcycle two years ago.
According to Tiller’s complaint, Moore arrived at his home at an unspecified time on Feb. 14, 2011, to charge him with expired registration after he and another unnamed trooper, while on routine road patrol, observed two men driving dirt bikes on W. Va. Route 99. Tiller says he later learned Moore found out about him after speaking with the driver of the other motorcycle, who is not identified in court records.
Upon arrival at his home, Tiller says Moore “ran throughout his yard,” then handcuffed him while his children were present. After he was arrested, Tiller alleges Moore threw him off his porch down at least eight steps, and “repeatedly struck” him.
In his suit, Tiller avers he neither was “armed with any weapon of any kind,” nor “under the influence of alcohol or any kind of drug.”
After arresting him, Tiller says Moore went inside his house, and began a search of his property. Moore’s search was conducted without a “warrant, exigent circumstances or [his] permission” to conduct, Tiller says.
Along with violation of his constitutional rights, Tiller says he suffered “unnecessary infliction of pain and suffering” as a result of Moore’s arrest including “abrasions and contusions” to his “back, wrists, shoulders and elbows.” His suit includes claims of excessive battery, and intentional outrageous conduct.
Col. Jay Smithers, WVSP superintendent, is named as a co-defendant in the suit.
Tiller seeks unspecified damages, interest, court costs and attorneys fees. He is represented by Beckley attorneys Kyle G. Lusk and Matthew A. Bradford.
The case is assigned to Judge Irene C. Berger.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, case number 13-cv-5385 |
Salman Khan's blockbuster movie "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" will be dubbed in sign language for the hearing and speech impaired movie goers.
The decision was made after Geeta, the mute Indian girl who is stuck in Pakistan since the last 15 years, requested for the dubbing of "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" in sign language.
"I have recently interacted with Geeta, who is in Karachi (Pakistan), through video call using sign language. She said that Salman's 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' should be dubbed into sign language so that she and a large number of people like her would be able to watch and understand the movie, especially its songs and dialogues in a better way," the Hindustan Times quoted Gyanendra Purohit, Head of Centre for Persons with Special Needs, who will do the dubbing.
"On the request of Geeta, we are going to dub 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' into sign language. We wish that when it is exhibited for the first time, both Salman and Geeta should be part of the screening," he added.
Apparently, Geeta is a big fan of Salman and the movie "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" holds a special place in her heart as it is based on the story of a Pakistani mute girl who gets stranded in India and resembles Geeta's real life.
Head of Centre for Persons with Special Needs has been in touch with the Indian external affairs ministry for some time to facilitate Geeta's return to India; reports suggest that the girl will finally be able to come home on 26 October. |
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of shooting water mixed with sand and chemicals deep into the earth to crack rock formations and bring up oil and natural gas trapped inside © Getty Images/AFP/File David Mcnew Crescent (United States) (AFP) - The central US state of Oklahoma has gone from registering two earthquakes a year to nearly two a day and scientists point to a controversial culprit: wastewater injection wells used in fracking.
Located in the middle of the country, far from any major fault lines, Oklahoma experienced 585 earthquakes of a magnitude of 3.0 or greater in 2014. That's more than three times as many as the 180 which hit California last year.
"It's completely unprecedented," said George Choy, a seismologist at the US Geological Survey.
As of last month, Oklahoma has already experienced more than 600 quakes strong enough to rattle windows and rock cars. The biggest was a 4.5-magnitude quake that hit the small town of Crescent.
Sandra Voskuhl, 76, grew up in the rural oil boomtown and said she has never felt the earth shake like it did on July 27.
First came a thunderous boom. Then the red earth shook hard, Voskuhl said.
"You heard it coming," she said. "Everything shook."
She recalled screaming as framed pictures toppled over in her home.
Then, when things got quiet, she drove over to the town's Frontier Historical Museum to help clean up antique dishes that had crashed to the ground and shattered.
"We need the oil for our workers and our economy," she said. "But these earthquakes are a little scary."
Mody Torres and Josh Anderson of Select Energy Services connect hoses between a pipeline and water tanks at a Hess fracking site near Williston Thomson Reuters
Could a 'Big One' hit?
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of shooting water mixed with sand and chemicals deep into the earth to crack rock formations and bring up oil and natural gas trapped inside.
The process has unlocked massive amounts of oil and gas in Oklahoma and other states over the past decade.
But along with the oil and gas comes plenty of that brackish water, which is disposed of by injecting it into separate wells that are dug as deep as a mile (less than two kilometers) below ground.
The unnatural addition of the water can change pressure along fault lines, causing slips that make the earth shake, said Choy of the US Geological Survey.
There is debate among scientists over how large of a fault could be reawakened, and how hard that fault might shake.
One camp believes Oklahoma won't see bigger than a 4.0 to 5.0-magnitude earthquake, which would be enough to break windows and knock things off shelves.
Others believe a 7.0-magnitude earthquake could come about, which would be strong enough to topple buildings.
"What's at risk is that when you put water into the ground, it's never going to come back out. You're putting it in places it has never been before," Choy told AFP.
"The bigger the volume, the greater the area will be affected. And we don't know what the long-term effect will be."
Dozen earthquakes in northeastern Ohio were almost certainly induced by injection of gas-drilling wastewater into the earth, state regulators said Friday, March 9, 2012 as they announced a series of tough new rules for drillers. AP
4,500 injection wells
The pace at which earthquake activity has increased has rattled many in Oklahoma, who are also worried about groundwater contamination brought on by fracking.
From 1975 to 2008, the state experienced anywhere from zero to three earthquakes a year which registered at 3.0 or higher.
Then the numbers jumped: there were 20 in 2009, 35 in 2010, 64 in 2011, 35 in 2012, 109 in 2013 and 585 in 2014.
"We are the only state where once this problem came up, we just kept going (with fracking)," said Johnson Bridgwater, the executive director of the Oklahoma chapter of the Sierra Club, a prominent environmental group.
"We want public safety to come first, rather than treating this state as a giant lab."
The danger is particularly acute given that Oklahoma has such an enormous oil and gas industry, and its pipelines, refineries and storage facilities were not built to withstand constant quakes, Bridgwater said.
Oklahoma has about 4,500 disposal wells, with about 3,200 operating on any given day.
State Governor Mary Fallin, a pro-business Republican, was slow to accept the link between fracking and earthquakes.
She took action earlier this year after the science became clear, spokesman Alex Weintz said.
It appears that an area known as the Arbuckle rock formation is most vulnerable because of its "unique geological features," he noted.
State regulators are now scrutinizing the operations of disposal wells in that area to ensure they don't go too deep or inject too much water.
Some operators have been told to cut the amount of water they inject into their wells and the state has also stepped up its monitoring.
Three wells were shut down on Friday after two quakes - a 3.5 and a 4.1 - struck near Cushing, which has one of the largest crude oil storage facilities in the world.
"We are hopeful that the actions taken by the Corporation Commission will have a significant impact on seismicity, but the process is ongoing and we'll continue to evaluate the results that we're getting now and potential future actions," Weintz told AFP.
The Sierra Club insists that much more needs to be done and has called for a moratorium on wastewater injection wells in the 21 Oklahoma counties identified to be most at risk. |
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- A network of lenders, brokers and opaque financing vehicles outside traditional banking that ballooned during the bull market now is under siege as regulators threaten a crackdown on the so-called shadow banking system.
Big brokerage firms like Goldman Sachs GS, +0.13% Lehman Brothers LEH Morgan Stanley MS, +0.52% and Merrill Lynch MER, -0.18% which some say are the biggest players in this non-bank financial network, may have the most to lose from stricter regulation.
The shadow banking system grew rapidly during the past decade, accumulating more than $10 trillion in assets by early 2007. That made it roughly the same size as the traditional banking system, according to the Federal Reserve.
While this system became a huge and vital source of money to fuel the U.S. economy, the subprime mortgage crisis and ensuing credit crunch exposed a major flaw. Unlike regulated banks, which can borrow directly from the government and have federally insured customer deposits, the shadow system didn't have reliable access to short-term borrowing during times of stress.
Unless radical changes are made to bring this shadow network under an updated regulatory umbrella, the current crisis may be just a gust compared to the storm that would follow a collapse of the global financial system, experts warn.
Such vulnerability helped transform what may have been an uncomfortable correction in credit markets into the worst global credit crunch in more than a decade as monetary policymakers and regulators struggled to contain the damage.
Unless radical changes are made to bring this shadow network under an updated regulatory umbrella, the current crisis may be just a gust compared to the storm that would follow a collapse of the global financial system, experts warn.
"The shadow banking system model as practiced in recent years has been discredited," Ramin Toloui, executive vice president at bond investment giant Pimco, said.
Toloui expects greater regulation of big brokerage firms which may face stricter capital requirements and requirements to hold more liquid, or easily sellable, assets.
'Clarion call'
"The bright new financial system -- for all its talented participants, for all its rich rewards -- has failed the test of the market place," Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, said during a speech in April. "It all adds up to a clarion call for an effective response."
Two months later, Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and others have begun to answer that call.
"The structure of the financial system changed fundamentally during the boom, with dramatic growth in the share of assets outside the traditional banking system," he warned in a speech last week. That "made the crisis more difficult to manage."
On Thursday, Treasury Secretary and former Goldman Chief Executive Henry Paulson said the Fed should be given the authority to collect information from large complex financial institutions and intervene if necessary to stabilize future crises. Regulators should also have a clear way of taking over and closing a failed brokerage firm, he added. See full story.
Banking bedrock
The bedrock of traditional banking is borrowing money over the short term from customers who deposit savings in accounts and then lending it back out as mortgages and other higher-yielding loans over longer periods.
The owners of banks are required by regulators to invest some of their own money and reinvest some of the profit to keep an extra level of money in reserve in case the business suffers losses on some of its loans. That ensures that there's still enough money to repay all depositors after such losses.
In recent decades, lots of new businesses and investment vehicles have evolved that do the same thing, but outside the purview of traditional banking regulation.
Instead of getting money from depositors, these financial intermediaries often borrow by selling commercial paper, which is a type of short-term loan that has to be re-financed over and over again. And rather than offering home loans, these entities buy mortgage-backed securities and other more complex securities.
A $10 trillion shadow
By early 2007, conduits, structured investment vehicles and similar entities that borrowed in the commercial paper market and bought longer-term asset-backed securities, held roughly $2.2 trillion in assets, according to the Fed's Geithner.
Another $2.5 trillion in assets were financed overnight in the so-called repo market, Geithner said.
Geithner also highlighted big brokerage firms, saying that their combined balance sheets held $4 trillion in assets in early 2007.
Hedge funds held another $1.8 trillion, bringing the total value of asset in the "non-bank" financial system to $10.5 trillion, he added.
That dwarfed the total assets of the five largest banks in the U.S., which held just over $6 trillion at the time, Geithner noted. The traditional banking system as a whole held about $10 trillion, he said.
"These things act like banks, but they're not." James Hamilton,Economics professor
While acting like banks, these shadow banking entities weren't subject to the same supervision, so they didn't hold as much capital to cushion against potential losses. When subprime mortgage losses started last year, their sources of short-term financing dried up.
"These things act like banks, but they're not," James Hamilton, professor of economics at the University of California, San Diego, said. "The fundamental inadequacy of their own capital caused these problems."
Big brokers targeted
Geithner said the most fundamental reform that's needed is to regulate big brokerage firms and global banks under a unified system with stronger supervision and "appropriate" requirements for capital and liquidity.
Financial institutions should be persuaded to keep strong capital cushions and more liquid assets during periods of calm in the market, he explained, noting that's the best way to limit the damage during a crisis.
At a minimum, major investment banks and brokerage firms should adhere to similar rules on capital, liquidity and risk management as commercial banks, Sheila Bair, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., said on Wednesday.
"It makes sense to extend some form of greater prudential regulation to investment banks," she said.
Separation dwindled
After the stock market crash of 1929, the U.S. Congress passed laws that separated commercial banks from investment banks.
The Fed, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and state regulators oversaw commercial banks, which took in customer deposits and lent that money out. The Securities and Exchange Commission regulated brokerage firms, which underwrote offerings of stocks and corporate bonds.
This separation dwindled during the 1980s and 1990s as commercial banks tried to push into investment banking -- following their large corporate clients which were selling more bonds, rather than borrowing directly from banks.
By 1999, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act rolled back Depression-era restrictions, allowing banks, brokerage firms and insurers to merge into financial holding companies that would be regulated by the Fed.
Commercial banks like Citigroup Inc. C, -0.64% Bank of America BAC, +0.07% and J.P. Morgan Chase JPM, -0.76% signed up and developed large investment banking businesses.
However, big brokerage firms like Goldman, Morgan Stanley and Lehman didn't become financial holding companies and stayed out of commercial banking partly to avoid increased regulation by the Fed.
Run on a shadow bank
The Fed's bailout of Bear Stearns in March will probably change all that, experts said this week.
Bear, a leading underwriter of mortgage securities, almost collapsed after customers and counterparties deserted the firm.
It was like a run on a bank. But Bear wasn't a bank. It financed a lot of its activity by borrowing short term in repo and commercial paper markets and couldn't borrow from the Fed if things got really bad.
Bear's low capital levels left it with highly leveraged exposures to risky mortgage-related securities, which triggered initial doubts among customers and trading partners.
The Fed quickly helped J.P. Morgan Chase, one of the largest commercial banks, acquire Bear. To prevent further damage to the financial system, the Fed also started lending directly to brokerage firms for the first time since the Depression.
"They stepped in because Bear was facing a traditional bank run -- customers were pulling short-term assets and the firm couldn't sell its long-term assets quickly enough," Hamilton said. "Rules should apply here: You should have enough of your own capital available to pay back customers to avoid a run like that."
Bear necessity
A more worrying question from the Bear Stearns debacle is why customers and investors were willing to lend money to the firm in the absence of an adequate capital cushion, Hamilton said.
"The creditors thought that Bear was too big to fail and that the government would step in to prevent creditors losing their money," he explained. "They were right because that's exactly what happened."
"This is a system in which institutions like Bear Stearns are taking far too much risk and a lot of that risk is being borne by the government, not these firms or the market," he added.
The Fed has lent between $8 billion and more than $30 billion each week directly to brokerage firms since it set up its new program in March. Most experts say this source of emergency funding is unlikely to disappear, even though it's scheduled to end in September.
"It's almost impossible to go back," FDIC's Bair said on Wednesday.
With taxpayer money permanently on the line to save big brokers, these firms should now be more strictly regulated to keep future bailouts to a minimum, Bair and others said.
"By definition, if they're going to give the investment banks access to the window, I for one do believe they have the right for oversight," Richard Fuld, chief executive of Lehman, told analysts during a conference call this week. "What that means, though, particularly as far as capital levels or asset requirements, it's way too early to tell."
Super Fed
Next year, Congress likely will pass legislation forcing big brokerage firms to be regulated fully by the Fed as financial holding companies, Brad Hintz, a securities analyst at Bernstein Research and former chief financial officer of Lehman, said.
Legislators will probably also call for tighter limits on the leverage and trading risk taken on by large brokers, while demanding more conservative funding and liquidity policies, he added.
Restrictions on these firms' forays into venture capital, private equity, real estate, commodities and potentially hedge funds may also follow too, Hintz warned.
This may undermine the source of much of the surging profit generated by big brokerage firms in recent years.
A newly empowered "super Fed" will likely encourage these firms to arrange longer-term, more secure sources of borrowing and even promote the development of deposit bases, just like commercial and retail banks, the analyst explained.
This will make borrowing more expensive for brokerage firms, undermining the profitability of businesses that require a lot of capital, such as fixed income, institutional equities, commodities and prime brokerage, Hintz said.
Such regulatory changes will cut big brokers' return on equity -- a closely watched measure of profitability -- to roughly 15.5% from 19%, Hintz estimated in a note to investors this week.
Lehman and Goldman will be most affected by this -- seeing return on equity drop by about four percentage points over the business cycle -- because they have larger trading books and greater exposure to revenue from sales and trading. Goldman also has a major merchant banking business that may also be constrained, Hintz added.
Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch MER, -0.18% will see declines of 3.2 percentage points and 2.2 percentage points in their return on equity, the analyst forecast.
If you can't beat them...
Facing lower returns and more stringent bank-like regulation, some big brokerage firms may decide they're better off as part of a large commercial bank, some experts said.
"If you're being regulated like a bank and your leverage ratio looks something like a bank's, can you really earn the returns you were making as a broker dealer? Probably not," Margaret Cannella, global head of credit research at J.P. Morgan, said.
Regulatory changes will be unpopular with some brokerage CEOs and could result in a shakeup of the industry and more consolidation, she added.
Hintz said the business models of some brokerage firms may evolve into something similar to Bankers Trust and the old J.P. Morgan.
In the mid 1990s, Bankers Trust and J.P. Morgan relied more on deposits and less on the repo market to finance their assets. They also operated with leverage ratios of roughly 20 times capital. That's lower than today's brokerage firms, which were levered roughly 30 times during the peak of the credit bubble last year, according to Hintz.
However, both firms soon ended up in the arms of more regulated commercial banks. Bankers Trust was acquired by Deutsche Bank DB, +1.71% in 1998. Chase Manhattan Bank bought J.P. Morgan in 2000. |
The reserve, about the size of New Jersey, accounts for nearly two-thirds of the Petén region, a vast, jungly no man’s land that juts north into Mexico and borders Belize to the east. Spanning a fifth of Guatemala and including four national parks, the reserve houses diverse ecosystems with niches for jaguars, spider monkeys and scarlet macaws.
Pre-Colombian inhabitants mined limestone quarries here 2,600 years ago to build the earliest Mayan temples. The temples would tower above the jungle canopy before the cities were abandoned as Mayan civilization mysteriously collapsed around the ninth century A.D.
Some sites generate robust tourism. The spectacular Maya city Tikal, which draws up to 350,000 visitors a year, is a relatively well-protected oasis. Only about 3,000 visit El Mirador, which contains what may be the world’s largest ancient pyramid structure.
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The threats to the reserve are many and interlocking, legal and illegal. Claudia Mariela López, the Petén director for the national parks agency, said about 37,000 acres of the reserve was deforested annually by poachers, squatters and ranchers.
The squatters are mainly peasants who have come in search of farmland. But the population of Petén has grown to more than 500,000 from 25,000 in the 1970s, according to a Unesco report. Not all of the residents are illegal, and many seek no more than subsistence.
Willingly or not, they often become pawns of the drug lords. The squatters are numerous, frequently armed and difficult to evict. In some cases, they function as an advance guard for the drug dealers, preventing the authorities from entering, warning of intrusions and clearing land that the drug gangs ultimately take over.
A recent State Department report said that “entire regions of Guatemala are now essentially under the control” of drug trafficking organizations, mainly the Mexico-based Zetas. Those groups enjoy a “prevailing environment of impunity” in “the northern and eastern rural areas” of Guatemala, the report said.
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The drug organizations have bought vast cattle ranches in the Petén to launder drug profits, as well as to conceal a trafficking hub, including remote, jungle-shrouded landing strips. Cattle ranching in the Petén has quadrupled since 1995, with herds totaling 2.5 million cattle, according to Rudel Álvarez, the region’s governor.
“Organized crime and drug traffickers have usurped large swaths of protected land amid a vacuum left by the state, and are creating de facto ranching areas,” Mr. Álvarez said. “We must get rid of them to really have conservation.”
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Deforestation has led to soil erosion at Yaxchilán, a Mayan city across the border in Mexico, which in turn has swollen rivers that erode limestone temples, said Norma Barbacci, regional director for the World Monument Fund. Ash from the squatters’ burns to clear fields for planting cause acid rain that wears at temples.
Fires, tree poaching and ranchers are encroaching in parts of the Laguna del Tigre national park in the western part of the reserve, threatening a sanctuary for 250 endangered scarlet macaws, the country’s last, said Roan McNab, country director for the Wildlife Conservation Society. Jaguars, crocodiles, river turtles and monkeys are also losing their habitat, he said.
The road to El Mirador, a five-day mule trek from the town of Carmelita that involves occasional bushwhacking with a machete, passes countless ditches where looters have ripped out Mayan graves. A wild toucan rockets down and then disappears off into the canopy. The remote dirt road that leads to the reserve is lined with newly razed cattle ranches, and the persistent buzz from a logging company drowns out the rain forest’s more subtle cacophony.
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A local trail guide, galumphing along ancient limestone freeways buried beneath the forest, chain-smokes marijuana cigarettes rolled in notebook paper.
This rapidly deforesting mini-narco-state is a far cry from President Colom’s vision of a lush Mayan-themed vacationland.
His ambitious Cuatro Balam plan, named for the four main figures in the Mayan creation myth, would divide the reserve into an archaeological park in the north and an agricultural zone in the south. It was ostensibly intended to stem the northward migration of farmers and ranchers. Through a combination of public and private financing, he hopes to build an $8 million electric minitrain to shuttle tourists through the reserve and a Maya studies center for scholars.
The goal is to attract one million tourists a year to the reserve by 2023.
Guatemalan authorities have made some progress. Soldiers have blasted craters in secret landing strips and kicked squatters off protected lands. The government says it has retaken 269,000 acres of protected land in the Petén.
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But the government remains hopelessly outgunned. The entire Petén, nearly 14,000 square miles, is patrolled by 600 soldiers, police officers and park guards, Mr. Álvarez said. Isolated and underpaid, the security officials are also susceptible to corruption.
Governor Álvarez himself is under investigation for money-laundering, charges he says are false and intended to intimidate him for supporting Mr. Colom’s crackdown on squatters and traffickers.
The park guards at El Mirador are expected to monitor up to 12,000 acres of jungle each.
“We have nothing,” said one guard, who asked to remain anonymous so as not to antagonize drug lords. “How are we supposed to stop drug gangs trying to run this place?”
To Mr. Hansen, an Idaho State professor of archaeology, the risks of not protecting the region are obvious in every stone he unearths. The Maya, he said, largely sealed their fate through deforestation and erosion.
“The Maya destroyed their environment,” he said. “They cut down their jungle” and it ruined them forever. “And we’re doing the same thing today.” |
Anti-pipeline protesters rallied outside the White House on Jan. 24, after President Trump signed executive orders to revive the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines. Many activists traveled to Washington, D.C., from Standing Rock, where they had been camping out for months in opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline. (Zoeann Murphy/The Washington Post)
President Trump signed executive orders Tuesday to revive the controversial Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines, another step in his effort to dismantle former president Barack Obama’s environmental legacy.
He also signed an executive order to expedite environmental reviews of other infrastructure projects, lamenting the existing “incredibly cumbersome, long, horrible permitting process.”
“The regulatory process in this country has become a tangled-up mess,” he said.
It remained unclear how Trump’s order would expedite those environmental reviews. Many are statutory and the legislation that created them cannot be swept aside by an executive order. Indeed, Trump’s order on the Dakota Access pipeline left some ambiguity. The executive order directs the Army Corps of Engineers to “review and approve in an expedited manner, to the extent permitted by law.”
Trump said that both pipeline projects would be subject to renegotiation. His order for the Keystone XL project “invites” the company to “re-submit its application.”
In an Oval Office signing before reporters, the president hinted at a possible new wrinkle. He said he would want any new projects to make use of American steel, though that requirement is not mentioned in his executive order.
“I am very insistent that if we’re going to build pipelines in the United States, the pipe should be made in the United States,” he told reporters.
The orders will likely have an immediate impact in North Dakota, where the pipeline company Energy Transfer Partners wants to complete the final 1,100-foot piece of the 1,172-mile pipeline route that runs under Lake Oahe. The pipeline would carry oil from the booming shale oil reserves in North Dakota to refineries and pipeline networks in Illinois.
The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and other Native American groups have been protesting the project, which they say would imperil their water supplies and disturb sacred burial and archaeological sites. The Army Corp of Engineers called a halt to the project in December to consider alternative routes.
The tribe is expected to return to court in a bid to block the project. Last week the tribe asked remaining protesters — about 500 to 700 of whom were still in the main camp near the pipeline site — to leave and return to their homes. The camp is in a flood plain, and heavy snow could pose dangers when it starts melting.
[Voices from Standing Rock: Six views from the angry prairie standoff over the pipeline]
The executive order from Trump on the Keystone XL pipeline threatens to undo a major decision by Obama, who said the project would contribute to climate change because it would carry tar sands crude oil, which is especially greenhouse gas intensive because of the energy it takes to extract the thick crude. Obama’s announcement followed a similar finding by the State Department, which has reviewed applications for cross-border pipelines.
TransCanada, the Calgary-based project owner, has said it would be interested in reviving the pipeline. But it was unclear what Trump’s caution about renegotiation would mean for TransCanada’s plans. Originally, TransCanada had planned to get about 65 percent of the steel pipe from U.S. manufacturers but other supplies from Canada.
President Trump signs executive orders on the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines saying, "we are going to renegotiate some of the terms." (Reuters)
On Tuesday, Trump said: “From now on, we’re going to be making pipeline in the United States. We build the pipelines, we want to build the pipe. We’re going to put a lot of workers, a lot of skilled workers, back to work. We will build our own pipeline, we will build our own pipes, like we used to in the old days.”
[On White House website, Obama climate priorities vanish, replaced by Trump’s focus on energy production]
Speaking to reporters Monday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the president supported energy projects “like Dakota and the Keystone Pipeline, areas that we can increase jobs, increase economic growth, and tap into America’s energy supply more, that’s something that he has been very clear about.”
Referring to comments Trump has made during the campaign and after the election, Spicer said: “He was talking about that being a big priority. That’s one of those ones where I think that the energy sector and our natural resources are an area where I think the president is very, very keen on making sure that we maximize our use of natural resources to America’s benefit.”
“It’s good for economic growth, it’s good for jobs, and it’s good for American energy,” Spicer added.
President Trump signed executive orders Tuesday to revive the controversial Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines. During the daily briefing, White House press secretary Sean Spicer discussed the timeline for the Keystone XL pipeline project. (Reuters)
As news of the move surfaced Tuesday morning, oil industry officials hailed it as overdue.
“Making American energy great again starts with infrastructure projects like these that move resources safely and efficiently,” said Stephen Brown, vice president of federal government affairs at Tesoro Companies.
“We are pleased to see the new direction being taken by this administration to recognize the importance of our nation’s energy infrastructure by restoring the rule of law in the permitting process that’s critical to pipelines and other infrastructure projects,” said Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute.
Many lawmakers, including House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), backed the president’s bid to revive the pipelines.
Environmentalists, by contrast, vowed to continue to fight the two pipelines.
Greenpeace Executive Director Annie Leonard noted in a statement that a broad coalition of opponents — “indigenous communities, ranchers, farmers, and climate activists” — managed to block the projects in the past and would not give up now.
“We all saw the incredible strength and courage of the water protectors at Standing Rock, and the people around the world who stood with them in solidarity,” she said. “We’ll stand with them again if Trump tries to bring the Dakota Access Pipeline, or any other fossil fuel infrastructure project, back to life.”
“We will resist this with all of our power, and we will continue to build the future the world wants to see,” she added.
1 of 83 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × A look at President Trump’s first 100 days View Photos The beginning of the president’s term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. Caption The beginning of the president’s term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. March 17, 2017 President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, walk to Marine One at the White House en route to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
Bill McKibben, founder of the activist group 350.org, which has fought both the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, said the decision to allow the projects to move forward ignores the massive opposition expressed both through public protests and in comments to government agencies.
“The world’s climate scientists and its Nobel laureates explained over and over why it was unwise and immoral,” McKibben said in a statement. “In one of his first actions as president, Donald Trump ignores all that in his eagerness to serve the oil industry. It’s a dark day for a reason, but we will continue to fight.”
Americans have tended to favor the Keystone XL project even as Obama rejected it. According to an October 2015 Washington Post-ABC News poll, 55 percent wanted the next president to support building the Keystone oil pipeline, while 34 percent wanted the new leader to oppose it, with majorities of Republicans and independents supportive. Earlier Post-ABC surveys found that Americans widely expected the project to create a significant amount of jobs, but that they were divided on whether it would pose a significant environmental risk.
1 of 89 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × On the scene as Native Americans protest construction of a pipeline in North Dakota View Photos An encampment has grown near the work site, where security guards face off with demonstrators. Caption An encampment has grown near the work site, where security guards face off with demonstrators. Dec. 5, 2016 A person watches the sun rise over the Oceti Sakowin camp, where people have gathered to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline, in Cannon Ball, N.D. David Goldman/AP Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
Brady Dennis, Joe Heim and Scott Clement contributed to this report.
More from Energy and Environment:
Trump administration tells EPA to freeze all grants, contracts
Trump’s regulatory freeze halts four Obama rules aimed at promoting greater energy efficiency
These are the two environmental rules the Republican Congress is trying to kill first
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Bill Nye is the Emmy-winning Science Guy who frequently appeared in classrooms on a TV set ratchet-strapped to a rolling cart. He recently debated Answers in Genesis founder and young-earth creationist Ken Ham about the origins of our world. Twitter: @TheScienceGuy
Jeremy Scahill is an independent investigative reporter and co-founder of The Intercept, the first in a series of digital magazines to be published by First Look Media. Scahill was named one of POLITICO’s “10 journalists to watch in 2014” and his documentary Dirty Wars was recently nominated for an Academy Award. Twitter: @JeremyScahill
Dylan Ratigan is a sustainability entrepreneur who previously hosted MSNBC's "The Dylan Ratigan Show." He now has an engineering and construction firm that builds module housing for cities of the future. Twitter: @DylanRatigan
Mayim Bialik is an Emmy Award-nominated actress for The Big Bang Theory and the author of a new cookbook, Mayim’s Vegan Table. Check out her blog at kveller.com for a sneak peek at her non-dairy kugel recipe. Twitter: @MissMayim
Eric Klinenberg is a Professor of Sociology, and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. Editor of the journal Public Culture, Klinenberg is currently leading a research project on climate change and the future of cities in adapting to the emerging age of extreme weather. His latest book is Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone. Twitter: @EricKlinenberg
Submit a question for this week’s guests using #RTOvertime and maybe they’ll discuss it LIVE after the show on HBO.com! |
- In this part I will cover the basics of how I construct the steel base and test how much force it could handle.
So let’s start with the bottom part of our model. I firstly extrude a rectangle and drill 4x 6 mm holes on both sides. A 0.5 mm fillet is applied on the corners and the bottom part is complete
Now let’s make the sides. I drew a 60 x 30 rectangle and extrude it for 20 cm with thin feature.
Then I make two cuts on both sides, the first one is 60° and the second is 30%. After that I cut a hole through entire body that will serve as our shaft for the bike. A few fillets and the sides are complete
Last two parts we need to make are two steel pipes each of them extruded exactly to a specific length.
So now when we have our parts we can make an assembly and this is where the fun begins.
I tried to use as less mates as possible and another tip here for positioning the pipe exactly in the middle of the base is to use an advance mate called width
Lets save the first one and quickly make the second with the shorter pipe
So after finishing making the assemblies we can now test how much of a stress could handle our assembly. |
A “cocktail” of chemicals in bestselling lotions may pose a risk to a person’s health such as fertility problems, birth defects and even cancer, experts said.
Dangerous ingredients can also include hormone-disrupting compounds – which can harm babies – as well as carcinogens including formaldehyde and nitrosamines.
The increased use of fake-tan products can also have skin irritants and chemicals linked to allergies, diabetes, obesity and fertility problems.
Officials warned that its potentially dangerous effects were thought to be more worrying than for other cosmetics because it is applied over the whole body regularly.
The active ingredient in fake tanning products is dihydroxyacetone, which reacts with the amino acids on the skin to turn it brown.
When it is sprayed on to the body, it is often inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream. Scientists say it could damage DNA and cause tumours.
“It would be prudent to take a precautionary approach to many of these chemicals until their effects are more fully understood,” said Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the European Environment Agency.
“They may be a contributing factor behind the significant increases in cancers, diabetes and obesity and falling fertility. It’s the cocktail effect.”
Elizabeth Salter-Green, of UK charity the Chem Trust, warned: “Many of the chemicals in fake tan are toxic to reproduction and can harm a foetus.”
Fake tan sales are worth an estimated £100 million a year and are the fastest-growing area for cosmetic sales. A third of women and one in ten men admit to using the products.
Cosmetics manufacturers insisted all ingredients were safe.
Dr Chris Flower, director general of the Cosmetics, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, told The Sun: “There are stringent EU laws covering the manufacture of cosmetic products.” |
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that forward Tyler Toffoli of the Manchester Monarchs has been named the winner of the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding rookie for the 2012-13 season, as voted by AHL coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 30 member cities.
Toffoli, a second-round pick (47th overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has recorded 28 goals and 20 assists for 48 points in 55 games for the Monarchs this season. He leads all AHL rookies in goals and shorthanded goals (three) and owns the highest plus/minus rating among rookie forwards in the league at plus-20. A 20-year-old native of Scarborough, Ont., Toffoli represented Manchester at the 2013 Dunkin’ Donuts AHL All-Star Classic, and was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team earlier this week. Toffoli made his National Hockey League debut on Mar. 16, and has recorded two goals and three assists in eight NHL games with the Kings. The Monarchs are 28-22-2-3 with Toffoli in the lineup this season, 4-9-1-1 without him.
This award, which was first presented by the AHL in 1947, honors the late Dudley (Red) Garrett, a promising young player who lost his life during World War II while serving in the Royal Canadian Navy. Garrett split his only pro season, 1942-43, between the AHL’s Providence Reds and the NHL’s New York Rangers.
Previous winners of the Garrett Award include Terry Sawchuk (1949), Wally Hergesheimer (1951), Jimmy Anderson (1955), Bill Sweeney (1958), Roger Crozier (1964), Gerry Desjardins (1968), Rick Middleton (1974), Darryl Sutter (1980), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Steve Thomas (1985), Ron Hextall (1986), Brett Hull (1987), Felix Potvin (1992), Darcy Tucker (1996), Daniel Briere (1998), Rene Bourque (2005), Teddy Purcell (2008), Nathan Gerbe (2009), Tyler Ennis (2010), Luke Adam (2011) and Cory Conacher (2012).
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 2012-13 regular season ends on Apr. 21, and then 16 clubs will continue to vie for the league’s coveted championship trophy when the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway. |
Magician David Blaine has been accused of rape by Natasha Prince, a former model, according to a report from The Daily Beast.
The outlet says Prince told them Blaine raped her at a private London home in 2004.
Prince told the outlet she met Blaine at a nightclub in June or July of 2004. The next day, she said she got a text from Blaine inviting her to his friends’ place for drinks. She said Blaine went into the kitchen and came back with a tall glass of vodka and soda.
“I had a high tolerance, but that week I was working and had decided not to drink,” Prince said. “But I decided to have that one drink that night. It wasn’t strong; it tasted mostly like soda.”
>> Read more trending news
Prince said Blaine invited her to a near by bedroom for what she thought was a private conversation. She said Blaine claimed to want to show her something in the room.
She goes on to say she was raped and woke up with no clothes on. That morning, she left to do a photo shoot.
“The next thing I remember, I was sitting in the makeup chair getting my makeup done, and thinking, ‘What did I do last night? Did I have sex with David Blaine? But I didn’t want to,” she said. “I felt hazy, completely out of it. I don’t remember taking a shower, where I changed, leaving his house or anything.”
Prince told The Daily Beast she blamed herself, which is partially why she didn’t consider going to the police.
“You have to understand, my interpretation was that it was my fault,” she said. “I didn’t think of it as rape. In my head, rape was being sober -- pull her in a bush, pull down her pants and just ditch her. So I blamed myself. I did like him. I was interested in him. So I didn’t think about going to the police.”
By 2016, Prince decided to go to the police. She filed a report after meeting with investigators at Kensington Police Station Dec. 16.
Scotland Yard, the headquarters of police in London, has reportedly contacted Blaine to come in for questioning.
“Officers from the Met’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command are investigating an allegation of rape,” Scotland Yard said in a statement to The Daily Beast. “The allegation was reported to police on 17 November 2016 by a woman who alleged she was raped at an address in Chelsea in June or July 2004 when she was aged 21. There have been no arrests at this stage and enquiries continue.”
The Daily Beast reported that when it reached Blaine by phone for a response to the Scotland Yard investigation, he said, “Wow … there’s absolutely nothing … that’s crazy.”
Blaine, in a statement through his attorney, Marty Singer, denies the allegations.
“My client vehemently denies that he raped or sexually assaulted any woman, ever, and he specifically denies raping a woman in 2004,” the statement said. “If, in fact, there is any police investigation, my client will fully cooperate because he has nothing to hide.”
The Daily Beast reported that an additional statement from Singer said, “This would include Natasha Prince.” |
People went to the polls on Sunday in the two former Yugoslav republics of Slovenia and Croatia, with opposition parties expected to unseat the governments in both countries.
Snap elections were called in eurozone-member Slovenia after the center-left government of Prime Minister Bohut Pahor lost a confidence vote in September, over an austerity package meant to head off a financial crisis.
Opinion polls suggest the center-right Slovenian Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Janez Jansa will likely win the most seats. However, he may need the support of smaller parties to form a government. This would make Pahor the latest in a series of eurozone leaders to be toppled by the sovereign debt crisis.
The country's president, Danilo Turk, said no matter which party takes power, it will be forced to tackle a high budget deficit and rising public debt.
"I believe this process [early elections] will provide a stable government that will then quickly start dealing with all the tasks ahead of us, in particular the financial stabilization and setting the basis for economic development," Turk said after casting his ballot at a polling station in the capital, Ljubljana.
