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'Last Comic Standing' Winner Sued Your 'War on Men' is a Disgrace!!!
'Last Comic Standing' Winner Iliza Shlesinger Sued for Banning Men at Comedy Show
EXCLUSIVE
"Last Comic Standing" winner Iliza Shlesinger waged a war on men when she banned them from her comedy show ... and one man is now waging legal war against her, comparing his fight to the Civil Rights movement.
George St. George is suing Iliza claiming her November 13 show dubbed "Girls Night with Iliza -- No Boys Allowed" is repugnant, discriminatory and sets back sex equality hundreds of years.
In docs obtained by TMZ ... St. George says he bought 2 tickets and showed up to will call to retrieve his tickets, but St. George claims he wasn't allowed inside because of his gender, which he says is "akin to the Montgomery City Lines bus company in Montgomery, Alabama circa 1955."
St. George also said banning males is as repugnant as "Caucasian Night" or "Heterosexual Night."
He added that Iliza's show "repudiated hundreds of years of women's struggles to be viewed as being equal to men and is typical of old-fashioned sexism that might also advise a young woman that her best chance for a happy life is to ace her home economics class and learn how to make a queso dip from Velveeta to catch a good man."
St. George is suing for unspecified damages. We've reached out to Iliza, so far no word back. |
Pelican is an incredibly well-built Python tool for creating static sites.
Full Stack Python is generated with Pelican, Jinja2 templates and Markdown. This site is deployed to Amazon S3 and currently handles over one hundred thousand readers per month. There are never scaling concerns because a static site is pre-generated before deployment and a web server simply responds with existing files rather than executing any code on the server during the HTTP request-response cycle.
In this tutorial you will learn how to create your own static website from scratch using Pelican.
Our simple static site will have pages that look like the above screenshot but the entire site can be easily customized and expanded with your own design and content.
Our Tools
This tutorial should work with either Python 2 or 3, but Python 3 is strongly recommended for all new applications. I used Python 3.6.1 to write this post. In addition to Python, throughout this tutorial we will also use the following application dependencies:
If you need help getting your development environment configured, take a look at this guide for setting up Python 3 and Flask on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
All code in this blog post is available open source under the MIT license on GitHub under the generating-static-websites-pelican-jinja2-markdown directory of the blog-code-examples repository. Use and abuse the source code as you like for your own applications.
Install the Pelican and Markdown libraries
Start by creating a new virtual environment for your project. My virtualenv is named staticsite but you can name yours whatever matches the project you are creating.
python3 -m venv staticsite
Activate the virtualenv.
source staticsite/bin/activate
The virtualenv will prepend its name to your command prompt when it is activated.
Install the appropriate dependencies after your virtualenv is activated. Use the pip command to install Pelican and Markdown, which will also install Jinja2 because Pelican specifies it as a dependency.
pip install pelican == 3 .7.1 markdown == 2 .6.8
Run the pip command and after everything is installed you should see output similar to the following "Successfully installed" message.
Installing collected packages: pygments, pytz, six, feedgenerator, blinker, unidecode, MarkupSafe, jinja2, python-dateutil, docutils, pelican, markdown Running setup.py install for feedgenerator ... done Running setup.py install for blinker ... done Running setup.py install for MarkupSafe ... done Running setup.py install for markdown ... done Successfully installed MarkupSafe-1.0 blinker-1.4 docutils-0.13.1 feedgenerator-1.9 jinja2-2.9.6 markdown-2.6.8 pelican-3.7.1 pygments-2.2.0 python-dateutil-2.6.0 pytz-2017.2 six-1.10.0 unidecode-0.4.20
Now that our dependencies are installed into the virtualenv we can start building our static site.
Generate a Basic Site
Create a new directory to store your project. My site will contain some of my favorite retro synthwave artists as examples, but of course your site can contain whatever subjects that you want.
Change into the project directory after creating it.
mkdir retrosynth cd retrosynth
Run the pelican-quickstart command within the new project directory.
( staticsite ) $ pelican-quickstart
The quickstart script will rattle off a bunch of questions. Follow along with the answers below or modify them for your own site name and desired configuration.
Welcome to pelican-quickstart v3.7.1. This script will help you create a new Pelican-based website. Please answer the following questions so this script can generate the files needed by Pelican. > Where do you want to create your new web site? [ . ] > What will be the title of this web site? RetroSynthwave > Who will be the author of this web site? Matt Makai > What will be the default language of this web site? [ en ] > Do you want to specify a URL prefix? e.g., http://example.com ( Y/n ) n > Do you want to enable article pagination? ( Y/n ) n > What is your time zone? [ Europe/Paris ] America/New_York > Do you want to generate a Fabfile/Makefile to automate generation and publishing? ( Y/n ) y > Do you want an auto-reload & simpleHTTP script to assist with theme and site development? ( Y/n ) y > Do you want to upload your website using FTP? ( y/N ) n > Do you want to upload your website using SSH? ( y/N ) n > Do you want to upload your website using Dropbox? ( y/N ) n > Do you want to upload your website using S3? ( y/N ) y > What is the name of your S3 bucket? [ my_s3_bucket ] > Do you want to upload your website using Rackspace Cloud Files? ( y/N ) n > Do you want to upload your website using GitHub Pages? ( y/N ) n Done. Your new project is available at /Users/matt/devel/py/retrosynth ( staticsite ) $
What did we just create using Pelican's quickstart script? Check out the new files in the directory.