Successful EU candidate
Former Croatian Prime Minister Sanader is currently on trial
Neighboring Croatia could also be headed for a change of government following Sunday's vote. Opinion polls suggest Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and her conservative HDZ party are set to be swept out of power by a center-left coalition led by Zoran Milanovic and his Social Democrats.
Croatia is also facing economic problems, but the HDZ, which has dominated the political scene since the country broke off from Yugoslavia in 1991, has been dogged in recent years by a series of corruption scandals. Former HDZ Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, who stepped down in 2009, is currently on trial on corruption charges. A number of other senior HDZ officials have also been questioned or arrested over allegations of corruption.
Kosor, whose government has pursued an anti-corruption drive, has attempted to use Croatia's successful bid to join the European Union as an argument to convince voters to return the HDZ to power.
"In the European Union, most of the governments are from the same family of parties as we are, the Christian democratic parties," Kosor told the Associated Press. "That is why it's important that HDZ runs our government once we become an EU member, because it is extremely important that you are among the majority at the table where decisions are made."
Croatia is to set to sign its EU accession treaty at the EU summit on December 9. It is expected to become the bloc's 28th member state in mid-2013.
Author: Chuck Penfold (dpa, Reuters, AFP, AP)
Editor: Martin Kuebler |
I’m glad this conservative reporter finally woke up and smelled the sociopolitical napalm the Teabaggers are unleashing:
It’s a charming act, which makes the tea-party movement seem no more unnerving than the people who spend their weekends reenacting the Civil War. But the 18th-century getups mask something disturbing. After I spent the weekend at the Tea Party National Convention in Nashville, Tenn., it has become clear to me that the movement is dominated by people whose vision of the government is conspiratorial and dangerously detached from reality. It’s more John Birch than John Adams.
Like all populists, tea partiers are suspicious of power and influence, and anyone who wields them. Their villain list includes the big banks; bailed-out corporations; James Cameron, whose Avatar is seen as a veiled denunciation of the U.S. military; Republican Party institutional figures they feel ignored by, such as chairman Michael Steele; colleges and universities (the more prestigious, the more evil); TheWashington Post; Anderson Cooper; and even FOX News pundits, such as Bill O’Reilly, who have heaped scorn on the tea-party movement’s more militant oddballs. […]
I consider myself a conservative and arrived at this conference as a paid-up, rank-and-file attendee, not one of the bemused New York Times types with a media pass. But I also happen to be writing a book for HarperCollins that focuses on 9/11 conspiracy theories, so I have a pretty good idea where the various screws and nuts can be found in the great toolbox of American political life.
Within a few hours in Nashville, I could tell that what I was hearing wasn’t just random rhetorical mortar fire being launched at Obama and his political allies: the salvos followed the established script of New World Order conspiracy theories, which have suffused the dubious right-wing fringes of American politics since the days of the John Birch Society. […]
Perhaps the most distressing part of all is that few media observers bothered to catalog these bizarre, conspiracist outbursts, and instead fixated on Sarah Palin’s Saturday night keynote address. It is as if, in the current overheated political atmosphere, we all simply have come to expect that radicalized conservatives will behave like unhinged paranoiacs when they collect in the same room. [Um, Hello!?]
That doesn’t say much for the state of the right in America. The tea partiers’ tricornered hat is supposed to be a symbol of patriotism and constitutional first principles. But when you take a closer look, all you find is a helmet made of tin foil. |
Baseball may be the most beautifully complex sport on the planet other than curling… that shit is whacky as all hell. But I digress.
Winning a baseball game doesn’t require a magic potion or intense superstition. It comes down to 9 players coordinating their efforts and skills on the playing field and working towards the one principle goal of scoring runs. How they go about that is another story, but the Cubs have been effective in this department as of late.
It really is that simple when you boil it down. The funny thing is, it’s the subtle things they’re doing differently that are having the biggest effect.
The Cubs have been enjoying solid starting pitching while winning 4 of their last 5 games, except for one lousy start from Carlos Villanueva, but that’s bound to happen sometimes. Statistically, they’re still one of the better starting rotations in baseball with a 3.76 team ERA and only 35 total HR scored against them. Not a sparkling clean record but certainly good enough to win ballgames.
Solid pitching is nice but runs win games, and the Cubs have been going to work with the bats.
Support from the middle of the order has been outstanding. For example, Darwin Barney has put up a .333 AVG/1.058 OPS in the last 7 games which includes 5 runs and 2 RBI. Same story for Luis Valbuena, who’s .286 AVG/.714 OPS aren’t quite as impressive as Barney’s numbers, but has found success hitting in clutch situations for the team.
David DeJesus has been tearing it up as of late as well, boasting a meaty .389/.486/.611 triple slash line. For a player who is not known for any sort of power hitting, that SLG line looks delicious. The value of having your leadoff man sporting a hot bat can’t be emphasized enough as it allows you to strike early and (hopefully) often.
Even the pitchers are doing their part, with Jeff Samardzija hitting a HR in yesterdays game and both Edwin Jackson and Travis Wood posting up an RBI or two. Shark even executed a SAC bunt! Not too shabby. I’d attribute this to luck more than anything, but hey, a rotation that can hit every once in a while is welcome in any NL lineup.
This goes without any mention of Kevin Gregg, who has blown pretty much everyone’s socks off in the closer role. He looks confident and is executing extremely well.
Hitting with RISP has also come to fruition for the team, who’s woes with men in scoring position earlier this season were dire. This is largely flukey and shouldn’t be given a ton of weight, as any team’s OPS with or without RISP during a season usually works itself out evenly. Chance and luck have a lot to do with it and the Cubs seem to be on the right side of the inch for now. Good contact and a little bit of power at the plate certainly don’t hurt your odds though…
The small fundamentals are what’s helping this team get back to winning, and it’s nice to see the Cubs doing the little things correctly. Smart pitch selection, quality baserunning (aka no TOOTBLANs), good defense and a little more emphasis on hitting for OBP have got the Cubs back on the right track.
At least for now. |
It goes without saying that the Republican “counteroffer” is basically fake. It calls for $800 billion in revenue from closing loopholes, but doesn’t specify a single loophole to be closed; it calls for huge spending cuts, but aside from raising the Medicare age and cutting the Social Security inflation adjustment — moves worth only around $300 billion — it doesn’t specify how these cuts are to be achieved. So it’s basically the Paul Ryan method: scribble down some numbers and pretend that you’re a budget wonk with a Serious plan.
What I haven’t seen pointed out here is the longer arc of GOP strategy. Does anyone recall how the Bush tax cuts were passed? The 2001 cut was passed based on the claim that the government was running an excessive surplus; the 2003 cut on the claim that it would provide an economic boost. Then the surplus went away, and the economy did not, to say the least, perform very well.
So now we face a substantial long-run deficit largely created by those tax cuts:
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And the GOP says that because of that deficit we must raise the Medicare age and cut Social Security!
Oh, and for all the seniors or near-seniors who voted Republican because you thought they would protect Medicare from that bad guy Obama: you’ve been had. |
In its five decades at the epicenter of the movie industry’s comings and goings on the Sunset Strip, Schwab’s Drug Store was a lot of things — a movie industry meeting place, restaurant, soda fountain, liquor store, tourist attraction and, oh yeah, a pharmacy.
But there was one thing Schwab’s was not. Despite the persistent myth otherwise, it was not where Lana Turner was discovered.
Here’s the myth: In January 1937, 16-year-old Judy Turner ditched high school to grab a Coke at Schwab’s. Mervyn Le Roy, the famous movie director, happened to be seated at the counter that day. He couldn’t help noticing the attractive young lady. Sure, she was wearing a tight sweater but what really got the director’s attention was Judy’s wholesome beauty. The director introduced himself and offered her a screen test. The test was boffo, and the studio offered her a contract on the spot. Judy changed her name to Lana and, after making a movie or two, she was Lana Turner, one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
The myth is not entirely false. Her name was Judy, she was 16, and she was discovered in January 1937 at a soda fountain while ditching school — a typing class at Hollywood High School. But the fountain was not at Schwab’s. It was two miles east at the Top Hat Cafe, 6750 Sunset Blvd., at McCadden Place, which was, crucially, one block east of Hollywood High.
The gentleman who discovered there was not Mervyn Le Roy, it was Billy Wilkerson, publisher of the Hollywood Reporter, which had offices a block east of the Top Hat. We know that Wilkerson discovered Lana Turner at the Top Hat because Turner herself confirmed the story for Wilkerson’s son, W.R. Wilkinson III, who wrote about it in the July 1995 Los Angeles Times:
As the shapely 16-year-old entered the soda fountain, she caught my father’s attention. Even decades later he would recall how “breathtakingly beautiful” she looked that day. Wilkerson asked the manager about the young girl. “That’s Judy, Mr. Wilkerson.” My father wanted to meet her. “I’ll ask,” said the manager. The manager, who knew both of them well, went over to Judy. “That gentleman over there would like to meet you.” “You can imagine what ran through my mind,” Lana told me in a 1974 interview. She asked the manager, “Why?” “It’s OK. He’s a gentleman, Judy. He owns the Hollywood Reporter just down Sunset.” “Well, if you say so. But stay close.” An introduction was made. My father produced his business card and asked the schoolgirl if she would like to be in pictures. Judy seemed confused and unsure. “I’ll have to ask my mother,” she said. A few days later, young Judy visited the publisher’s office with her mother in tow. They had decided to take Wilkerson up on his offer.
Wilkerson referred her to the agent, Zeppo Marx, brother of Groucho, Chico and Harpo. And the rest really was movie history.
According to Wilkerson fils, the proprietor of the Top Hat affixed a plaque to the seat at the fountain where Lana Turner was sitting when she was discovered. Tourists came in droves, and he was able to retire early, in 1940. According to Wilkerson, Leon Schwab was aware of how the legend helped business at the Top Hat and simply appropriated it for his store when the Top Hat closed.
Lana Turner suggested that Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky, who had an office in the Schwab’s building, may have helped move the myth along. Wilkerson quoted Turner as saying Skolsky was having lunch at the counter when “a busty blond came up and asked which stool was Lana Turner’s. Skolsky simply picked one and pointed it out.”
For years, tourists, especially teen-aged girls, a few in tight sweaters, flocked to the Schwab’s, hoping to be discovered, or at least to see a famous star or two. And often enough they would.
In fact, there may well have been tourists in Schwab’s in November 1940, when F. Scott Fitzgerald had a heart attack in the store — some sources say he was standing in line to buy cigarettes. Another Schwab’s-related myth is that the heart attack killed him. In fact, Fitzgerald did suffer a fatal heart attack one month later. He died on Dec. 21, two blocks east of Schwab’s, in the apartment of his girlfriend, the gossip columnist Sheilah Graham, at 1443 N. Hayworth Ave.
The Schwab’s site at 8024 Sunset Blvd. at Laurel Canyon Blvd. and Crescent Heights was bulldozed in 1983, and the small mall that occupies the block today was built a decade or so later.
This article was originally posted to SunsetStript.com. |
Hello
I’m Joab, a Reportage Wedding Photographer (and have been for around 9 years now) loving living the West Country life in Clifton, Bristol.
I love blending in and shooting in an unobtrusive manner to provide a beautifully told record of your day; you create the memories, I’ll capture them! Most of all I love real moments of emotion, fun and beauty, so I’ll mostly be in the background and unless I’m talking to you feel free to ignore me, enjoy yourselves!
Pricing
Pricing starts from £1650 and discounts for winter or midweek weddings are often available. If you’re planning a destination wedding or elopement I keep costs down and would be happy to do a tailored quote.
Whether you’re getting married in your garden in Bristol or a cave in Peru I’d love to hear from you, get in touch and tell me about your day! |
If you're a Rogers customer then you've probably experienced their less-than-lovely customer service.
That experience has now been ruthlessly parodied in a video edit of a scene from the new South Park episode.
UPDATE: The hilarious Rogers South Park parody has been removed from Vimeo. Luckily, you can still see the Time Warner Cable version on YouTube here. Just replace the Time Warner logo with the Rogers logo.
The episode took aim at Time Warner Cable in the U.S., but a clever Vimeo user edited in the Rogers logo after a frustrating service outage.
And the poster isn't even a Rogers customer.
"After experiencing over 4 days downtime cable access this is how it feels living in Canada when one of the big three deliberately tries to stop indie ISPs," writes video uploader Anon.
Anon isn't alone.
There have been a number of reports that Rogers and other major cable and internet service providers deliberately give slower service to customers of independent ISPs such as TekSavvy. On other occasions, TekSavvy users have reported that their internet has gone down completely for days or weeks, something TekSavvy blames on the major ISPs it buys bandwidth from.
According to Rogers, "TekSavvy under forecasted their support needs and service queues were overwhelmed with high volumes. In response, Rogers added staff to clear the backlog. Levels are now back to normal."
A recent CBC report told the story of a group of roommates who had been happily using TekSavvy for three years before experiencing more than two weeks without service . When they called Rogers to find out what was going on, they were promptly offered the same deal they had with TekSavvy and given a promise of to be connected within one day.
They immediately switched.
Do you have a horror story about the service you've received from Rogers or another major telecom company? Check out other people's worst experiences in the slideshow below and share your own in the comments. |
Earlier this week, NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger critizized Smith’s level of conditioning, calling it “embarrassing.” Jets head coach Rex Ryan quashed those comments when he spoke to the media on Wednesday.
“If we’re training for the Olympics or he’s going to run the marathon, we might be in trouble,” Ryan said in a press conference. “I haven’t seen that in him. He seems fine to me. He looked good when he ran for 80 yards that one play.”
Baldinger created an unnecessary stir with his comments. If the Jets coaching staff haven’t noticed anything then Geno has nothing to worry about, which he understands.
“That’s his opinion,” Smith said per ESPN New York, “My coaches are the ones who evaluate me and I haven’t heard that from them, so I don’t have anything to say about that. … I’m right there [conditioning-wise]. I’m pretty good with it.” |
It's not easy to open a new brewery in New Jersey. But for Armageddon Brewing, it is taking an act of legislation.
The four friends launching the business in Somerdale want to make hard cider and mead -- two products that remain rare in a state where craft breweries are popping up like daisies.
That may have something to do with the fact that New Jersey had no laws governing the running of cider- and mead-making operations -- until the Armageddon partners suggested language for the legislation themselves and worked for years to get it passed.
"I had a party the following day," Christian Annese, 35, of Somerdale, said of the law's signing in May.
Then, the real work began for Annese and his partners --Matt Olsen, a teacher, Kyle Laird, an information technologist, and Gill Cornwall, who works for a company that does patent work in the pharmaceutical industry -- as they try to make their dream business a reality.
Armageddon Brewing launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign this month, hoping to raise $30,000 to start their business. They hit their goal with just an hour to go on the fundraiser Friday.
The partners were always planning to invest all their savings in the project with a goal of opening their tasting room in Somerdale as early as August of 2018.
While legislation in 2012 made it possible for dozens of microbreweries to open across the state, Annese said there are only two cideries and a big demand for the beverage here.
"Cider is where craft beer was 10 years ago," he said of the growing interest. "We're hoping since we made it easier, we'll see a lot more cideries opening."
Mike Kivowitz, founder of the website New Jersey Craft Beer and a club by the same name for brewers and enthusiasts, said he doesn't think cider and mead-making operations will ever be as numerous as the state's microbreweries. He also thinks breaking into the cider market might be especially hard.
"Mead will probably take off faster because, well, it's so unique," he said.
Anything you can brew, I can brew better
Annese, a web designer for Independence Blue Cross in Philadelphia, said he and his friends began homebrewing beer in 2011.
Then a doctor misdiagnosed him with a gluten intolerance. "So for like a year I changed my diet and stayed away from gluten, and that meant I couldn't drink beer," Annese said.
A friend suggested he drink cider instead, but Annese was not a fan of the super-sweet ciders he had tried in the past.
"I said I'd never had a good cider and he said why not try to brew it yourself," Annese said.
The friends, all from Camden County with the exception of Olsen, who halls from Atlantic County, also thought that they could make good mead. The ancient, alcoholic drink is made by fermenting honey in water and can be flavored with various spices and fruit juices.
After getting a great response to their free cider samples at a borough festival in 2012, they started considering turning pro. "That was when we found out about all of the road blocks."
There were no laws on the book about making cider or mead. Because cider is made from a fruit juice, Annese said, the only way to have a legal cidery at that point was to take out a winery license.
This is what the state's three cider producers, Jersey Cider Works in Newark, Oldwick Cider Works in Oldwick and Twisted Limb Hard Cider in Stillwater Township, have done.
But the rules about vineyards were written to help farmers and encourage agritourism. They include requirements that a winery must have at least three acres of vineyard and that 51 percent of the ingredients be grown in New Jersey -- something that Annese said would make it difficult to make cider during the winter months.
"And mead isn't even a thing," Annese said.
Before the law was changed, there were no legal provisions for making mead because it isn't made with fruit juice like other wines. The state's only meadery, Melovino Meadery in Vauxhall, has a special license from the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Annese said he and his friends went through the law looking for loopholes, but determined that they needed a new law in order to open the kind of urban cidery and meadery they wanted.
He met with Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt and she told him to suggest the wording of the new bill, Annese said.
The legislators submitted a bill but it died in committee. The version of the bill that ultimately passed was submitted in 2016.
Lampitt's office said both Annese and the owner of Melovino Meadery, Sergio Moutela, were suggesting language for the bill as it evovled, and lobbied for its passage in Trenton.
While the bill was being considered, the Armageddon partners drew up a business plan for Armageddon Brewing. They found a space to rent in Somerdale -- though Annese doesn't want to reveal its location until the lease is signed.
They've also been perfecting their ciders and meads, Annese said. He drove "all over New Jersey" to find different kinds of cider to brew with, and started his own small orchard in Kutztown, Penn. of 50 trees to raise special varieties of apples, including French and English cider apples and American heirloom varieties.
While some big cider brands use concentrate instead of fresh fruit juice, Annese said they plan to use fresh juice and also buy and press their own apples once the brewery is up and running. They won't use any artificial flavors, he said.
They find most of the big-name ciders are too sweet and have an artificial apple taste, Annese said.
The flavors they've come up with instead, as they boasted on their Kickstarter page, range from "incredibly dry, almost champagne like, to sweet and juicy like you were taking a bite from an apple right off the tree."
Mead -- a drink thought to be one of the oldest alcoholic beverages on the planet -- can also have diverse flavors depending on the type of honey, spices and fruit juices added. Some taste like honey while others are more wine-like and complex.
They tried at first to buy local honey, but Annese said beekeepers don't sell it in bulk and he needed about 24 pounds per five-gallon batch.
He now buys from Dutch Gold, a big company in Lancaster, Penn., where he can get different varieties made by bees that pollinated blossoms of oranges, raspberries and wildflowers, among others.
But is there a market for mead in New Jersey? Annese said he thinks people will be clamoring for it, once they're introduced to the product.
As for their name, Annese said Armageddon Brewing was born out of their dark humor and desire for an "edgy and memorable" theme. The names of their beverages draw from ancient mythology and even Adam and Eve, he said.
"It's not the end of the world so much as the end of you having to drink overly sweet, candy-like, mass-produced commercial ciders and meads," he said.
Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook. |
On July 26th, 2011.. Jethal and Elquin had the interview they’ve been dreaming about for years.. The President of Sony Online Entertainment.. JOHN SMEDLEY!!”
http://jethal.com/download/show/podcast/jethal_20110726.mp3
( Cheesit ) It’s the Jethal Silverwing Show on Online Gaming Radio with our Very Special Guest -The President of Sony Online Entertainment.. JOHN “FREAKIN” SMEDLEY!!”
) It’s the Jethal Silverwing Show on Online Gaming Radio with our Very Special Guest -The President of Sony Online Entertainment.. JOHN “FREAKIN” SMEDLEY!!” ( Jethal ) Hello everyone, this is the Jethal Silverwing Show for July 26th, 2011.. I am you host, Jethal Silvering. With me as always, my love, my girl, the burning in my loins, the tailor of fine armors, the baker of cookies and the reason we have a mature audience warning at the top of the show, it’s Elquinjena!!
) Hello everyone, this is the Jethal Silverwing Show for July 26th, 2011.. I am you host, Jethal Silvering. With me as always, my love, my girl, the burning in my loins, the tailor of fine armors, the baker of cookies and the reason we have a mature audience warning at the top of the show, it’s Elquinjena!! ( Elquin ) Hail and Greetings!
) Hail and Greetings! ( Jethal ) If you’d like to join in on the mayhem you can log on to the in-game chat channel, antonia_bayle.OGR – it’s up and running 24/7.. where the OGR elite, come to meet
) If you’d like to join in on the mayhem you can log on to the in-game chat channel, antonia_bayle.OGR – it’s up and running 24/7.. where the OGR elite, come to meet (Jethal) Also, today if you wanna join us on the Offline Chat Channel you can go to OnlineGamingRadio.com, click the link on the top right, that says “Chat Live”, Enter your Handle and Chat live!
( Jethal ) Normally we have a big ole ‘speel’ and stuff, but I wanna get-on – well, not ‘get it on’ but, get started with our Very Special Guest – John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment
) Normally we have a big ole ‘speel’ and stuff, but I wanna get-on – well, not ‘get it on’ but, get started with our Very Special Guest – John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment ( Smed ) Hello out there
) Hello out there ( Jethal ) John, how are you today
) John, how are you today ( Smed ) I am doing great
) I am doing great ( Jethal ) alrighty then, so let’s get right to the point here..
) alrighty then, so let’s get right to the point here.. ( Smed ) And by the way I want to apologize, in advance, if you hear things in the background.. I’m doing this right from my house and one of my kids may jump in and do something obnoxious.. so sorry if you hear them yelling, that’s me dealing with life with 4 kids and a wife
) And by the way I want to apologize, in advance, if you hear things in the background.. I’m doing this right from my house and one of my kids may jump in and do something obnoxious.. so sorry if you hear them yelling, that’s me dealing with life with 4 kids and a wife ( Jethal ) Life with 4 kids and a wife, there could be some child abuse going on, on the Jethal Silverwing Show, which is, sadly, not uncommon.. You didn’t hear about the time I beat my computer to death, did ya?
) Life with 4 kids and a wife, there could be some child abuse going on, on the Jethal Silverwing Show, which is, sadly, not uncommon.. You didn’t hear about the time I beat my computer to death, did ya? ( Smed ) ahh.. did not!
) ahh.. did not! ( Jethal ) Yeah, about six months ago, I beat my mouse to death with a hammer, then stomped a hole in my 2nd computer
) Yeah, about six months ago, I beat my mouse to death with a hammer, then stomped a hole in my 2nd computer ( Smed ) wow.. that’s anger
) wow.. that’s anger ( Elquin ) yeah, we take all the sharp objects away from him
) yeah, we take all the sharp objects away from him ( Jethal ) John Smedley, is the President of Sony Online Entertainment, and the founder.. or I should say.. author of EverQuest
) John Smedley, is the President of Sony Online Entertainment, and the founder.. or I should say.. author of EverQuest ( Smed ) author is a strong world
) author is a strong world ( Jethal ) one of the creators..
) one of the creators.. ( Smed ) That’s a better way to put it, it was my idea originally, but Brad and Steve came up with the core ideas of it all
) That’s a better way to put it, it was my idea originally, but Brad and Steve came up with the core ideas of it all ( Jethal ) How difficult was that? I mean, coming up with a game.. basically the first of it’s kind, wasn’t it?
) How difficult was that? I mean, coming up with a game.. basically the first of it’s kind, wasn’t it? ( Smed ) No, yeah know.. it had many predecessors.. it had it’s roots kind of in a combination of DQ MUDs, Dungeons and Dragons, and there was Meridian 59, and Ultima Online, but when we started it in march 1996, Ultima hadn’t come online and those other games where very small.. so it was the first major scale MMO, beside UO.
) No, yeah know.. it had many predecessors.. it had it’s roots kind of in a combination of DQ MUDs, Dungeons and Dragons, and there was Meridian 59, and Ultima Online, but when we started it in march 1996, Ultima hadn’t come online and those other games where very small.. so it was the first major scale MMO, beside UO. ( Elquin ) god, I remember trying out Meridian 59 too
) god, I remember trying out Meridian 59 too ( Smed ) you know what, Meridian 59 had a lot going for it and it’s funny, you look back on that stuff now, and it really was a really cool game, but it was older and back then we surpassed it with a lot of features that it didn’t have then, but, honestly those early games where a lot of trial and error from teams who did some amazing stuff
) you know what, Meridian 59 had a lot going for it and it’s funny, you look back on that stuff now, and it really was a really cool game, but it was older and back then we surpassed it with a lot of features that it didn’t have then, but, honestly those early games where a lot of trial and error from teams who did some amazing stuff ( Elquin ) I hate to say it but I couldn’t get into them.. I tried Meridian 59 and Ultima.. but it really wasn’t for me
) I hate to say it but I couldn’t get into them.. I tried Meridian 59 and Ultima.. but it really wasn’t for me ( Jethal ) and I can say that I never tried them at all.. I got my first computer that really belonged to me, in 1995, and I was into games like Phantasmagoria and I was caught up in America Online.. but, I was doing a lot of Live Action Role Play and stuff like that that, I mean.. EverQuest 1 (or just EverQuest) was really my first introduction into MMO’s
) and I can say that I never tried them at all.. I got my first computer that really belonged to me, in 1995, and I was into games like Phantasmagoria and I was caught up in America Online.. but, I was doing a lot of Live Action Role Play and stuff like that that, I mean.. EverQuest 1 (or just EverQuest) was really my first introduction into MMO’s ( Smed ) wow, you see, I played quiet a bit of MMO (hard to call it a MMO now) called Cyber-Strike. That’s actually what gave me the idea to do online games.. I played the heck of it. When I got married in April of 1994, we hadn’t lived together before, and my wife saw the first months bill, from Genie back then, which was $3 per hour.. and my wife. it was like “ok, let me get this straight, you play an online game.. and it’s costing us $600 a month?” (wows from J and E).. it was an education.. I guess it worked out OK though.
) wow, you see, I played quiet a bit of MMO (hard to call it a MMO now) called Cyber-Strike. That’s actually what gave me the idea to do online games.. I played the heck of it. When I got married in April of 1994, we hadn’t lived together before, and my wife saw the first months bill, from Genie back then, which was $3 per hour.. and my wife. it was like “ok, let me get this straight, you play an online game.. and it’s costing us $600 a month?” (wows from J and E).. it was an education.. I guess it worked out OK though. ( Jethal ) I remember a friend of mine was in college ran his own.. I dont know what you’d call it.. it was text based, you’d dial in with a modem.. would you call that a MUD?
) I remember a friend of mine was in college ran his own.. I dont know what you’d call it.. it was text based, you’d dial in with a modem.. would you call that a MUD? ( Smed ) Um, there’s MUDs and early BBS games.. I would classify them as MUDs today, but really they weren’t even good enough to call them MUDs.
) Um, there’s MUDs and early BBS games.. I would classify them as MUDs today, but really they weren’t even good enough to call them MUDs. ( Elquin ) you had so many turns, then you’d have to wait until the next day to play
) you had so many turns, then you’d have to wait until the next day to play ( Smed ) nowadays you’d call that “Social Gaming”
) nowadays you’d call that “Social Gaming” *laughter*
( Jethal ) yeah, pretty much.. OK let’s see what we got here.. we do have some questions from our audience, Elquin , while I’m organizing these, why dont you chat it up with Smed for a while..
) yeah, pretty much.. OK let’s see what we got here.. we do have some questions from our audience, , while I’m organizing these, why dont you chat it up with Smed for a while.. ( Elquin ) Well the only thing I was gonna bring up, is the fact that, when you think about games back then, and you think about games now.. one of the biggest changes I’ve seen is the Dynamic Content of the game, where the players can actually influence the game. Like, the Othmir village.. you go in and do the quests.. things change, leadership changes, objects appear now when you finish the quests.. I think they started that with the pandas.. I think that’s amazing
) Well the only thing I was gonna bring up, is the fact that, when you think about games back then, and you think about games now.. one of the biggest changes I’ve seen is the Dynamic Content of the game, where the players can actually influence the game. Like, the Othmir village.. you go in and do the quests.. things change, leadership changes, objects appear now when you finish the quests.. I think they started that with the pandas.. I think that’s amazing ( Smed ) and we think that’s the future of MMO gaming
) and we think that’s the future of MMO gaming ( Jethal ) You’re changing your online world, and that’s great.. the only problem I have is.. if you have a friend that logs in and goes “Hey.. I’m trying that quest you told me about the other day, but where’s the NPC you where talking about? where is he”.. and I go out to help him and I’m like “Well, I couldn’t tell you.. I cant see him anymore, but he SHOULD be right there.. I don’t know what to tell you”
) You’re changing your online world, and that’s great.. the only problem I have is.. if you have a friend that logs in and goes “Hey.. I’m trying that quest you told me about the other day, but where’s the NPC you where talking about? where is he”.. and I go out to help him and I’m like “Well, I couldn’t tell you.. I cant see him anymore, but he SHOULD be right there.. I don’t know what to tell you” ( Elquin ) Well, that’s why you go use places like Zam.com
) Well, that’s why you go use places like Zam.com ( Smed ) well it’s interesting that you mention that, cause really when EQ launched, there was no good source, immediately, to do all that.. you think about all the websites that are out there now, and all the pieces of content are there even before the content goes to patch.. and I gotta say, I personally think that’s sad.. it’s great for newbies, but it’s also bad when the sense of mystery is lost when literally in the patch notes, or in some website, every single quest is pre-listed.
) well it’s interesting that you mention that, cause really when EQ launched, there was no good source, immediately, to do all that.. you think about all the websites that are out there now, and all the pieces of content are there even before the content goes to patch.. and I gotta say, I personally think that’s sad.. it’s great for newbies, but it’s also bad when the sense of mystery is lost when literally in the patch notes, or in some website, every single quest is pre-listed. ( Elquin ) that’s why all the new stuff, I will try until I get stuck, then I go “ok, it’s time to find out where I’m supposed to go”.. majority of the time, lately, most of the quests I’m doing are very intuitive. they sort of point you in the right direction anyways.
) that’s why all the new stuff, I will try until I get stuck, then I go “ok, it’s time to find out where I’m supposed to go”.. majority of the time, lately, most of the quests I’m doing are very intuitive. they sort of point you in the right direction anyways. ( Jethal ) that was one of the things in EQ2 that really ticked me off at first, I was running EQrangers.com at the time.. we were the first group to publish the walk through for Ranger Epic 2.0 for EQ1. it’s like.. we get here and I’m like “OK, it’s time to start the fletching guide!.. what shaft and nock, blah blah blah.. but wait I dont need to.. we have recipies.. OK let’s do THIS.. no, it’s already provided for us..” so, it IS good, I enjoy it very much, but you kinda put my website out of business though.
) that was one of the things in EQ2 that really ticked me off at first, I was running EQrangers.com at the time.. we were the first group to publish the walk through for Ranger Epic 2.0 for EQ1. it’s like.. we get here and I’m like “OK, it’s time to start the fletching guide!.. what shaft and nock, blah blah blah.. but wait I dont need to.. we have recipies.. OK let’s do THIS.. no, it’s already provided for us..” so, it IS good, I enjoy it very much, but you kinda put my website out of business though. ( Smed ) well it’s interesting.. that’s an interesting comment.. and I’ll say that one of the larger mistakes we made going from EQ1 to EQ2 was, we made the decision early on that we were not going to be putting spoiler information out there. We wanted to have station players be a big website, and um, I think it kinda hindered the growth of a lot of the websites, I mean what we’ve subsequently thought through, is that it’s a very healthy think, for the fan sites to help put those things out there for people
) well it’s interesting.. that’s an interesting comment.. and I’ll say that one of the larger mistakes we made going from EQ1 to EQ2 was, we made the decision early on that we were not going to be putting spoiler information out there. We wanted to have station players be a big website, and um, I think it kinda hindered the growth of a lot of the websites, I mean what we’ve subsequently thought through, is that it’s a very healthy think, for the fan sites to help put those things out there for people ( Elquin ) so players can put out tips and tricks along with with they got too
) so players can put out tips and tricks along with with they got too ( Smed ) absolutely
) absolutely ( Elquin ) that always sounds more helpful than an actual guide. what do other players experience in doing this.. what other suggestions do they have. yea know
) that always sounds more helpful than an actual guide. what do other players experience in doing this.. what other suggestions do they have. yea know ( Jethal ) that’s one of the reasons I like zam.com with what they’re doing.. they’ll put out a whole list, like the Golden Path.. you’d have the golden path, and you look at the individual quest.. zam says “BTW, if you do THIS quest at the same time.. you can knock them both out at the same time”
) that’s one of the reasons I like zam.com with what they’re doing.. they’ll put out a whole list, like the Golden Path.. you’d have the golden path, and you look at the individual quest.. zam says “BTW, if you do THIS quest at the same time.. you can knock them both out at the same time” ( Smed ) it’s funny because, one of the core things we believe about the future about, not just EverQuest, but games in general.. is to make sure the interface is untuitive enough where you never feel stuck. for example, someone gives you a riddle.. and I think that’s ok if you present a challenge, but you dont want a challenge interface wise, because we did a poor job implementing stuff.. we want you to have a tough time concouring the monster, or figuring out something that’s part of the challenge to begin with.. not, fighting the interface.. “Look you gotta put these three things in exactly the right order” that’s not fun.
) it’s funny because, one of the core things we believe about the future about, not just EverQuest, but games in general.. is to make sure the interface is untuitive enough where you never feel stuck. for example, someone gives you a riddle.. and I think that’s ok if you present a challenge, but you dont want a challenge interface wise, because we did a poor job implementing stuff.. we want you to have a tough time concouring the monster, or figuring out something that’s part of the challenge to begin with.. not, fighting the interface.. “Look you gotta put these three things in exactly the right order” that’s not fun. ( Jethal ) that’s happened a bit in EQ1
) that’s happened a bit in EQ1 ( Smed ) The Text interface ( Elquin groans) just the way we did questing.. it’s easy to look back on that now, but back then.. remember that it had it’s roots in MUDs, so a lot of that stuff was very text based to begin with
) The Text interface ( groans) just the way we did questing.. it’s easy to look back on that now, but back then.. remember that it had it’s roots in MUDs, so a lot of that stuff was very text based to begin with ( Elquin ) that’s something I almost forgot about that.. trigger words
) that’s something I almost forgot about that.. trigger words ( Jethal ) it was nice when the trigger words started showing up in brackets
) it was nice when the trigger words started showing up in brackets ( Elquin ) *laughs* yeah, made it a little easier.. “What about [The Bow]?”
) *laughs* yeah, made it a little easier.. “What about [The Bow]?” ( Smed ) you look on that and you’re like “wow that was amazing” and look on it now, and it’s kinda sad (chuckles)
) you look on that and you’re like “wow that was amazing” and look on it now, and it’s kinda sad (chuckles) ( Jethal ) I remember in EQ1, getting killed many times.. being a wood elf ranger, it was odd.. my roommate soul bound me in Rivervale, cause she figured it was a better place for experience at that point, and I kept doing the Goblin Necklace Quest to raise faction.. and you’d go see the Sheriff, and the trigger line was “AM I one with the wall”
) I remember in EQ1, getting killed many times.. being a wood elf ranger, it was odd.. my roommate soul bound me in Rivervale, cause she figured it was a better place for experience at that point, and I kept doing the Goblin Necklace Quest to raise faction.. and you’d go see the Sheriff, and the trigger line was “AM I one with the wall” ( Smed ) you kept type “I am one”?
) you kept type “I am one”? ( Jethal ) no no, I typed “am I one” but if you didn’t hit enter first to get your cursor going.. you ended up attacking the sheriff
) no no, I typed “am I one” but if you didn’t hit enter first to get your cursor going.. you ended up attacking the sheriff ( Smed ) *chuckles* that’s actually one of my favorite memories of EQ.. how easy it was to just, out right, die immediately.. one hit kills because you accidentally attacked a guard, cause you didn’t hit enter and hit “a” or something
) *chuckles* that’s actually one of my favorite memories of EQ.. how easy it was to just, out right, die immediately.. one hit kills because you accidentally attacked a guard, cause you didn’t hit enter and hit “a” or something ( Elquin ) *laughs* oh yes, I’ve done that
) *laughs* oh yes, I’ve done that ( Jethal ) actually the default attack key is “q”.. they changed it
) actually the default attack key is “q”.. they changed it ( Smed ) it’s kinda funny, the things to learn when, ya know.. by watching a bunch of players do it.. one of my favorite memories from EQ1.. remember that tree in black burrow? it was fun watching people just walk into it.. it’s entertaining watching people.. first thing they do “Hey, I can go in there”
) it’s kinda funny, the things to learn when, ya know.. by watching a bunch of players do it.. one of my favorite memories from EQ1.. remember that tree in black burrow? it was fun watching people just walk into it.. it’s entertaining watching people.. first thing they do “Hey, I can go in there” ( Jethal ) hey look, it’s a hollowed out tree.. I can go in there! aaaaaaaaah! /splat
) hey look, it’s a hollowed out tree.. I can go in there! aaaaaaaaah! /splat ( Elquin ) that’s had to be one of my uber rescue moments, I was a big buff level 20, and someone fell down the hole, and I went and got them, snuck them out of there.. I thought I was hero-esk
) that’s had to be one of my uber rescue moments, I was a big buff level 20, and someone fell down the hole, and I went and got them, snuck them out of there.. I thought I was hero-esk ( Jethal ) ok, ok, I admit it.. I used to sneak to the back side of that stump and drop something so it looked like alittle bag..
) ok, ok, I admit it.. I used to sneak to the back side of that stump and drop something so it looked like alittle bag.. ( Smed ) really?? I never thought of that
) really?? I never thought of that ( Elquin ) you’re Evil!
) you’re Evil! (Jethal) then i’d watch people try to go in and pick it up
( Smed ) I’m pretty old school when it comes to death mechanics.. I much preferred EverQuest 1’s. I know I’m in the minority on this, and I realise that .. but I believe in challenge.. the best moments in EverQuest was the corpse runs
) I’m pretty old school when it comes to death mechanics.. I much preferred EverQuest 1’s. I know I’m in the minority on this, and I realise that .. but I believe in challenge.. the best moments in EverQuest was the corpse runs ( Elquin ) yes
) yes ( Jethal ) that’s one of the things I really miss with EQ2.. like you said, some of the best times I had was with corpse runs.. EQ2 had the soul shards.. I miss those, and honestly I wish it where an option.. “Do you want to revive? do you want to corpse run?”.. but there has to be some sort of penalty, cause at this point there is NO penalty of death, except of the mending costs
) that’s one of the things I really miss with EQ2.. like you said, some of the best times I had was with corpse runs.. EQ2 had the soul shards.. I miss those, and honestly I wish it where an option.. “Do you want to revive? do you want to corpse run?”.. but there has to be some sort of penalty, cause at this point there is NO penalty of death, except of the mending costs ( Smed ) well, we’ve come to a place where Mass means Easy, and I don’t believe that’s true.. people are more than happy to have a challenge.. and the reason those runs where so great for me, wasn’t because I was doing it myself.. but getting someone to help. There’s nothing fun in losing a level to doing that
) well, we’ve come to a place where Mass means Easy, and I don’t believe that’s true.. people are more than happy to have a challenge.. and the reason those runs where so great for me, wasn’t because I was doing it myself.. but getting someone to help. There’s nothing fun in losing a level to doing that ( Elquin ) think of all the tactics surrounding corpse runs in all the zones too
) think of all the tactics surrounding corpse runs in all the zones too ( Smed ) see? I like that
) see? I like that ( Jethal ) ok hon, what else you got
) ok hon, what else you got ( Elquin ) I wanted to bring up, this past week we had the a lot of the world events happen, and the most amazing thing I saw was, we had, on the AB server.. 9 instances of the Great Divide going.. 2 instances of Thurgadin going, and I had a raid group situated in the first 1st instance in Great Divide.. and we had a few sitting there as anchor so we could come back to the same zone.. so we’re all going back and forth doing this fetching quest.. so all you could see was a sea of people, flying, running, jumping, to get down to get the beer and the picks, and it was incredible seeing all these people working together to bring it to a head.. and you sit back and think about all the people working together you think “wow”
) I wanted to bring up, this past week we had the a lot of the world events happen, and the most amazing thing I saw was, we had, on the AB server.. 9 instances of the Great Divide going.. 2 instances of Thurgadin going, and I had a raid group situated in the first 1st instance in Great Divide.. and we had a few sitting there as anchor so we could come back to the same zone.. so we’re all going back and forth doing this fetching quest.. so all you could see was a sea of people, flying, running, jumping, to get down to get the beer and the picks, and it was incredible seeing all these people working together to bring it to a head.. and you sit back and think about all the people working together you think “wow” ( Smed ) there’s been a lot of advances in that sort of thing, I think.. Warhammer did some good stuff there, we’ve done some good stuff.. Rift did some good stuff.. I really like the idea of server-wide (or zone-wide.. but in future games, we don’t plan on using zones, but geographical areas) that whole feeling of doing something with other people for a common good (or evil) is very fun
) there’s been a lot of advances in that sort of thing, I think.. Warhammer did some good stuff there, we’ve done some good stuff.. Rift did some good stuff.. I really like the idea of server-wide (or zone-wide.. but in future games, we don’t plan on using zones, but geographical areas) that whole feeling of doing something with other people for a common good (or evil) is very fun ( Jethal ) Serrest from Antonia Bayle comments.. Great Divide looked like Coruscant with all the all the air traffic going on
) Serrest from Antonia Bayle comments.. Great Divide looked like Coruscant with all the all the air traffic going on (Elquin) it’s funny.. I get an idea what an ant feels like.. we had a blast
(Jethal) alright, we have a list of questions given to us, submitted by our fans.. I have a few of myown first.
(Jethal) What’s for Favorite IN-Game moment? (any game)
(Smed) I have four kids, Patrick is 16, Katherine 14, Emily 11, Rose 10.. my favorite moment is playing with Emily & Rose in FreeRealms for the first time.. we’ve got a lot of computers in the house, as you can expect.. my daughters where in two different rooms, with me in my study, and just logging in and chatting was magical, they were so cute – just playing with them was a lot of fun for me.
(Jethal) Do you ever get fangirls going “OMG it’s SMED!” like at fanfaire?
( Smed ) I do not.. fangirls especially not.. at Fan Faire, people may recognize me and, probably because they’ve been there a few times and see me talk. people come up to me and it’s not quite “fanbois” it’s just people who love the game
) I do not.. fangirls especially not.. at Fan Faire, people may recognize me and, probably because they’ve been there a few times and see me talk. people come up to me and it’s not quite “fanbois” it’s just people who love the game ( Jethal ) So it was just me then? ( Elquin laughs)
) So it was just me then? ( laughs) ( Smed ) yeah, it was just you.
) yeah, it was just you. ( Jethal ) I’m telling you.. I tweeted the first night of Fan Faire.. I’m walking down the hall.. and I Smed stopped me and where “oh, you’re Jethal..” and I was “OMG, Smed Recognized me!!” (laughter)
) I’m telling you.. I tweeted the first night of Fan Faire.. I’m walking down the hall.. and I stopped me and where “oh, you’re Jethal..” and I was “OMG, Recognized me!!” (laughter) ( Smed ) *Chuckles* ya know, it’s kinda funny.. i’ve been doing this a long time now.. i’ve made a lot of games before I made online games, and it’s a different feeling.. when I was making sports games.. which a hated, I dispise sports games.. I hate football games, I hate hockey games, I hate baseball games.. I hate sports in general, actually.. I hate the outdoors..
) *Chuckles* ya know, it’s kinda funny.. i’ve been doing this a long time now.. i’ve made a lot of games before I made online games, and it’s a different feeling.. when I was making sports games.. which a hated, I dispise sports games.. I hate football games, I hate hockey games, I hate baseball games.. I hate sports in general, actually.. I hate the outdoors.. ( Jethal ) man after my own heart
) man after my own heart ( Smed ) When I was making those kind of games, there was no such thing.. in online games, it’s different, you go some place where there are other fans like you, and, you get to know people and I love that.. I love that feeling, I love seeing people at fan faire who i’ve seen from year to year.. you know what’s cool about fan faire, people are bringing their kids, who wheren’t even born when our games launched
) When I was making those kind of games, there was no such thing.. in online games, it’s different, you go some place where there are other fans like you, and, you get to know people and I love that.. I love that feeling, I love seeing people at fan faire who i’ve seen from year to year.. you know what’s cool about fan faire, people are bringing their kids, who wheren’t even born when our games launched (Jethal) I noticed that when I was going around the main gallery at fan faire and I had the same thing to say to them “Oh Look, a level 1 raider.. oh look..”
( Smed ) I will say, my favorite moment, by myself, in an online game.. and I will confess to your fans right now.. EverQuest2 is not my game of choice.. it’s actually Planetside (Gasps from Jethal).. I’m a shooter.. I love shooters.. i’ve played the living crap out of Planetside , and right after that I got into Battlefield 2, and played that competively.. and it was a 4 or 5 hour a night suck of my life, and playing in a clan, competively was just so much fun
) I will say, my favorite moment, by myself, in an online game.. and I will confess to your fans right now.. EverQuest2 is not my game of choice.. it’s actually Planetside (Gasps from Jethal).. I’m a shooter.. I love shooters.. i’ve played the living crap out of Planetside , and right after that I got into Battlefield 2, and played that competively.. and it was a 4 or 5 hour a night suck of my life, and playing in a clan, competively was just so much fun ( Jethal ) that’s why you need to be a ranger on a PvP server, so you can go around shooting people from a distance
) that’s why you need to be a ranger on a PvP server, so you can go around shooting people from a distance ( Smed ) that’s the other interesting thing.. I can not stand PvE.. I hate it.. and it bores me to tears.. the only thing I want, is that rush when someone attacks me out of nowhere.. I love cooperative PvE, that’s fun, but that’s the way I like to play personally.. the PvE enjoyment I get, like, playing Portal2 with my kids in Coop mode that was fun, or playing Starcraft 2 cooperatively on a team. that’s still a PvP experiance.. I’m just not wired for PvE
) that’s the other interesting thing.. I can not stand PvE.. I hate it.. and it bores me to tears.. the only thing I want, is that rush when someone attacks me out of nowhere.. I love cooperative PvE, that’s fun, but that’s the way I like to play personally.. the PvE enjoyment I get, like, playing Portal2 with my kids in Coop mode that was fun, or playing Starcraft 2 cooperatively on a team. that’s still a PvP experiance.. I’m just not wired for PvE ( Elquin ) you’re not the only one i’ve heard say that.. it’s the unknown rush, when you play PvP, never knowing who’s gonna attack you next, sort of, edge.. that’s the game for them
) you’re not the only one i’ve heard say that.. it’s the unknown rush, when you play PvP, never knowing who’s gonna attack you next, sort of, edge.. that’s the game for them (Smed) The game for me, is.. this generation of MMO’s.. and I’m being real specific.. the Mobs arent very smart, there’s agro.. but they dont give you the challenge that another player does. and that’s something we plan on majorly working on for our future products, but for now, it’s not the same as being ambused by five guys who want nothing more than to, just, trash talk you..
(Jethal) Coopendor of Bazaar Server (EQ2) asks.. Would it be posible, in the future, that we could tranfer adornments from one item to another – even if there is a small fee?
(Smed) So, it IS posible.. it’s not on the schedule. so tradeskillers make adornments, and if players can re-use their adornments, then that’s gonna take away from the tradeskillers.. so at this point in time, it’s something we’re not gonna do.
(Jethal) MrLightMan is asking some pretty specific questions.. (MrLightMan) I’d like to know about two things.. one being the Hard Light Powers and ETA on release.. and New Power sets..
( Smed ) We have an update coming called “Fight for the Light”. it’s coming in the near future.. I dont want to give away the exact date.. cause in DCUO we cant say 100% when that it, cause we have to get approval to release the PS3 versions when they’re finished.. quite frankly the version IS ready, we have to get testing approval.
) We have an update coming called “Fight for the Light”. it’s coming in the near future.. I dont want to give away the exact date.. cause in DCUO we cant say 100% when that it, cause we have to get approval to release the PS3 versions when they’re finished.. quite frankly the version IS ready, we have to get testing approval. ( Jethal ) of course, with DCUO , you have to get “DC” approval
) of course, with DCUO , you have to get “DC” approval (Smed) We do, but all that stuff’s already been done.. we’re in the final testing.. the final testing.. well, we have an idea.. but we’re not ready to lock it down.. we will let people know.
(Jethal) Wars Sheol of Xegony (eq1) asks.. If I listen to this show, will I get any free stuff?
( Smed ) Well, my first question is.. Is that a Robert Jordon, is that a Wars Shale? from the Jordon Universe? shoulds like it might be..
) Well, my first question is.. Is that a Robert Jordon, is that a Wars Shale? from the Jordon Universe? shoulds like it might be.. ( Elquin ) Mmm no..
) Mmm no.. ( Smed ) Well, I wish we could do that, but sadly no.. but you do get the enjoyment of listening to you guys, and that to me is worth the price of admision, and it’s free!
) Well, I wish we could do that, but sadly no.. but you do get the enjoyment of listening to you guys, and that to me is worth the price of admision, and it’s free! (Elquin) And we get a shout out “Hi Chris!”
(Jethal) Flamewing (unknown) asks.. and for some odd reason, he thought he was gonna get banned from the forums for asking publically.. I dont know why.. Why is solo hunting (killing) experience so poor, compared to Instances, Raids and Dungeon Crawls, which typically need groups. Are there any plans to increase the overland experience?
( Smed ) I wouldnt say it’s Poor.. to me it’s great.. just in groups, it’s better.. the reason I say that is.. our thinking behind eq1 and EQ2 is that.. these games are made to be a group experience, and we’ve gotten some knocks for that, and people say “well, it’s not as easy to solo” well look, you can solo, absolutely, in our game.. and it’s the whole game is better in group. so we reward that better.
) I wouldnt say it’s Poor.. to me it’s great.. just in groups, it’s better.. the reason I say that is.. our thinking behind eq1 and EQ2 is that.. these games are made to be a group experience, and we’ve gotten some knocks for that, and people say “well, it’s not as easy to solo” well look, you can solo, absolutely, in our game.. and it’s the whole game is better in group. so we reward that better. ( Elquin ) well I think you’ve got that pretty well balanced.. if you want to solo you can, if you want to group, you can
) well I think you’ve got that pretty well balanced.. if you want to solo you can, if you want to group, you can ( Smed ) I feel that way too, but not everyone agrees
) I feel that way too, but not everyone agrees ( Elquin ) things DO move faster when you’re in a group or with a couple other people cause you have so much more fire power to knock down what you’re doing
) things DO move faster when you’re in a group or with a couple other people cause you have so much more fire power to knock down what you’re doing ( Jethal ) Personally, I’m a solo’er, and i’ve had no problem leveling up, just keep in mind, if you’re gonna solo.. do quests, you’re gonna get a lot more XP and more loot than flat-out hunting
) Personally, I’m a solo’er, and i’ve had no problem leveling up, just keep in mind, if you’re gonna solo.. do quests, you’re gonna get a lot more XP and more loot than flat-out hunting (Smed) I think you’re right that’s exactly how I feel.
(Jethal) Trista of the Antonia Bayle server says.. “What is the thought behind creating a 3rd form of the EQ Legacy, why not go more in the line of a new legacy”.. I believe she means, why didnt you go in the direction of WoW’s cateclism, or something like that
( Smed ) The simple answer is, we have a completely knew idea for the world of Norrath.. we have something.. it’s not something we can easily build into EQ1 or EQ2.. these are games that people play.. like EQ1, yes it’s changed, but it’s still the same core game.. and EQ2 is still the same core game.. what we’re doing in the Next EverQuest.. the experience is going to be very different, revolutionary kind of different, and we want to make sure it has it’s own place.. and the Next EverQuest is not supposed to be set it a particular time.. think of the star trek movie.. the recent star trek was a reimagining of the startrek universe. with the same core characters, that sort of thing.. that’s kind of what we have in mind, but something really radical, and it’s gonna be really awesome
) The simple answer is, we have a completely knew idea for the world of Norrath.. we have something.. it’s not something we can easily build into EQ1 or EQ2.. these are games that people play.. like EQ1, yes it’s changed, but it’s still the same core game.. and EQ2 is still the same core game.. what we’re doing in the Next EverQuest.. the experience is going to be very different, revolutionary kind of different, and we want to make sure it has it’s own place.. and the Next EverQuest is not supposed to be set it a particular time.. think of the star trek movie.. the recent star trek was a reimagining of the startrek universe. with the same core characters, that sort of thing.. that’s kind of what we have in mind, but something really radical, and it’s gonna be really awesome ( Jethal ) BTW.. Smed and I talked before the show.. and that’s pretty much all he can say about EverQuestNExt..
) BTW.. Smed and I talked before the show.. and that’s pretty much all he can say about EverQuestNExt.. (Smed) Sorry..
(Jethal) Now we have a question from “Chuina” from Crushbone.. “Can we give crafters a better chance to compete with the Store Bought appearance gear.. as a jeweler I feel I should be able to show others my skill”
( Smed ) Our intent, with the store.. is to give variety, but not the best items in game.. the intent is to always make the crafters very relavant, expecially in EQ2.. we’ve put a lot of time into the crafting interface and into the tradeskills in general, and we want to make sure that they have some of the best stuff in game. I think the question is leaning toward saying “hey, we cant make as good of stuff” and what I would say is.. There’s probably always going to be in element of that feeling, but we always strive to put in awesome stuff for crafters to make them relevant in the game.
) Our intent, with the store.. is to give variety, but not the best items in game.. the intent is to always make the crafters very relavant, expecially in EQ2.. we’ve put a lot of time into the crafting interface and into the tradeskills in general, and we want to make sure that they have some of the best stuff in game. I think the question is leaning toward saying “hey, we cant make as good of stuff” and what I would say is.. There’s probably always going to be in element of that feeling, but we always strive to put in awesome stuff for crafters to make them relevant in the game. ( Elquin ) well, there was all that formal wear, when you build your faction up with the Coldains, I’ve got a lot from doing the Shawl Quest, it’s a bunch of formal ware and it’s really nice stuff
) well, there was all that formal wear, when you build your faction up with the Coldains, I’ve got a lot from doing the Shawl Quest, it’s a bunch of formal ware and it’s really nice stuff ( Jethal ) I think it looks great
) I think it looks great (Smed) our intent with the marketplace is to put variety that you dont see in game, but to make the in-game stuff cooler, just to make some of the marketplace stuff cool too, and people who want to chose that route can, but you dont have to.
(Jethal) Tilaru of Antonia Bayle (EQ2) asks.. Why does Sony set up zones that require higher gear to overcome, than it drops as a reward?
( Smed ) My answer is.. we shouldn’t. I think in our last update in Gu60, we had some that were alittle bit too formittable for the gear, we fixed that as soon as we could.. but we dont feel that’s the situation any longer.. but it should.
) My answer is.. we shouldn’t. I think in our last update in Gu60, we had some that were alittle bit too formittable for the gear, we fixed that as soon as we could.. but we dont feel that’s the situation any longer.. but it should. ( Elquin ) I’m running into that problem now.. I know what she means.. I went and I did all the public quests, and I have the best public gear I could, but in order for me to continue on with some of the instances like the ascent, the pools, and stuff.. when they’re looking for people to join their group, they’re always asking what your Critical Mitigation is, and in order to increase my crit mit, I have to get yellow adornments for my gear, and I really dont want to spend my shards, but I dont want to use my shards on gear I’m just going to be throwing away as soon as I get my ry’gorr.. so I’m spending up enough so I can join groups so I can save up shards for the gear I really need.
) I’m running into that problem now.. I know what she means.. I went and I did all the public quests, and I have the best public gear I could, but in order for me to continue on with some of the instances like the ascent, the pools, and stuff.. when they’re looking for people to join their group, they’re always asking what your Critical Mitigation is, and in order to increase my crit mit, I have to get yellow adornments for my gear, and I really dont want to spend my shards, but I dont want to use my shards on gear I’m just going to be throwing away as soon as I get my ry’gorr.. so I’m spending up enough so I can join groups so I can save up shards for the gear I really need. ( Jethal ) then it comes back to the question about re-using adornments!
) then it comes back to the question about re-using adornments! ( Elquin ) well you really dont wanna reuse the shards I’m using.. if I was spending 10 shards a peice for the yellow adornments to get some of my crit mit up enough to be acceptable to groups going into these shard run instances, I mean..
) well you really dont wanna reuse the shards I’m using.. if I was spending 10 shards a peice for the yellow adornments to get some of my crit mit up enough to be acceptable to groups going into these shard run instances, I mean.. ( Smed ) just to let everyone know.. we are in the middle of re-itemizing ALL items from 20-90, and we’re going to make the content in the game more valid for the loot chests, and thats something that’s gonna happen.. it’s fair to say that what you’re saying IS accurate and something we wanna to fix.
) just to let everyone know.. we are in the middle of re-itemizing ALL items from 20-90, and we’re going to make the content in the game more valid for the loot chests, and thats something that’s gonna happen.. it’s fair to say that what you’re saying IS accurate and something we wanna to fix. (Jethal) and there’s also going to be the re-tooling.. if you have sword that has Dex, but you want strength.. you’re going to be able to retool it soon
(Jethal) Kaindah of Oasis (EQ2) asks..
What is your Favorite Class?
( Smed ) Swashbuckler..
) Swashbuckler.. What development in EQ2 are you the most proud of?
( Smed ) In my opinion, the tutorial was about the best part, as far as getting new people into the game.. I know that’s not gonna be a popular answer, but the reason I’m proud of that, is because.. even though a lot of EQ1 players was “yah yah yeah, why do I have to go through this stupid thing” we were able to get a lot of new people into the game and really get them through content and understanding what an MMO is.. I feel really good about that. and the reason is.. let’s face it EQ1 was a very hard and arcane kind of thing to get into and we really wanted to go out of our way to get some polish in there. I’m also proud of the great job we did with the questing and voice over. Now, could we have done better? absolutely, I also like Battlegrounds and Tradeskill instances, that was very well done, but also lacked a lot of polish.
) In my opinion, the tutorial was about the best part, as far as getting new people into the game.. I know that’s not gonna be a popular answer, but the reason I’m proud of that, is because.. even though a lot of EQ1 players was “yah yah yeah, why do I have to go through this stupid thing” we were able to get a lot of new people into the game and really get them through content and understanding what an MMO is.. I feel really good about that. and the reason is.. let’s face it EQ1 was a very hard and arcane kind of thing to get into and we really wanted to go out of our way to get some polish in there. I’m also proud of the great job we did with the questing and voice over. Now, could we have done better? absolutely, I also like Battlegrounds and Tradeskill instances, that was very well done, but also lacked a lot of polish. Would you come help me in a tradeskill instance for my Ry’Gorr Armor book?
( Smed ) I dont think i’d be very much assistance, is the best way I can put that
) I dont think i’d be very much assistance, is the best way I can put that ( Jethal ) would you be more of a hindrance?
) would you be more of a hindrance? ( Smed ) that’s putting it mildly
) that’s putting it mildly ( Elquin ) are you saying you’re glad tradeskill machinery doesn’t kill people anymore?
) are you saying you’re glad tradeskill machinery doesn’t kill people anymore? (Smed) I think I’m saying that.. I’m good at killing things
(Jethal) EQ2X.Freeport.Curel asks, “Do you have any suggestions for individuals that are interested in getting into the MMO Business and possibly be as great of a success as yourself?”
( Smed ) This is a good question because this is something I feel passionately about, I’m a big believer in working your way up.. I began my gaming life when I was 18 years old, programing video games, I was a programer, and I worked my ass off.. If you want to be in the Online Gaming business, I guarentee you, you can be in it, even if you have a monicom of talent, you just have to be willing to work your way up. what I would do is apply.. it’s easy to get a job as a CS Rep, or a Q/A Rep.. that is almost exclusively where we hire from.. I like the fact that at SOE we promote from within, and that works out well cause we get people who’ve been in the front lines and worked their way up and it works very well, so apply at our company, and that’s not me just saying “oh just apply”.. we’re really good about getting passionate people in our company.. and people who really want to eventually find a way in, by getting to know someone on the team, by emailing, then they let you know there’s a job opening.. and it’s just a great company to work for and a lot of fun
) This is a good question because this is something I feel passionately about, I’m a big believer in working your way up.. I began my gaming life when I was 18 years old, programing video games, I was a programer, and I worked my ass off.. If you want to be in the Online Gaming business, I guarentee you, you can be in it, even if you have a monicom of talent, you just have to be willing to work your way up. what I would do is apply.. it’s easy to get a job as a CS Rep, or a Q/A Rep.. that is almost exclusively where we hire from.. I like the fact that at SOE we promote from within, and that works out well cause we get people who’ve been in the front lines and worked their way up and it works very well, so apply at our company, and that’s not me just saying “oh just apply”.. we’re really good about getting passionate people in our company.. and people who really want to eventually find a way in, by getting to know someone on the team, by emailing, then they let you know there’s a job opening.. and it’s just a great company to work for and a lot of fun ( Jethal ) Brasse is a great example of that
) Brasse is a great example of that (Smed) Perfect example.. in fact, I personally was the one who wanted to get her in. People in our community frequently work for SOE. it’s the kind of job you have to Want to be in the business, and it’s an enormously fun and rewarding position to be in. making games. It’s not always what people expect.. they think they’re gonna coming as a tester and they say “oh I get to play games all day” not really.. you get to repeat the same bug 50 times in a row, figuring out what causes it.. but that’s how you pay your dues. I encourage them to go for it, anything is possible
(Jethal) Andriella of Antonia Bayle (EQ2) asks.. When will Planetside2 Beta open? Also comments that she is very appreciative of the interaction we players get with the SOE Team
( Smed ) First off, thank you so much for being appreciative and we certainly do our best, I dont think the players realise that this is not just a part of our job, this isnt just our job, this is what we like about the jobs we have.. I thoroughy enjoy interacting with our players. I personally answer almost ever email that I get.. and.. I know the dev team feels the same way. We dont always get nice emails and more often than not, if a person can write a relatively decently worded explaination of something, even if it’s a problem, we will both answer it and do our best to fix it. Some times we get Flame Mails, I dont mind that as long as there’s not a lot of cuss words.. and that part can be tough some times. On Planetside Beta.. it’ll be up sooner than people think, but I cant give a date yet.. we’re hard at work on it right now
) First off, thank you so much for being appreciative and we certainly do our best, I dont think the players realise that this is not just a part of our job, this isnt just our job, this is what we like about the jobs we have.. I thoroughy enjoy interacting with our players. I personally answer almost ever email that I get.. and.. I know the dev team feels the same way. We dont always get nice emails and more often than not, if a person can write a relatively decently worded explaination of something, even if it’s a problem, we will both answer it and do our best to fix it. Some times we get Flame Mails, I dont mind that as long as there’s not a lot of cuss words.. and that part can be tough some times. On Planetside Beta.. it’ll be up sooner than people think, but I cant give a date yet.. we’re hard at work on it right now ( Jethal ) speaking toward the flames and stuff.. just so people know, I did recieve quite a few more questions that than we’re gonna cover, but some of them where damned right rude, and I’m not going there.. more than once, and I told you this offline.. I got “EverQuest2 sucks, and what are you gonna do about it?”
) speaking toward the flames and stuff.. just so people know, I did recieve quite a few more questions that than we’re gonna cover, but some of them where damned right rude, and I’m not going there.. more than once, and I told you this offline.. I got “EverQuest2 sucks, and what are you gonna do about it?” ( Smed ) I dont care, if someone thinks EQ2 sucks.. i’ll say “Great.. rather than asking what I’m gonna do to fix it.. tell me what you think we should do to fix it”. People out there who just wanna be negative and say “this game sucks, that thing sucks”.. tell us what you would do to fix it, tell me what you want, we’re giving you the game we think is great, and if players need more or need differnt things, we need to hear about it
) I dont care, if someone thinks EQ2 sucks.. i’ll say “Great.. rather than asking what I’m gonna do to fix it.. tell me what you think we should do to fix it”. People out there who just wanna be negative and say “this game sucks, that thing sucks”.. tell us what you would do to fix it, tell me what you want, we’re giving you the game we think is great, and if players need more or need differnt things, we need to hear about it ( Jethal ) and that’s one of the great things I love about your team, and that’s not me kissing your ass.. I dont kiss ass.. but, we bring up things on this show, cause we know your team listens on a regular basis.. and I dont go “Oh this is wrong, that’s wrong! what’s you gonna do about it” I always try to give constructive critisism, like “Ya know.. this isnt working out how I think it should.. this is how you can make it better..”
) and that’s one of the great things I love about your team, and that’s not me kissing your ass.. I dont kiss ass.. but, we bring up things on this show, cause we know your team listens on a regular basis.. and I dont go “Oh this is wrong, that’s wrong! what’s you gonna do about it” I always try to give constructive critisism, like “Ya know.. this isnt working out how I think it should.. this is how you can make it better..” (Smed) people would be surprised to know that most of the team actually plays the game, and there’s a list a mile long of things we’re working on and we got X number of people and X amount of time to get things done in, while we there are all these things wrong.. we also have to put in new content.. or one of the these things that is “wrong” is we’re not putting out content fast enough. So, it’s a very interesting thing that we have to manage, the player expectation vs what we know what gotta get done, and there’s always 10 million thing to get done.
(Jethal) SeanGuy (unknown) asks .. Dear Smed, would you…
Please consider bugbears or aviaks as playable races for EQ2?
( Smed ) Yes, we would consider it.. would it be any time soon? probably not.. it’s a lot of work and we have a lot of things on our plate
) Yes, we would consider it.. would it be any time soon? probably not.. it’s a lot of work and we have a lot of things on our plate Please consider mailing more than one item at a time?
( Smed ) this has been on the wishlist for a while now.. we avoid it because the mail system we have now needs upgrading and that needs to be done first. We’ve got a few other things in line ahead of that. The ability to send multiple items at a time would be cool
) this has been on the wishlist for a while now.. we avoid it because the mail system we have now needs upgrading and that needs to be done first. We’ve got a few other things in line ahead of that. The ability to send multiple items at a time would be cool Please consider tinkered hand grenades with knockback?
( Smed ) that’s a very fun idea, and we’ll put that on the list
) that’s a very fun idea, and we’ll put that on the list ( Jethal ) I was saying for a long time on the show that i’d love to see exploding arrows
) I was saying for a long time on the show that i’d love to see exploding arrows ( Smed ) god, that’s a staple in D&D
) god, that’s a staple in D&D ( Jethal ) and not long after I suggested it BOOM.. we have exploding arrows
) and not long after I suggested it BOOM.. we have exploding arrows (Smed) ya know, a lot of the people who make the game, play the game. we’re in this business cause we love it and it’s fun.. and yet, exploding arrows and hand-grenades are baddass, and these are things we want to get done and is fun when we get to do some of them
( Jethal ) before I continue with the questions, I need to ask you something on a professional level
) before I continue with the questions, I need to ask you something on a professional level ( Smed ) sure..
) sure.. ( Jethal ) would you OFFICIALLY declare that Lera, on the Antonia Bayle Server, is indeed a Frostfell Elf
) would you OFFICIALLY declare that Lera, on the Antonia Bayle Server, is indeed a Frostfell Elf ( Smed ) Lera? oh wow..
) Lera? oh wow.. ( Jethal ) you saw Lera at the fanfaire, the santa hat.. the frostfell backpack.. and always going on and on about frostfell.. she just said in the OGR channel “I am not a frostfell elf” I need you to officially declare that Lera is a Frostfell Elf
) you saw Lera at the fanfaire, the santa hat.. the frostfell backpack.. and always going on and on about frostfell.. she just said in the OGR channel “I am not a frostfell elf” I need you to officially declare that Lera is a Frostfell Elf ( Smed ) but, it sounds like she doesnt believe she is one
) but, it sounds like she doesnt believe she is one ( Elquin ) but, Domino believes she is..
) but, Domino believes she is.. ( Smed ) oooo now you’re making this hard..
) oooo now you’re making this hard.. ( Jethal ) The OGR Chat channel is going wild with “Do It! Dot It!”
) The OGR Chat channel is going wild with “Do It! Dot It!” ( Smed ) she’s officially a Frostfell elf
) she’s officially a Frostfell elf ( Jethal ) there we go!
) there we go! ( Smed ) final decision by the way
) final decision by the way ( Jethal ) ok, I want me and Elquin to be quiet and I want you to offically state “Lera, you are a Frostfell Elf”
) ok, I want me and to be quiet and I want you to offically state “Lera, you are a Frostfell Elf” (Smed) Lera.. You are Frostfell Elf.. Deal
( Jethal ) now I have it, I’m gonna put it as a hot key on my sound fx board.. lera has been offically declared a frostfell out
) now I have it, I’m gonna put it as a hot key on my sound fx board.. lera has been offically declared a frostfell out (Smed) there ya go
(Jethal) Matia (unknown) says:I know your kids like Free Realms, but are they also looking forward to any of the newer titles that are upcoming, and if so, which ones?
( Smed ) my kids have the advantage have the advantage and the heavy disadvantage of living with me so they get to see a lot of stuff before every body else.. my son is looking forward to Planetside 2.. my daughters are looking forward to some cool stuff coming up in FreeRealms that we havent told anyone else about.. and, I have not even shown myown children EverQuestNext.. that’s how quiet we’re keeping it
) my kids have the advantage have the advantage and the heavy disadvantage of living with me so they get to see a lot of stuff before every body else.. my son is looking forward to Planetside 2.. my daughters are looking forward to some cool stuff coming up in FreeRealms that we havent told anyone else about.. and, I have not even shown myown children EverQuestNext.. that’s how quiet we’re keeping it ( Jethal ) wow
) wow ( Elquin ) wow
) wow ( Jethal ) not even your own kids?
) not even your own kids? ( Smed ) I have not shown it to my kids, it’s something that I’m keeping from them because my son a alittle to prolific, he actively plays EQ2.. though I trust him to keep his mouth shut, I’m making sure of it
) I have not shown it to my kids, it’s something that I’m keeping from them because my son a alittle to prolific, he actively plays EQ2.. though I trust him to keep his mouth shut, I’m making sure of it (Jethal) damn, I was gonna try to get them on the show next week!
(Jethal) Mykei (unknown) asks..Will EQ1 see an offine bazzar like EQ2, where you dont have to be online 24/7 to sell something?
(Smed) we’re doing some R&D on it.. and I cant promise it yet, but it’s on the list
(Jethal) Jack (unknown) asks.. I’d like to know if SOE is going to continue the trend of free to play with premium memberships rather than subscription based on all their games in the future? Is the market really swaying that way enough to warrant that?
( Smed ) that is a very interesting question. the short answer is Yes, we’re going to continue free to play in the future, and could we move some current games that way? maybe.. there are no immediate plans.. we’re really talking about this stuff for our future games, but we have some other games like Vanguard, we’re exploring some stuff with. But, I beleive this trend is going very strongly in this direction.. and let me give some shout outs.. they’re not really direct competition, but, Legue of Legends.. the guys at Riot Games are really good at what they do, and they did a terrific job on Legue of Legends and they have a very interesting business model.. it’s kind of a different form of F2P.. if you dont want to pay for anything, you dont have to, you can play for free forever. I like that business model a lot. Now. it’s not an easy business model to adapt to something that requires a team size that we’ve got, and a complex MMO infastructure, it’s easier when you have one game.. this is a constant subject of discussion.. we are and people notice that we add more and more microtransaction, but I like to balance that with future games, looking closer at the subscription fees.. one size doesnt fit all and not every game will have one particular business model, and it is something we’re looking at.
) that is a very interesting question. the short answer is Yes, we’re going to continue free to play in the future, and could we move some current games that way? maybe.. there are no immediate plans.. we’re really talking about this stuff for our future games, but we have some other games like Vanguard, we’re exploring some stuff with. But, I beleive this trend is going very strongly in this direction.. and let me give some shout outs.. they’re not really direct competition, but, Legue of Legends.. the guys at Riot Games are really good at what they do, and they did a terrific job on Legue of Legends and they have a very interesting business model.. it’s kind of a different form of F2P.. if you dont want to pay for anything, you dont have to, you can play for free forever. I like that business model a lot. Now. it’s not an easy business model to adapt to something that requires a team size that we’ve got, and a complex MMO infastructure, it’s easier when you have one game.. this is a constant subject of discussion.. we are and people notice that we add more and more microtransaction, but I like to balance that with future games, looking closer at the subscription fees.. one size doesnt fit all and not every game will have one particular business model, and it is something we’re looking at. ( Elquin ) if people get the station pass. for what, $20 you can play ALL the SOE games
) if people get the station pass. for what, $20 you can play ALL the SOE games ( Smed ) actually, it’s $19.99 but if you pay for a full year, it’s $14.99
) actually, it’s $19.99 but if you pay for a full year, it’s $14.99 ( Elquin ) if you break that down between all the SOE games, that’s incredible
) if you break that down between all the SOE games, that’s incredible ( Smed ) we think so too
) we think so too ( Jethal ) that’s an incredible deal
) that’s an incredible deal (Smed) our plan is to put that it other games as well. we’re looking at some non SOE games now too, and it’s a great bargin that we think is very cool.
(Jethal) Cheddarella of Antonia Bayle (EQ2) Comments.. I’d like to see the Cherry Blossom Trees in the Plane of Knowledge (eq1) continue to bloom until the disaster in Japan is trully over and everyone has returned home.
(Smed) I think that’s an excellent idea and I will talk to the team about that.. I go to Japan all the time, well every three months, until the disaster happened and that really hit home. Some of our friends and colleges in Tokyo have family effected.. a Sony factory got half filled up with flood waters.. it’s a tough thing, so anything we can do help is something we want to do.
(Jethal) Butcherblock.Autotune asks, “Question about the PS2 EverQuest games- will we ever See an import/adaptation to be playable on the PS3?”
( Smed ) I cant say no.. but I cant say we’re actively working on it
) I cant say no.. but I cant say we’re actively working on it ( Jethal ) so.. maybe
) so.. maybe (Smed) i’d put that on the doubtful, but posible list
(Jethal) We did touch alittle bit on the recent live event..
( Smed ) Yeah, we blew that real bad.. Sorry, there’s nothing we can do but apologize.. we screwed that up
) Yeah, we blew that real bad.. Sorry, there’s nothing we can do but apologize.. we screwed that up ( Jethal ) I’ll say this.. Gninja was in game for hours and hours and hours
) I’ll say this.. Gninja was in game for hours and hours and hours ( Elquin ) six or seven hours on the weekend
) six or seven hours on the weekend ( Smed ) ya know, we have a great team. we made a mistake, and our goal is to not let that happen again, and we really apologize for that
) ya know, we have a great team. we made a mistake, and our goal is to not let that happen again, and we really apologize for that ( Elquin ) the main focus is.. it was something that everyone doing together on each server as a main goal and that was fantastic.. and gninja was in there afterward, and personally taking each person and manually updating them one at a time for six or seven hours, above and beyond the call of duty.