( staticsite ) $ ls Makefile develop_server.sh pelicanconf.py content fabfile.py publishconf.py
The quickstart created five files and one new directory:
Makefile : make command convenience tasks for common operations such as running a development server, building a site and cleaning extraneous build files
: command convenience tasks for common operations such as running a development server, building a site and cleaning extraneous build files fabfile.py : A Fabric file that has some of the same types of commands as the Makefile . Fabric is a wonderful code library but for now I recommend skipping the Fabric file because unfortunately Fabric does not yet support Python 3.
: A Fabric file that has some of the same types of commands as the . Fabric is a wonderful code library but for now I recommend skipping the Fabric file because unfortunately Fabric does not yet support Python 3. develop_server.sh : shell script for running the development server
: shell script for running the development server pelicanconf.py : settings file for your Pelican project. If you are used to earlier versions of Pelican this file was instead named settings.py
: settings file for your Pelican project. If you are used to earlier versions of Pelican this file was instead named publishconf.py : another (optional) settings file that can be considered as a "production" settings file when you move past the development phase and want to deploy your site
: another (optional) settings file that can be considered as a "production" settings file when you move past the development phase and want to deploy your site content : location for your markup files, which should be stored under pages and posts directories
We can use these files as the base for our new static site. Let's see what it looks like by default by running it via the devserver task in the Makefile.
make devserver
The Pelican development server will start serving up your site with a daemon process. Go to localhost:8000 in your web browser and you will see the first version of your static site.
What if you don't have make installed on your system? Change into the output directory and use the python -m http.server command to use the built-in Python 3 HTTP server for your generated files.
When you want to kill the development server look for a file named pelican.pid under your project directory. The pelican.pid file is created by Pelican and contains the process ID for your development server.
(staticsite) $ cat pelican.pid 1365
Use the ps and grep commands to view the process then stop the process with the kill command as follows. Remember that your process ID will almost definitely be different from the 1365 ID for my process.
Kill the development server now so that we can use different commands to serve our site after we create our initial content.
(staticsite) $ ps -A | grep 1365 1365 ttys003 0:01.43 /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/Resources/Python.app/Contents/MacOS/Python /Users/matt/Envs/staticsite/bin/pelican --debug --autoreload -r /Users/matt/devel/py/retrosynth/content -o /Users/matt/devel/py/retrosynth/output -s /Users/matt/devel/py/retrosynth/pelicanconf.py 1411 ttys003 0:00.00 grep 1365 (staticsite) $ kill 1365 (staticsite) $ ps -A | grep 1365 1413 ttys003 0:00.00 grep 1365
It is up to you whether you want to use the development server or not while creating your site. Every time I want to view my changes for Full Stack Python I regenerate the site using my own Makefile that wraps the pelican command. The python -m http.server command constantly serves up each build's changes.
Alright, now that we have our starter files we can get to work creating some initial content.
Write Some Content
Pelican can accept both Markdown and reStructureText markup files as input.
Make a new subdirectory under the content named posts . Change into the posts directory. Create a new file named gunship.markdown with the following content.
title : Gunship slug : gunship category : bands date : 2017 - 06 - 09 modified : 2017 - 06 - 09 [ Gunship ]( https : //www.gunshipmusic.com/) is a *retro synthwave* artist out of the UK. [ Revel in Your Time ]( https : //www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYRZV8dV10w), [ Tech Noir ]( https : //www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nC5TBv3sfU), [ Fly for Your Life ]( https : //www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv1ZN8c4_Gs) and [ The Mountain ]( https : //www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HYRTJr8EyA) are all quality songs by Gunship . Check out those amazing music videos ! Also take a look at other retro synthwave artists such as [ Trevor Something ]( https : //trevorsomething.bandcamp.com/), [ Droid Bishop ]( https : //droidbishop.bandcamp.com/), [ FM - 84 ]( https : //fm84.bandcamp.com/) and [ Daniel Deluxe ]( https : //danieldeluxe.bandcamp.com/).
Our make file can also help us regenerate the site when changes occur if we choose to not use the development server.
We used the devserver task earlier, but what other task are available to us via the Makefile ?
make
make should show us all of the following tasks we can run.
Makefile for a pelican Web site Usage: make html (re)generate the web site make clean remove the generated files make regenerate regenerate files upon modification make publish generate using production settings make serve [PORT=8000] serve site at http://localhost:8000 make serve-global [SERVER=0.0.0.0] serve (as root) to :80 make devserver [PORT=8000] start/restart develop_server.sh make stopserver stop local server make ssh_upload upload the web site via SSH make rsync_upload upload the web site via rsync+ssh make dropbox_upload upload the web site via Dropbox make ftp_upload upload the web site via FTP make s3_upload upload the web site via S3 make cf_upload upload the web site via Cloud Files make github upload the web site via gh-pages Set the DEBUG variable to 1 to enable debugging, e.g. make DEBUG=1 html Set the RELATIVE variable to 1 to enable relative urls
The html task is what we are looking for to invoke the pelican command using our pelicanconf.py settings file.
(staticsite) $ make html pelican /Users/matt/devel/py/retrosynth/content -o /Users/matt/devel/py/retrosynth/output -s /Users/matt/devel/py/retrosynth/pelicanconf.py Done: Processed 1 article, 0 drafts, 0 pages and 0 hidden pages in 0.14 seconds.
Our site has been regenerated and placed in the output directory.
If you used the make devserver command earlier then change into the output directory and give Python's built-in HTTP server a shot with the following command.
cd output python -m http.server
Our first post in all its glory...
You can change the HTTP server port binding by adding a number after the command, if you want to serve more than one static site at a time or you already have an application bound to port 8000.
python -m http.server 8005
Note that if you are using Python 2 the equivalent HTTP server command is python -m SimpleHTTPServer .
Our site now has some very basic content. We could expand this start into many more posts and pages but let's learn how to modify the site configuration.
Edit Site Configuration
Pelican's quickstart assumed a bunch of defaults that may or may not be applicable to your site. Open up the pelicanconf.py file to change some of the defaults.
Look for the TIMEZONE variable. If it's not right for your location then modify it to your zone. Wikipedia has a handy table of valid time zones values.
Also modify the LINKS tuple to include your site (or Full Stack Python!) instead of including the "you can modify those links" link. Change the last line of LINKS so it looks like the following tuple of tuples.
# Blogroll LINKS = (( 'Pelican' , 'http://getpelican.com/' ), ( 'Python.org' , 'http://python.org/' ), ( 'Jinja2' , 'http://jinja.pocoo.org/' ), ( 'Full Stack Python' , 'https://www.fullstackpython.com/' ),)
Instead of using the make html file, this time we will invoke the pelican command directly from the command line. There is nothing wrong with the Makefile , but it is a good idea to get comfortable with Pelican directly instead of only through build files.
pelican -s pelicanconf.py -o output content
Now run the HTTP server if you do not already have it running in another terminal window.
cd output python -m http.server
Head back to the browser and refresh to view the updated configuration.
What happens when we click on the blog post title? It takes us to a very similar-looking page with the localhost:8000/gunship.html URL.
Alright, we updated some basic site-wide data, but our site really could use a change of paint.
Modify Site Theme
Changing the site theme is really where you can turn a standard blog into whatever type of site you want to build. While the default Pelican configuration creates a blog template, you do not need to have a chronological structure if it is not right for your website.
Create a new directory under your project directory that is named theme . Within theme create another directory named templates . templates is where our Jinja2 templates will be stored and can override the default theme.
Start by creating a file named base.html which will store the boilerplate used by templates across the site.
<!DOCTYPE html> < html lang = "en" > < head > < title > {% block title %}{% endblock %} </ title > </ head > < body > < div class = "container" > {% block content %}{% endblock %} </ div > </ body > </ html >
Within theme/templates create a file named article.html that will have a different theme for blog posts than the rest of the site. Fill article.html with the following Jinja2 markup.
{% extends "base.html" %} {% block title %}{{ article.title }}{% endblock %} {% block content %} <div class= "row" > <div class= "col-md-8" > <h1> {{ article.title }} </h1> <label> Posted on <strong> {{ article.date }} </strong></label> {{ article.content }} </div> </div> {% endblock %}
Next we will use a Jinja2 template to override the default index.html main page. Again within the theme/templates directory, create a file named index.html with the following markup.
{% extends "base.html" %} {% block title %}{{ SITENAME }}{% endblock %} {% block content %} <div class= "row" > <div class= "col-md-8" > <h1> {{ SITENAME }} </h1> {% for article in articles %} <h2><a href= "/ {{ article.slug }} .html" > {{ article.title }} </a></h2> <label> Posted on <strong> {{ article.date }} </strong></label> {{ article.content | truncate ( 110 ) }} {% else %} No posts yet! {% endfor %} </div> </div> {% endblock %}
Regenerate the site and make sure you are serving it with the development server or the python -m http.server command.
Make sure to use the new -t theme flag to specify that the Jinja2 templates within the theme directory should be applied to the site.
pelican -s pelicanconf.py -o output -t theme content
Go to localhost:8000 and refresh the page. The styling on the main page is now different because it uses the index.html theme.
Click on the title of the Gunship post. This page uses the article.html template, although it's hard to tell because there is no CSS applied to the page.
Pretty sparse! We can at least add the Bootstrap CSS to the HTML to align our content.
Within base.html , add the following line for Bootstrap under <title>{% block title %}{% endblock %}</title> and above </head> .
<!-- Latest compiled and minified Bootstrap CSS --> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/css/bootstrap.min.css" integrity="sha384-BVYiiSIFeK1dGmJRAkycuHAHRg32OmUcww7on3RYdg4Va+PmSTsz/K68vbdEjh4u" crossorigin="anonymous">
Regenerate the site and refresh the Gunship page.
Well at least our design has moved from 1996 to 2001. I am sure you can do a whole lot more to improve your own site's design.
The new base.html does not provide much of a theme yet but it at least provides a fresh start for completely customized sites.
What's next?
You generated your first Pelican static website using Markdown and Jinja2. Additional modifications can be made to the Jinja2 templates and the content contained in the Markdown files.
Do you want to deploy your new static website to GitHub Pages or an S3 bucket? Well, that's a story for another Full Stack Python tutorial...
Questions? Let me know via a GitHub issue ticket on the Full Stack Python repository, on Twitter @fullstackpython or @mattmakai.
See something wrong in this blog post? Fork this page's source on GitHub and submit a pull request. |
CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico — Stepping to the concrete edge of the Rio Grande, Pope Francis on Wednesday went to a militarized divide of the United States-Mexican border and prayed for compassion toward immigrants. He never set foot in the United States, but he did step directly, and deliberately, into the acrimonious American debate over immigration.
Beneath a brilliant blue sky, Francis turned the dusty no man’s land of the border into a media-saturated setting for a potent symbolic moment: On one side was a crowd of 200,000 people waiting for him to lead Mass in this Mexican border city. On the other was a small group of people from the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso, along with police officers and border guards, some peering at the spectacle through binoculars usually used to catch migrants trying to sneak over the border.
Francis slowly walked up to a sloped memorial that was built for his visit to commemorate those who have died along the Mexican border. He stood before a large cross overlooking the border fence, made the sign of the cross and prayed before laying a bouquet of flowers on a small table before the cross. Then he looked over to the United States and waved his hand to offer a papal blessing. |
Something’s been bothering me ever since I started reading books, especially non-fiction, on my Kindle:
I can’t remember where anything is. Physical books are full of spatial reference points; an especially beloved book is a physical topography in which we develop a vague sense of which chapters contain relevant information; even where, on a page, a particularly striking sentence or diagram lies.