) the main focus is.. it was something that everyone doing together on each server as a main goal and that was fantastic.. and gninja was in there afterward, and personally taking each person and manually updating them one at a time for six or seven hours, above and beyond the call of duty. ( Jethal ) that was a fantastic responce as far as I’m concerned, instead of just taking it all down again and scraping it.. SOE tried very hard to fix the matter as fast as you could, and we appreciate that
) that was a fantastic responce as far as I’m concerned, instead of just taking it all down again and scraping it.. SOE tried very hard to fix the matter as fast as you could, and we appreciate that ( Elquin ) you guys always try to make this right in the end.. people just need to have alittle patients and have alittle faith
) you guys always try to make this right in the end.. people just need to have alittle patients and have alittle faith (Smed) I really appreciate that.. we had egg on our face from that one, it was embarrassing, yeah.. let’s just apologize, fix it on a go-forward basis and we want to do more live events, it’s fun to watch we know the players love it and we just need to make sure mistakes like that dont happen.
(Jethal) Lazaretto, EQ2/Vanguard asks.. I’m a long time EverQuest and Vanguard player. Can you comment on your plan for Vanguard going forward? Does Vanguard have a future?
( Smed ) It does have a future, hopefully, a bright one.. and we expect to be doing updates for it, we’re in the middle of assigning personal to that and executing that.. and we’re going to make that plan clear to the Vanguard player base and our goal is to start pushing Vanguard much harder. We think it’s a great game, it’s complicated based on the people we have in the company, some who were key to that are now working on other things. and some of the people we lost, and I don’t mean in a lay-off.. I mean they’re just gone from the company. so, it’s alittle harder than it first seemed.. but we have our hands around it now and we’re actively working on it.
) It does have a future, hopefully, a bright one.. and we expect to be doing updates for it, we’re in the middle of assigning personal to that and executing that.. and we’re going to make that plan clear to the Vanguard player base and our goal is to start pushing Vanguard much harder. We think it’s a great game, it’s complicated based on the people we have in the company, some who were key to that are now working on other things. and some of the people we lost, and I don’t mean in a lay-off.. I mean they’re just gone from the company. so, it’s alittle harder than it first seemed.. but we have our hands around it now and we’re actively working on it. ( Jethal ) personally that’s something we where hearing a lot at fan faire, when they were saying good byes to SWG.. a lot of the scuttlebutt was “is vanguard next?
) personally that’s something we where hearing a lot at fan faire, when they were saying good byes to SWG.. a lot of the scuttlebutt was “is vanguard next? (Smed) it’s not..and yea know, it’s interesting.. Star Wars Galaxies.. it’s a different scenerio because the game is licensed.. and with EverQuest.. for example.. EQoA for the PS2.. most of your players have never even heard of it.. never had a sub base.. a bit of an experimental title. released around the same time they released the network adapter for the PS2.. so saying it was ahead of it’s time is being polite. that game is still up and running.. the only other game we ever turned off was the Matrix.. and that was not our title to begin with and it never really got off the ground.. we got it as part of a DC deal. Our core EQ titles and Vanguard, which is not ours, are not things we wanna turn off.. our intent is to run them as long as they’re viable. At some point, if you’re not updating the game.. you just keep the lights on and keep up wth CS.. but with Vangard, there’s a real posibility to bring new people into the game and we want to do that, we want to update the game and ad some new content and fix some things and we think people are going to be pleased.
(Jethal) that brings me to this.. its a subject I bring up every year at fan faire and I get different answers from different people.. and that’s.. advertising
( Smed ) sure!
) sure! ( Jethal ) the last time I saw an EverQuest was when the plane of knowledge was released, I was watching Independance Day in a movie theater and I saw an EQ trailer. but that’s the last time ive seen any evequest advertising
) the last time I saw an EverQuest was when the plane of knowledge was released, I was watching Independance Day in a movie theater and I saw an EQ trailer. but that’s the last time ive seen any evequest advertising ( Smed ) oh, there’s advertising all over the place, there has been for a long time, you have to be in the right place at the right time to see it.. when are existing players are complaining about advertising it’s because they want to see more people come in to the game.. we have a very good ad program that we’re scheduling for later this year for EQ2, I think you’ll be pleased with it, and we want to bring a lot more players into the game
) oh, there’s advertising all over the place, there has been for a long time, you have to be in the right place at the right time to see it.. when are existing players are complaining about advertising it’s because they want to see more people come in to the game.. we have a very good ad program that we’re scheduling for later this year for EQ2, I think you’ll be pleased with it, and we want to bring a lot more players into the game ( Jethal ) if it’s a matter of needing a video made, ask Elquin , she’ll do it!
) if it’s a matter of needing a video made, ask , she’ll do it! ( Smed ) we’ve got great assests, and around the launch of EQ2x we did a big ad push.. so it’s out there. more and more it’s going online now.
) we’ve got great assests, and around the launch of EQ2x we did a big ad push.. so it’s out there. more and more it’s going online now. ( Jethal ) oh yes, I have seen banners for EQ2 quite abit, I just dont see anything offline
) oh yes, I have seen banners for EQ2 quite abit, I just dont see anything offline ( Smed ) aside from maybe in the future for other games.. maybe EQ2.. you’re not gonna see a lot of offline games. the days of print ads are over
) aside from maybe in the future for other games.. maybe EQ2.. you’re not gonna see a lot of offline games. the days of print ads are over ( Jethal ) well, I mean like trailers, or TV.. isnt SOE an offshoot of Sony Pictures?
) well, I mean like trailers, or TV.. isnt SOE an offshoot of Sony Pictures? ( Smed ) we used to be.. we’re now a part of the Sony Playstation Group, under Kazuo Hirai
) we used to be.. we’re now a part of the Sony Playstation Group, under Kazuo Hirai ( Jethal ) ahh, my comment was GOING to be.. tell the guys at Sony Pictures to throw us in a movie once in a while
) ahh, my comment was GOING to be.. tell the guys at Sony Pictures to throw us in a movie once in a while ( Smed ) actualy , there is, still, an EverQuest movie in developement.. not in terribly Active development.. but it actualy has gotten to the stage where we have a script and everything, and it’s still potentally going to be made
) actualy , there is, still, an EverQuest movie in developement.. not in terribly Active development.. but it actualy has gotten to the stage where we have a script and everything, and it’s still potentally going to be made ( Jethal ) I thought you guys had just given up on that, we hadn’t heard anything for years about that
) I thought you guys had just given up on that, we hadn’t heard anything for years about that ( Smed ) we;re with Sony Pictures for like 8 years. on again off again.. we all had dreams in our head of Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit.. we want to make sure we dont make a Dugeons and Dragons movie..
) we;re with Sony Pictures for like 8 years. on again off again.. we all had dreams in our head of Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit.. we want to make sure we dont make a Dugeons and Dragons movie.. ( Jethal ) oh god, if the EverQuest movie involves a Wayan brother.. I’m gonna protest, I’m sorry..
) oh god, if the EverQuest movie involves a Wayan brother.. I’m gonna protest, I’m sorry.. ( Smed ) well that depends.. Damon? I dont know, may not be such a bad thing.. just kidding
) well that depends.. Damon? I dont know, may not be such a bad thing.. just kidding ( Jethal ) <in a movie announcer voice> Starring every Wayan Brother we could get ahold of.. coming this summer..
) <in a movie announcer voice> Starring every Wayan Brother we could get ahold of.. coming this summer.. ( Smed ) well, though it’s not a big active movie right now, I think as we come closer to the launch of EQNext, that subject will come up.. because the marketing we’re going to around that title, will be epic. that’s the time when that topic will be resurrected
) well, though it’s not a big active movie right now, I think as we come closer to the launch of EQNext, that subject will come up.. because the marketing we’re going to around that title, will be epic. that’s the time when that topic will be resurrected ( Jethal ) now here’s my idea for you.. to pass on to who ever does these things, and Elquin & The Legion of Kithicor knew this was coming.. ( Elquin chuckles) Bloody Kithicor, I think, would make a wonderful freakin movie.. and you can tie it to the release of a new Kithicor Zone
) now here’s my idea for you.. to pass on to who ever does these things, and & The Legion of Kithicor knew this was coming.. ( chuckles) Bloody Kithicor, I think, would make a wonderful freakin movie.. and you can tie it to the release of a new Kithicor Zone ( Smed ) interesting…
) interesting… ( Jethal ) <in a movie announcer voice> This Christmas.. Hell breakes loose in Norrath
) <in a movie announcer voice> This Christmas.. Hell breakes loose in Norrath ( Smed ) i’ll put that one down on the list (chuckles)
) i’ll put that one down on the list (chuckles) ( Jethal ) and No Wayan Brothers, please!
) and No Wayan Brothers, please! ( Smed ) <making notes> no Wayan brothers..
) <making notes> no Wayan brothers.. (Jethal) can definately do with out them..
(Jethal) I’ve been getting quite a few /tells from people and in the offine chat channel.. and I think I know the answer to this.. With the return of Freeport and the revamp of Qeynos.. can we expect the return of the Islands of Refuge?
( Smed ) *long pause* I gotta be careful how I answer this.. umm.. Maybe.. would be the answer I’ll give.. I’m not really sure where Dave (Georgenson) is gonna land on this one.. so i’ll leave that for him to answer
) *long pause* I gotta be careful how I answer this.. umm.. Maybe.. would be the answer I’ll give.. I’m not really sure where Dave (Georgenson) is gonna land on this one.. so i’ll leave that for him to answer ( Jethal ) Personally, I feel the current tutorial system out in Halas is good.. but I got a problem with lumping everyone together in one area..
) Personally, I feel the current tutorial system out in Halas is good.. but I got a problem with lumping everyone together in one area.. ( Smed ) this is an interesting philosophical debate.. I prefer the old EverQuest1 way of doing things, where you have a lot of different starting places and radically different, by race.. in fact i’d love it if it where by Race and by Class, that would be the ultimate.. our Goal long-term, and we have a lot of stuff planned for EverQuest2, for a long time to come.. but our goal long-term is to really re-do the new player experiance and let people start off in Qeynos or Freeport, and make them these awesome quest hubs to give people a huge reason to go there
) this is an interesting philosophical debate.. I prefer the old EverQuest1 way of doing things, where you have a lot of different starting places and radically different, by race.. in fact i’d love it if it where by Race and by Class, that would be the ultimate.. our Goal long-term, and we have a lot of stuff planned for EverQuest2, for a long time to come.. but our goal long-term is to really re-do the new player experiance and let people start off in Qeynos or Freeport, and make them these awesome quest hubs to give people a huge reason to go there ( Jethal ) Expecially if you could do it Class wise that would be awesome.. one of the things I miss was when you hit level 20. you’d have to choose “do I wanna be a ranger, a bard, a rogue?” that was fantastic..
) Expecially if you could do it Class wise that would be awesome.. one of the things I miss was when you hit level 20. you’d have to choose “do I wanna be a ranger, a bard, a rogue?” that was fantastic.. ( Smed ) the problem with MMO’s is that.. over time we have to change the game based on the player based that’s coming in, so, think about a game like EverQuest 1 which now 13 years old and you’re talking about.. it’s radically different than it was at the start, and the mass of the user base moves both in level, and in age.. the move in time in their own lives so can play a lot less or more, depending on their life circumstances, so we have to craft the game to the audeince that we have, and the audeince tht we want to attract so it makes it really tough. When you go into a newbie zone and you see it empty, it’s not good for an MMO, so we’re tryhing to fix it.. so solving that problem is not easy
) the problem with MMO’s is that.. over time we have to change the game based on the player based that’s coming in, so, think about a game like EverQuest 1 which now 13 years old and you’re talking about.. it’s radically different than it was at the start, and the mass of the user base moves both in level, and in age.. the move in time in their own lives so can play a lot less or more, depending on their life circumstances, so we have to craft the game to the audeince that we have, and the audeince tht we want to attract so it makes it really tough. When you go into a newbie zone and you see it empty, it’s not good for an MMO, so we’re tryhing to fix it.. so solving that problem is not easy ( Jethal ) that’s one thing that’s heartbreaking for me.. I love EverQuest.. I was playing 40+ hours a week.. and now every once in a while I log in just to see how things are going, and it seems empty.. I go to rivervale or the commonlands and there’s like.. if I see anyone, they’re just traveling to go somewhere else
) that’s one thing that’s heartbreaking for me.. I love EverQuest.. I was playing 40+ hours a week.. and now every once in a while I log in just to see how things are going, and it seems empty.. I go to rivervale or the commonlands and there’s like.. if I see anyone, they’re just traveling to go somewhere else (Smed) it’s wierd isnt it?
(Jethal) write this one down.. I think the old starting areas should be revamped to be high end areas
( Smed ) we’ve actually talked about that.. and those are the kind of things that I think you can see as games age.. you have to reuse content, some of that content needs to be redone. God, the original Qeynos.. I remember like it was yesterday when we were making it.. we used this horrible tool.. it was hideous to make that zone with.. and the guys that made that stuff and never made games before and using that horrible tool.. it was amazingly difficult to do.. and what they got out of it was truley amazing. when you’re making Madden, and you’re on Madden 2012.. is an awesome game.. or 2011 is an awesome, but it’s not the same.. players in those type of games, they play the same static content.. then the next year they move on to the next version.. and it’s not true with our game. it’s quite a connumdrum for us to be able to go back and re-do content.
) we’ve actually talked about that.. and those are the kind of things that I think you can see as games age.. you have to reuse content, some of that content needs to be redone. God, the original Qeynos.. I remember like it was yesterday when we were making it.. we used this horrible tool.. it was hideous to make that zone with.. and the guys that made that stuff and never made games before and using that horrible tool.. it was amazingly difficult to do.. and what they got out of it was truley amazing. when you’re making Madden, and you’re on Madden 2012.. is an awesome game.. or 2011 is an awesome, but it’s not the same.. players in those type of games, they play the same static content.. then the next year they move on to the next version.. and it’s not true with our game. it’s quite a connumdrum for us to be able to go back and re-do content. ( Jethal ) and I just have to comment, because this IS the Jethal Silverwing Show.. I had to mute my mic when you talked about EverQuest being 13 years old and going through changes.. the only thing that went through my mind was.. it’s getting lumps and hair in weird place.. EverQuest 2 has to go to EverQuest1 and give it “The Talk”, ya know
) and I just have to comment, because this IS the Jethal Silverwing Show.. I had to mute my mic when you talked about EverQuest being 13 years old and going through changes.. the only thing that went through my mind was.. it’s getting lumps and hair in weird place.. EverQuest 2 has to go to EverQuest1 and give it “The Talk”, ya know (laughter)
(Jethal) Lera from the Antonia Bayle Server says “We need Cube Mounts”.. she’s got a thing for Gelatenous Cubes..
( Smed ) I thought she just wanted to talk about being a Frostfell Elf?
) I thought she just wanted to talk about being a Frostfell Elf? (Jethal) that too..
(Elquin) I know.. since you have to go to Japan so much, can you say something in japanese?
( Smed ) yes.. I can say “HI” and “Kirin Beer” <both said in a very fake Japanese accent> and by the way, I’m very good at that last one..
) yes.. I can say “HI” and “Kirin Beer” <both said in a very fake Japanese accent> and by the way, I’m very good at that last one.. *laughter*
(Smed) and that’d kinda it.. you got all my Japanese out in one short show
(Jethal) Oasis.Ketiira says, “Does Smedly listen to the Jethal Silverwing show when he gets the chance?
(Smed) this is the first time being on.. but I am on Jethal’s facebook, so I get to hear Jethal’s songs, which I enjoy
(Jethal) and I understand your kids saw the video of me singing “The Night Smedly Went Uber”
( Smed ) and they can not Un-See it
) and they can not Un-See it ( Elquin ) have you see any of our other videos?
) have you see any of our other videos? ( Smed ) yes I have.. I’m trying to think of the names..
) yes I have.. I’m trying to think of the names.. ( Jethal ) well, the Rolled this Way video
) well, the Rolled this Way video ( Smed ) Oh yes, that one. I saw that on the massive screens at the Fan Faire, that was so awesome, that was actually very cool to see, I think people really got a kick out of watching that video. people get a kick out of watching that video. that to me was the ultimate fan video
) Oh yes, that one. I saw that on the massive screens at the Fan Faire, that was so awesome, that was actually very cool to see, I think people really got a kick out of watching that video. people get a kick out of watching that video. that to me was the ultimate fan video ( Jethal ) thank you so much for allowing us to show that to the fans
) thank you so much for allowing us to show that to the fans ( Smed ) forget that! thank you for making it!
) forget that! thank you for making it! ( Elquin ) you can thank brasse for that.. asking me to do that in three days
) you can thank brasse for that.. asking me to do that in three days ( Smed ) yeah, I heard about that
) yeah, I heard about that ( Jethal ) we normally take a month to do that.. and we needed it in three days
) we normally take a month to do that.. and we needed it in three days ( Elquin ) lot of the waiting is because I need the sun to come up
) lot of the waiting is because I need the sun to come up ( Smed ) I really dont know how you did that fast
) I really dont know how you did that fast ( Elquin ) we crammed real hard.. the last one we did was “Fly Away” the Betrayal Song with Cheesit
) we crammed real hard.. the last one we did was “Fly Away” the Betrayal Song with Cheesit ( Jethal ) yeah, I did a song about betraying from freeport to qeynos, supposed to be real inspiriational.. and we did a video to that a few years ago (Kyriel Doku’s Version), but people always thought it was Cheesit’s betrayal song, for when he left freeport.. so we decided, let’s remake the video using cheesit
) yeah, I did a song about betraying from freeport to qeynos, supposed to be real inspiriational.. and we did a video to that a few years ago (Kyriel Doku’s Version), but people always thought it was Cheesit’s betrayal song, for when he left freeport.. so we decided, let’s remake the video using cheesit ( Elquin ) and now with the use of flying mounts, it made it very creative
) and now with the use of flying mounts, it made it very creative ( Jethal ) instead of using the griffon fields in Thundering Steppes
) instead of using the griffon fields in Thundering Steppes ( Smed ) to me.. the idea of fan videos in general, is the ultimate honor for us and we really enjoy watching this stuff.. some of it is funny, but some of it really touches us. People dont realise, when your making these games.. you make them in a vaccum, and the cool thing about what we do, we immediately get to see it, some times its good, some times it’s bad.. but Fan reaction, like that Live Event thing.. it crushed us. We knew we screwed up right away. But the flip side of that, when we launch a new expansion, or a big update, people get excited, we watch the boards, people get excited to play.
) to me.. the idea of fan videos in general, is the ultimate honor for us and we really enjoy watching this stuff.. some of it is funny, but some of it really touches us. People dont realise, when your making these games.. you make them in a vaccum, and the cool thing about what we do, we immediately get to see it, some times its good, some times it’s bad.. but Fan reaction, like that Live Event thing.. it crushed us. We knew we screwed up right away. But the flip side of that, when we launch a new expansion, or a big update, people get excited, we watch the boards, people get excited to play. ( Jethal ) If EverQuest didnt touch US so much.. I wouldnt have 200 songs on the website
) If EverQuest didnt touch US so much.. I wouldnt have 200 songs on the website ( Smed ) that’s what we work for.. to make people that excited
) that’s what we work for.. to make people that excited (Jethal) and most of my stuff isnt funny, I classify it as parody, cause it’s based on popular songs, but a lot of it.. like I have “Norrathian Pie” which is based on “American Pie” which is about the Shattering of Luclin.. that’s a serious song, and I did it for the love of the game.
(Jethal) I know I’ve mentioned it up on stage, and when talking with you.. if it werent for EverQuest, Elquin and I would never have met.
( Elquin ) truely.. we met in EverQuest1
) truely.. we met in EverQuest1 ( Smed ) I hear those kind of stories, that’s to me.. the ultimate testimate to the social glue that these games make. I dont know.. we’re just happy to be apart of that.. Do you guys know that General Council, Andy Zaffron, he hates when tell this story.. he met his wife exactly the same way
) I hear those kind of stories, that’s to me.. the ultimate testimate to the social glue that these games make. I dont know.. we’re just happy to be apart of that.. Do you guys know that General Council, Andy Zaffron, he hates when tell this story.. he met his wife exactly the same way (Jethal and Elquin ) that’s great
) that’s great ( Smed ) we’ve seen too.. I wont mention names.. but their sugnifiant other met someone and ran away with someone they met in EQ.. but we’ve had so many people who’ve met in this game, it’s awesome
) we’ve seen too.. I wont mention names.. but their sugnifiant other met someone and ran away with someone they met in EQ.. but we’ve had so many people who’ve met in this game, it’s awesome ( Jethal ) Torryn and Euryale from the Antonia Bayle server would not have met if not for EverQuest2..
) Torryn and Euryale from the Antonia Bayle server would not have met if not for EverQuest2.. (Smed) Ahh, well I’m glad that they met. as long as they’re glad that they met..
(Jethal) Angelicoria says, “can there be lower level flying mounts?
( Smed ) We face a problem in, over time, when we lower stuff.. then all the people at the higher levels say “Well, back in my day.. we had to wait until 85 for that, and now you’re giving out at 40” then they get pissed.. it’s a battle that I don’t think we can win.. we’re gonna piss someone off no matter what decision we make, so.. we do our best on that and lots of times our best is based on sort of we think the mood of the players is.
) We face a problem in, over time, when we lower stuff.. then all the people at the higher levels say “Well, back in my day.. we had to wait until 85 for that, and now you’re giving out at 40” then they get pissed.. it’s a battle that I don’t think we can win.. we’re gonna piss someone off no matter what decision we make, so.. we do our best on that and lots of times our best is based on sort of we think the mood of the players is. ( Elquin ) well there are mounts for crafters, and you dont have to be high level adventurers
) well there are mounts for crafters, and you dont have to be high level adventurers (Smed) plus, we put in the leapers and gliders.. and it gives themm something to strive for.. so we try to be as good as we can about nailing that, and some times we’re not always perfect.
(Jethal) and another comment, I was actually going to save it for Dave Georgeson, but.. More Lower level Content.. was in the comments I was getting (for the show)
(Smed) I think people will be pleased with future updates, that’s something we plan on specifically putting in.. you asked about advertising, well we wanna put in more stuff for low level people to play. and that’s in the future
(Jethal) Happy meals! that’s what I wanna see! EQ2 happy meals
( Smed ) we got them for Clone Wars.. and we chased them for so long.. McDonalds is an amazing company, and it’s not easy to get into Happy Meals
) we got them for Clone Wars.. and we chased them for so long.. McDonalds is an amazing company, and it’s not easy to get into Happy Meals ( Jethal ) I can tell ya, as a fat guy, it’s hard to get OUT of a Happy Meal
) I can tell ya, as a fat guy, it’s hard to get OUT of a Happy Meal *laughter*
(Smed) it’s funny.. I use the fact that we’re in happy meals now as an excuse to go to McDonald’s More.. cause I really need more reason to go to McDonalds
(Jethal) So what did we learn this week? We learned that Kithicor needs to come back
( Smed ) We learned that Lera is a Frostfell Elf
) We learned that Lera is a Frostfell Elf ( Jethal ) Officially declared a Frostfell Elf
) Officially declared a Frostfell Elf ( Smed ) I wish we had a certificate
) I wish we had a certificate ( Jethal ) I think we could make something up
) I think we could make something up ( Elquin ) Domino could make something
) Domino could make something ( Smed ) She (domino) could probably knit something.. probably pretty amazing and put it into mass production, she’s a crafter in real life and she’s probably one of the better cooks that i’ve ever met, she came to my office resently to give me some sort of pudding that had Guiness in it.. and to take two of my favorite things and mix them together.. oh my.. that was a fun day for me
) She (domino) could probably knit something.. probably pretty amazing and put it into mass production, she’s a crafter in real life and she’s probably one of the better cooks that i’ve ever met, she came to my office resently to give me some sort of pudding that had Guiness in it.. and to take two of my favorite things and mix them together.. oh my.. that was a fun day for me (Jethal) yeah, she facebooked that, friday I think
(Jethal) Butcherblock.Autotune says, “For a New Player Tutorial is it possible to use the same method as Dragon Age 2, where the character starts off with their most powerful form to teach the player about that Class, then have the player start at level 1 after “waking”
( Smed ) that’s a very interesting idea.. the problem I see with that in an MMO is.. you get a taste of the most powerful form, but you dont have the skills to utilize the power. If you need a tutorial, you probably need it explained.. Right now, one of our mandates is to build the tutorials into gameplay, so a character is not put into a “trial of the isle” perse.. it’s learning through the early game, and I’m really proud of the work we did in EQ2. I think that Isle did help a lot of newbies in the game.. but I want to do it in more of a less artificial way, so the player doesnt know they’re learning.
) that’s a very interesting idea.. the problem I see with that in an MMO is.. you get a taste of the most powerful form, but you dont have the skills to utilize the power. If you need a tutorial, you probably need it explained.. Right now, one of our mandates is to build the tutorials into gameplay, so a character is not put into a “trial of the isle” perse.. it’s learning through the early game, and I’m really proud of the work we did in EQ2. I think that Isle did help a lot of newbies in the game.. but I want to do it in more of a less artificial way, so the player doesnt know they’re learning. ( Jethal ) I remember the EQ1 tutorial.. when it was a completely different program
) I remember the EQ1 tutorial.. when it was a completely different program ( Smed ) oh my god, that thing was such a total piece of.. in fact, what was sad about that was.. at one point, we lost the code to it.
) oh my god, that thing was such a total piece of.. in fact, what was sad about that was.. at one point, we lost the code to it. (Jethal & Elquin ) oh no..
) oh no.. ( Smed ) so it was a tragic moment, really.. you dont think about this but, some of the technology that’s advanced a lot is the back up mechanisms and the sort of the source code repositories, that did not exist at any kind of decent level when we made everqueset, so we’ve lost a few things over the years.. an entertaining side effect of running the game. keep in mind, the players have played it for 13 years, we’ve been working with it for 16.. think about your PC, 16 years ago.. image that peice of crap..
) so it was a tragic moment, really.. you dont think about this but, some of the technology that’s advanced a lot is the back up mechanisms and the sort of the source code repositories, that did not exist at any kind of decent level when we made everqueset, so we’ve lost a few things over the years.. an entertaining side effect of running the game. keep in mind, the players have played it for 13 years, we’ve been working with it for 16.. think about your PC, 16 years ago.. image that peice of crap.. (Elquin) it’s a flower planter out back..
(Jethal) My suggestion for a new player experiance.. now, we have mentoring so you can go down to level 1 or level 5.. what about going to oposite way? City of Heroes..
( Smed ) I was gonna mention that.. they did that well
) I was gonna mention that.. they did that well ( Jethal ) they have Sidekicking, where the new guy is brought up to our level.. I mean you’re not the most powerful thing, but you have basic abilities.. I think that’d be a really good idea. I mean, it’d be “Let me show you, then you can work for it.. come on, let’s tackle that dragon”
) they have Sidekicking, where the new guy is brought up to our level.. I mean you’re not the most powerful thing, but you have basic abilities.. I think that’d be a really good idea. I mean, it’d be “Let me show you, then you can work for it.. come on, let’s tackle that dragon” ( Smed ) it’s an interesting question.. the same thing that I mentioned earlier about why we wouldnt. we had that discussion, I just dont remember the answer.. but I think our guys felt like, it was smarter to go down insted of up, because the newbie player didnt know what they were doing. but, if you ask me.. i’d prefer the other way (sidekicking) if your friend is level 50 and your level 1.. it makes you feel more powerful and you dont feel like your gimping your friend.
) it’s an interesting question.. the same thing that I mentioned earlier about why we wouldnt. we had that discussion, I just dont remember the answer.. but I think our guys felt like, it was smarter to go down insted of up, because the newbie player didnt know what they were doing. but, if you ask me.. i’d prefer the other way (sidekicking) if your friend is level 50 and your level 1.. it makes you feel more powerful and you dont feel like your gimping your friend. ( Jethal ) I think sidekicking would be a good thing
) I think sidekicking would be a good thing ( Smed ) I happen to agree
) I happen to agree ( Jethal ) excellent.. so we can expect that within the year
) excellent.. so we can expect that within the year ( Smed ) no no.. tomorrow
) no no.. tomorrow ( Jethal ) OH, tomorrow, with the hotpatch.. of course, if the hotpatch doesnt come, then.. oh well
) OH, tomorrow, with the hotpatch.. of course, if the hotpatch doesnt come, then.. oh well ( Smed ) only on the Lera: The Frostfell Elf Server
) only on the Lera: The Frostfell Elf Server ( Jethal ) no no, she’s got herown.. it’s called “EverStorm”.. there’s a lot of steam
) no no, she’s got herown.. it’s called “EverStorm”.. there’s a lot of steam ( Elquin ) I thought it was lavaf |
This author's favourite event of the summer has arrived! A group of friends will gather on a few comfy couches in a Lafayette, Indiana living room to do two things that deserve a heap of praise: raising money for charity and playing Mario games. Mario Marathon 5 kicks off tomorrow, June 22 at 11 AM Eastern Time. The event will be streamed live on their website through Twitch.TV. From then on, it is up to viewers to determine how long they will continue depriving themselves of sleep until their checklist of levels is complete. The more money that gets donated through their Paypal-enabled website, the longer they will keep stomping Goombas and gaining stars and Shines. They're not expert gamers by any stretch of the imagination, and you can join in the chat room through Facebook, Twitter and the website to cheer them on and/or hurl insults whenever Mario once again falls to his death. Throughout the event, the folks running it will be raffling off prizes both sent in to and created by them. The prizes this year include Mario Marathon t-shirts, a "?" Block clock, knit hats, pint glasses and more surprises that will be unveiled as the marathon continues. Oh, and there's a Couchdog. NEVER underestimate the power of Couchdog. The contests can be entered by Tweeting links to the website and donating to the charity. Remember - the more money that gets donated, the more levels unlocked, and the more games unlocked. At the time of this writing, $5,981.17 has already been donated without the show even starting. This means they have 481 of their 786 possible tasks already unlocked. The show will be kicking off with Super Mario Galaxy 2, followed by New SMB Wii, Mario Galaxy 1, Mario Sunshine, Mario 64, Mario World and SMB3. As more money gets donated, we'll see them play through SMB2, SMB1 and SMB: The Lost Levels before returning to Mario 64, Galaxy 1 and New SMB Wii to complete the most difficult levels. If donations get high enough - and they certainly did last year - we will get to see them go for either the Blue Coins of Sunshine or the Green Stars of Galaxy 2. No reason for you to wait anymore - go check out the show HERE |
Perl versions available in Travis CI
Travis CI — is a marvelous system to run test in open source projects. Travis CI can work with programming language Perl, unfortunately in Travis CI documentation there is no complete list of Perl versions Travis CI can work with.
I made several experiments to find out what Perl versions are supported in Travis CI.
Here is .travis.yml with the list of all available Perl versions:
language: perl install: 'echo "Nothing to install"' script: prove -v t perl: - "5.8" - "5.10" - "5.12" - "5.14" - "5.16" - "5.18" - "5.20" - "5.22" - "5.24"
And this is a gorgeous list. Perl 5.8 was released in year 2002. Travis CI supports version of programming language that is 15 years old. Perl 5.24 is the latest version and Travis CI supports it. There is no versions 5.9, 5.11 and other odd version numbers. This is ok, in the Perl world odd version numbers are the developers releases.
In Travis CI documentation it is written that the exact Perl version can change over time:
As time goes, new releases come out and we upgrade both Perlbrew and Perls, aliases like 5.14 will float and point to different exact versions, patch levels and so on.
Nevertheless, I've written the current list of versions:
5.8.9
5.10.1
5.12.5
5.14.4
5.16.3
5.18.2
5.20.0
5.22.0
5.24.0
There is an interesting "feature" in Travis CI (actually it is a bug). Travis CI does not validate version for correctness. I've written .travis.yml where I have specified non existing version "5.26" (this version will appear in the future, but now it does not exist). I have also specified absolutely impossible versions like "-1.10" и "asdf". Travis CI thinks that these numbers are correct and it passes them to Perlbrew. Perlbrew silently says that there is no such version, but the build continues and the system uses Perl default version 5.14.2. Such behaviour is completely wrong. System must end such build with status "errored".
I've tried to specify string "123; ls; who" as a version number, such build has finished with "errored" status, but the build has fallen not on string validation, but on string usage.
Any system must validate user input. Travis CI does not do it and it is a bug.
I've found one more strange thing while I was experimenting with Travis CI. I was sure that there is one prepared snapshot for any language that Travis is using for running tests. It turned out that there are several snapshots for one language. For example where I run tests on 5.22 there is no version 5.24 in Perlbrew, and when I run tests on 5.24 there is no version 5.22 in Perlbrew.
It seems that when you specify language: perl in .travis.yml and do not specify any perl versions the build is run in some other environment. So for myself I've decided that if I need to run tests only for one Perl version, I will explicitly specify the latest perl version available in Travis CI.
All my experiments live in several different branches in GitHub repository bessarabov/perl_versions_travis_ci. And here is a link with Travis CI build results of this repository.
Despite this strange setup and validation bug, Travis CI is a superb system and they do a great thing with free running tests for open source projects.
Ivan Bessarabov
ivan@bessarabov.ru
13 march 2017 |
Ginny tiredly pushed her way into the Hogwarts Great Hall, on the first day of class, the enormous room lit up with the fresh ambiance of the morning. The room was already lively and the air was filled with conversation. She blinked slightly, still exhausted - she had wondered endlessly yesterday about the contents of the mysterious letter Harry had been given at the Feast. Students usually only received their mail once a day at Hogwarts, and owls were never allowed to enter the Hall any other time of the day.
Luckily her first lesson would be Rationality, so she would be able to find out about the letter. Most first years would probably have preferred a lesson where they could finally start learning magic, but Ginny was happy enough to wait until the second period, when they had their first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. She walked to the Slytherin table and sat down next to another first year girl. She tried to start a conversation with her but her attempt was met with rejection. The girl did not seem to be in a good mood, which astonished Ginny. She thought that all students would be exited on their first day of Hogwarts. Besides the first year girl, Ginny was surrounded by a group of people who Ginny estimated to be in their third or fourth year. The seemed to be close friends so Ginny did not try to join their conversation. After eating in silence for a while, she heard the fluttering of wings behind her. She looked upwards and saw dozens of owls flying through the Hall and dropping packages left and right. As a wizard-born she was used to getting her mail delivered by owl, but the picture of all the different looking owls in the sky was still beautiful. The Girl next to her however was clearly not used to the Wizarding postal system. Her jaw had dropped and a very confused expression crossed her face.
"Wizards usually get their post by owl," explained Ginny, thinking that this migh be a chance to get into a conversation with the Girl, but a moment later, something dropped out of the sky and landed on Ginny's plate. It was a copy of the Daily Prophet, more precisely an ancient-looking owl carrying a copy of the Daily Prophet, which she found somewhat confusing. Her parents subscribed to the Daily Prophet, but could not afford more than one copy and in Hogwarts, news spread quickly, so it wasn't necessary to have your own copy.
She looked at the paper and saw that it had already been used. Her parents must have read it already and then sent it to her. It explained why Errol looked so exhausted, he whizzed through the air at top-speed to be here in time for the Hogwarts mail delivery. Something important must have happened that her parents did not want her to hear from second hand news. She would share the Prophet with her brothers later on. It probably only went to her, because the Slytherin table was closer to where Errol had entered the great Hall than the Gryffindor table. She pulled out the newspaper from under the owl and read the headlines.
"AZKABAN ATTACKED"
"DEMENTORS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND"
"NO PRISONERS MISSING"
Her first thought was 'what?'. Naturally following this, her second thought was that it must have been Harry. After all, rumours were that he had frightened a Dementor last year without even using a Patronus Charm. But why would he do that? The prisoners in Azkaban were evil, and now it would be a lot harder to stop them from escaping. Before she could think further about this, the door of the Great Hall suddenly burst open with an enormous strength. She looked at the door and saw a small girl entering the hall, walking towards the Ravenclaw table.
A bit out of breath Ginny entered the Rationality classroom. She had spent quite some time after Breakfast Discussing the Azkaban breakout with the other Slytherin first years, so she went off from the Great Hall later than she had planned. Fortunately Hogwarts had done nothing to sabotage her on the way to class so Harry was not yet there when she arrived. She sat down next to a skinny blonde boy with blue eyes. Because there was still some time left she decidet to start a conversation and said: "Hi, I'm Ginny. You were at the Sorting yesterday...you're Dudley, right?"
"Yeah," answered Dudley. He looked at her for a while, as if he wanted to say something else and then turned back to his food.
"You're a Muggleborn right? At least I don't know any wizarding family named Dursley. How do you like Hogwarts so far? Are you excited to finally learn magic?"
"Seems to be better than at home. And I sure am excited about learning to use magic."
"Not a very talkative guy, are you?"
"I'm not really used to talking to people. I didn't have many people to talk to."
Ginny considered, just then, asking him why, but decided not to question Dudley about his Muggle life for now. Perhaps it would be better not to prod around too much with what were clearly unhappy memories for him. "Well," she said, "I'm sure that's going to change now that you're in Hogwarts - but if you want people to talk to you, you should work on your communication skills. Right now it's hard to keep a conversation going with you, because all you do is answer questions."
"So what else should I do?"
"Maybe you should ask a question yourself. Right now I already know quite a bit about you, but you know nothing about me."
"Mhhm, okay. Are you Wizard born?"
"Yes, I come from quite an old pure blood Wizard family. Not that I think blood purity is important, like some other old families do."
"Why do they think it is important?"