Ebooks have none of these referents. They’re searchable (or at least, some are) which mitigates this issue somewhat. But I’m unlikely to remember that a fact was at “41% through a book” for one simple reason: my hands never got a chance to find out what 41% through a particular ebook feels like.
This isn’t to say that physical books are perfect – perhaps if we read off of giant scrolls laid out across a gymnasium floor, I’d have an even better memory of where I saw a fact: “upper left quadrant, approximately the fourth row…” or something like that. And perhaps some day a virtual interface for reading will give me those kinds of spatial referents.
But in the meantime, millions of years of evolution are going to waste. It’s no secret that mnemonists – the mental athletes of the world of competitive memorization – use tricks like placing facts and sequential information on the walls of mansions they imagine walking through. And why? Because our brains are exquisitely well-tuned to remember where things are. Exactly what you’d expect from a species with a migratory, hunter-gatherer past; a species that re-applied those abilities to the navigation of cities long after it settled into an agricultural pattern.
Here’s another interface that lacks spatial referents: the web. Compare the average river-of-news to these images, of a control board for a soviet nuclear power plant, as captured by the photographer and blogger Ilya Varlamov:
How could anyone make sense of such a layout? But on the other hand, what nuclear power plant’s operation doesn’t have a steep learning curve? At least this way, every day, you come in, everything is where you left it.
Compare that to the few parts of the power plant’s interface that are fully computerized – and therefore terrifying in their changeability.
If you’re used to hunting through piles of browser tabs, alphabetized files or the like, perhaps you can appreciate that the only mechanism for arriving anywhere in this virtual environment is search, i.e. teleportation. This engages our verbal but not our spatial memory – and in some respects, the latter is the stronger of the two.
There is a solution, of course – immersive virtual interfaces with a spatial characteristic. In other words, re-creating these soviet-style interfaces inside a virtual world that you navigate as you would the real, only you’re wearing goggles that are perfectly registered to your immediate environment. It’s the old saw of virtual (or augmented) reality versus the virtual desktop, and we know how well VR has worked out so far.
Still, all the programs we use whose elements don’t change are perhaps the last bastion of sanity we have. I wonder if that’s the reason that we cling to metaphors as tired as the desktop even as the computers we use become ever more capable of much more sophisticated user experiences – at least we know papers go in folders, which live on the desktop, which is after all a fiction in the branching tree file structure of our computer; itself an abstraction laid on top of the quasi-random scattering of bits on our hard drives…
Update - Credit where it’s due, here’s the post that inspired this one, by Mark Changizi at Psychology Today:
The Problem With the Web and E-Books Is That There’s No Space for Them
Follow Mims on Twitter or contact him via email. |
James Harden’s having another monstrous season, leading the Rockets to the NBA’s best record at the quarter-pole. (Getty)
Hey, remember how some of us were wondering whether bringing Chris Paul back into the mix after a month on the shelf with a left knee bruise might wind up disrupting the Houston Rockets? Yeah, so, um, about that:
The Rockets have won six straight since Paul’s return to the lineup. Their already overwhelming offense has hit a scorching new level, averaging 118.5 points per 100 possessions. Their defense has been nearly as impressive, holding opponents to a minuscule 97.2 points-per-100. Both are the best efficiency marks in the league since Nov. 15.
The much-ballyhooed backcourt of Paul and James Harden has been as advertised, outscoring opponents by 34 points in 94 minutes over the past two weeks, according to NBAwowy.com’s lineup data. More importantly, though, the Rockets have been kicking maximum ass when only one’s been on the floor — they’re plus-53 in 83 Harden/no-Paul minutes, and a whopping plus-42 in 50 Paul/no-Harden minutes. Turns out there might have been something to that whole “we will always have one Hall of Fame-caliber point guard on the floor” thing!
Harden is an absolute monster, leading the league in assists again while also leading the league in scoring, shooting a career-best 40.3 percent from 3-point range while taking 11.1 freaking 3s a game and still getting to the free-throw line more often than any non-big in the sport.
He’s assisting on half his teammates’ baskets during his floor time while sharply curbing last year’s turnover rate, despite throwing swaggering passes like this for fun:
James Harden, what a pass!pic.twitter.com/OKAjdaZ5MK — Rafi Rubiano (@RafiBasketLover) November 13, 2017
Harden hits Nene with the pretty pass in transition #Rockets pic.twitter.com/Jp9fa7Wbxw — Off the Glass (@otgbasketball) November 26, 2017
Ridiculous nutmeg pass from Harden sets up the trey pic.twitter.com/HRzsLQEwGY — Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 30, 2017
Here’s the list of players to average 30 points a game with a True Shooting percentage (which takes into account 2-point, 3-point and free-throw accuracy) of .600 or better while finishing more than 30 percent of their team’s offensive possessions: prime Michael Jordan, prime Karl Malone, MVP Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, and this year’s Harden. That’s it. That’s the whole list.
“Last year, I thought he was unbelievable,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said during last month’s reign of terror. “I don’t know what he is this year. He’s gone up another level.”
Paul’s not quite there yet — it takes a little bit of time to get back to full speed after spending a month in the shop with a wonky wheel — but he’s got 62 assists against just eight turnovers in 164 minutes while shooting 44.8 percent from 3-point land since returning. He’s starting to get more comfortable playing at Houston’s preferred pace, as ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe noted, marrying his dead-eye accuracy and playmaking acumen with the imperative to give up the ball and get on the move in D’Antoni’s attack.
And while some (like, um, me) thought he might’ve been targeted in part to bring his midrange mastery to a Rockets club that can sometimes struggle to wring out buckets against defenses that look to take away what Houston likes to do best, CP3 sure seems to be getting with the Moreyball program. According to NBA.com, he’s taken as many shots in the restricted area this season as he has from midrange, and nearly four times as many from beyond the arc.
Chris Paul’s loving what he sees when he looks at the rim in Houston’s spaced-out offense. (Getty)
“I had to perfect that midrange shot because everything was so compact,” Paul recently told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “We were great [with the Clippers]. Don’t get me wrong. I loved what we were doing. That’s the shot that was there for me a lot of times. [DeAndre Jordan] would be there. Blake [Griffin] was there. He didn’t used to shoot 3s like he has this year. They were in the lane. I had to move in the lane to get them open and sometimes I’d have the midrange shot.
“Now when I come off [the screen], it’s made it easier for me. I love what I’m seeing.”
It’s tough to blame him. Center Clint Capela seems to get better by the day, screening and diving and swatting and rebounding and perpetually inflating the size of that bag coming his way this summer. Ryan Anderson’s been a pleasant surprise defensively, and he’s been torching defenses since CP3 came back, shooting 55 percent from deep on 7.6 attempts in only 26.5 minutes per game. (I loved the explanation he offered Feigen for why he’s clicked so quickly with his new point guard: “He’s Chris Paul.”)
Defensive-minded role players Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker have been weaponized as offensive contributors, too, as knockdown floor-spacers from the corners, drivers, cutters and even as attackers in the pick-and-roll. Together with Trevor Ariza, they make up one of the league’s most versatile perimeter corps, giving Houston the flexibility to match up with all sorts of opponents.
Need to go big? Roll with Capela, Nene or Tarik Black. Need to downshift to both cover and go shot-for-shot with a small-ball lineup? Roll with the Tuckwagon in no-center or Anderson-at-five lineups, which have outscored opponents by 46 points in 86 minutes, scoring like gangbusters and clamping down like the Celtics. (They’ve been especially suffocating with all three of Ariza, Mbah a Moute and Tucker on the court, switching defensive assignments all over the court and allowing just 96.2 points-per-100 in 140 shared minutes.)
Everyone in Houston looks awesome right now. (Well, everyone except Eric Gordon, who’s been slumping. But the reigning Sixth Man of the Year has earned the benefit of the doubt in D’Antoni’s system.) The Rockets haven’t quite reached their preseason goal of averaging 50 3-pointers per game, but they’re still leading the league by a mile at 44.4 a night with 16.2 makes, while also shooting a blistering 57.3 percent on shots inside the arc; only eight teams take more shots inside the restricted area, and only three make a higher percentage. Two of those three teams have played for the NBA championship in each of the last three summers.
“I think the way we play is pretty proven,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey recently told Alex Wong of The Atlantic. “You already have multiple titles won by teams playing a similar style as us.”
[Follow Ball Don’t Lie on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tumblr]
There are caveats worth mentioning. Houston’s six-game rampage has come against four teams missing at least one top player due to injury (the Nuggets without Paul Millsap, the Grizzlies without Mike Conley, the Knicks without Kristaps Porzingis and Enes Kanter, the Nets missing basically everybody) and five teams that rank in the bottom half of the league in defensive efficiency (Knicks, Pacers, Nuggets, Nets, Suns).
It’s fair to note that the Rockets have fattened up on some dinged-up and defenseless opposition, and to wonder whether things might change for them a little bit once the schedule stiffens. As the great John Schuhmann of NBA.com notes, “In December, Houston will play a league-high nine games against top-10 defenses, beginning the month with three road games against the Lakers (eighth), Jazz (seventh) and Blazers (second).” (Then again, D’Antoni’s club will also gets a season-long seven-game homestand after that.)
OK, all that said: at 17-4, the Rockets have the NBA’s second-best record, behind only a Boston Celtics team that has played three more games than Houston. They have already beaten the Warriors in their own gym. They have a legitimate MVP candidate playing the best ball of an already pretty great career, a future Hall of Famer still at the tail end of his prime running their reserves with aplomb, more wing depth than ever before and a top-five defense. This team is complete, and deep, and built for the long haul.
You can’t win a championship before December, but you can damn sure announce your presence with authority. The Rockets are here, they’re downright terrifying, and it sure doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere any time soon.
– – – – – – –
Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! |
Copyright 2019 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
MIAMI (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Every four minutes, one person in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Blood stem cell transplants have become a standard way to treat children with leukemia and other blood disorders, but have been limited for only small children. Now, doctors are saving older children by transplanting not just one but two umbilical cords! – Every four minutes, one person in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Blood stem cell transplants have become a standard way to treat children with leukemia and other blood disorders, but have been limited for only small children. Now, doctors are saving older children by transplanting not just one but two umbilical cords!
From playing Uno to dancing with her sibling,
you would never have guessed that just last year 15-year-old Sabrina Couillard was fighting for her life.
"I was getting really skinny. I was getting bruises everywhere," Couillard told Ivanhoe.
She was diagnosed with leukemia.
"I just broke down [and] cried," Sabrina's mom, Marta Gonzalez told Ivanhoe.
Her only hope for a cure was a bone marrow transplant, but doctors couldn't find a match from a family member. That's when her doctor, Kamar Godder, turned to an alternative stem cell source: the umbilical cord.