"They think that pure-blood wizards are stronger and that the magic gets weaker if you marry Muggleborns. There is some evidence for that theory since lots of wizards of the old houses are quite strong, but there are also very strong Muggleborns. Hermione Granger is also Muggleborn and I heard that she is the strongest witch in the year above us. And one of the two most powerful wizards of our century was no pureblood as well."
"Who was he?" asked Dudley, but before she could answer a door opened and Harry entered the room. He took a few steps into the room and then said "Hello everyone, I'm Harry Potter - you can call me Professor," He smiled and then continued. "To be honest, I've wanted to do this since I was six, but I expected to have to wait until I was at least 18 to do it - and I certainly wasn't anticipating teaching at a school for magic. Anyway, my compliments to all of you on making the decision to attend this class. I congratulate you on that - but be honest - did any of you actually think the decision through properly? Maybe you just felt it would be a good thing to do and went through with that feeling. Well in this case your feeling was right, but in this class I'll show you how to judge whether your feelings are right and whether to follow through with them. In this class you will learn how to make better decisions. So before I begin, does anyone have an idea on how to make good decisions?" he looked around at the not-entirely-silent hall before a hand shot up.
Miss Weasley, you have a proposal?"
"Well you have to think if the result of the decision will benefit you. If you take this course, as an example, you would have to ask yourself if the content of this course will be helpful."
Harry nodded approvingly. "Indeed, looking at the expected benefit of an action is something you should do. However not everything that gives you a benefit is good. If I would allow you to choose between getting a Sickle and a Galleon from me, both choices would give you a benefit, but the galleon would be significantly better. So when considering options, don't just think 'that's good,' but compare it to the alternatives! They might be better." He cleared his throat before continuing.
"This concept, called 'opportunity cost,' means you need to ask yourself the question 'good compared to what?' Well, a Sickle is certainly good, but 'good compared to a Galleon?' Now the Sickle isn't a good choice. Of course, you don't always get a decision that's so clear-cut. Even if uncertainty isn't involved. In this example it's easy to know that a galleon is worth more than a sickle, but if you have to choose between other things than just money is harder to decide which one actually gives you more utility. I'll show you right now."
Harry took out his pouch and started to pull out various sorts of sweets, some Sickles and Knuts, and lots of other things like books, potion ingredients and things from Zonko's Joke Shop. He muttered a spell and things started to fly through the classroom.
Murmuring started, some people reached out their hands. "Don't touch anything before I say so, believe me you will regret it." Harry said sharply. "You will have the chance to acquire some of these wonderful things, but not all of them. You will be able to choose, between two groups of items several times. You will get the things you choose and you won't have to give them back after class, so choose wisely. I want you to write down why you preferred the things you took over the others. You can start now, all you have to do is say if you want the left or the right pile."
In front of Ginny lay two chocolate frogs on the one side and ten sickles on the other side.
For an instant Ginny thought about taking the sweets since chocolate frogs where one of her favourites, but then she realised, that she could buy way more than two chocolate frogs with 10 sickles.
"Right pile," she said, and an instant later the frogs vanished. It was a bit cruel to see your favourite sweets vanish before you and she decided to buy herself at least three chocolate frogs with the money she just got. Her next choice was between three boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and some Acid Pops on one side and 5 sickles on the other side. This time the sweets were worth more, but Ginny did not like acid pops and since the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans alone where less than 5 sickles she went with the money again. The third choice was more complicated since this time there was no money on either side. She had to choose between a dungbomb and three chocolate frogs. Ginny estimated that a dungbomb would be cheaper than the frogs and she would prefer the sweets anyway. She had almost started speaking before she remembered that Dungbombs were not allowed at Hogwarts and Fred and George would probably give her way more than three chocolate frogs if she could get them one, so she took the dungbomb instead. The next time Ginny choose the potion ingredients over some more sweets and then the standard book of spells grade 2 to 7 over 2 sickles.
After that no new things appeared in front of her. She looked around and saw that most of her classmates had acquired lots of sweets and some money. Rarely anyone had chosen potion ingredients or books.
Harry, after looking bemusedly at some of the options resumed speaking. "Alright, now that everyone has finished, please hand in your papers. I'll read them by next lesson and will give you some individual feedback if I think it will be helpful. For now, I'll just explain some general things you could have done. First of all this was a rather easy task since you only had to choose between objects. If you have to decide whether to practise for the next lesson or meet with friends things get far more complicated. We will come to these problems in a later lesson. If you have to choose between material objects, a good way to start is to think how much they cost. If one thing is worth significantly more than the other, even if you prefer the first one you will usually be better off taking the second one and selling it. However you also have to consider that this will take you time. You can usually also put a monetary value on your time, by asking yourself how much you would earn if you work during that time, this approach however does not work well with Hogwarts students since there is little opportunity for you to earn any money…"
Harry went on explaining different things you could do to adjust the monetary value of things to get a better result than by simply comparing how much the good would cost in a shop. Ginny was happy to find out, that she had thought of most of them. The only thing she had not thought about was that things she could use now would have a higher relative value than things she only needed later.
Harry had explained that this was only partially true in the wizard world since interest rates were not common in the financial system. However, he said, it was still relevant for them, because they would have access to a lot more money when they started working after Hogwarts. So having a Galleon now would be more useful for them than having a Galleon in ten years. After finishing his explanation Harry let them choose between different objects for a second time.
After that he told them that in real life you often were not absolutely sure what the result of an action would be so in that case you needed to work with probabilities.
He then started to teach them some basic math or what the standard Hogwarts curriculum would label "advanced Arithmancy". Most of her classmates were on a lower level than Ginny, so it was quite easy for her. Some of them however had serious trouble following Harry, and Ginny thought that it was a great idea of Harry to give everyone sweets and money before starting with this. Had he not done that, the classroom would probably have been a lot emptier. After the lesson had finished Ginny left and started walking to the classroom where her next lesson, Defence Against the Dark Arts, would take place.
To her astonishment all other first years and even the second years were headed in the same direction. For a while she thought this was a coincidence, but in the ever-changing castle of Hogwarts, you usually only had to go the same way as someone else if you wanted to go to the exact same place.
Ginny turned towards Harry and asked "What class do you have next?"
He paused, briefly looking at the swarm of students all heading in the same direction. "Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lockhart. You?"
Authors Note
The next chapter will go online on Sunday July the 5th. After that I will have more time again and move back to a faster updating schedule. |
Have you ever wondered where the Irish get their light skin color from? Well, it appears we may now have the answer.
A major US study at Penn State University found that Europeans' light skin stems from a gene mutation from a single person who lived 10,000 years ago.
Scientists made the discovery after identifying a key gene that contributes to lighter skin color in Europeans, and the Irish fall into this category.
The Mail Online reports that, in earlier research, Keith Cheng from Penn State College of Medicine reported that one amino acid difference in the gene SLC24A5 is a key contributor to the skin color difference between Europeans and West Africans. This is undoubtedly where the Irish get their light skin from.
"The mutation in SLC24A5 changes just one building block in the protein and contributes about a third of the visually striking differences in skin tone between peoples of African and European ancestry," he said.
Cheng and his team studied segments of genetic code that have a mutation and are located closely on the same chromosome and are often inherited together.
The mutation, called A111T, is found in virtually everyone of European ancestry.
A111T is also found in populations in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, but not in high numbers in Africans.
All individuals from the Middle East, North Africa, East Africa and South India who carry the A111T mutation share traces of the ancestral genetic code. According to the researchers, this indicates that all existing instances of this mutation originate from the same person.
The pattern of people with this lighter skin color mutation suggests that the A111T mutation occurred somewhere between the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.
‘This means that Middle Easterners and South Indians, which includes most inhabitants of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, share significant ancestry,’ Professor Cheng said.
Professor Cheng now plans to look at more genetic samples to better understand what role genes play in East Asian skin color. Perhaps he will take a look into where Irish redheads come from after this.
* Originally published in August 2015. |
Sometimes it takes us humans quite some time to admit something to ourselves that we don’t want to admit, but eventually there’s no more putting it off.
It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce the end. It’s over. No more new Dolphin Viewer.
Thus opens a blog post dated June 22nd, from Lance Corrimal, which I am ashamed to admit I missed when it appeared. It serves as an introduction to Lance officially announcing the end of all Dolphin viewer development / maintenance work at his end of things.
He goes on:
With my current RL job and all the travelling that I’m doing there are more exciting things to do with the little time I have to spend on SL and other hobbies, than maintaining a third-party viewer… especially when most of the “maintenance” involves fixing stuff that shouldn’t have been broken in the first place.
I have been porting a few of the things that used to be in Dolphin Viewer 3 to Firestorm in the last few weeks … I invite the FS team to grab anything from there that they like.
This is sad news; over the years Lance had built the Dolphin viewer into an excellent offering (it was my second viewer of choice of a good while). But time has conspired against him, even though he did attempt to get the viewer back on track (and in doing so started implementing some nice additions, such as the Machinima Toolbox, seen on the right).
But the viewer is very much a living, evolving things, and playing catch-up, even with the best will in the world, can become increasingly hard (and probably more than a little demotivating when the “to do” list constantly remains longer than the “done” list). This being the case, we can hardly blame Lance for wanting to spend what free time he has to devote to SL in enjoying things in-world that he finds fun and relaxing; I know if I were in his shoes, I’d have given up a long time ago.
Lance closes his blog post with a paraphrase of a Douglas Adams quote, saying, “Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish!”
I’ll add a small response of my own, “thanks, Lance, for all of your work over the years. May the wind be always be at your back!”
With thanks for the pointer to Nalates Urriah
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By Lori Brown
A new city council was sworn in on Monday in the City of Dallas, and FOX 4 has learned a super PAC pumped big money into three small local runoff races.
Campaign finance reports show North Dallas' business elite pumped nearly $200,000 into three southern Dallas council races, and it appears the money helped tip the scales in their favor.
After a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, for the first time in a Dallas election, there was no limit on how much money super PACS could raise or spend.
"It's tremendously unhealthy. It creates a mockery of our campaign finance limits that the people voted in specifically to prevent the kind of thing that happened," said Philip Kingston with Dallas City Council, District 14.
The PAC "For Our Community" raised nearly $200,000 through some very big checks.
Developer Crow Holdings gave a $25,000 check.
Oilman and real estate developer Ray Hunt and his descendant, Al Hill, Jr., and the CEO of Hunt Oil Company's real estate division gave a total of $75,000.
Former Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks, Ambit Energy founder Jere Thompson and former TXU CEO Erle Nye also wrote big checks.
"It looks like business interests in North Dallas are trying to influence who won in South Dallas," said FOX 4's Lori Brown.
"Well, For Our Community sent me an informational email saying direct expenditure," said Casey Thomas with Dallas City Council, District 3. "No one contacted me directly or anything of that nature. I assume they saw my platform, and what it was going to be about how it would benefit the city and decided to offer their support."
FOX 4 asked the three runoff winners supported by the super PAC if they saw any conflict with interests in the north trying to sway races in the south.
"I don't believe there is a conflict of interest," said Tiffinni Young with Dallas City Council, District 7. "What we have talked about in Dallas for the last few years is healing the North/South divide, so I don't see that as a conflict of interest because it is all about bringing the city together as one."
"I think it's the same in terms of responsibilities I have to my constituents in District 8," said Erik Wilson with Dallas City Council, District 8. "When they call me about pot holes, when they call me about loose dogs, when they call me about grocery stores. I'm a council person for District 8 as well as the city of Dallas."
Council member Kingston, who was not up for re-election, believes the big money was all about getting the Trinity Parkway Toll Road built.
"They're the last life line for that stupid project," said Kingston. "Every smart person in town is against the thing, and then there's this creepy PAC with piles of money throwing it at Southern Dallas to try to keep it alive. It tells you everything you need to know about the merits of that project."
Each of the three South Dallas runoff winners told FOX 4 that they support the mayor's dream team plan, which calls for a smaller meandering road.
However, Kingston believes the city will be forced to scrap that plan due to a lack of funding. |
On Thursday, Republican Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin announced more details regarding his plans to require welfare recipients to undergo drug testing, as well as reduce the length of time they can receive benefits from five to four years. The announcement comes ahead of his two-year state budget proposal, which will be released February 3.
Milwaukee’s Journal-Sentinel newspaper reported the proposal would only apply to able-bodied adults, not to children or the elderly. Drug testing would be required for all food stamp and public health care applicants. Those applying for unemployment benefits would go through a selective testing process. Gov. Walker said this is an effort to prepare individuals for Wisconsin’s workforce, which currently has 67,000 jobs to fill.
"We know employers in Wisconsin have jobs available, but they don't have enough qualified employees to fill those positions," Walker said. "With this budget, we are addressing some of the barriers keeping people from achieving true freedom and prosperity and the independence that comes with having a good job and doing it well."
Walker wants to test all FoodShare (food stamps) and BadgerCare (health care) applicants but limit the drug testing for unemployment benefits to certain applicants. If individuals do test positive for drugs, the proposal calls for the state to provide free treatment and job training. Walker believes getting individuals off of government assistance will then free up resources for the state to pay for treatment. However, no details have been released on how the budget will pay for the cost of testing or treatment.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 12 states have passed legislation requiring drug testing for all or certain public assistance recipients and applicants, including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah. In 2014, at least 18 states proposed legislation or had carryover bills that addressed some form of drug screening process to receive public aid.
Most recently, the Michigan Senate passed a bill to run a one-year pilot program for drug testing welfare recipients. While supporters believe such legislation addresses drug use and reflects responsible spending, critics argue such legislation is “unconstitutional, humiliating, and wasteful.” Attitudes are similar in Wisconsin.
“It aids the stigma that people who are in need, who are poor, are drug users. Which is not the case,” state Representative Mandela Barnes (D-Milwaukee) told Fox 6 Now. “The people who are most in need, the majority of them want to better their lives. They understand bettering their lives doesn’t include abusing drugs,” Rep. Barnes said.
In 2011, Florida passed a law that required all applicants to pay for drug testing at the time of their application. If negative, they would be reimbursed the cost. If they tested positive, they would be ineligible to receive benefits for one year. In late December 2013, the US District Court in Orlando struck down the law, finding that it “violated constitutional protections against unreasonable searches." That ruling was upheld by the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals in December 2014.
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Supporters say this legislation does not violate rights, nor is its purpose to target those in poverty. Rather, the goal is to hold everyone to the same standards of the working class.
"This bill has nothing to do with poor people," state Sen. Bruce Caswell (R-Hillsdale) told the Detroit News in response to Michigan’s bill. "This bill has to do with the fact that the working men and women of this state who pay for these benefits are subject to the same requirement [drug testing by employers].” |
Giggling aside, I’m sure many people have wondered… Has anyone had sex in space? It’s a valid question.
Scientists aboard the International space station are up there for one reason. To conduct experiments in microgravity. So wouldn’t they eventually experiment with sex?
Kissing And Telling
But alas, the ‘official‘ answer from all organizations involved in space flight is “No” or “No comment”. But that isn’t the whole story.
Sex in the space shuttle would be unlikely, there are 5-7 astronauts in a very tiny space bumping into one another. Any level of ‘privacy’ simply doesn’t exist. But the ISS is a different matter.
Married couples have traveled into space together before, and have spent time aboard the ISS. The crew of STS-47 included a married couple, Jan Davis and Mark Lee, who curiously declined interviews after the flight. Whether they actually had sex is only answered by rumor and innuendo. It doesn’t seem like they’re kissing and telling. Not yet, anyways.
What about the Russians?
The Russian space program was a bit more adventurous than the US when it came to risk-taking during the cold war. Many who were involved with the Russian space program have said in later interviews that they would be surprised if it wasn’t studied. Unfortunately, much of their past space program is still shrouded in layers of secrecy.
Sex in space might seem exotic or even incredibly fun if you let your imagination run wild, but the reality of the truth might be a let down – it’s not as easy as one would think to have sex in zero gravity.
Dr. James Logan, a physician for NASA, recently addressed the topic at a Las Vegas Convention. “It’s a pretty messy environment… for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Sex in zero-g is going to have to be more or less choreographed, otherwise it’s just going to be a frustration filled wild fling” Logan advised. “But for those looking forward to space migration and setting up self-perpetuating civilizations off-Earth, the space physician raised several warning flags.” Logan continues, “Will a fertilized embryo attach properly to the uterus wall? Are life-threatening ectopic pregnancies more likely in weightlessness? How will reentry acceleration affect a mother and fetus? Are the higher radiation levels of Earth orbit likely to cause problems with the first cell divisions? It may be perfectly safe to conceive in orbit, but we just don’t know enough to take that chance with the health and happiness of a child.”
What about masturbation? Some of those astronauts are up there a long time.
Not only is it possible, it’s probable as at least one mission physician recommended it to the astronauts out of concern for infected prostate glands. The Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins, writing in his book “Liftoff”, states about the Skylab mission – “One doctor advised regular masturbation, advice (Skylab crew member) Joe Kerwin ignored.” Later, he writes: “There was no sex on Skylab.” And still later, he addresses the possibility of recreation in space: “And lovemaking! I don’t think any astronauts have yet been privileged to sample the ultimate use of weightlessness.” But he never states that other crew members didn’t ignore it.
If we were to place bets, we would place money on “Yes” people have had sex in space. The organizations involved in extended space flight do not want the publicity that comes with admitting to such experimentation. Though, many years have since passed. There has been decreased public interest and funding for space programs. At this point, it might be prudent to take up the advice that “All publicity is good publicity”. |
Shimizu Corporation is developing plans to install a belt of solar cells around the equator of the Moon to beam energy via safe microwaves and lasers to Earth. A 2035 construction start date would mark 50 years the company has been planning this.
To ensure continuous generation of power, an array of solar cells will extend like a belt along the entire 11,000km lunar equator. This belt will grow in width from a few kilometers to 400km.
The cables will transfer the electric power from the lunar solar cells to the transmission facilities.
The 20km-diameter antennas will transmit power to the receiving rectennas. A guidance beacon (radio beacon) brought from the Earth will be used to ensure accurate transmission.
High-energy-density laser will be beamed to the receiving facilities. A guidance beacon (radio beacon) brought from the Earth will be used to ensure accurate transmission.
Materials needed for the construction and maintenance of the Solar Belt will be transported along this route. Electric power cables will be installed under the transportation route. |
White Middle Class Rebelling Against Both American Parties
How Both Parties Lost the White Middle Class
Today, the vast middle of the middle fears that unless you're on the way up, you're on the way down.
I've been making that argument here for years because it seems correct. I've been arguing that you had better try to go up because if you aren't trying to go up you are very likely headed down. My sense of it was that a lot of people in the middle are in denial on this point. I'd expect government workers to feel immune and perhaps people in some industries that haven't been hit yet by lots of automation and outsourcing.
In the essay above R.R. Reno argues that a big split is between those who benefit from globalization and those who are doing poorly as a result of globalization. But he only captures one part of it. The three causes of this split are automation, global trade, and immigration.
Reno is right when he argues the Left derides the white middle class:
The message: White middle-class Americans aren't just irrelevant to America's future, they're in the way.
Meanwhile the Right has people deriding anyone who isn't an innovator or entrepreneur. So the (shrinking) middle feels abandoned by both parties. Makes sense. They really have been abandoned by both parties. Hard to believe this would happen and so they've been slow to figure it out. They've just finally started to express themselves by voting for candidates who at least pretend to feel loyal to them.
My favorite Bureau of Labor Statistics page (yes, I have a favorite BLS page) is about employment population ratio by educational level. Look at how the high school grads and high school drop-outs are faring against those with some college or a bachelor's degree or better. I think this drop in status and employment is a long term trend that won't reverse any time soon.
My advice continues to be the same: go for skills and move to places that will give you better opportunities for advancement. Even if Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders gets elected in November 2016 the prospects for the middle will not brighten. I think Trump could slow the decline but not reverse the fortunes of the middle class. Sanders probably can't even do that much. |
All photos courtesy of Guillermo Cervera, from his series Sex Club
I can't say I've ever been particularly interested in swingers' clubs, mostly because in my mind they are the haunts of the old, desperate, and flaccid, the playgrounds of gold-toothed Russian mobsters and characters out of Michel Houellebecq novels.
But then came an offer from my girlfriend. She had been to a swingers' club a few years before we met and found it quite fun. I said nothing at the time, mulling over it instead. A few days later, on a weekend, we were in a club drinking with some of my friends till the early hours. Around three in the morning, I leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I think now's the right time. Let's go swinging."
We left our group without much explanation and hopped in the car. Twelve miles later, we were up in the mountains on the outskirts of Barcelona, looking for parking outside a mansion. As we walked through the gates, a well-attired man in his 40s came out of the door in the company of two women. My doubts about my own outfit were confirmed as soon as we walked in. Compared with everyone else in the club, I was dressed like a fucking dog. The glamorous woman that greeted us explained politely that my shorts were totally against the dress code, but since it was my first time, just this once, they were willing to let it go.
Entrance cost about $70 and included four drinks. Men could enter only if accompanied by a woman, while women were allowed in either way. We were given a tour of all the different rooms—these included a disco (full of naked people), a pool (also full of naked people but which we did not try because my girlfriend hated the idea of all the sperm swimming around in the water), several king-size bedrooms, a cinema (which only showed porn, of course), and a terrace (which I guessed would be the equivalent of a night club's chill-out zone. The rules were made clear: Our belongings had to be left at the entrance, where we were given a towel and a pair of slippers. The couple should not at any point separate.
After going through these first steps, we drank some whiskey and walked around, taking in everything that was happening around us in an attempt to acclimate to the people and environment. Finally, we decided to go into one of the rooms. We moved into semi-darkness, while some 20 people engaged in various sexual activities in the space around us. We found a corner and started getting it on. It did not take long for others to join us, and within a few minutes our couple had turned into a handful.
The rules had been clear form the start: You must always ask for the couple's permission to participate, whether that is expressed or implied, keeping in mind that "no" very definitely means no. But of course, once you get into it, "no" isn't going to be in very many people's vocabulary. With an unmistakable gesture, a guy asked for my permission to get closer to my girlfriend. Before I could remind him of the obligation to use a condom, he showed me he already had one in his hand. He put it on and as he penetrated her, I pushed her head southward, asking her to give me a blowjob.
Shortly after that I lost her for a while. I ended up in another corner with two women while my girlfriend was his. I found her much later in another room—she was giving some other guy a blowjob, so I started licking her pussy while different sets of hands touched her everywhere. After a powerful orgasm, she got up, drank more whiskey, and started talking to a guy who told her that he was trying to hold back ejaculating for as long as possible but that having sex with her made that very difficult. I listened as I received oral sex from another complete stranger.
We took a break on the terrace. We smoked and talked with a guy from Seville, who spoke passionately against Catalan nationalism. That was a little boring, so we left—this time for the cinema, where we had sex with another couple. We never exchanged a word with them, but we understood one another quite easily. You see, part of the fun is looking, but also showing off.
After we were done with them, we went on a final tour of the house and decided to leave. We returned home satisfied—a new day was just beginning. Still excited, we smoked a last spliff and fucked while discussing the experience.
Maybe in a different context I would not have felt any attraction to the people I met that night, but I don't think I would have found anyone repugnant either. There were young people there but also older people—smaller and other larger, athletic bodies as well as bodies that clearly had not been taken good care of. But in the context of a swingers' club, that was unimportant.
The really interesting thing about the experience was the purely sexual connection established between complete strangers. It is also a great way for a couple to get over jealousy. You have to turn the tables and use others' sexual desire to your advantage. And if you cannot get over jealousy, you should just join in.
More about sex:
I Went to the Closing Night at London's Last Porn Cinema
NSFW Quiz: Can You Tell Which of These Porn Star Orgasms Are Fake?
A Big Night Out... in a Fetish Club Dance Cage!
WATCH – The Last Peep Show in Amsterdam |
Top Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are independent and do not represent the views of Zavvi.
intense is not the word Sicario is a truly engaging and tense thriller from the word go. The characters all get time to establish themselves and if this film is anything near the truth I wouldn't want to go across the border !! This film has lots of viewpoints and you never really know who you are rooting for right up until the end . I would thoroughly recommend this film. The steelbook itself is the icing on the cake . Beautifully designed Dias de las meurtas skull in black on a vivid yellow background with a j-card that matches up to the design . Was this helpful? Yes (1) No (0) Report this review
FANTASTIC film, AWFUL steelbook I loved the film, so naturally I jumped at the chance to own the steelbook. Unfortunately the steel book is the worst I've seen. The print seems so cheap and tacky and to add insult to it, there is dent on the front of mine! Wouldn't recommend this steelbook. Was this helpful? Yes (1) No (1) Report this review
Terrible Steelbook Great film, really awful steelbook. Unusually it looks far better in the pictures than it does in hand. The colours are washed out and the print is grainy, and not in a good way. I would advise against buying this version. Was this helpful? Yes (1) No (0) Report this review
Gold As previous reviewers have stated, this steelbook is not as brilliant a yellow as it appears to be in the product images. It's more of a gold colour. Was this helpful? Yes (0) No (0) Report this review
Sicario A great movie. Harsh and realistic with an assured star turn from Emily Blunt. Was this helpful? Yes (0) No (0) Report this review
A* movie, F- steelbook First of all let me point out that the movie is FANTASTIC. Brilliantly acted, beautifully shot and an all round great watch. My 1 star is for the steelbook, which looks nothing like the one pictured above. Rather than being a striking yellow (embossed?) design it is a dull gold with a flat surface and an extremely poor print. The skull and movie logo on the front are of real poor quality, looking pixelated to the point of being like a pirate copy. Go see this movie as it is brilliant, but stay well clear of this sham of a steelbook! Disappointing to say the least Was this helpful? Yes (5) No (0) Report this review
A* movie, F- steelbook First of all let me point out that the movie is FANTASTIC. Brilliantly acted, beautifully shot and an all round great watch. My 1 star is for the steelbook, which looks nothing like the one pictured above. Rather than being a striking yellow (embossed?) design it is a dull gold with a flat surface and an extremely poor print. The skull and movie logo on the front are of real poor quality, looking pixelated to the point of being like a pirate copy. Go see this movie as it is brilliant, but stay well clear of this sham of a steelbook! Disappointing to say the least Was this helpful? Yes (2) No (0) Report this review
Sicario steelbook Amazing steelbook for an amazing film. The way that Mexican skull design pops off the glossy yellow case is just eye candy! Get this steelbook before it sells out!!! Was this helpful? Yes (0) No (0) Report this review
Benicio.D.T. plays his role like always brilliantly This is an excellent thriller, concerning the Cartels, the spider web of the situation is that the director plays with your judgement of who is to be trusted & who is not!. You really have to check out this really good film well worth it . Nice!!! Steelbook a yellow that is not bright but mixes perfectly with the Mexican Skull made up like a puzzle of all relevant pieces that have to do with the The Movie itself. Collectable? Oh yes! Was this helpful? Yes (1) No (0) Report this review |
I’m at a hearing of the immigration subcommittee, and the pseudo-congressman from Puerto Rico is going on about how “we” are a nation of immigrants. “We”? Puerto Rico is a foreign country that became a colony of the United States in 1898, no different from the French colony of Togo or the British colony of Uganda (or the U.S. colony of the Philippines). Congress granted residents of the island U.S. citizenship during World War I, but Puerto Ricans remain a distinct people, a distinct nation, with their own (foreign) language, their own history, their own culture. Like other remnants of late-colonialism (like Belize, Djibouti, Comoros, etc.), most Puerto Ricans don’t want independence at this point, because it would end the gravy train. But that’s not our problem — we need to end this unnatural situation and give the nation of Puerto Rico an independent state as soon as practicable.
Mark Krikorian — Mark Krikorian, a nationally recognized expert on immigration issues, has served as Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) since 1995. @MarkSKrikorian |
The 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell. (Photo: Hyundai)
Hyundai likes to say the 2015 Tucson SUV fuel-cell electric vehicle is mass-produced.
But before your alternative-fuel heart skips a beat, "mass-produced" in this case means that the fuel-cell models are built at the same Ulsan, South Korea, factory as the gasoline models.
That means the relatively small number of fuel-cell models piggyback onto the low-cost, high-output production of the gasoline model. And it means, however, that the fuel-cell variant could be built in mass quantities if there were enough demand.
More demand in the U.S. that would require more than the current handful of hydrogen fuel stations, nearly all clustered in the Los Angeles area.
The Department of Energy's list of public hydrogen stations shows, in addition to those in California, only two others — one in Connecticut and one in South Carolina. That's a long way from the infrastructure needed for mass use of fuel-cell cars.
Hyundai is not the only automaker fielding a real fuel-cell vehicle available to actual customers, albeit in tiny numbers, nor in facing the challenge of a slow-developing fuel infrastructure. Honda has a new version of its FCX Clarity fuel-cell sedan coming in 2015, and Toyota promises its FCV — Fuel Cell Vehicle, of course — early in 2015.
To clear up lingering confusion, fuel-cell vehicles are electric vehicles. The electricity to run the motor is created by mixing hydrogen from the fuel tank with oxygen from the air in the so-called fuel-cell "stack." The exhaust is water vapor, no pollutants.
Tucson fuel cell is the best example yet in a small universe. That's based on drives over the years in a variety of hydrogen-fuel vehicles.
What we mainly like about the Tucson fuel cell is that it looks, feels and drives very much like a conventional Tucson. In fact, it's probably quieter and smoother.
The only visual differences are a couple of badges and a rear cargo floor about an inch above normal, to clear the hydrogen fuel tank beneath. The fuel-cell stack, normally cumbersome, is compact and mounted in the engine bay atop the electric motor.
Californian Timothy Bush, the gent who got the first one in June from Tustin (Calif.) Hyundai dealer John Patterson, remarked that one of his favorite things is that "its day-to-day utility is virtually identical to the gasoline version. ... I can easily fit all our family's things in the back."
Power is sufficient, if not exciting in the fuel-cell model, which weighs 4,101 lbs. That's 662 lbs. heavier than the heaviest gasoline model, which has less torque but more horsepower.
The sensation of acceleration is muted because the single-speed transmission gives none of the busyness of acceleration you get when a conventional automatic grabs a lower gear and the engine revs fast.
Tucson has an EPA combined rating of 50 miles per gallon-equivalent and a rated range of 265 miles after a 10-minute fill-up. Contrast that with plug-in battery electrics, which typically range from 50 to 100 miles after a multi-hour charge.
Tesla's $81,070 S sedan (before tax credits) is rated 265 miles on a charge. That requires a 9.1 hours with the 240-volt, 40-amp hookup found in some homes, according to Tesla's website.
Other parts of the driving apparatus, mainly brakes and steering, worked fine. Nothing spotlighted them as compromised because of the fuel-cell power or the extra weight. The weight did give a slightly ponderous feel in corners, but again, nothing to ruinously taint the Tucson fuel cell.
The Tucson fuel cell is available only via lease: $2,999 down, $499 a month for 36 months. There are worthwhile perquisites: unlimited free hydrogen fuel and Hyundai's "at your service" valet maintenance. The dealer picks up your Tucson, leaves a loaner and returns the Tucson after service or repairs.
Hydrogen's not common enough as a passenger-car fuel to know what a retail price would be. One educated guess within the industry says it'd be twice the price of gasoline, and give two to three times the mileage.
Feel free to scoff at the quixotic nature of the hydrogen quest, but keep in mind that a very short time ago, self-driving cars seemed like a pipe dream.
Our view: Fuel-cell cars are electrics done right. If the fuel become common, the cars will, too.
WHAT STANDS OUT
Normalcy: Looks, works like a regular Tucson
Noise: Not much
Unavailability: Move to certain areas of Southern California where hydrogen fuel is sold, or forget about it.
ABOUT THE 2015 HYUNDAI FUEL-CELL TUCSON
What? Hydrogen fuel-cell version of Tucson small crossover SUV; front-drive, four-door, five passenger.
When? First lease in June.
Where? Built in Ulsan, South Korea, available only Southern California where hydrogen fuel is available.
How much? Lease only: $2,999 down, $499 per month for 36 months with unlimited free hydrogen fuel.
What makes it go? Electric motor rated 134 horsepower at 5,000 rpm, 221 pounds-feet of torque at 1,000 rpm. Electricity generated from electrochemical reaction. Water vapor is only exhaust.
How big? 6 inches shorter than, otherwise similar to, Honda CR-V. Weighs 4,101 pounds.
Cargo space: 23.8 cubic feet behind second row, 53.8 cu. ft. when second row is folded flat. Both about 2 cu. ft. less than gasoline model due to higher cargo floor.
How thirsty? Rated 49 mpg-equivalent in the city, 51 mpg-e highway, 50 mpg-e combined. Driving range rated 265 miles. Tank under cargo floor holds 12.4 lbs./38 gallons of hydrogen.
Overall: Smooth, quiet. Ordinary to see, use, drive. Adequately powerful.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1schZEn |
CEO 2018 Takes place at the Wyndham Orlando Resort. Registration information and pricing will go live on February 1st, 2018. For more information on the venue and to book your hotel stay at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort please visit www.ceogaming.org//ceohotel
What are the CEO Fighting Game Championships?
CEO 2018 is a 3-day Fighting Game Community Convention & tournament series held annually in June. With ever increasing attendance every year, CEO has become one of the most attended fighting game events in the world. In 2017 we had over 4,000 attendees from over 47 States and 30 Countries from around the world. After eight great years in Orlando, CEO is moving to Daytona Beach, FL in 2018 increasing in size to a 200,000 sq ft venue. This is to accommodate the growth and create a new convention like experience celebrating all things fighting games with the community.
What’s new in 2018?
10+ tournaments : CEO 2018 will feature the latest and greatest fighting games out today as supported by the community.
: CEO 2018 will feature the latest and greatest fighting games out today as supported by the community. Finals viewing inside of an up to 9,000 seat arena. Enjoy the best competition one the grandest stage.
Grandest Stage of them all inside the CEO Ring : CEO 2017 Features a Wrestling ring stage with Top 8 Music Entrances for players to showcase their personality. Winners will receive Gold Championship Title Belts.
: CEO 2017 Features a Wrestling ring stage with Top 8 Music Entrances for players to showcase their personality. Winners will receive Gold Championship Title Belts. Celebrity Appearances : In 2017, CEO was visited by WWE Superstar Xavier Woods and Kenny Omega from New Japan World Wrestling. You never know who might show up this year.
: In 2017, CEO was visited by WWE Superstar Xavier Woods and Kenny Omega from New Japan World Wrestling. You never know who might show up this year. Infamous Fighting Game Royal Rumble or special event : Stay tuned for something bigger and better than any previous special event in CEO history.
: Stay tuned for something bigger and better than any previous special event in CEO history. Streams : CEO is featured on Twitch every year involving The Capcom Pro Tour, Tekken World Tour, Injustice Pro Series and more.
: CEO is featured on Twitch every year involving The Capcom Pro Tour, Tekken World Tour, Injustice Pro Series and more. Entertaining Commentary : CEO’s tournaments feature curated amateur & professional commentary for all games featuring diverse personalities from all over the world.
: CEO’s tournaments feature curated amateur & professional commentary for all games featuring diverse personalities from all over the world. Community Panels: Apply to have
Dedicated casual setups & BYOC area.
Jebaileyland arcade with over 60 arcade cabinets featuring games from the past few decades set on free play.
One of the best and biggest artist alleys in the community.(Applications go live early January)
Vendors featuring custom controllers, arcade sticks, plushies, merchandise and more
Community Stick modders and sales.
Over 50 plus Restaurants and things to do within walking distance of the venue.
Local Restaurant discounts with your Attendee badge.
Registration Pricing and information will be available on February 1st when registration goes live!
Stay tuned for more announcements by following @CEOGaming on Twitter or the official Facebook Event Page.
If you have any questions about CEO 2018 please contact us at CEOGaming@gmail.com. |
If we’re living through Super Smash Bros. Melee’s platinum age, nine years ago was the game’s golden, MLG-ridden, Smashboards-centric era: a time when language on the Internet was even more offensive than today, Nickelback dominated the radio and it was still cool to play Guitar Hero.
To players whose knowledge of the competitive Melee scene comes from the “smash documentary:” there might be a few missing pieces in your knowledge of Melee history. Michael “Catastrophe” Forde and I worked on a “RetroSSBMRank” for 2007, figuring out whom the year’s Top 10 players were. We’ll be doing this for each year up to 2013, when Melee It On Me started the regular SSBMRank.m
As people who have only known of the scene since Apex 2013, we are not definitively the experts of smash history nor are we perfect Melee analysts. Moreover, all the records we’ve compiled are according to just the data we’ve collected so far. We understand that our head-to-head numbers are only exact according to what we’ve found, so feel free to consider this a “living piece” and not be too offended by our rankings.
That said, Catastrophe and I spent countless hours looking through smashboards, Nintendojo, ssbwiki and through old TIO files to collect our data, which you can see near the bottom of the page. If you have any more results you’d like to tell us about, please tweet at or contact us in another way (particularly about FC Diamond, where the bracket was lost). Otherwise, feel free to do the research yourself and come to different conclusions.
With that said, let’s start with each of our honorable mentions (we made sure not to repeat anyone) before we get into our list.
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ANOKH:
Amsah “amsah” Augustuszoon
Because we have little data against Americans from him to work on, neither of us thought it was fair to put Amsah on the list. However, based on his performances in Europe alone, Amsah might have been the most dominant in-region player on the planet. According to ssbwiki, the legendary Dutch Sheik main did not lose a single tournament all year, finishing first at every tournament he entered, with only a single dropped set to Helios.
Dustin “Darc” Hayes
When smashers think of Jigglypuff, they usually think Hungrybox. Older smashers might think of Mango or The King. Darc, however, was quietly always one of the world’s best players and in 2007 had a good case as its most consistent Jigglypuff player. As the best Melee player in Maine, Darc also took sets off fellow New Englanders in Cort and KoreanDJ, along with sending PC Chris to losers bracket at IVesticle. Beating KoreanDJ alone gives Darc a solid argument for Top Ten, even if he isn’t on my list.
Alex “DieSuperFly” Fuentes
One of the older members of the DBR crew (you can look up what their acronym means) and having taken a set from Ken in 2004, the Southern California Sheik main is a staple of old-school Melee. On SoCal’s power rankings from October 28, 2007, DSF was No. 4, with a 5-2 record over the region’s No. 2 at the time in Mango. His 49th place at Zero Challenge 3 (OC3) with losses to Lunaris and Wobbles stings in what’s otherwise an impressive year.
Jesse “Vidjogamer” Werner
Arguably one of the Midwest’s best players with Tink, Dope, Drephen and Darkrain, Ohio’s best Peach main had a great 2007, beating Lucky and Cactuar en route to a seventh-place at OC3 and a fifth-place showing at FC Diamond, the year’s second biggest tournament, in addition to a 2-2 record with Drephen. However, the lack of data we could find for Vidjogamer hurt his ranking on the list, as well as his losses to Husband and Scar at Viva La Smashtaclysm late into the year.
Hugo “HugS” Gonzalez
Probably my most controversial pick for an honorable mention, the second-place finisher at EVO World 2007 initially seemed like a lock for Top Ten when I started my initial research. But given the talent at the top, it was hard to definitively argue him over the person I placed as my number 10. Either way, HugS’ strong showing in 2007 showed that he was a force to be reckoned with. Plus, it’s not like he had no argument for Top Ten – it was extremely close deciding between him and other names on the list.
MICHAEL:
Daniel “Jiano” Hart
Jiano started the year off as No. 13 on the Midwest Power Rankings, but by the end of the year, he was undoubtedly one of the region’s best players, taking multiple sets over Drephen, Tink and Darkrain. However, his biggest accomplishment was his breakout performance at Pound 2, where he placed an astonishing 3rd over PC Chris, Cort and Chillin. At this tournament, he defeated Husband, Cort, Chillin and brought Chu Dat to a fifth game in Winners Finals after making an astonishing comeback in the set’s fourth game. Although his negative record against Dope and occasional losses to players outside of the elite bar him keep him from cracking the Top Ten, Jiano’s Pound 2 run and rise as a player was one of the most exciting storylines of 2007.
James “Dope” Hafner
Dope was an amazing Falco player, mainly known for being ranked No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 9 in the world by the Smash Panel Power Rankings in 2006. He continued to be a force in 2007, with positive records over every top Midwest player he faced except Drephen. Due to his scarce presence at nationals, his only two being VLS and FC Diamond where he got a pair of 17th places, it’s hard to rank him higher, though he certainly had the skill to compete with the Top 10.
David “Darkrain” John
The legendary Falcon player wasn’t in his prime yet, but by the end of 2006 with a fifth at FC6 and a 9th at MLG Orlando, Darkrain was already started to showcase himself as a national threat. 2007 continued Darkrain’s uphill climb, with consistent top three placings at regionals, hosting wins over Tink, Jiano, DaShizWiz and even a set over Dope. His finest achievement, however, came at FC Diamond, where he placed an astonishing 7th, defeating the likes of Vidjogamer and Pacific Northwest monster Luigi Ka-Master – a top player on his own. By the end of 2007, Darkrain had a viable claim as the best Falcon in the world.
Tony “Taj” Jackson
Taj, the Mewtwo connoisseur and creator of the Shadowclaw combo video series, is probably best known for his startling Genesis 2 run four years later. However, Taj was still one of Melee’s better players in 2007. With positive records on HugS, Cort and Wobbles in the year, he only struggled to take a set off the world’s top seven. While both Taj and fellow Arizona legend Forward showed impressive resumes, what pushes Taj ahead for me is his strong presence at nationals. Taj placed 7th at Pound 2, ahead of Forward’s 9th, with wins over Cactuar and Cort coming for the Arizona Marth and Mewtwo legend. He also had an astonishing 5th place at FC Diamond, defeating Cort once again and beating Darkrain. Compare that to Forward’s 25th, which came from losses to Ka-Master and Lambchops.
Bronson “DaShizWiz” Layton
Before becoming an easy pick for Top 5 in the world, Shiz started to break it big in 2007. At the time, the Florida Falco was the best in his state, consistently beating the likes of Lambchops and only had a rare loss to KeepSpeedN, Shiz’s brother and training partner. Moreover, Shiz placed seventh at FC Diamond, sporting a notable win over Chillindude. At the same tournament, Shiz notably brought it extremely close with Mew2King at FC Diamond in Winner’s Quarters, losing to unfortunate circumstances involving Mute City.
Without further ado, here’s our final RetroSSBMRank for 2007, ranked mainly on what people thought at the time, while giving bias towards bigger and later tournaments that year.
—
If you’re still here, congratulations! You’ve made it past our lengthy honorable mentions list. Here’s our Top Ten for RetroSSBMRank 2007!
—
ANOKH:
10. Joseph “Mango” Marquez
Perhaps hindsight inflates my view of Mango, but by the end of 2007 no one could sleep on SoCal’s No. 2. Already finishing third at EVO, with victories over Mew2King (albeit in a best of one), Chillin and Ken, Mango also had an impressive showing at Super Champ Combo, where he beat PC Chris and placed third after losing to Mew2King in winners and losing the rematch with PC Chris. Even having a losing record against DSF and sometimes struggling with Edrees, BoA and DC over the first half of the year, Mango was indubitably the heir to Ken’s throne on the West Coast by the end of 2007.
MICHAEL:
The arguably greatest Melee player of all time started his journey in 2007, but saw a quick rise to the top after only six months or so of concentrated effort. While he never won any larger tournaments, Mango showed amazing consistency in the second half of the year, finishing with a 3-2 record against HugS and consistently placing in the top three of SoCal locals and regionals. His biggest accomplishments came at his breakout tournament EVO World 2007 and Super Champ Combo, with wins over Mew2King (in a best of one), Chillin, Ken, HugS and PC Chris. In addition, he even travelled out sometimes, including a dominant showing in Arizona where he defeated Taj, Wobbles and Forward (twice) to win a regional.
9. Paul “Cort” Rogoza
ANOKH:
One of New England’s top three players and a model of consistency, Cort, arguably the world’s best Peach player has victories over Chu Dat and Chillin. Picking between him, Mango, HugS and Darc was extremely difficult, but I gave Cort the nod over all of them for longtime experience and placing highly at every attended national with over 100 people, MLG Long Island being the only tournament he wasn’t able to place well at. Being No. 1 ranked in Connecticut during 2007 also helped, along with having a Marth secondary that provided a foundation for PPMD’s Marth to build on years later.
MICHAEL:
While many considered Vidjo to be the superior Peach at the start of the year, by the end of the year it was difficult to ignore Cort. He showed amazing consistency throughout the whole year, rarely having upset losses, with the exception of an 0-2 set disadvantage to Taj and losses to Reik and Kaiser. Even still, Cort was easily top three in New England, as well as Connecticut’s best. Along with taking a set off PC Chris, Cort’s other great wins come with his win over Mango in pools at Super Champ Combo, as well as his amazing 3-1 record over Chu Dat and wins over Chillin, Shiz and Cactuar.
8. Drew “Drephen” Scoles
ANOKH:
Drephen is part of a small group of people that beat Mew2King in 2007 and also held a 2-0 record over Azen, who was one of the MD/VA region’s three best players. These wins, as well as his strong local record over fellow Midwest contemporaries like Vidjogamer and Dope, gave Drephen the nod as his region’s best player at nationals. For a year where Marth still dominated the smash metagame, Drephen’s prowess in the matchup stood as an impressive reminder of his value.
MICHAEL:
Drephen is best known for his win over Mew2King near the end of 2007, but he still was having an excellent year. Undoubtedly the best in the Midwest at the time, Drephen was a scary force locally, hosting positive records over everybody in his region with the exception of an even 2-2 record with Vidjo. He also even travelled out to MD/VA a handful of times, where he sported wins over both Chillin and Azen. He had consistent top five finishes at every national he went to, with fifth at Pound 2, OC3 and VLS, as well as an impressive fourth at FC Diamond.
7. Kashan “Chillin” Khan
ANOKH:
Famous for already defeating one Marth legend (Ken) in the past, Chillin shocked the world with his upset of Mew2King at EVO World 2007, only to do it again months later to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Although he stayed winless (0-4) against Azen for the year, Chillin went 1-2 against PC Chris and maintained consistent dominance against Chu Dat (9-2). Top-eight finishes at Pound 2, VLS and EVO World solidify his place among 2007’s best smashers.
MICHAEL:
While many will point to the days of his wins over Ken in 2004 and 2005 for Chillin’s peak year, I’d point to the year 2007, where I feel he played better than any other time in his career. Chillin showed dominance locally, very rarely losing to anybody outside of Azen, including Chu Dat, whom Chillin held an impressive 9-2 record against throughout the year. While he did not perform as dominantly on a national scale, Chillin still took sets off of Forward, Jiano, Dope and Cort, double eliminated Drephen at Pound 2, beat PC Chris once and even had two sets over Mew2King in the year. Despite an underwhelming performance at Smashtality III (13th,with losses to Reik and Zanguzen), Chillin was astounding throughout the year.
6. Christopher “Azen” McMullen
ANOKH:
Azen might have been MD/VA’s best player in-region, having a combined 8-1 record against Chillin and Chu Dat. Though his lack of travel somewhat hurts his ability to be ranked higher, his best head to head win of the year outside his area was a victory was against KoreanDJ at VLS. At that same tourney, he also defeated PC Chris and Chu Dat, finishing in first place to close out the final major tournament of 2007.
MICHAEL:
While Azen’s prime was certainly behind him at this point in time, that didn’t stop the Master of Diversity from still showing he had what it takes to be at the top. Azen was undisputedly the best local player in MD/VA, but his run to 1st place at VLS, the last major of the year, was arguably even more impressive. At this tournament, he defeated KoreanDJ, PC Chris and Chu Dat twice to take the crown. Despite his relative lack of travel and negative records against Drephen, PC Chris and Mew2King, Azen proved more than capable of being a contender to take any tournament he entered.
5. Daniel “Chu Dat” Rodriguez
ANOKH:
Despite a long list of upsets, as well as losing records against Ken (1-5), Azen and Chillin, Chu Dat was by far the most successful in MD/VA against out-of-region opponents. In 2007, he was one of two people to hold a winning record over Mew2King (6-4) in tournament, which shines in comparison to Azen’s 0-4 record against Mew2King and Chillin’s 2-6.
Chu Dat is also one of four people (Mew2King, Ken and PC Chris) to win a tournament with over 200 people in it (Pound 2), cementing his place at least among the top five. Even with occasionally unpredictable results, Chu Dat’s presence at nationals and high ceiling were more than enough to offset his lows.
MICHAEL:
Chu Dat, formerly ranked No. 2 in the world by 2006’s Smash Panel power rankings, showed tremendous peaks in 2007, also hosting an even 2-2 record against KoreanDJ. However, he also sometimes struggled against his contemporaries, as illustrated by a 1-3 record against Cort, 1-4 records against Azen and PC Chris each and poor 1-5 and 2-9 records against Ken and Chillin, respectively.
Nonetheless, the Ice Climbers extraordinaire (with effective Pikachu and Young Link secondaries) was still capable of defeating anybody in the world on any given day. Perfect records over Drephen, Darc, Mango and HugS help his case, in addition to his strong presence at Pound 2, when he defeated PC Chris, an on-fire Jiano and Mew2King twice to take the 200-person tournament. While the year was not of 2006 highs, 2007 ensures Chu’s place as one of the greatest of all time.
—
Michael and I agreed for the first six members of our top ten, but didn’t agree on the order between our No. 4 and No. 2 spot. We’ll be going through my order first and then his.
—
4. Christopher “PC Chris” Szygiel
If you were skeptical, you could point to PC Chris’s 2007 3-12 record against Mew2King and 0-4 head-to-head record against KoreanDJ, but it also doesn’t hurt that PC Chris has a positive or even record against every other smasher he’s played against, including a 5-1 lead on Chu Dat, 13-1 against Cort and 3-1 against Darc.
Moreover, in addition to his consistently high placings everywhere (top three placings at Super Champ Combo, EVO West and FC Diamond), PC Chris also has arguably one of the best tournament runs of the year. After being sent into losers at OC3 by Mew2King, he then proceeded to beat Edrees, Forward, HugS, Vidjo, Drephen, Ken, Chu Dat and Mew2King (twice). A forefather of the Fox/Falco meta already, PC Chris also had a great secondary Peach that Mew2King considered best in the world a year later – and even a Marth that defeated KoreanDJ in dittos all three times played during a set.
3. Daniel “KoreanDJ” Jung
Except for losing his only set against Azen and going 2-2 with Chu Dat, KoreanDJ held winning records against every other Melee competitor in the head-to-head, including a 3-1 lead over Mew2King and 4-0 record over PC Chris in the year. With a formidable Sheik, Marth and Fox, KoreanDJ’s perceived skill ceiling was so huge that a year later when Mango won Pound 3, a member of Smashboards wrote in the results thread, “kdj totally woulda won this.”
Undeniably New England’s best player and arguably the world’s most talented, KoreanDJ isn’t No. 1 on my list due to his lack of a big national title outside of MLG Long Island, which only had 71 entrants. This, is likely due to his responsibilities attending school, which turn his legacy from just one as one of the game’s legends to one of its biggest what-ifs, along with 2016 Leffen and 2015 PPMD.
2. Ken “SephirothKen” Hoang
The King of Smash, Marth innovator and formerly the world’s best player, Ken still dominated his region more than anyone else and won what was at the time the biggest Melee tournament of all-time. If consistency is a hallmark of greatness, Ken’s only national losses for the year were to Mango at EVO World, Mew2King and PC Chris at OC3, along with sets against Wobbles and Chu Dat (5-1) near the end of the year, where Ken played Luigi for part of his losses.
Yet despite not traveling much out of his region at the time, Ken split sets with PC Chris (1-1) and held a combined 7-1 record against SoCal’s No. 2 and No. 3 players, while never losing to anyone ranked beneath them and winning two of the 12 biggest tournaments of the year. Once to you take into account his history, as well as sustained greatness on the world’s biggest stage, it’s obvious that even a year after he started to lose some of his luster, Ken was still about as good as anyone.
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4. Ken “SephirothKen” Hoang
The King of Smash had nothing more to prove going into 2007, with an impressive run as undisputed No. 1 from the early MLG-days. To this day, he is still heralded as a top three Melee player all-time. But Ken wasn’t done just yet – and in his swan song delivered another incredible year. Dominating at locals, Ken never dropped a set, holding wins over Chu Dat, DSF, HugS and Mango.
While he never traveled often, Ken came out to the biggest tournament of the year, EVO World 2007, to prove he still had what it took to be the best. Coming off a disappointing fourth place at his own tournament, OC3, with losses to M2K and PC Chris, Ken eventually proved he could still play like the greatest player in the world, defeating Chu Dat twice, PC Chris and destroying Mango in one of the most lopsided top level rematches of all time. Ken then beat HugS twice in Grand Finals to take the tournament. Even with a disappointing 7th at Super Champ Combo, Ken had nothing left to prove, inarguably Melee’s face and champion.
3. Christopher “PC Chris” Szygiel
PC Chris ended his year in 2006 as arguably the greatest in the world, winning what some consider the first true super-major: MLG Las Vegas, for $10,000 in prize money. Despite losses to Cort, Darc, HugS, Chillin and G-Reg, PC Chris remained remarkably consistent, rarely losing to anybody below him and doing well against his contemporaries throughout 2007.
A positive record on Azen and a dominating record on Chu Dat help PC Chris’s case, along with a miraculous run at OC3 to win the whole tournament from losers, defeating the likes of HugS, Forward, Vidjo, Drephen, Ken, Chu Dat and Mew2King – whom he had to beat twice.
2. Daniel “KoreanDJ” Jung
KoreanDJ was potentially the best player in the world. The Massachusetts legend won multiple tournaments over PC Chris and even MLG Long Island 2007 over Mew2King, Chu Dat and PC, probably his greatest accomplishment in the year and one of the most impressive winners bracket runs ever.
However, due to school priorities, KDJ was unable to attend as much as he probably wanted to, causing him to fall behind and not attend OC3, FC Diamond, EVO World or Super Champ Combo. When KoreanDJ finally returned, losses to Azen and Chu Dat for third at VLS hurt his case for best in the world, even with a win over Mew2King. Two local losses to Darc further dampen his path to No. 2. Who knows – if school never got in the way, you might think that our No. 1’s legacy could have been KoreanDJ’s.
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1. Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman
ANOKH:
Contrary to popular belief, 2007 Mew2King wasn’t unbeatable. He had losing records to KoreanDJ (1-3) and Chu Dat (4-6), while also placing out at the biggest tournament’s top eight. Mew2King also had losses to Drephen, Cactuar and Chillin (twice) in the year, while also placing out of the top eight at the world’s biggest tournament partially because of losing a best-of-one set against Mango.
But out of the 12 tournaments of the year that had over 100 people, Mew2King won four of them: FC Diamond, Super Champ Combo, Cataclysm III and EVO West. FC Diamond and SCC were two of five tourneys with over 200 people in 2007. Ken is the only other player who won more than one tournament with over 100 people and no one in the year won multiple 200-people tourneys outside of Mew2King, whose Marth at its best looked impeccable against even people he held losing records against. It’s not a controversial pick, but with a punish game years ahead of his time and a legendarily meticulous approach to pushing Melee’s limits, Mew2King is without a doubt my No. 1 pick for 2007.
MICHAEL:
Going into this project, I originally thought that Mew2King’s “reign” was a bit overhyped, with his losing records against KoreanDJ and Chu Dat. However, upon further research, it’s hard to deny just how strong Mew2King was in the year.
While every player of 2007 had their fair share of upset losses, Mew2King’s “worst loss” in Cactuar is ultimately forgivable given how much Mew2King entered and won any tournament he could. The New Jersey Marth main stood dominant over the rest of the scene, with a decimating win against Ken in the one set they played at OC3, a 4-0 record vs Azen and a dominating 12-3 record against perhaps his most frequent rival, PC Chris. I couldn’t find a local tournament that Mew2King lost, as he dominated every Tri-State local and regional. His wins at FC Diamond, Cataclysm 3 and Super Champ Combo are astounding and he has more major wins than anybody else in the year. That’s not even including his wins at EVO East and EVO West, also over stiff competition. Despite not being unbeatable like many would lead you to believe, Mew2King was still the clear top dog at the time. He is both of our picks for the best player of 2007.
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OUR HUGE DATA DUMP OF TOURNEY RESULTS:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pW3x_fDfBzl1ZiqK6JvkzObEsQLsucfUK7BWM1Fk6OE/edit
Enjoy. |
Browse > Home Editorial & Opinion / Open Letter: Manganese Still a Problem in East Los Angeles Water
Open Letter: Manganese Still a Problem in East Los Angeles Water
By C.J. Salgado
It’s been over two years since I first wrote in an open letter of my concerns with the relatively higher levels of manganese in the drinking water of East L.A. (EGP News, June 19, 2008). Manganese is a metal that can be poisonous to a human’s brain and nerves, particularly for sensitive populations like the elderly and children, under certain conditions, if taken into the body in excessive amounts. Growing evidence suggests too much of it can lead to developmental or other neurological problems.
At that time, the California Water Service Company (Cal Water) was reporting that four local groundwater wells were the source of this contamination in East L.A. It typically gets into the groundwater from the surrounding soil. Cal Water claimed that the contamination was simply an “aesthetic issue” (manganese can cause staining of bathroom fixtures, laundry, etc.) and, therefore, not a health hazard for it to be in our drinking water.
Back then, I contested that conventional, albeit outdated, view espoused by Cal Water and others. The scientific evidence that was emerging weighed heavily in favor of taking a more proactive and precautious approach to the real problem of chronic manganese contamination of drinking water in unincorporated East L.A, at levels not found in surrounding incorporated communities. This contamination had been present for at least a decade and likely much longer given the age of groundwater wells.
Yet, few, if any, residents of East L.A., including its elected representatives, had any clue of the potential long-term implications of this issue. This burden on the health of our community resembles a silent one, veiled by misrepresentations, language barriers, esoteric technical jargon, lack of community discussion, and a practice of “dumping” on an underserved and disadvantaged community.
Thankfully, recognition is mounting that flaws in the “built environment” of a community do indeed play a crucial role in the health of a community. The water supply of a community forms a key part in the supporting infrastructure to a community’s physical environment. It can affect the health status of individuals or public health outcomes of those impacted.
For example, the Alliance for a Better Community (www.afabc.org), a non-profit, recently released a report, concluding its two-year community health assessment of Boyle Heights and East L.A. finding several “important environmental factors” like environmental toxins and called for “much needed improvements to and maintenance of community infrastructure.”
So what has happened with the manganese contamination issue in the last two years? Déjà vu. Scientific studies continue to support the case that excessive manganese in drinking water should be taken seriously given its potential to harm human health, not merely as a cosmetic problem of staining of bathroom fixtures.
In fact, environmental researchers at the University of Quebec at Montreal recently published a report on the neuropsychological effects (lowering of IQ, a standard assessment of intelligence) of manganese exposure from contaminated groundwater on children. Dr. Maryse Bouchard, the lead author and also on staff at the Harvard School of Public Health, stated, “We saw that the average IQ decreased with increasing tap water manganese concentration… And the difference between the least exposed and the most exposed was in the order of six IQ points, which is a very big difference.”
Further, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, warns that “this substance may harm you” in its Public Health Statement for Manganese (September 2008).
So, should we throw caution into the wind and accept that chronic contamination of the drinking water in East L.A. as a non-issue? Is this community willing to accept a little poison in its water because an investor-owned, private water utility company says it’s OK? As in 2008, I say no!
The good news is that currently only one groundwater well in East L.A. remains a source of excessive manganese because of Cal Water’s infrastructure improvements, so the extent of the problem has lessened. The bad news is that a resolution has taken so long to come to fruition on this matter where time is of the essence and must go forward to completion in a timely manner to insure safe drinking water for this community.
Surprisingly, there is no health-based primary standard for manganese in drinking water in California, perhaps a case of outdated regulations lagging the science. Researchers of the Montreal report suggested that guidelines for safe manganese levels in water should be reconsidered, as reported by the Canadian Press.
In my personal opinion, more should be done to strengthen regulatory oversight of manganese in drinking water. Some touted that the Human Right to Water Bill (AB 1242-Ruskin), then supported by local state senator Gloria Romero but vetoed by the Governor about a year ago, addressed some of the related issues with water so that “every human being has the right to clean and accessible water on an equitable basis.”
I’m not sure if that was the answer, but I do know that safe water is key in the vibrancy of life for an individual or a community.
Salgado is a resident of East Los Angeles.
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Originally Posted by pornlaw Originally Posted by
No offense to the OP but that isnt high end escorting. I have clients that are high end escorts and actually one of their clients has become my client.
I can tell you with certainty that make mid hundreds of thousands a year from their clients. I have clients that will travel with a client from Hong Kong to Europe and through out the US.
High end escorts usually provide sex only as an after thought. Of all the high end escorts I have represented all have post-undergrad degrees (ie., MBAs, JDs, Doctorates) all can speak several languages fluently, none have been pornstars, few to none have augmented breasts and most read the newspaper and have a library. They were all women that were accomplished in a professional career outside escorting.
If a woman is looking to become a high end companion the only advice I can give is stay in school. The men that can afford that type of companionship need someone that is educated, successful, well read, well versed and can be presented to his business associates as well as friends as someone is he truly "dating." Most arent even typically beautiful rather they are classic beauties.
As for pornstar escorts, I can tell you the that trips to Dubai are true and girls have come back with $20,000-$60,000 for a weekend to two weeks there. As for rates, pornstar rates are all over the map. Yes there are girls working the Eros and the other sites for $300-$500 while others are higher end getting $1200-$1500 but that is rare now.
Most of the mainstream girls in Hollywood and music have lowered their rates in LA to $1500-$2000. So therefore so did most of the pornstars.
Why pay a pornstar $2000 when you can get your favorite B-level actress for $2000 now. Its these top girls that are putting pressure on the rates.
When the Hollywood girls (b-list stars, playboy girls, video vixens) dropped their rates a couple of years ago from $5000 to $2000, the pornstars dropped their rates and now the regular hard working girls are being forced to drop their rates to compete.
I see pornstars advertising for as little as $500 now. And yes unfortunately some will do BB if a guy has a clean AIM test. And quite actually those girls are a big problem for the industry as well. |
Atheists and secularists frequently use the so-called ‘Dark Ages’ as evidence of Christianity’s oppressive power, that the ‘darkness’ of the age was due to the stifling effect of organised religion. They argue that from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance all scientific endeavour ground to a halt, that Europe (the region to which the followers of the carpenter were largely confined) existed in an appalling state of intellectual squalor, and that the cause of this was the oppressive teachings of men in pointy hats. Some atheists proclaim that Islam is in the midst of its own ‘Dark Age’ today, but, since it has the incomparable benefit of living next door to civilised people, it should shake off its shackles and join the modern world. My views on faith are no secret, summed up neatly by Émile Zola: “Civilization will not attain perfection until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest.” I tolerate the faith of others (barely) only out of friendship and the belief that Reason will eventually win. Yet I do not agree with this attack on the Medieval Church, or the labelling of the Middle Ages as ‘Dark’. Sometimes atheists are similar to theists – they hear a truth they are comfortable with and they stop; no further investigation is necessary. The Catholic Church is guilty of innumerable crimes against humanity, and I wish it dissolved, preferably from acid derived from derisory glances distilled in scorn and mockery, but for the right reasons, not for misconceptions and propaganda of equal virulence to that espoused by the faithful. Here I write in defence of the Middle Ages, in defence of the Catholic Church, in defence of Skepticism.
The commonly held idea of the Middle Ages is vague at best, mostly cobbled together from random bits of information, popular conceptions, and bad movies. Images of knights in armour, extreme and random violence, endemic plague and pestilence, squalor and filth, and the ever-present hand of the Church haunt the ‘Dark Ages’. It is compared to that which came before, mighty Rome, with its great architecture, civilisation, and indoor plumbing, and that which came after, the Renaissance, the birth of age of Reason, with its art, culture, industry, and smog. The idea of a ‘Dark Age’ was invented during the Renaissance because the scholars and educated folk of the time believed that they were reinventing and rediscovering the glory that was Rome, hence ‘Renaissance’, a rebirth of the Classical era. This idea has endured to the modern-day, but is a blatant anachronism, the unfair definition of a past society by modern standards. The anti-theist voices of our age look back and see that pagan Rome and the quasi-secular Renaissance had one major feature in common, the lack of a domineering and oppressive organised faith, which was the presumed reality of the ‘Dark Age’. Again, we face anachronism, fused with anti-clericalism and secularist propaganda.
Let’s begin with Rome. It was beautiful and brutal; they built aqueducts and fed Christians to lions, but they had a dark side too. Their entire society was built on conquest and slavery, their culture was largely borrowed from others, and their abuse of the dative case in vulgar Latin is unforgivable. The Empire did not collapse, as I have heard people pontificate several times, due to the influence of Christianity. The Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire survived for centuries, and was far more deeply Christianised at the time of the Western Empire’s collapse. It was more likely due to a combination of factors, including devaluation of currency, increasing levels of local loyalty over imperial, increasing burdens of bureaucracy, limited understanding of macro-economics, and the lack of an export market or affluent middle-class to purchase goods. And the fact that tens of thousands of Germans invaded, smashed the Roman army to bits, were inadequately assimilated, and eventually occupied every position in the Imperial Army leading to military dictatorship and the re-establishment of a kingdom in Italy.
All the endeavours of the Empire might have been lost in the West; all the literature, philosophy, mythology, and strange cookbooks might have gone the way of toilet paper were it not for the one organisation that revelled in arduous tasks. The Catholic Church preserved all the learning of Rome when all public institutions lost their funding; for the next thousand years generations of monks would diligently copy the speeches of Cicero, the philosophies of Plato, the Histories of Herodotus. Many of the great works of Ancient Greece and Rome survive today only in manuscripts from the 14th Century which were inscribed by monks. This alone is an astounding feat. But the monks, their abbots, and many bishops didn’t stop there; they desired to understand what these works were about, and that required education, a detailed understanding of the complexities of Latin, philosophy, and literature, the creation of vast libraries and the manufacture of books. One hundred years or so after the fall of Rome, Charles the Great built himself an empire with the aid of the Church, and provided the impetus for a veritable explosion of learning. Great monasteries produced scientific works to calculate the cycles of the moon decades, and sometimes centuries, in advance. Charles instituted a standardised script which was based on a combination of the Roman uncial and Irish monastic scripts, propagated by the monastic networks. Hundreds of years later when the learned men of the Renaissance examined ancient documents and marvelled at the clarity of the writing, the breadth of understanding, they assumed that what they read was written by Roman hands. They modelled their writing on what they found, which is the way we write today. But they were wrong, what they had presumed to be from the Classical Period was actually from the ‘Dark Ages’. Not only can we trace they way we write to the Carolingian renovatio (renewal), but also Western music, and it provided the groundwork for Romanesque and Gothic art and architecture.
The notion of the Middle Ages as being dominated by the Church is also a fallacy. Heresy was rife, superstitions and local cults were more popular than what was proclaimed from the pulpit, and kings frequently ignored popes. Sometimes, if a king or emperor were powerful enough they would appoint their own pope; from time to time Germany would have one pope, Italy another, and France, feeling left out, would also decide to have one. Papal power reached its dizzying heights of infallibility only in the late 19th Century, and some of its most infamous crimes against science occurred during the Renaissance, not the ‘Dark Ages’. The Catholic Church was far too weak to do much in the Middle Ages, and had to rely on foreign kings and mercenaries to defend it; the Pope was even run out of Rome more than once! The reality of the oppressive features of the Catholic Church has been transposed from the modern era, since we are all so learned and know better, to an earlier, more ‘primitive’ time, when people were actually less faithful and far more superstitious than the Church would have preferred. Even one of the Church’s most evil crimes, the unbelievable defence of paedophiles in its ranks, is a relatively recent occurrence; in the Middle Ages a cleric accused of such a deed would be confined to a cell and made to live on bread and water, and if found guilty was often excommunicated and banished, which was a serious threat in those days. More witches were burned by popular and civic authorities than the Church during the Inquisition, the Crusades were as much a secular military conquest as a theological exercise, and the Papacy even defended Jews from attack by Christians, under pain of excommunication, from the Middle Ages until the Renaissance.
Even Islam in the Middle Ages was not remotely as oppressive as we are often led to believe. The Muslims of Al-Andalus (Andalusia, Spain) built a kingdom which promoted philosophy, science, and religious tolerance, as did Baghdad at the other end of the Muslim world, often surpassing any endeavour of a similar kind in Christian Europe. Where the Christian faith preserved the legacy of Plato and Rome, Islam did the same for Aristotle and Persia. The Christian World learned of Aristotle through the medium of Islam, and they conquered architectural and engineering problems Rome never could because of the innovations of Arabic mathematics. In the Middle Ages these were not faiths of ignorance, but of learning. They became dogmatists of ignorance in the modern era when threatened with a better explanatory paradigm, science. Indeed the foundation of science, and many of its principles, can be found in either texts that the Church preserved and studied, or policies that it actively encouraged. Early scientists were often members of the clergy, such as the great astronomer Copernicus (who provided the first accurate description of the heliocentric theory), or believed that their advances only proved the majesty of God’s Creation, like another great astronomer Kepler (who developed the laws of planetary motion).
We cannot judge the past by the standards of today; we don’t look at Italians and Germans and think “once a fascist, always a fascist”; we don’t think that the founders of the U.S. were obese rednecks who loved guns and god, and we don’t deride ancient Jews for the settlement policies of modern Israel. I wish to be clear though; the Catholic Church and all organised religion should be abolished. My argument against anachronism is twofold; placing the standards of the present on the past is just wrong and intellectually deceitful, but equally, demanding that the present conform to the past is just outright stupidity. The Middle Ages were not ‘Dark’, and the Christian faith was the accepted paradigm of the time, but faith itself is now an anachronism, a failed paradigm since the beginning of the Age of Reason in the 17th Century. We must be skeptical about populist claims and propagandising public figures, even when they come from those who proclaim the virtues of science over faith, of atheism over theism. It is necessary to question those who lay claim to history to prove their point, it is in fact essential that we dispute all received wisdom until proven, lest we become slavering dogmatists ourselves. We must dissent, and we must be skeptical.
As a final note, this picture, while being rather popular on various atheist website (search for “dark ages graph” or variations thereof), has been invented by an intellectual cretin. Firstly, there is no statistical data of any kind about the scientific advances of any era until the early modern, so everything before the ‘Enlightenment’ part of the graph is at best a lie. Secondly, they are extrapolating an idyllic future based on unsubstantiated data. Thirdly, this is borderline racist as it neglects the amazingly advanced culture and science found in China and Persia during “Christian Dark Ages”, the ancient Phoenicians (who taught the Greeks to write), and the Hindus of India who saw Europe as an intellectual backwater in the 14th Century, among others. Fourthly, “Just think… We could have been exploring the galaxy by now”? Seriously? Just think, the Romans with nuclear weapons, the Mongols with Predator Drones, Vikings with submarines, obese Incans… We could be dead by now. This kind of asinine fairytale delusion of what the future “may have been” serves no purpose in a serious argument. It posits the notion that somehow someone could have seen and understood all the intricacies of human society and conspired to oppress it over hundreds of years. In this respect the graph is a theist argument for the hand of god influencing human affairs. This is as stupid as creationism. History unfolded with no great design, no guiding hand. It happened. Deal with it. Live in the real world.
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Paul said he believes Clapper would need to resign to restore confidence in the NSA. Paul slams Clapper over NSA 'lying'
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday said that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has been as harmful to American intelligence gather capabilities as leaker Edward Snowden.
“That Clapper is lying to Congress is probably more injurious to our intelligent capabilities than anything Snowden did,” Paul told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “Clapper has damaged the credibility of the entire intelligence apparatus and I’m not sure what to believe anymore when they come to Congress.”
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Paul also said he believes Clapper would need to resign to restore confidence in the intelligence community.
( QUIZ: Do you know Rand Paul?)
“I don’t know how you can have someone in charge over intelligence who has known to lie in a public forum to Congress, to lie without repercussions,” he added. “If the intelligence community says we’re not spying on Americans and they are, and then they say we’re not collecting any data, it’s hard to have confidence in them.”
When asked about the prospect of raising criminal charges against Clapper, Paul said that both Snowden and Clapper broke the law.
“I think the law is the law; they both broke the law and that one shouldn’t get off scot-free,” Paul said. |
As you may know, the CNU20 conference was organized around tracks which allowed you to focus on your particular interest and how it related to New Urbanism. I spent most of my time on the "Mobility and Walkable City" since that is where my concentration lies. There is no doubt that the best breakout session of this track was "Why Did We Stop Walking & How Do We Start Again? The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City" presented by Eric Dumbaugh, Richard Hall, and Peter Norton.
I came into this session with a heightened awareness of this topic after concentrating on Tom Vanderbilt's series, The Crisis in American Walking in Slate magazine last month. I wasn't expecting to learn much more. I mean, what was there to learn? We started building our streets around the car because more people started driving, right? I couldn't have been more wrong. As it turns out there was a blatant social, economic, and political shift that taught us to change the way we used our streets. This was not a natural change in priorities, but a direct result of media propaganda.
Now, we always hear that we can't blame our problems on our past. Our choices are ours alone. If we choose to get into our automobile and drive to the grocery store instead of walk this afternoon, its our own responsibility. Yes, there is truth in that. But just as we might discover in a personal therapy session that there are reasons we make the choices we do in our every day lives, this session enlightened me into why Americans behave the way they do.
I encourage you all to read Fighting Traffic by Peter Norton to get all the gory details, but for me the brainwashing media campaign that two generations before me suffered, culminated in the TV show Merrily We Roll Along, narrated by Groucho Marx, as part of the weekly series DuPont Series of the Week, in 1961. While the campaign against the pedestrian started forty years prior, it was this show that coined the phrase "American's love affair with the automobile." In it, Groucho Marx narrated that we love our cars and would do anything for them. Essentially, we can't help any destruction or negative impacts they leave in their wake because we love them too much. The analogy was made between cars and women, i.e. "we can't live with them, we can't live without them." Man was the driver, the car was the woman. Americans were helplessly in love.
And what a surprise! Pierre DuPont had a controlling stock in GM (General Motors) from 1914 to 1957 (until he was forced to sell to keep from monopolizing the market as part of the Clayton Antitrust Act), was the GM board chairman for a significant amount of time, and was appointed president of GM in 1920. Americans didn't decide they had a love affair with the automobile, the DuPont family and Groucho Marx did, and we have believed it ever since.