"We knew that when you give it to somebody who is heavier, a heavier child or adult it will not quote unquote take," Kamar Godder, MD, Pediatric, Hematologist/Oncologist, Miami Children's Hospital, told Ivanhoe.
Couillard's doctor gave her a double umbilical cord transplant.
"Initially the thought was just to give more of [the] cells," Dr. Godder explained. " Eventually only one will take over, that's the interesting thing."
Dr. Godder says that earlier studies have shown that cell count is the most important factor after degree of match for successful transplant.
It worked for Couillard, who is now cancer free!
"I'm feeling good," Couillare said. "I just have to keep walking more [and] strengthening my legs."
Doctor Godder says the treatment is proving to be an effective alternative for older children with blood diseases.
The risks are much the same as you would get with the unrelated cord blood which is the risk of rejection. There is no added risk to using two umbilical cords.The risks are much the same as you would get with the unrelated cord blood which is the risk of rejection.
RESEARCH SUMMARY
DR GODDER:
Originally the source of transplant was from the bone marrow of a matched sibling. From somebody within the family who has the same tissue type and that's what we called HLA matched, but, obviously only one-third of patients will have that option available to them. So, researchers started looking at other sources and the next was an unrelated donor, adult unrelated donor transplant. The unrelated donor transplant was very successful in their finding, and what is connected with that as well is the understanding and the better tissue typing that improved so that the matching can be much improved and prevent complications. Still the unrelated registry is limited because of the variability or the changes were all different especially in the United States where the population is so heterogeneous. And small minorities and ethnic groups did not have the right to enough representation in that. So next was what was found is cord blood; in other words, the area that is discarded placenta. The cord blood contained blood from the baby that's not going to be used and that also contains the same hematopoietic stem cells, in other words blood stem cells, that can populate or that can build a new bone marrow.
REQUIREMENTS: "
The nice thing about cord blood is you don't need to have the same degree of matching. Because the assumption in those cells from the cord are naïve and were not exposed to any other antigens or any other proteins, that's why they are less likely to cause complication in the recipient. So actually we don't need a full match when you use cord blood."
"With cord blood we learned the degree of match is only one of the factors, and the other factor is the number of cells in the cord blood bag. This is a given number, it's not a number that we can manipulate or make any change to. That's why we and others have started using it for only for small children. Because we knew that when you give it to somebody who is heavier, a heavier child or adult, it will not "take." It will not do the job, it will not engraft; that's the terminology. And that's what led to the trial of different ways to make those stem cells from cord blood a little bit stronger. Some people try in the lab to make more of them, to expand their population and that's more on an experimental level. And the other approach was to use more than one unit and initially the thought was just to give more cells. With time, it turns out, eventually only one takes over and that's the interesting thing: we don't know yet who will be the one that will take over; is it by number or is it by other genetic factors? What we do know is that when you give, one unit is serving as the major one and the other unit is more the supporting unit."
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
The Division of Hematology/Oncology
Miami Children's Hospital
305-663-6851 or toll free at 1-888-MCH-BMT2 Dr. Kamar GodderThe Division of Hematology/OncologyMiami Children's Hospital305-663-6851 or toll free at 1-888-MCH-BMT2
Originally a transplant would have come from bone marrow, right? Originally a transplant would have come from bone marrow, right?
Dr. Godder:
Yes, originally the source of their transplant was from the bone marrow of a matched sibling. From somebody within the family who has the same tissue type and that's what we called HLA matched. Obviously only one-third of patients will have that option available to them. So, then people started looking at other sources and the next was an unrelated donor, adult unrelated donor transplant. The unrelated donor transplant was very successful in their finding, and what is connected with that as well is the understanding and the better tissue typing that improved so that the matching can be much improved and prevent complications. Still the unrelated registry is limited because of the variability or the changes were all different especially in the United States where the population is so heterogeneous. And small minorities and ethnic groups did not have the right to enough representation in that. So next was what was found is cord blood; in other words, the area that is discarded placenta. The cord blood contained blood from the baby that's not going to be used and that also contains the same hematopoietic stem cells, in other words blood stem cells, that can populate or that can build a new bone marrow.
What are the requirements to be a donor for the umbilical cord?
Dr. Godder:
Actually the nice thing about cord blood is you don't need to have the same degree of matching. Because the assumption in those cells from the cord are naïve and were not exposed to any other antigens or any other proteins, that's why they are less likely to cause complication in the recipient. So actually we don't need a full match when you use cord blood.
How many cells do you think you can get out of just one umbilical cord?
Dr. Godder:
With cord blood we learned the degree of match is only one of the factors, and the other factor is the number of cells in the cord blood bag. This is a given number, it's not a number that we can manipulate or make any change to. That's why we and others have started using it for only for small children. Because we knew that when you give it to somebody who is heavier, a heavier child or adult, it will not "take." It will not do the job, it will not engraft; that's the terminology. And that's what led to the trial of different ways to make those stem cells from cord blood a little bit stronger. Some people try in the lab to make more of them, to expand their population and that's more on an experimental level. And the other approach was to use more than one unit and initially the thought was just to give more cells. With time, it turns out, eventually only one takes over and that's the interesting thing: we don't know yet who will be the one that will take over; is it by number or is it by other genetic factors? What we do know is that when you give, one unit is serving as the major one and the other unit is more the supporting unit.
Are there any risks along with this, are there any downsides?
Dr. Godder:
The risk is very much the same risk as you would get with the unrelated cord blood anyway, which include an increased risk of non-engraftment. So there is a little bit of a higher risk.
Is a double cord transplant now a possibility for adults?
Dr. Godder: |
A former Central Investigation Bureau officer in Poland, Jacek Wrona, slammed the German government's response to terror attacks
A former Central Investigation Bureau officer in Poland has claimed 'Western Europe is practically dead' and blamed Angela Merkel's migration policy for its demise.