Of course the media campaign by the car industry started way before in the early 20s. Peter Norton showed us this picture that was taken in Detroit, "The Motor City" in 1917:
In one of the busiest intersections of this big city, all users are sharing the street. Pedestrians and streetcars navigate around each other carefully. This was normal and nothing was thought of it. The street belonged to people and it was completely safe to let your children play in the street. Shift to 1923 when the number of automobile fatalities increased to 15,500 from 5oo in 1907, most of them children 4-8 years old. People were in an uproar at cars, drivers, and the automobile industry. Sensing a threat to their growing business, the industry went into a high gear (no pun intended) "educational," or I might say, brainwashing, media campaign. "Jaywalking," which wasn't even a word in the American dictionary, was invented and then associated with a ridicule of anyone who did. Clowns were hired to dress up like buffoons, or "jaywalkers," and then ridiculed in public on the streets. The auto industry realized the power of social norms, and used them. In Cincinnati, when the local government tried to cap car speed off at 25 mph on any streets. This was the media response:
The ordinance failed.
We all know the destruction that the automobile has caused in our relationships with community and the environment, but the media shift to loving the automobile is still very much alive today. I wrote about the Raquel Nelson case last month (read it here). In case you are not familiar, this woman was charged for the death of her own son when he was struck by a drunk driver crossing a busy arterial in Marietta, Georgia. This was not the first time this has happened. Peter Norton made the case that streets now belong to the car, and anyone that gets in the way of the car is at fault. His point was made clear when he presented data collected by transportation departments in monitoring safety. The data list the reasons for pedestrian deaths in a manner that inherently blames the pedestrian, ie: "death due to disability." As if this person could control the fact that they were disabled. While many people think that this is absurd, the shift back to streets belonging to people has simply not happened. The AASHTO guide clearly equates higher car speed with safety. Higher speed = street design for the automobile = life threatening conditions for anyone else trying to use the street.
Holy cow, knowing this made me so sad. It would be one thing if the destruction we had caused to our built environment was a natural progression of ignorant behavior, but it was due in large part from the manipulations of the corporate media. Heartbreaking. It makes me feel helpless, because it shows how easily our human nature is swayed. GM held our hands into what could be argued as one of the most destructive relationships of the 20th century: man and car. Who knows what long-term destruction will be caused by the manipulation of the media today.
But then Eric Dumbaugh made a very opportunistic thought: this media campaign worked once, it can work again. We were so easily influenced to believe that the death of our children was worth our "love affair" with the car. This is evidence that convincing people of anything is possible. Of course behind the media campaign of the first half of the 20th century was a multi-million dollar industry. Just like the tobacco industry that followed in its footsteps, its influence was motivated by profit, not the betterment of mankind. So this is our challenge: who will take the lead this extremely expensive media campaign when the government is has just pumped $27 billion dollars into GM?
Eric Dumbaugh also made the point that we need to know our past to understand our future. All built environment professionals need to read Fighting Traffic to fully understand how to move forward in reclaiming our streets. Thanks to Peter Norton for his extremely enlightening research into why we are the way we are today. So much has been explained, the enlightening result will help move forward to building streets where our children can play again. |
Singer says one song is inspired by National Geographic
Bjork has said that she is halfway through finishing her new album – and hopes to play live before 2011 ends.
Speaking to Icelandic newspaper Fréttablaðið, the singer said work was well underway the follow-up to 2007’s ‘Volta’ and alluded to a tour plan for later in the year.
“Hopefully I will be able to be on tour in the fall,” she said.
She also said she was wary of giving too many details about the album away, adding: “I have had some bad experiences with a number of things before. I’m very superstitious. I go into the studio with a plan to go do what I have in mind, and then the idea is half dead.”
The singer revealed one of her new songs is inspired by experiences she’d had after attending a conference organised by National Geographic magazine.
“I saw 100 talks and met eccentric people who had been in Africa for four years with lions and insects,” she said. “Then one night after drinking whiskey with them I began to hear stories. This is one of the collaborations I can talk about.” |
Last week, I briefly reviewed some of the Lions’ favorite passing concepts in power situations. I outlined rubs/picks, sprintouts, smash/high-low concepts, and mesh concepts, the latter of which we’ll be focusing on today.
As stated in the series primer, the Lions attempted a pass 33 times in power situations in 2016. Of those 33 attempts, three (9.1%) of them were mesh plays. The mesh concept is very simple. Two receivers will meet at a mesh point in the middle of the field, and it often involves running interference – sometimes literally – against defenders trailing in man coverage. However, since crossing routes are largely ineffective against zone, receivers will instead sit down in a soft spot if they read zone coverage.
Detroit favored this concept against one-high looks, and all three plays we’ll be examining will occur against defenses showing a single high safety.
Mesh Concept with 22 Personnel and Play Action vs. Rams 46 Bear
The first play we’ll look at is a fourth quarter play against the Rams. The Lions come out with 22 personnel (two RBs, two TEs), a grouping they used 23.6% of the time in power situations. Of the thirteen plays in which they used 22 personnel, five of them featured a sixth offensive lineman instead of a wide receiver. They also had an overwhelming tendency to run the ball in such groupings, registering ten rushing attempts – a 76.9% ratio. Their success rate on runs was essentially a coin flip; they converted half of the time, with four plays going for TDs, one for a first down, and five for zero or negative yardage.
This is important context because, on this play, the Lions are going to execute the mesh concept in tandem with play action. They open with a 2×1 alignment against a 46 Bear front before motioning Khari Lee from an inline position on the left side to a slot position on the right. There’s a safety in the middle of the field and Rams safety TJ McDonald travels across the field with Lee – a good indicator of Cover 1.
At the snap, Matthew Stafford turns right and fakes a handoff to Zach Zenner. The protection is slid to the left, meaning that Zenner is responsible for picking up the right defensive end. Stafford likely chose to slide the protection because the Rams would have had a numbers advantage to the left because the mike (#52 Alec Ogletree) is a threat to the B gap and the Rams already had a numbers advantage on the left side of the line. Ogletree doesn’t blitz, but the standup LB (#59 Josh Forrest) over Cole Wick does. Zenner attempts to cut the defensive end and stalls him for just long enough for Stafford to get the pass off.
By this point, Stafford has identified the blitzing linebacker and Ogletree has bit on the play action, which means that there’s nobody covering the left side of the field. Meanwhile, Boldin was granted a free release and has earned yards of separation on his crossing route. Had this been a zone call by the Rams, Boldin would have found a crease and sat down in it. Since it was man coverage, he continued across the field for an easy 11 yards and a first down. Before we move on to the next play, take mental note of Khari Lee’s wheel route, even though the ball didn’t go to him.
Mesh/Yankee Concept with 11 Personnel vs. Vikings Cover 0
This next play occurs against the Vikings. And this time, the Lions are in their ‘base’ 11 personnel, a grouping they were in over half (50.9%) the time. They called a pass at a whopping rate of 85.7%, but saw a success rate of just 37.7% on passing plays in 11 personnel. The Lions show a 2×2 alignment with Golden Tate and Marvin Jones bunched closely together. The Vikings are running a four-man front with their linemen pinched inside to take away the A and B gaps. Meanwhile, they’re showing a blitz with a safety (#34 Andrew Sendejo) lined up in the left slot and a linebacker (#55 Anthony Barr) lined up close to the line of scrimmage on the right. The other safety (#22 Harrison Smith) is shaded over Eric Ebron.
This is a good look because the Vikings could also roll this coverage into a Cover 1. Upon the snap, Smith could rotate to a deep middle responsibility, and either Sendejo or Barr could run to cover the high-hole, with the line crashing accordingly to not give up the edges. They could also roll it into a Cover 3 with the outside corner running a bail technique, and the inside corner rotating to the flat while Sendejo drops into a hook zone.
In the event that this they do roll into a Cover 1 or Cover 3, the Lions have paired a Yankee concept to go with the mesh. Ebron will run a deep dig and Jones will run a post, which is designed to stretch the middle-of-the-field safety vertically and put him into conflict. Just as they did with Khari Lee, the Lions like to give Stafford a home run option to exploit the one-high safety look.
However, the Vikings end up running a Cover 0 (six rushers and man across the board) with banjo coverage on the left, meaning the outside corner will take whichever receiver releases outside or vertically, while the inside corner takes whichever receiver releases inside. The six-man blitz versus a five-man protection means Stafford will have to throw hot out to Theo Riddick in the flat. Unfortunately, linebacker Eric Kendricks does an incredible job of recognizing the play and makes a textbook open field tackle.
At this point, it’s important to note the splits of the wide receivers on these mesh concepts. On the first play, Boldin had a reduced split. On the secondplay, Tate and Jones were grouped up closer to the line of scrimmage, as well. They also motioned Boldin pre-snap to 1) help identify the coverage, and 2) to reduce his split. On both plays, they’re aligned closer than normal because this decreases the amount of ground they must cover before reaching the mesh point. Anytime you see this, it can indicate that the Lions are rushing a mesh concept. Furthermore, the Lions like to use inside releases on the running back’s side of the formation in an attempt to clear space and exploit a favorable matchup with a running back in an empty flat.
Mesh Concept with 11 Personnel vs. Bears Cover 1
On this play against the Bears, we see both a reduced split from an isolated Marvin Jones in a 1×3 alignment with the running back lined up to Jones’ side. On the other side of the field, Eric Ebron is flexed out into the outside slot position. The Bears are showing a one-high coverage with one safety backed up 15 yards and the other lined up over Ebron. Once more, it is indeed Cover 1. At the snap, Boldin releases to the outside to run interference on Ebron’s man, who was backed off the line of scrimmage. Boldin executes this successfully, but the protection breaks down and it results in a sack.
Note that the running back is matched up one-on-one against a linebacker in the flat after Jones draws the cornerback in man coverage. On the outside, Tate runs a streak to again give Stafford a home run option on the outside. Note that this is the second play where the innermost receiver on the right side has run a dig route. This pairs nicely with the mesh concept because it functions similarly to a levels concept, where ins/digs at multiple depths stretch underneath zone defenders vertically.
The mesh concept was perhaps the most creatively applied of the Lions’ preferred passing concepts in power situations. As you can see, they often used it with rub principles in it. In fact, the rub/pick play is the next concept to go under the microscope here at Detroitlionspodcast.com. Stay tuned! |
Good writers are often fooled by the lure of plain English. Most academics in the humanities are not duped so easily, though. They understand the power of jargon, obscurity and incoherence. Those aspiring to follow in their footsteps would do well to consider the following tips and tricks.
Titles. Once upon a time, scholars thought titles should be succinct and descriptive. Now we know better. Instead, introduce your work with an unintelligible phrase such as “Interrupted Modernity”, “Sovereign Emergencies”, “Overthrowing Geography” or “Violent Accumulation”. “Bodies that Speak” and “Empires without Imperialism” also make for great titles, even if bodies cannot speak and empires cannot exist without imperialism. Everyone knows that confusion attracts attention. Obscure quotes also make for great titles, especially if they include grammatical errors or antiquated speech. “Oh motherland I pledge to thee”, “What does not respect borders” and “Fortress Europe in the field” are good examples.
Invented words. Language is subject to your imagination, not the other way around. Change nouns into adjectives and adjectives into nouns. “Hypervisibility”, “interagentivity”, “interanimality”, “precoloniality”, “spaciality” and “subalternity” are all great words. Count the number of words you’ve invented or new concepts you’ve employed. Try doubling it.
Between, beyond and towards. Study the stuff “between empire and identities”. Go beyond the Arab Spring, beyond desire. Work towards a post-Marxist historiography or theory of counter-modernity. Write about the genealogy of something or, better still, towards the genealogy of something. “Toward a genealogy of black female sexuality” – perfect!
Shudder quotes. Language is poisonous, so it is essential to place shudder quotes around as many words as possible – the “West” and “Global South”, the “European” and “non-European” worlds, “traditional” healing practices and “modern” identities. There are no experts, only “experts”. Shudder quotes make it difficult for others to accuse you of philosophical naivety.
Verbs. Use verbs along with their passives in the same sentence as often as possible, as in “I will address the spatial and temporal re-mapping of these two distinct traumatic memories as they shape and are shaped by one another.” Scholars study the assumptions and ideologies that constitute and are constituted by aid. They try to grasp how traumatic events influence and are influenced by norms, identities and interests. This signals you have mastered the passive tense, and that the passive tense has been mastered by you.
The re-prefix. You should repeat and re-repeat verbs as often as possible with a re-prefix. Aim to frame and re-frame, imagine and re-imagine, inscribe and re-inscribe. This signals and re-signals to your readers that you are in command of revisionism.
Agency. Style is important in the humanities, but so is content. Be sure that you find agency among the downtrodden. The people of the Global South did not adopt Western knowledge; they adapted it. They did not replicate European sciences but subverted their racist agendas. Muslim women have not learned feminism from the West; they were feminists long before feminism existed.
Obfuscation. Do not write about history or even historicity, only “historicality”. Colonialism is widely understood by the general public and should therefore be avoided. Instead study “coloniality”, “semicolonialism” or “Eurocolonials”. Physical violence is blasé; real scholars write about “discursive violence”. Instead of modernity or even post-modernity, consider “transmodernities” and “nonmodernities”. Forget memory; study “post-memory”.
Complication. The general rule of thumb is to complicate simple ideas. “Living together”, in the words of one scholar, “oscillates between the tone of practical serenity and tragic pathos, between philosophical wisdom and desperate anguish”. It is both “simple evidence and the promise of the inaccessible”, while it opens the possibility of a “unified self” and “synchronous time”. If only this were more widely known, so much domestic friction could be avoided.
Prepositions. Many verbs can take more than one preposition. Be sure to use as many of them as possible. The politics of protest have not escaped the intricacies of speaking about, for and instead of others. Memory-making occurs in and across multiple spaces. Modernity is emerging in and between Europe and the Arab world.
Trends. Nothing is stable or monolithic. Everything is fluid, fragmented, hybrid, multi-directional and unsusceptible to articulation. There are multiple modernities. Memory is polymorphous. Nothing is spatially fixed or geography-bound. The line between words and things is permeable. Binary oppositions are evil. Decentre everything. Blur boundaries. Jump into an abyss so deep and profound that no one has any idea what you are talking about.
Elegant incoherence. Use the word “as” to connect unrelated ideas without having to explain why they are related. Examples include “architecture as relic”, “resistance as negotiation” and an analysis of the tension between “body as sign” and “body as corpus”.
Sites. Everything is a site for discursive production. Performance apparently positions the post-colonial female body as a particularly charged site of cultural contestation in the process of constructing a hybrid subjectivity. The body is a site of rupture and signification. The law is a site of subaltern negotiations with the state.
Interruption. Good scholars know to interrupt themselves mid-sentence for clarification. As one of them has explained, “analysis of diasporic memory – or, more accurately, remembrances – conjures other times and places”. This in turn “helps us recognise the local population as imaginers and producers (and not, at best, merely consumers) of their own modernity – or perhaps better, nonmodernity, as the modernity that unfolded”. This signals to the reader your sense of profound anguish – or rather your mastery of interruption dashes – or, perhaps still better, your mastery of interruption parentheses.
Read next: How (not) to write: nine more tips for academics in the humanities
Search for academic jobs in the humanities
Zachary J. Foster is a PhD candidate in Near Eastern studies at Princeton University and a product manager at Academia.edu. He would like to make clear that all the examples of unintelligible academese given above are real. |
Yesterday, Eve reported Ross Demers had left his post at On the Lamb. Now comes word from the Observer that the restaurant is closed. Beth Rankin reports a kitchen fire as the initial reason she got from restaurant officials for the closing last weekend. She was told they’d be reopening yesterday. Today she reports there was no fire and the restaurant has deleted upcoming events from their Facebook page. Today they posted a closed sign.
When Demers spoke with Eve on Wednesday night, he said his last day was the previous Friday (Dec. 9), the very night they reported the kitchen fire. Sounds like a cover-up to me.
Eve just reached Ross Demers. “They were getting new investors as I was leaving,” Demers says. “Word on the street is they are going to re-concept. Most of the staff left with me.”
PR rep Vodi Cook confirms the closure. “Despite the amount of press it was receiving, the concept, with this type of food and pricing in this area (Deep Ellum), it wasn’t a good fit,” Cook says. She says that the owners have been meeting with two groups of investors and plan to re-group and re-concept. She claims there was a kitchen fire, but it was not the reason for the closure.
On the Lamb was an incredible restaurant. Demers worked some magic. Eve picked On the Lamb as one of the Best New Restaurants of 2016. |
MANILA - Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Monday spared no detail in describing what he does to those who violate the law in his turf.
In a speech after the PDP-Laban launched his tandem with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte said he has no qualms in retaliating an eye for eye.
"Lahat tayo we have a dark side, we have good deeds. But do not ever think that you can monopolize evil in this country. Kung anong kaya mong gawin, kaya ko ring gawin 10 times over," he said.
"Kung kaya mong kainin iyang tao sa harap mo, I can slash open your body and eat you heart in front of you. Kapital ko lang asin, kakainin ko sikmura mo."
Duterte also admitted that his constituents know how he deals with lawbreakers.
"Sa Davao, ang atake sa akin e pumapatay ng tao. Totoo iyan. Wala tayong problema diyan. Mga taga-Davao alam nila iyan," he said.
Duterte said that three months into his term as a neophyte mayor in Davao, he executed a group of men who kidnapped a Chinese girl.
He said the men brought their hostage to a neighboring province where they repeatedly raped her before going back to Davao.
The aspiring president narrated: "Kumain pa ang mga gunggong doon sa bahay, nagpaluto. Pagbaba nila, tinapos ko talaga lahat. Tinapos ko talaga, sabi ko ito ang killing na maganda. Porma pa ako parang Fernando Poe."
"Tapos kinarga ko sila doon sa kotse nila. Binuksan ko ang tangke, sinunog ko to show my brutality."
He also said he particularly abhors illegal drugs and shared what he does to those involved in its trade.
"Sabi ko, do not go to Davao, you will die. Iyung iba pumunta talaga roon, they died... Noong andoon na sila, sprawled there, sabi ko itugtog ninyo ang Mona Lisa, iyan ang theme song ng mga animal na ito. 'Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, and you die there and you die there,'" he said.
Duterte promised to continue fighting criminality and mold the country in the image of Davao City.
"Kaya sabi ko to everybody, to the criminals and the bad elements, and to those who continue to oppress the Filipino people. Hindi ako nagpapa-hero. Wala akong talent, wala akong lahat. Pero I will not allow you to continue sa pagpahirap sa Pilipinas. Crime has to stop. Mainit ako sa droga because we have lost the privilege of using our streets in all of the Philippines," he said.
"Ask your beautiful wife, your beautiful daughter to walk the streets of Davao City until the wee hours of the morning. If they go home unmolested, undisturbed, walang nagdukot sa katawan then that is the standard for all of the women here."
Duterte said he is unfazed with the opposition coming from human rights advocates.
"Sinong maglibing sa akin kung maging gunggong iyang anak? Who will run this country? If it (illegal drugs) has widespread use, what will happen to the Republic of the Philippines? Iyan ang tandaan ng mga human rights [advocates]," he said.
"I was once a young lawyer. I was once an idealist. Pero tingnan mo naman, isa-isa, kriminal, lima, anim, pito, ipagpagpalagay mo ng 5,000. It's why everyone of us, your daughter and sons, are potential victims.... Outcry? Public outcry? Sige, solohin ninyo, umiyak kayong lahat. Pakialam ko?"
FEDERALISM
Duterte said he will continue to push for a change to a federal form of government, which he said is the only way to achieve peace in the south.
"Nothing short of a federal structure will give Mindanao peace. You believe me because I come from that place. I'm a mayor for 22 years. I've seen enough bloodshed to last me a lifetime," he said.
He added that the draft Basic Bangsamoro Law (BBL) has been watered down and cannot solve problems in Mindanao.
The aspiring president also stressed that Mindanao should be granted a voice in the national government.
"To the Moro people, listen to me, our destiny in Mindanao is not decided by us. All the laws were designed and crafted here in Manila. If there is a failure of the talks, why do we have to go war in Mindanao? Bakit tayo magpatayan na ang BBL is nasa Congress. Before you pull the trigger, mag-usap tayo. Hindi natin gusto ito... Ang namamatay iyung mga anak natin," he said.
Duterte added that the rest of the country will benefit from federalism's codified economic laws which will encourage business investment.
The mayor also promised to cut bureaucracy and taxes, and speed up proceedings for government projects.
Duterte filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president on Friday shortly after withdrawing his COC for mayor in Davao City.
The mayor has substituted erstwhile PDP-Laban standard bearer Martin Diño to carry the party's banner in 2016.
Duterte substitution faces hurdles: lawyer
The Commission on Elections has yet to approve the substitution and determine if Duterte will already be included in the list of presidential candidates for the 2016 elections. |
A union flag paper hat an champagne flutes are seen ona table at a Leave.eu party after polling stations closed in the Referendum on the European Union in London, Britain, June 23, 2016. REUTERS/Toby Melville
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will offer Britain no special treatment and it should leave the bloc within the two years set by the EU treaty, the German leader of the main centre-right bloc in the EU parliament said on Friday.
“We respect and regret the decision of the British voters. It causes major damage to both sides, but in first line to the UK,” said Manfred Weber, who represents German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s political group in the European Parliament.
“Exit negotiations should be concluded within two years,” he added in a statement. “From our point of view, there cannot be any special treatment for the United Kingdom. The British people have expressed their wish to leave the EU.
“Leave means leave. The times of cherry-picking are over.”
Speaking to reporters after meeting fellow party leaders in parliament, he said “nobody will be punished” for the vote and that it would be in the interests of business in Britain and the rest of the EU for swift clarity on the legal situation.
However, Britons could not expect to continue access to the EU’s single market if they wanted to maintain full control over their affairs without respecting EU rules: “If you want to have full sovereignty that means you cannot have access to the single market of the European Union,” he said.
His Socialist opposite number, Italian Gianni Pittella, told reporters: “It’s sad but it’s not the funeral of the European Union.” |
The oldest part of the building, with its original beams, dates back to 1610, and is where the bar and main interior of the pub is located. This was the 'mansion house', with the barn (now the pool room) dating from around the same time. This mansion house was built by Richard Lincoln (1550 - 1620). In 1615, Richard Lincoln changed his will, making his fourth wife and her children the new heirs, and in doing so effectivley disinherited his son Edward (1580 - 1640). As a result, Edward moved to the nearby village of Hingham. In 1622, Edward's son Samuel (died 1690) was born.
Living a fairly poor life, Samuel, along with two of his three brothers decided to move to America in 1637, where they helped found the town of Hingham in Norfolk County (now Plymouth County), Massachusetts (note they moved from Hingham, Norfolk, UK to Hingham, Norfolk, USA).
172 years later, Samuel Lincoln's great, great, great, great grandson was born, Abraham, who would go on to be the 16th president of the United States Of America.
The front of the pub was added at the beginning of the 1800's and contained the original bar when the building was first used as a public house. Today, this room is used as a seperate dining room with the bar now situated in the oldest part of the building with the low original beams and large open fireplace. The low beams are decorated with Kentish hops, an unusual sight in Norfolk. |
It’s too soon to know if the rest of the world is ready for what several reviewers described as the Disneyland of coffee, where single cups brewed from rare beans can top $10 and baristas lead groups through “flights” of small-lot coffees, much like a wine tasting. But he said results had exceeded expectations and the company plans to roll out Roasteries in a few major markets, with New York high on its list.
Starbucks locations like Williamsburg feature the Roastery’s “reserve” coffees, and the company is looking to open as many as 1,000 of these reserve cafes over the next few years. My cup of Nicaraguan was $4 for a 12-ounce cup, and Mr. Maxwell hand-brewed it using Starbucks’s trademarked Clover brewing system, featuring “innovative vacuum-press technology.” I don’t claim to be a connoisseur, but it was remarkably good. And for $4, it should be.“They have to invest and stay ahead of these trends and remind people they were there first,” said Ms. Senatore, who pointed out that Starbucks’s size gives it an edge in securing the best beans. “They can do what the smaller competitors can’t.”
The luxury coffee market has become crowded, as a stroll through the Brooklyn neighborhood makes clear. But Mr. Schultz said Starbucks could happily coexist with other high-end roasters. “Williamsburg is emblematic of some of our most successful locations,” Mr. Schultz said. “Typically there’s some mild protest that people don’t want us to come in until after we get there and exceed expectations. The higher the quality coffee in any area, the better for us, because people get educated. New York City is competitive. London is competitive. Those are some of our best markets.”
Starbucks has also been a pioneer in mobile payments, something that many retailers are just beginning to adopt. With 16 million users and a generous rewards-loyalty program, the company’s phone app — which was unveiled just two years ago in some test markets — accounts for about 21 percent of all transactions at company-owned stores in the United States.
Starbucks has begun enabling its app users to order and pay in advance, and will also start offering delivery service. “For a company where people are put off by long lines or don’t have time to wait, this is a game changer,” said Ms. Senatore.
(McDonald’s, by comparison, introduced its mobile app just this summer. And notably, Starbucks’s stock market value is fast approaching that of McDonald’s — the burger giant’s market capitalization is $105 billion; Starbucks’s is $91 billion.)
Wall Street analysts say that the fruits of both the Roastery concept and the enhanced mobile payments strategy could soon start to show up in the company’s financial results.
“You can come up with a pretty compelling argument for continued growth through 2020,” said Karen Holthouse, an analyst who covers fast food and casual restaurants for Goldman Sachs. “I don’t think there’s another company this size where you can say they’re going to grow earnings by 15 percent a year and be this confident about it.” |
An all-star team comprised of prospects, based on their performance in the minors during the month of July. Monthly all-prospect team archives available here.
The runs above average (RAA) estimates are calculated by Baseball America. For batters, weighted on-base average (wOBA) is used to calculate RAA, and for pitchers, runs allowed per nine innings (R/9) is used.
C Austin Allen • Padres High Class A Lake Elsinore (California)
The lefthanded-hitting catcher ranks among the California League leaders for home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage. Austin caught 15 games in July, mixing in time at first base and DH, but had allowed about twice as many stolen-base attempts as other qualified league catchers.
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG RAA 123 27 46 7 1 10 32 5 20 0 0 .374 .398 .691 13.5
1B Dominic Smith • Mets Triple-A Las Vegas (Pacific Coast)
The Mets traded big league first baseman Lucas Duda, meaning Smith's time is near. He leads the Pacific Coast League in hits and doubles and has established a personal best with 16 home runs. Smith seems years removed from his one-homer full-season debut at low Class A Savannah in 2014.
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG RAA 109 28 42 13 0 8 26 9 17 1 0 .385 .437 .725 13.7
2B Esteury Ruiz • Padres Rookie-level AZL Padres (Arizona)
An increasing number of prospects in short-season leagues have been traded this year, with the 18-year-old Ruiz being a prime example. The Padres acquired Ruiz, who led all minor league second basemen with 17 extra-base hits and 10 stolen bases in July, from the Royals for a trio of big league pitchers.
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG RAA 93 21 32 10 5 2 15 6 24 10 1 .344 .384 .624 9.4
3B Nick Senzel • Reds Double-A Pensacola (Southern)
The No. 2 overall pick in the draft last year produced his best month of 2017 in July with a .989 OPS that included his best showings for home runs (four) and RBIs (16). Senzel has used his excellent gap-to-gap power to rank among the minor league leaders for doubles.
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG RAA 106 16 38 9 1 4 16 10 21 1 4 .358 .414 .575 9.4
SS Fernando Tatis Jr. • Padres Low Class A Fort Wayne (Midwest)
Tatis narrowly edged the Phillies' J.P. Crawford (.635) for best slugging percentage by a minor league shortstop in July, but he held a more decisive advantage in terms of speed (12 steals to one). Tatis, a true power-speed threat, even out-walked the notoriously patient Crawford, 19 to 16.
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG RAA 95 22 28 5 5 6 17 19 24 12 3 .295 .412 .642 12.7
OF D.J. Peters • Dodgers High Class A Rancho Cucamonga (California)
The 21-year-old, 6-foot-6 Peters has been a Three True Outcomes superstar in the California League, ranking first or second in home runs, walks and strikeouts. The Dodgers skipped Peters, thanks to his plus raw power, from Rookie-level Ogden last year to Rancho Cucamonga this season.
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG RAA 108 22 36 7 1 9 20 13 34 0 0 .333 .419 .667 12.7
OF Jhailyn Ortiz • Phillies Short-season Williamsport (New York-Penn)
The Phillies signed Ortiz, who had the most power in the 2015 international class, for $4 million out of the Dominican Republic. He faces questions about his athleticism and hitting rhythm, but so far Ortiz has done nothing but hit in the New York-Penn League.
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG RAA 80 12 27 8 1 5 19 9 22 2 0 .338 .432 .650 11.8
OF Jose Siri • Reds Low Class A Dayton (Midwest)
Siri set a Midwest League record when he recently notched a hit in his 36th straight game, punctuating a season in which he ranks among the league leaders for home runs, stolen bases, hits and slugging percentage. The fifth-year pro already is 22, but his tools have translated to results this year.
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG RAA 125 22 43 6 3 10 21 4 30 6 2 .344 .362 .680 12.7
RHP Jon Duplantier • Diamondbacks High Class A Visalia (California)
Duplantier's breakthrough season rolled on in July, even after a promotion to the California League. Using a strong three-pitch mix, he ranks among the minor league leaders in ERA, opponent average and WHIP.
W L ERA GS IP H R ER HR SO BB SO/9 BB/9 AVG RAA 4 0 1.82 4 24.2 22 5 5 2 28 6 10.2 2.2 .250 8.5
RHP Wilmer Font • Dodgers Triple-A Oklahoma City (Pacific Coast)
Though he's already 27, has washed out of three organizations and has pitched in an independent league, Font is enjoying a remarkable season in the Pacific Coast League thanks to improved command of his offspeed pitches. He leads the league in ERA and strikeouts.
W L ERA GS IP H R ER HR SO BB SO/9 BB/9 AVG RAA 2 0 1.17 4 23 16 3 3 1 33 4 12.9 1.6 .190 10.6
RHP Jordan Hicks • Cardinals High Class A Palm Beach (Florida State)
The Houston prep and 2015 draft pick got off to a shaky start at low Class A Peoria but found his footing with a July promotion to the Florida State League. With an excellent fastball and breaking ball, Hicks needs only improved command to reach his potential.
W L ERA GS IP H R ER HR SO BB SO/9 BB/9 AVG RAA 1 1 1.08 5 25 16 3 3 0 30 5 10.8 1.8 .184 9.6
LHP Alex Wells • Orioles Low Class A Delmarva (South Atlantic)
Incredibly, the 20-year-old Australian southpaw didn't allow a walk or a run in July, propelling him to the front of the line in the South Atlantic League ERA race. Wells doesn't have big stuff, but so far as a pro he has recorded a 2.24 ERA.
W L ERA GS IP H R ER HR SO BB SO/9 BB/9 AVG RAA 3 0 0.00 5 31 13 0 0 0 26 0 7.5 0.0 .124 15.2
LHP Joey Wentz • Braves Low Class A Rome (South Atlantic)
Wentz's two-sport background in high school helps him repeat his mechanics and command his pitches. The 6-foot-5 lefthander has allowed just three home runs this season, thanks to excellent control, while ranking third in the South Atlantic League in strikeouts. |
Image copyright Reuters Image caption The race between Prabowo Subianto (L) and Joko Widodo (R) is seen as too close to call
Both candidates in the Indonesia presidential election have claimed victory based on unofficial results.
Jakarta governor Joko Widodo told a news conference shortly after polls closed that "at the time being" early vote counts showed he was the winner.
An hour later, former army general Prabowo Subianto said estimates showed he had "received the support and mandate from the people of Indonesia".
The official tally is expected to be announced on 21-22 July.
Ahead of final results, so-called "quick counts" by pollsters - which have been reliable in the past - are being released from some 2,000 representative polling stations around the country.
Reuters reported five vote tallying agencis had Mr Widodo in the lead. One count by Indonesia's oldest think tank CSIS Indonesia put him ahead with 52% of the vote, compared with Mr Subianto's 48%.
Another by news website Kompas.com had a similar result, while a third by Saiful Mujani put Mr Widodo on 52.76% and Mr Subianto on 47.24%.
But Reuters reported that two other vote tallying agencies had put Mr Subianto ahead by one to two percentage points.
Karishma Vaswani, BBC News, Jakarta
This is the most divisive election Indonesia has ever seen and supporters from both camps think their man should be in charge.
On national television, furniture-maker-turned-politician Joko Widodo was the first to announce his team had won. Next came Prabowo Subianto, an ex-military general, telling supporters that he is president-elect.
With both sides already celebrating victory, Indonesia faces uncertainty before official results in two weeks - until then the country remains in limbo whiles votes are counted.
Indonesians have been eagerly anticipating the results - now all that's certain is that the suspense and confusion will continue.
'Respect the choice'
Voting opened at 07:00 local time and closed at 13:00 local time.
Indonesia has three times zones and the last ballots were cast just before 06:00GMT.
Outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono could not stand for another term as the constitution has a two-term limit. After casting his ballot, he urged all parties to respect the poll result.
Image copyright AP Image caption Voting began first in eastern parts of Indonesia, which has three time zones
Indonesia elections 190million eligible voters 30% will be first-time voters at
479,183 polling stations on
8,000 inhabited islands across Indonesia and overseas AP
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Indonesia's election has been a tight race
"Our democracy is at a relatively mature state, and our people enjoy the freedom to choose," the outgoing leader said.
"Therefore, I hereby urge all the leaders and political elites in this country to respect the rights of the people, respect the freedom of the people to choose their leader."
Mr Widodo, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), is a popular figure with the public.
He is supported by young people in both urban and rural areas who see him as a clean politician in a country beset by corruption.
But critics say he lacks experience in national politics and international relations.
He is supported by Indonesia's most popular Islamic Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), and the National Democrat Party (NasDem).
Mr Subianto, from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), is seen as a convincing campaigner and a decisive man with good knowledge of defence, because of his military background.
He has, however, been dogged by allegations of human rights abuses committed during former dictator Suharto's regime, which ended in 1998.
In the final days of Suharto's rule, the unit which he commanded is accused of kidnapping, torturing and killing activists protesting against Suharto.
Mr Subianto is supported by Golkar, which is Indonesia's second largest party. He is also endorsed by the Democratic Party (Demokrat) of current leader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Both campaigns have used nationalistic rhetoric on the economy, corruption and other domestic issues such as infrastructure and social security, but they have been less vocal on detailed policies on job creation and boosting economic growth.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The poll, taking place across hundreds of islands, is a major logistical challenge
Image copyright AFP Image caption Ballot boxes have been ferried to remote islands in speedboats and sent by helicopters to far-flung hamlets
Ahead of the vote, election officials delivered ballot boxes to polling stations around the country, ferrying them to Indonesia's numerous islands by speedboat, carrying them on horseback along mountain paths, and dropping them off at remote hamlets with helicopters and small planes.
Meanwhile in Jakarta the authorities deployed 22,300 policemen to keep the peace, reports say. |
The new far-left government in Greece dropped a bombshell on its first day in office by abjuring an EU statement on Russia.
It said in a press communique on Tuesday (27 January): “the aforementioned statement was released without the prescribed procedure to obtain consent by the member states and particularly without ensuring the consent of Greece”.
Student, retired or simply can't afford full price? No worries.
“In this context, it is underlined that Greece does not consent to this statement”.
It added that its new PM, Alexis Tsipras, expressed “discontent” in a phone call to EU foreign relations chief Federica Mogherini.
The EU statement on Russia, published on Tuesday morning, claimed all 28 leaders had agreed Russia bears “responsibility” for a rocket attack on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which killed 30 people.
It also called on foreign ministers to “consider any appropriate action” - further sanctions on Russia.
It was drafted by the cabinet of EU Council chief Donald Tusk, a Russia-critical Pole, on Monday evening.
His people say he phoned Tsipras and that they contacted all the capitals' “sherpas” - senior officials dealing with EU issues in each leader's private office.
They also say no one on the Greek side voiced objections until Tuesday morning.
They then suggested adding a footnote to the statement, but “as Greece did not want such a footnote, it was clear to us that we could publish the statement as agreed in the evening”.
The Greek embassy to the EU is playing down the fiasco as confusion linked to the hand-over of power in Athens.
But one EU diplomat told this website Greece tried to remove the line blaming Russia for the Mariupol killing.
He said Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia also tried, and failed, to “water down” the communique.
An EU Council official noted that the situation - a retroactive abjuration of an EU text - has “never happened before”.
“I guess this means it’s now a statement of 27 EU heads of state or government instead of 28 and we will have to add the footnote”, he said.
“But it’s not a legally binding document anyway, so it doesn’t become invalid in that sense”.
Fellow traveller?
Tsipras had earlier attracted comment for meeting with the Russian ambassador to Greece on Monday, a few hours after being named PM.
The Russian diplomat hand-delivered a telegram from president Vladimir Putin, saying Putin “is confident that Russia and Greece will continue to develop their traditionally constructive co-operation”.
It is part of normal protocol, with China following suit on Tuesday.
But the EU bombshell and the Russian meeting come in the context of Tsipras’ pro-Russia track record.
He visited Moscow last May to meet with Russian MPs and Putin associates.
He voiced support, at the time, for Crimea’s “referendum” on independence. He said the EU “is shooting itself in the foot” by imposing sanctions and complained that the pro-EU government in Kiev contains “neo-Nazis”.
His MEPs have voted against almost every Russia-critical act or resolution in the European Parliament.
The list includes EP ratification of the EU-Ukraine association pact, criticism of Russia’s crackdown on Memorial (an NGO), and criticism of the annexation of Crimea. |
Today marks 20 years since Dr. Cheddi Jagan died
Today, Sunday March 5, 2017, marks two decades since the passing of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, former President and Founder of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).
Dr. Jagan, who was born on March 22, 1918, died in 1997. He was Guyana’s Third Executive President. Every year, thousands of the party’s members and followers gather at the Babu John Crematorium, Corentyne, Berbice to remember his contributions to the land of Many waters.