Jacek Wrona slammed the German government's response to terror attacks while appearing on a Polish chat show alongside military historian Dr Rafal Brzeski,wPolityce reports.
Wrona compared the situation to the fall of the Roman Empire, saying: 'Europe is at the end of its existence. Western Europe is practically dead.
'These people live in a void, without ideas. And they come the young, who want to acquire wealth, as once did the barbarians. And they have the power.'
He said the EU is suffering because of political correctness.
'The worst problem for services is political correctness. We need a sober judgment,' Wrona claimed.
Dr Brzeski also criticised the German government's response to recent terror attacks. 'The Germans have had enough of this, which does not mean that the government has had enough. These are two different approaches,' he said.
Their comments come after five separate incidents in Germany between July 18 and July 26.
Angela Merkel set out a nine-point plan on Thursday to respond to the attacks, including an early warning system for the radicalisation of refugees
The attacks, two of them claimed by Islamic State, also left dozens wounded and have burst any illusions that the country is immune to atrocities like those also claimed by Islamic State in neighbouring France.
Dr Brzeski accused Germany of 'self-censorship' when it reports on terror attacks and said 'there is nothing worse than self-censorship in journalism'.
Munich was the scene of the bloodiest of the German attacks, on July 22, in which an 18-year-old German-Iranian gunman killed nine people.
Wrona said it would have been easy for the Munich shooter to get a gun because of free movement in the EU and 'the whole Balkans are flooded with weapons'.
Right-wing activists marched in Berlin in May under the motto 'Merkel must go' to protest against German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her liberal asylum policy
Two of the assailants in the other attacks, a Syrian asylum seeker who blew himself up in Ansbach and a refugee from either Pakistan or Afghanistan who attacked people on a train in Bavaria, had links to Islamist militancy, officials say. The Munich gunman did not.
Critics of Chancellor Angela Merkel have blamed the attacks on her open-door refugee policy, under which over a million migrants, many fleeing war in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, entered Germany in the past year.
Merkel set out a nine-point plan on Thursday to respond to the attacks, including an early warning system for the radicalisation of refugees.
But she refused to reverse her welcoming stance toward refugees.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband Joachim Sauer arrive for Wagner's opera 'Tristan and Isolde' at the Bayreuth Festival, in Bayreuth, Germany, on Monday
The German leader said the assailants 'wanted to undermine our sense of community, our openness and our willingness to help people in need'.
'We firmly reject this,' she said.
Merkel repeated her rallying cry from last year when she opened the borders to people fleeing war and persecution, many from Syria, which brought nearly 1.1 million migrants and refugees to Germany in 2015.
'I am still convinced today that 'we can do it' - it is our historic duty and this is a historic challenge in times of globalisation,' she said.
'We have already achieved very, very much in the last 11 months.'
President Joachim Gauck said he understood why many Germans were shaken after the attacks, but Germany would not submit to the assailants. |
Every week or so, some article from our ninety-one-year-old archive stretches its legs, grabs its shoes—and perhaps its cane—and starts to amble around the Internet. It stops in at Facebook and Twitter, maybe with a hashtag like #longreads. Maybe it shows its face in r/TrueReddit, or in the New Yorker’s Sunday newsletter, or in the Spotlight or Archive sections of newyorker.com. Then it goes back home, where it waits quietly for the occasional greeting from Google.
This year, I’ve decided to make a list of the most-read stories from the New Yorker archive in 2016, measured by average time spent reading and arranged chronologically. A few stories with modern resonance do make an appearance. But this is the rare list of most-read articles with more pieces about running frauds than about the Donald. And, to critics who would accuse this of being just another clickbait list, I would note that the first story is John Hersey’s “Hiroshima.” |
Hillary Clinton stops at a polling place in Nashua, N.H., on Tuesday. The next day, her focus immediately shifted to Nevada and South Carolina. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)
The race for the Democratic presidential nomination turned sharply Wednesday into a battle for Hispanic and African American voters, who are expected to play a decisive role in a long list of upcoming contests in Southern and Western states.
Although former secretary of state Hillary Clinton enjoys a dramatic advantage over Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) among minorities, his resounding victory Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary gives him a shot of momentum that he hopes could turn that tide.
Making clear how crucial minority support will be, Sanders’s first stop after leaving New Hampshire was in Harlem, where he met Wednesday morning with the Rev. Al Sharpton and Benjamin Jealous, the former head of the NAACP.
“If the elections were held today in both those states, we would lose,” Sanders said in an interview, referring to Nevada and South Carolina. “But I think we have momentum, I think we have a shot to win, and if we don’t win, we’ll do a lot better than people think we will.”
Swamped by a wave of populist support for Sanders in New Hampshire, Clinton’s campaign signaled Wednesday that the spectacular loss will not throw her off a careful course set months ago that relies in part on strong support among minorities.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, left, talks with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders Wednesday at Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem. (Richard Drew/AP)
With a blast of announcements about endorsements, travel plans and more, the Clinton campaign sought to turn to subjects — gun control, criminal justice, the water crisis in Flint, Mich. — that speak to African American and blue-collar voters in the states that vote next.
“There is no change to our core argument, our plan, and you saw that in what we are saying as we look to the states that vote in March,” Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon said Wednesday.
The Sanders campaign, meanwhile, predicted that once voters in the next round of nominating states tune in, his message of economic fairness will resonate regardless of race. Sanders has argued that many of his initiatives — including a higher minimum wage, paid family leave and free college tuition — should be more appealing to African Americans and Latinos, given the greater share of economically struggling families in those communities.