In a statement to the media, Chairman of the Commemoration Committee and Executive Secretary of the PPP/C, Zulfikar Mustapha, said that it is important that these events are held given the relevance of Dr. Jagan’s work today for both Guyana and the world at large.
The press release added, “The struggles that he led to free our people from colonialism, to improve their lives and to return democracy following that dark oppressive period when our people were subjected to a brutal dictatorship for almost three decades, is as relevant today as it was then.”
Drifting away from remembering the work of Dr. Jagan, the PPP/C statement went on to bash the A Partnership for National Unity- Alliance For Change (APNU-AFC) Government, while tooting its own horn.
“With less than two years in office, the APNU+AFC government is swiftly pushing the country to economic ruin after twenty years of unprecedented prosperity under the PPP government,” the party statement said.
It added, “Dictatorship has returned, fear has been instilled into the mindsets of our people, discrimination continues unabated, many are forced in unemployment and the ordinary citizens are made to endure unnecessary sufferings”.
Mustapha went on to point out also, that, “the PPP will not relent from its responsibility in representing Guyanese and to free them from oppression that the current government in foisting upon the nation. “Dr. Jagan led the struggle and it will continue by our Party until Guyanese and Guyana can return to progress. There are some who are bent on distorting our history in a calculated effort to diminish the outstanding contributions made by this Guyanese hero but his work will live on and its relevance will remain firm in the hearts and minds of our people.”
General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo is scheduled to deliver the feature address at the Babu John ceremony, today.
“It is expected that the government’s dismal performance and their ongoing efforts to close more sugar estates would be priority in his speech. Presentations will also be made by representatives of the Women’s Progressive Organization (WPO) and the Progressive Youth Organization (PYO) among others. A few cultural items are also slated. The event commences at 3:00 pm.” |
Packing CFLs at the Salvation Army for the Energy GreenBox program. Richard Lautens Toronto Star
Low income families in Ontario spend a disproportionate amount of their income on heating; cheap apartments often have cheap electric heating where the tenant pays the bill, about 14 cents out of every dollar. Not having a lot of disposable income, they are the least able to afford the stuff they need to reduce this cost.
Friends of the Earth and Enbridge, the gas distributor, have put together 25,000 Greeboxes to be given out at food banks. "We wanted to do something with a population of people in Ontario who have an interest in climate change but might not have access." said Beatrice Olivastri, CEO of Friends of the Earth.Kits include:
-foam draft sealers for light switches and electrical boxes;
-window film kits
-foam window tape
-two rolls of weatherstripping
-two CFLs
-applications for other programs that supply thermostats, aerators and showerheads.
The boxes are assembled and packed at a Salvation Army workshop that that provides job training to people with psychological illnesses.
What a wonderful idea. as Peter Love of the Conservation Bureau says, the project represents the three E's that should be high on the minds of people living in Ontario: economy, employment and environment. ::The Star |
The Bentley 4¼ liter engine was created initially in March of 1936 by simply enlarging the Bentley 3½ liter. The 3½ liter engine’s bore was increased to 3½” (88.9mm) which gave the engine a capacity of 259 cu. in. (4,257cc). These Bentleys were made after Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley in 1931 so they were effectively badge engineered Rolls-Royces. Although the fictional character James Bond is said to have much preferred his old Cricklewood built pre-takeover supercharged Bentley 4½ liter over his Rolls-Royce era replacement, yet the real world creator of the Bentley, W.O. Bentley himself, said of the Rolls-Royce era 3½ and 4¼ liter cars that he would “rather own this Bentley than any other car produced under that name.” Whom to believe, the fictional character or the real life engineer? I think I’ll trust the engineer. James Bond’s taste in pistols is similarly curious. He uses a German Walther PPK instead of a British M1913 Webley pocket automatic such as carried by Winston Churchill and his bodyguard. A British secret agent should have been carrying a British pistol just like Winston did should he not?
The 4¼ liter in-line six cylinder engine produced 126bhp and was mated to a four speed gearbox with synchromesh on the top two gears. Suspension was by semi-elliptic leaf springs front and rear with hydraulic shock absorbers, and the four wheel drum brakes were cable actuated and servo assisted. This model Bentley was touted as the “silent sports car” and was sold from the factory as a rolling chassis leaving the purchaser to have the bodywork of their choice created by the coach-builder they preferred.
The most common coachbuilder for these “silent sports car” Bentleys was Park Ward but there were a number of other coach-builders who were commissioned to build the bodywork for these cars. Amongst these others was Gurney Nutting and this is the coach-builder that was chosen for the red 1936 Bentley 4¼ liter Airflow saloon featured in this post.
Only two Airflow Bentleys were created by Gurney Nutting’s chief designer A.F. McNeil. McNeil’s eye for automotive design was second to none and the Airflow is one of his most interesting works. He was a man who favored streamlined yet gracefully dignified designs such as the Airflow.
The red 1936 Bentley Airflow was the show car for the Gurney Nutting stand at the 1936 Olympia Motor Show in London although at that time the car’s original color was “Steel Dust” and the car was upholstered in gray leather, a color scheme Commander Bond would no doubt have approved of as his old Bentley was painted battleship gray.
This 1936 4¼ liter Bentley Airflow is coming up for sale by RM Sotheby’s at their Amelia Island auction to be held over 10th-11th March 2011.
You will find the sale page for this car if you click here.
The car is to be sold without reserve.
The Bentley cars of this era tend to be very attractive cars and this Gurney Airflow is one of the most interesting and rare styles extant.
(All pictures courtesy RM Sotheby’s).
Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he’s a long time contributor to Silodrome. Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges. |
South Africans Nosipho Bele (25) from Verulam, Emma Dicks (25) and Patrice Madurai (22) from Cape Town were honoured by Queen Elizabeth II on 22 June for the impact they have made on their communities.
They were among a group of 60 young people between 18 and 29 years old from the British Commonwealth who received the Queen’s Young Leaders award.
The Queen’s Young Leaders started the day by having breakfast with UK Prime Minister David Cameron and former prime minister John Major at 10 Downing Street, followed by a visit to Twitter’s headquarters in London and the BBC World Service.
They then received their awards from Queen Elizabeth at a ceremony attended by high profile guests including the likes of David Beckham.
Bele, who studied as a teacher at the University of Cape Town (UCT) started a mentoring programme in 2012 called Mentor Me to Success, which provides one-on-one support for school goers, especially girls.
Dicks, who studies business sciences at the University of Cape Town, co-leads Innovate South Africa, an initiative which asks high school students to identify a problem in their community and recommend a solution. Dicks also started Code for Cape Town, a programme which introduces girls to web-building skills.
Dicks posted the following to Facebook:
“I never imagined that I’d ever be inside Buckingham Palace. What incredible recognition and support for Code for Cape Town and Innovate South Africa. I can’t wait to see where some of our innovators end up!”
Madurai, a UCT student from Woodstock, founded the project Cupcake reSolution. The project hosts mobile offices to help people living in the townships to register as citizens and get identification documents. Cupcake reSolution also brings cupcakes to schools for children who have never really celebrated their birthdays in such a way.
Photo by Facebook |
It’s really Obummercare, amirite?
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
This one really should have been a layup for Donald Trump. The Obama administration confirmed Monday afternoon that insurance premiums on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces are set to rise 22 percent in 2017. While one can debate just how bad that news truly is (I’d say: medium bad), it should be easy fodder for critics who would like to repeal the health reform law. All a politician has to do is make noise about skyrocketing costs and—one way or another—promise to fix them.
And yet Trump has somehow made a hash of this straightforward task. On Monday, during an event at Trump National Doral Miami resort, the Republican nominee told his crowd that “all of my employees are having a tremendous problem with Obamacare.” He then added, “You look at what they’re going through with their health care is horrible because of Obamacare. So we’ll repeal it and replace it.” This was odd. Trump seemed to imply that his workers didn’t receive health benefits, since Obamacare’s exchanges are specifically meant for those who don’t get insurance through their employers. But reporters have previously confirmed that Trump’s full-time hotel staff do get health care, and the general manager of National Doral Miami told Politico that 95 percent of the resort’s employees were covered through the company. And indeed, when reporters asked a departing Trump whether his workers were actually on Obamacare, he said, “Some of them, but most of them, no.”
So maybe Trump was just exaggerating when he said “all” of his employees were having trouble with Obamacare—gilding the lily, as he is wont to do. Or maybe he really meant to say, “all of my part-time employees who rely on Obamacare are having trouble with it.” Perhaps it was sloppy shorthand.
But then came this exchange on Fox News on Tuesday.
It is unclear, based on these comments, whether Trump actually knows what Obamacare is. When he says, “I don’t use much Obamacare,” and “I spend more money on health coverage, but we don’t use it,” he makes it sound as if Obamacare is some sort insurance plan that employers typically purchase for their employees. It is not. Again, the Affordable Care Act set up a series of online exchanges where Americans could buy heavily regulated coverage on the individual market if they didn’t get insurance through their job. While small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees can provide coverage to their workers through Healthcare.gov’s SHOP marketplace, there is no reason a company as large as the Trump Organization would ever “use much Obamacare.”
To be fair, Trump has previously made comments that suggest he has some familiarity with the basic structure of Affordable Care Act. For instance, he understands that it involves customers paying premiums, that many of the plans involve large deductibles, and that insurers are required to cover a large number of basic services. There is also at least one charitable way to read his statement from Tuesday. Early on, there was some speculation that many companies would choose to nix their health plans and instead give their employees vouchers to go buy individual coverage on the marketplaces. That hasn’t happened much, and it’s possible Trump was trying to say that he hadn’t done it because of how much Affordable Care Act plans cost. When he talks about the “people who have to use” Obamacare, it implies he might understand that the marketplaces are meant for people who don’t get employer-based coverage, like part-time cleaning staff at a hotel.
But that interpretation requires reading many, many missing words into his half-formed sentences. At this moment, I think it is fair to question what basic facts Trump knows about the law he’s been railing on for an entire presidential campaign. Someone should ask him to explain it, just for fun.
Update October 25, 12:45 pm: This post has been updated to note that small businesses—much smaller than Trump’s companies—can provide coverage through the Healthcare.gov SHOP marketplace.
Read more Slate coverage of the 2016 campaign. |
To study the effects of ethnic and racial diversity, we conducted a series of experiments in which participants competed in groups to find accurate answers to problems. In a situation much like a classroom, we started by presenting each participant individually with information and a task: to calculate accurate prices for simulated stocks. First, we collected individual answers, and then (to see how committed participants were to their answers), we let them buy and sell those stocks to the others, using real money. Participants got to keep any profit they made.
When trading, participants could observe the behavior of their counterparts and decide what to make of it. Think of yourself in similar situations: Interacting with others can bring new ideas into view, but it can also cause you to adopt popular but wrong ones.
It depends how deeply you contemplate what you observe. So if you think that something is worth $100, but others are bidding $120 for it, you may defer to their judgment and up the ante (perhaps contributing to a price bubble) or you might dismiss them and stand your ground.
We assigned each participant to a group that was either homogeneous or diverse (meaning that it included at least one participant of another ethnicity or race). To ascertain that we were measuring the effects of diversity, not culture or history, we examined a variety of ethnic and racial groups. In Texas, we included the expected mix of whites, Latinos and African-Americans. In Singapore, we studied people who were Chinese, Indian and Malay. (The results were published with our co-authors, Evan P. Apfelbaum, Mark Bernard, Valerie L. Bartelt and Edward J. Zajac.)
The findings were striking. When participants were in diverse company, their answers were 58 percent more accurate. The prices they chose were much closer to the true values of the stocks. As they spent time interacting in diverse groups, their performance improved. |
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (CNN) -- Richard Holbrooke first visited Bosnia in 1992 as a private citizen.
Richard Holbrooke's 'bombs for peace' policy was vindicated when bombings brought an end to the war.
Three years later, he would become one of the most influential U.S. figures working to end a war that had introduced a new euphemism for genocide: ethnic cleansing.
Holbrooke, who had worked as a diplomat, journalist and investment banker, was intrigued, disgusted and challenged by what he saw in the early days of the war in Bosnia.
A month before his first visit, reporters had learned of Bosnian Serb concentration camps where Muslim prisoners were tortured, sexually mutilated and executed. The news photographs and footage seemed like an echo of the Holocaust.
In the ethnically mixed capital, Sarajevo, Holbrooke saw Bosnian Serb forces laying siege to the city to drive out Muslims. U.N. peacekeepers even had to negotiate with the aggressors just to truck food into the starving city.
In Banja Luka, Holbrooke saw Muslim families being forced to sign over their property to Bosnian Serbs -- Orthodox Christians -- in exchange for their lives and a one-way bus ticket out of town.
Returning with CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour in 2008, Holbrooke remembered feeling the connection with his own family history: His Jewish grandfather fled Germany shortly after Hitler took power.
"I thought I'm seeing a color remake of the black and white scenes we'd seen in World War II of Jews signing away their property at the point of a gun and then being shipped off to who knows where," Holbrooke said.
"I don't think you have to be Jewish to understand that what you're seeing was a genuine crime against humanity. The Europeans were doing nothing, and the Americans were doing less." Watch as Holbrooke talks with CNN's Christiane Amanpour at the scene of the crime »
Holbrooke thought only a U.S.-led intervention would stop the slaughter. "The [Bosnian] Serbs would have melted away because they were thugs and bullies," he said.
But the White House was vowing to stay out. "The United States is not going to inject itself into every single crisis, no matter how heart-rending," then-President George H.W. Bush said.
Holbrooke, who had served President Jimmy Carter as an assistant secretary of state, offered his recommendation to Bill Clinton's advisers during the 1992 presidential campaign: Direct use of force against the Bosnian Serbs.
"I took a stand that I believed was correct," Holbrooke said. "I didn't think it was so controversial."
When Clinton embraced a get-tough policy, Holbrooke was optimistic. In the back of Holbrooke's mind, there was a lingering question: "Will he do as president what he said he would do as a candidate?" Watch Clinton's campaign pledge »
Holbrooke wanted to handle Bosnia for the Clinton administration. But after the election, Holbrooke -- the consummate insider -- found himself on the outside. Instead of getting the Bosnia portfolio, he was named U.S. ambassador to Germany.
"By advocating vigorous action [in Bosnia], I was kind of marginalized by people inside the government who were less in favor of vigorous action," he told Amanpour.
America's European allies opposed airstrikes, fearing retaliation against their peacekeepers on the ground.
Clinton's national security adviser, Anthony Lake, told CNN that the Europeans "were, to put it mildly, extremely reluctant to see us pursue unilaterally any actions which could imperil their troops."
Lake said the president's hands were tied. "We tried to convince them. And the Europeans said, 'Absolutely no.'"
Over the course of the next year, Clinton was able to persuade his European allies to at least use limited air strikes against the Bosnia Serbs. But it didn't stop the killing.
Under mounting criticism in the press, Clinton asked Holbrooke in May 1994 to leave his post in Germany and return to the White House to help with Bosnia.
But Holbrooke and others in the administration who advocated force would nonetheless see Bosnia's Muslims endure another 15 months of heartbreak and death -- including the slaughter of 8,000 at Srebrenica. Watch as a Bosnian concentration camp survivor describes the torture and rape she witnessed »
The massacre shook the world's conscience -- and Clinton's foreign policy. He was now ready to lead, with or without approval from other nations.
"What I said to the Europeans was, 'We're going to do this. And it'll work best if you come with us,'" Lake recalled.
After a Serb mortar attack on a Sarajevo market in August 1995, Clinton pulled the trigger. With the Europeans on board, U.S. and allied planes began attacking Bosnian Serb positions.
After eight weeks of NATO bombing, Holbrooke got enough concessions to negotiate an end to 3 ½ years of war. It was vindication for a policy Holbrooke calls "bombs for peace."
"I don't like to advocate the use of force, [because] I know people will get killed," Holbrooke said. "But there are times when you have to use force in order to stop people from being killed in larger numbers, and it seemed to me this was a clear-cut example."
All About Genocide • Bosnia and Herzegovina • The Holocaust |
Breaking
Originally scheduled to debut in December, Apple has pushed the launch of its Siri-equipped HomePod speaker into early 2018, saying the company needs more time to complete the home audio accessory.
"We can't wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple's breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it's ready for our customers. We'll start shipping in the U.S., U.K. and Australia in early 2018," the company said in a statement to TechCrunch.Apple didn't immediately offer an explanation for the delay. The smartspeaker was originally slated to ship next month for $349.The HomePod hardware was unveiled at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. While Apple has positioned the device as a premium, high-quality speaker, the accessory is also Apple's answer to intelligent home speakers like Amazon's Echo and Google Home.With Siri support built in, the speaker is capable of answering basic user queries, controlling HomeKit-connected appliances and playing back media content. HomePod puts a premium on performance and design, with a 3D mesh acoustic fabric enshrouding a 7-tweeter pack, 6-microphone beamforming array and central up-firing subwoofer.The HomePod will also feature AirPlay 2 technology, which allows one iOS device to simultaneously stream music to multiple speakers at once. Third-party accessory makers will also have the ability to integrate AirPlay 2, but it's not clear whether the HomePod delay will also affect alternative AirPlay 2 certified speakers.With the iPhone X now available and the HomePod delayed, the only remaining product expected from Apple in 2017 is the all-new iMac Pro . Apple has said that the professional-grade all-in-one desktop will launch in December starting at $4,999. |
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama said that U.S. airstrikes have successfully destroyed Islamic State arms and equipment moving against Kurdish forces in Iraq on Saturday, just hours before he was set to depart on a two-week vacation at Martha's Vineyard.
"We feel confident we can keep ISIL from going up a mountain and slaughtering the people there," he said in a statement from the White House.
Obama said the U.S. would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees fleeing Islamic State forces, including "military assistance" to Kurdish forces outside of Irbil, Iraq.
The president added that British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande both expressed strong support for U.S actions in Iraq.
But ultimately, Obama said, a military solution did not exist for the current situation in Iraq, and that its people must come together to form a broader national government to address the problem.
"We continue to call on Iraqis to come together to form the inclusive government that Iraq needs now," he said. "All Iraqi communities are ultimately threatened by these barbaric terrorists. All Iraqis need to unite to defend their country."
Obama also said he was not "going to give a particular timetable" on how long U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State targets would last.
"I don't think we're going to solve this problem in weeks," he said, "I think this is going to take some time."
The president offered a forceful defense of his promise to end the war in Iraq, rebutting critics like former Vice President Dick Cheney who argue that he should have maintained a troop presence in the war torn country.
"That entire analysis is bogus and wrong but frequently gets peddled around here," he said.
Obama said that a majority of Iraqis didn't want continued U.S. troop presence in Iraq, and that he was obligated to abide by Iraq's decision as a sovereign nation. He added that the current situation would be worse if U.S. troops had remained in Iraq. "We'd have a much bigger job," he said.
The Huffington Post reported earlier:
WASHINGTON -- The White House gave vague assurances on Friday that U.S. military involvement in Iraq will be limited in nature, seeking to ease political and public concern about Americans being drawn back into another war.
During his daily briefing, White House press secretary Josh Earnest repeatedly stated that the U.S. would not engage in "prolonged" efforts to beat back the Islamic State, the militant group formerly known as ISIS. But Earnest wouldn’t define what the administration viewed as prolonged, and, notably, he told reporters an end date hasn't been set for military operations, which began on Friday morning with two airstrikes.
"The president has not laid out a specific end date," Earnest said. "Those kind of decisions are evaluated regularly and are driven by the security situation on the ground, both as it relates to the safety and security of the American personnel but also as it relates to supporting the ongoing efforts of both Kurdish security forces and Iraqi security forces."
Earnest acknowledged the tension between President Barack Obama’s unwillingness to be dragged back into a protracted war and the urgent need to provide humanitarian aid to civilians and protect American interests in Iraq. The issue is complicated further by the president's own history with Iraq, having been elected to the White House in large part on a promise to end U.S. involvement there.
Earnest said repeatedly that air strikes will be "very limited in scope." Their primary goal, he said, is to protect U.S. personnel in the area from encroaching Islamist militants and to ensure that food and water are provided to tens of thousands of stranded Iraqi Yazidis, a religious minority that the militants are targeting.
"There is not a timeframe that I can share right now," he said, when pressed on how long it would all last. "I'm not in a position to offer a specific date [of withdrawal], but I am able to offer a specific presidential commitment that a prolonged military conflict that includes U.S. involvement is not on the table here."
Even without a clear endgame, the president currently enjoys broad support on Capitol Hill for U.S. military engagement in Iraq. House and Senate Democrats have almost unanimously signed off on Obama's decision to authorize air strikes there. As of Friday afternoon, the lone skeptics who have released public statements are Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, both Connecticut Democrats.
"I oppose open-ended military commitments, which the President's actions in Iraq could become," Blumenthal said. "Humanitarian relief is necessary to prevent genocide and provide food and water to meet an urgent emergency, but the President owes the American people a better, fuller explanation of the scope and strategy of military actions."
“Like President Obama, I was elected to end America’s recent history of military hubris in the Middle East,” Murphy said. “The president has stated that his goals for immediate humanitarian and military action in Iraq are extremely limited -- to prevent a genocide of the Yezidi community and protect American personnel from imminent harm. These are legitimate reasons for action, but the president needs to better explain how this intervention is strictly time and scope limited.”
He added, “I will oppose any efforts to continue this military campaign in order to provide tactical advantage or disadvantage to either side of this conflict.” |
Rocket League®
Rocket League Season 10 has begun. Today's update delivers competitive players their Season 9 rewards—some nice wheels for most—and gives everyone's rank a "soft reset." Win half of your placement matches and you'll be plopped somewhere near your old rank to start the new season.
More importantly, Patch 1.58 adds cross-platform parties, completing the final step in bringing PS4, Xbox, Switch, and PC players together—we'll no longer just matchmake with Psynetters, we can now play with them on purpose. Wild stuff.
I haven't tested it, but it works pretty simply. The update assigns every player a RocketID, which is a username followed by four numbers. You can find and change your RocketID in the new friends list, which is opened via the icon at the lower right side of the main menu. You don't need a RocketID to continue playing with Steam friends (that works like it always has), but if you have friends who play on other platforms, you can add them using their IDs to party up.
Also in this update, the Curveball mutator lets you bend it like someone who bends it well—can't think of a good example—by adding a curve to the ball's trajectory based on spin. The alternate modes have also been added to free play, so we can finally practice with a puck without having to run a modified exhibition match.
On the technical side, two new "input buffer" settings are meant to help compensate for lag:
STS (Sim Time Scaling) - This allows the game server to instruct your client to very subtly speed up or slow down in order to maintain a smooth input stream.
- This allows the game server to instruct your client to very subtly speed up or slow down in order to maintain a smooth input stream. CSTS (Continuous Sim Time Scaling) - A more aggressive version of STS that uses a continuous feedback loop to determine game speed.
If those features don't help with connectivity issues, you can leave the input buffer option set to 'Legacy,' which is the default and changes nothing.
There are several smaller changes, too, as well as bug fixes. See the full list in the patch notes, and good luck in your Season 10 placement matches. |
After the widely criticized Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was tabled in the US House Judiciary Committee, US authorities and the recording industry have launched a crackdown on file sharing sites across the globe. In this battle between the internet and US copyright law, there have been casualties on both sides.
The Recording Industry of America (RIAA), with the FBI on their side, is reaching across international borders to bring down file sharing sites and the internet is beginning to take heavy losses. The RIAA has also set out to bring down one of the world’s most popular BitTorrent file sharing websites, The Pirate Bay, after an opening salvo of arrests that took place last January.
"A blatantly illegal file-sharing site, proud that it's an online bazaar of every conceivable U.S. copyrighted work, found criminally responsible by its own country's legal system and who has been ordered by courts in at least seven European countries to be blocked by ISPs, has publicly acknowledged changing its domain name to escape U.S. laws," wrote RIAA Senior Executive Vice President Mitch Glazier in a blog post, beginning a war of words between these internet privateers and the industry interests trying to force them to harbor.
The Pirate Bay’s “Winston” replied to the RIAA boss in a posting of his own today on torrentfreak.com, likening the RIAA to imperialists attempting to enforce US copyright law around the world.
“Plz stop calling yourself “the creative community”. You’re not a community, you’re a coalition of some of the richest companies in the world. And the only thing you seem to be creative with is your accounting procedures.The recording industry is like a kid screaming for candy. The problem is that the kid has diabetes,” read the post.
The war of words comes after the US government struck out against file sharing websites earlier this year, forcing the internet into a defensive posture in the fight over copyright law.
And the digital war is heating up.
In late January, the FBI shut down one of the largest file sharing sites in the world, Megaupload, arresting several of the company’s employees in New Zealand. The four men were taken into custody and charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering and criminal copyright infringement. Following the New Zealand arrests, another Megaupload employee, an Estonian national, was arrested in the Netherlands, bringing the arrest count to five.
More from GlobalPost: SOPA: Has the internet won?
US authorities are seeking to extradite the four New Zealanders to the US pursuant to an FBI indictment.
As the internet mourned the death of the beloved file sharing site, Anonymous struck back, launching Operation Megaupload, which targeted government websites, including justice.gov, bringing the site down for hours.
In addition to attacking government sites, Anonymous also targeted major media outlets, citing their failure to report on major Anonymous operations. The following list of targets was posted on the Anonymous IRC on the night of the operation.
“RIP Megaupload. you shall be avenged Casualties: justice.gov,whitehouse.gov,mpaa.org
GET IN HERE
Official targets of #OpMegaUpload FROM @ANONDAILY: We should attack major news sources failing to report on #opmegaupload Unofficial targets - whitehouse.gov, cia.gov, fbi.gov, bbc.co.uk, cnn.com, abcnews.go.com, foxnews.com”
But the internet’s military wing and the outpouring of support for Megaupload was not enough to stop other file sharing sites from moving into a defensive posture or, in some cases, simply choosing to give up.
Btjunkie.org, a wildly popular BitTorrent file sharing protocol site, voluntarily shut down just weeks after the Megaupload arrests.
In early February, The Pirate Bay switched its top-level domain from “.ORG” to the Swedish based domain “.SE”. While The Pirate Bay is based in Sweden (a country that recently recognized file sharing as an official religion) the .ORG domain is run by the Public Internet Registry, which is based in the US.
In addition to the domain switch, the Pirate Bay dropped actual torrents from being hosted on their site and began using “magnet links,” removing any actual file data from the site.
More from GlobalPost: Did the anti-SOPA internet defeat Paul Ryan?
But while file sharing websites are doing all they can to stop from being taken down or having their employees arrested, the RIAA faces an uphill battle against an internet that absolutely loathes them.
Long before the days of memes, trolls, Facebook and Anonymous, the RIAA was tried and found guilty by the court of internet opinion in their first efforts to bring down Napster in the late nineties.
Now the internet hivemind is more organized than ever and morale is still high after what the internet deems to be a victory over SOPA. The RIAA faces a nearly insurmountable task. The internet has demonstrated that it is capable of defending itself – through less than savory means if necessary. |
Around half of the 500 Syrians living in Germany who were surveyed told researchers from the University of Münster that there should be a fixed maximum number of people the country takes in.
On the other hand, more than two-thirds of those questioned agreed with Chancellor Angela Merkel's famous dictum of “we can do this” [wir schaffen das].
“It's amazing how great the trust is in Germany's ability to resolve the problems in refugee policy,” researcher Detlef Pollack said.
What's more, 71 percent of those surveyed thought that most of those who had arrived in Germany as refugees would return to Syria once the civil war there is over.
But the survey also revealed that Syrians living in Germany share their compatriots' fears about what trouble the refugee influx might bring.
For example, 46 percent said they were concerned that there might be terrorists among the new arrivals.
And more than two-thirds agreed that the refugee crisis could only be managed if the state and society changed significantly.
The Münster researchers surveyed Syrians who had been living in Germany for an average of 20 years.
Of the target group, 20 percent had been born in Germany, 50 percent were German citizens and 33 percent Syrian citizens. 11 percent had both passports. |
With Brexit still dominating the news, Ronnie Cohen looks at one of the biggest obstacles to completing our transition to the metric system: its perceived link to the European Union.
Opposition to metrication has become an article of faith among almost all Eurosceptics and their supporters in europhobic and frequently foreign-owned national newspapers. Metrication has become associated with the EU and, given the reluctance of any public figures to make the case for a single, simple, logical and universal measurement system, opposition to metrication has become well-organised and deep-rooted.
It seems that the declining popularity of the EU has affected the acceptance of the metric system in the UK. This week we aim to show that:
“The EU has not imposed the metric system on the UK.”
Given the headlines in the popular press about EU involvement in measurement matters, the opposite of this claim is widely believed. Ministers have not helped to encourage public acceptance of metric by failing to challenge these untruths and by hinting that the EU is the cause of many of the country’s problems.
In fact, the transition of the UK to the metric system is not related to its membership of the EU. The 1862 Report by the Select Committee on Weights and Measures recommended the adoption of the metric system. In 1895, just 33 years after the 1862 Report, another Select Committee came to the same conclusion that the time has come to adopt the metric system. Just two years later, the 1897 Weights and Measures (Metric System) Act permitted the use of the metric system for all purposes in the UK.
All these events happened half a century before the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952, the forerunner of the European Economic Community and the European Union. In fact, the UK Metrication Programme started in 1965 in response to demands from British industry to move to metric units.
In 1965, the President of the Federation of British Industries (now the CBI) told Ministers that the majority of its members are in favour of the adoption of metric as the primary measurement system. As a result, the UK started its own Metrication Programme in 1965, 8 years before it joined the Common Market, as the European Union was commonly known at the time. At the time, the Government announced that they “… consider it desirable that British industries on a broadening front should adopt metric units sector by sector, until that system can become in time the primary system of weights and measures for the country as a whole …” and that “the Government hope that within ten years the greater part of the country’s industry will have affected the change.” In 1969, the government set up the UK Metrication Board to oversee the metric transition.
In a debate on the use of metric measures in 1970, Sir John Eden, the Minister for Industry, said, “About 20 years ago, the Hodgson Committee on Weights and Measures took extensive evidence, noted the steady advance of the metric system in the world although half the world’s trade was still in the Imperial system, and recorded the unanimous view that the change from Imperial to metric in this country was sooner or later inevitable and should proceed to finality in due course under Government guidance.” 1 He raised the issue about the prospect of losing out in world markets if the UK fails to join the metric world, saying,
“A lot of progress has already been made—notably in the preparation of new textbooks. The market for these textbooks is throughout the English-speaking world. In India, for example, before they were able to write their own metric textbooks they had first to translate French and German books into English. Soviet books were being published in English. At the same time, British textbooks and technical works had to be excluded because they did not use metric weights and measures or a decimalised currency.
With the wide international use of the English language it would be the worst of ironies if we clung too long to the Imperial system of measurement, which today is a barrier to trade and communication, and if we thereby reduced our influence in the world and the value to us of our own language.” 1
In 1971, the UK underwent the decimalisation of its currency for the same reason as metrication: simplicity and ease of use. In 1972, the government published a White Paper on Metrication (Cmnd. 4880) to confirm that metric units should become the primary system of measurement in the UK, and says that the changeover should take place in a well-ordered and regulated manner. The Building Regulations were re-issued in metric units to match metrication progress in the building and construction industries.
By the time the UK joined the Common Market in 1973, the UK agreed to move to the metric system as part of its conditions of membership but this was already official government policy before the start of negotiations.
In a House of Lords debate about the second reading of the Weights and Measures Bill in October 1976, John Fraser, the Minister of State for the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection, said, “Both Labour and Conservative Governments have accepted time and again that we should adopt the metric system. Progress towards it is well advanced in industry, commerce and agriculture and it is frequently used in retail sales of packed goods. Teaching is overwhelmingly metric, and we have a generation of children and young adults who have learned no other system. Parliament itself has approved many Orders facilitating a change to metric.”.2
The creation of the European Single Market in 1992, strongly supported by the UK Government, required the use of a common measurement system in all member states. Any common market requires a common measurement system. Hence, the efforts of national governments to ensure uniformity of weights and measures (e.g. 1824 Weights and Measures Act in the UK for standard imperial measures, French adoption of the metric system in 1795 to implement common measurement standards, Fair Packaging and Labeling Act in the US, etc.). Given that only the UK and Ireland used imperial measures and all other EU member states used the metric system, it was a no-brainer to standardise on the metric system.
The EU Directives that relate to units of measurements were agreed with Ministers of HM Government. In response to requests from the UK, the EU postponed the cut-off date for supplementary indications several times and granted the UK derogations to continue using imperial units for specific purposes. In 2009, the EU has allowed supplementary indications to be used indefinitely. Market traders can still display prices in pounds and ounces as long as they also display prices in metric units as well. Consumers can still ask for products in pounds and ounces so it is only traders that are affected.
The Weights and Measures (Metrication Amendments) Regulations 2001 implemented EU directive 1999/103/EC. In a debate about these regulations, Lord Sainsbury of Turville said, “I remind the House that since 1965 all governments have supported the change to the metric system on a gradual basis and for an ever increasing range of uses because of the global move to metric.” and that “If we are to play the cards of libertarianism and British history, I remind the House that in Magna Carta for the first time the people of Britain established the case and the need for a single form of measurement in the country.”.3
As a result of EU directive 2009/3/EC, the use of supplementary indications has been permitted indefinitely, as well as the use of six imperial units for specific purposes only:
the mile, yard, foot and inch for road traffic signs, distance and speed,
the pint for draught beer and cider, and doorstep milk, and
the troy ounce for trading in precious metals.
The EU also withdrew the requirement for UK to “fix a date” to convert road signs to metric units. The European Commission has no desire to speed up the change to metric in the UK. In response to these changes, Lord Drayson, the Science and Innovation minister, reflected government thinking by saying that, “As we enter a new decade it’s good to know that traditional imperial measurements like the pint and mile will remain. But importantly this also means that businesses will avoid the unnecessary cost of changing labels. This indefinite exemption leaves these important decisions in our own hands, removing worry and uncertainty from businesses.” 4
Günter Verheugen, a former Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, had said previously,
“Neither the European Commission nor any faceless ‘Eurocrat’ has or will ever be responsible for banning the great British pint, the mile, and weight measures in pounds and the ounces.
….
Some sections of the British media have regularly jumped on the bogus bandwagon that maintained with varying degrees of hysteria, that the EU was “banning” the pint and that this was part of a wider plot against Britishness.
Well, we at the EU have decided the time has come to nail these myths once and for all by setting out in black and white what has always been our view: that Britain should continue to use imperial measures for as long as it likes.
Much as it may dismay those who have peddled the metric myth for far too long, we have now proposed legislation enshrining Britain’s right to retain pints of milk and beer, miles on road signs and dual indications of weights and measures from now ’till Kingdom come!”. 5
Lord Kinnock, another former Commissioner, has said:
“It is widely believed – largely because of distortive press coverage – that weights and measures policy is primarily a European issue. It is not. In the ten years that I was a European Commissioner (including five years with the Transport portfolio), I know that there was no pressure from the Commission on any British Government to convert UK road signs. Indeed, the EU agreed many years ago that the United Kingdom and Ireland should set their own timetables for phasing out the remaining imperial measures. The issue is therefore entirely a matter for the British Government and Parliament.” 6
Ireland completed its transition to the metric system in 2005 with the conversion of its speed limit signs, leaving the UK as the only member state that is holding out for the continued use of imperial measures. The UK government wrongly believes that the use of imperial units for transport and product descriptions can be isolated from the rest of the economy despite their impact on the wider use of measurement within society.
Who now complains about decimal currency today? Today, we do not find anyone wanting to go back to the old pre-decimal currency of pounds, shillings and pence, guineas, half-crowns and farthings. Instead, we now take the benefits of decimal currency for granted. Unfortunately, metrication has wrongly become associated with the EU and opposition to metrication has become politicised. There is a lot of resistance to further progress of metrication as a result. So we have ended up in a position of stalemate in the stalled metrication programme and ended up with an awful muddle (imperial-only in some areas, metric-only in other areas, a combination of both in other areas, etc.). Ministers refuse to tell the general public that metric is the global norm and is not an unnatural imposition from Brussels.
A summary of the 1862 Report can be read at:
http://www.ukma.org.uk/sites/default/files/met1862.pdf
The full 1862 Report can be downloaded as a free e-book from: http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Report_from_the_Select_committee_on_weig.html?id=wI7nAAAAMAAJ
The Metric Views articles about the 1862 Select Committee report can be read at: http://metricviews.org.uk/2013/03/1862-report-from-the-select-committee-for-weights-and-measures/ and http://metricviews.org.uk/2012/07/the-report-that-led-the-uk-from-one-muddle-to-another/
The Metric Views article about the 1895 Select Committee report can be read at: http://metricviews.org.uk/2013/03/the-1895-select-committee-on-weights-and-measures/
Let’s get one thing straight from the off. Neither the European Commission nor any faceless “Eurocrat” has or will ever be responsible for banning the great British pint, the mile, and weight measures in pounds and the ounces.
_______________________________________________________________
1 http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1970/oct/27/metrication#S5CV0805P0_19701027_HOC_379
2 http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1976/oct/18/weights-and-measures-c-no-2-bill-lords
3 http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/2001/mar/20/weights-and-measures-metrication#S5LV0623P0_20010320_HOL_293
4 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/6916567/Pint-and-mile-measures-preserved-for-British-businesses.html
5 http://www.richardcorbett.org.uk/blog/labels/metric.html
6 Foreward section of UKMA publication Metric Signs Ahead, http://www.ukma.org.uk/sites/default/files/MSA.pdf
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