Jeff Weaver, Sanders’s campaign manager, said that internal polling is starting to show movement in Sanders’s direction among younger voters of all backgrounds in upcoming states.
“Younger voters are clearly the strongest group for Senator Sanders, and this is sort of reminiscent of the Obama campaign — where younger voters were the president’s strongest bloc as well — across racial lines,” Weaver said.
Clinton had no public appearances Wednesday. She and Sanders meet for another Democratic debate on Thursday in Milwaukee. Clinton is expected to strike a more aspirational, optimistic tone that is a tacit acknowledgment that simply knocking down Sanders’s ideas as unrealistic was not enough.
A chief complaint among Clinton backers appalled by her 22-point loss Tuesday in a state with long and fond ties to the Clinton political franchise is that she isn’t getting through to voters. Exit polling and other data show that Clinton did not connect in New Hampshire — not with men, not with women, not with the young and not with blue-collar voters.
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The next two Democratic contests will come in Nevada, where 30 percent of the Democratic electorate in 2008 was black or Hispanic, and in South Carolina, where 55 percent of the 2008 Democratic electorate was black. In March, another slew of Southern states with large African American populations will vote.
Clinton has long been thought to have a Southern “firewall” — an insurmountable advantage with minority voters. Sanders has never demonstrated an ability to attract minorities; his strong showing in Iowa and his trouncing of Clinton in New Hampshire were in states, like his home state of Vermont, where more than 90 percent of the population is white.
An NBC News-Wall Street Journal-Marist poll taken in January in South Carolina showed Clinton with the support of 74 percent of black voters, compared with 17 percent for Sanders.
Tad Devine, a strategist for the Sanders campaign, said that Sanders need not win a majority of black voters in South Carolina in order to put together a coalition with white voters to beat Clinton.
In South Carolina, the Sanders campaign is paying “dozens” of canvassers $15 an hour to go door to door, primarily in the black community, to pitch his candidacy, Weaver said. Cornel West, the noted black scholar who has fallen out of favor with many African Americans because of his sharp criticism of President Obama, also has campaigned extensively in South Carolina for Sanders. Atlanta rapper Killer Mike, another Obama critic, has helped spread Sanders’s message in appearances, online discussions and social-media posts.
Clinton has been quietly organizing in the state since April and has hosted 1,900 grass-roots events. During a recent weekend of campaigning, aides say the campaign contacted 100,000 voters through canvassing and phone banks. Mothers who have lost children to gun violence, including some who were shot by police officers, are planning to campaign on her behalf in South Carolina and other Southern states, and celebrities will be enlisted to visit barbershops and beauty salons to talk up Clinton’s campaign.
“We’re not fighting to win a certain percentage of the vote, we’re fighting to earn the support of the community, we’re fighting for every last vote,” said Marlon Marshall, Clinton’s director of states and political engagement. “She has a multi-decade history of fighting for the African American community. Throughout this entire campaign we’ve seen her go into these communities, have these conversations, talking about issues that matter to the African American community. She’s not just now doing this, she’s done this her whole life, and that’s an important point to make.”
Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) predicted that Clinton’s loss in New Hampshire would not shake her support in his state.
“It won’t matter a whole lot,” he said even before the polls had closed in New Hampshire on Tuesday. He said there have been some signs of support for Sanders on college campuses around the state. “There’s not been a big surge. The reliable primary voters that I know don’t seem to have shifted at all.”
Clinton’s African American allies unleashed a wave of criticism against Sanders on Wednesday, strongly criticizing him for being “absent” on issues that matter to black voters — but demonstrating an awareness that she may be vulnerable, in the wake of New Hampshire, to an erosion of support.
“Bernie Sanders as mayor, as a member of the House, as a member of the United States Senate, has been missing in action on issues that are important to the African Americans,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said on a conference call with reporters.
In addition to rolling out the support of African American celebrities such as Angela Bassett this week, Clinton landed the endorsement of the South Carolina House Democratic leader, J. Todd Rutherford, who joined in the criticism of Sanders.
Rutherford faulted Sanders for voting in favor of a 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which has been blamed for helping usher in an era of mass incarceration. Bill Clinton, who signed the bill into law as president, has expressed regret for the consequences of the legislation.
Jaime Harrison, chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, is remaining neutral because of his post. He pointed squarely to the reasons that African American and female support is crucial to a Democratic victory in his state.
In the most recent competitive Democratic primary, in 2008, 61 percent of the electorate was female, and 55 percent was African American, Harrison said. That combination means that the key voting bloc in South Carolina are black women.
“If you want to know who is going to win, you need to talk to African American women,” Harrison said.
For now, they are predisposed to support Clinton. If Sanders has any chance of making it close or of winning, Harrison said, “he has to cut into her support among African American women.”
Hillary Clinton’s poor showing with young voters and with women of nearly every age in both Iowa and New Hampshire gives many of her allies shivers, and Sanders’s inroads among African Americans have raised alarm.
Sanders has won the support of Jealous, the former NAACP head, and he met Wednesday with him and Sharpton, the civil rights leader. Sharpton said he will wait until a scheduled meeting with Clinton next week before issuing an endorsement.
“My generation was the first generation raised in the era of mass incarceration,” Jealous told reporters after the meeting. “My children are now 3 and 10, and I do not intend for my children to be food for our prisons the way that my brothers and sisters have been. There is no candidate in this race who is fiercer in standing up for those who need allies in the struggle than Bernie Sanders.”
Sanders also scored surprise support Wednesday from influential African American writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, who had earlier excoriated Sanders for not supporting reparations for slavery.
The Congressional Black Caucus is moving quickly to defend Clinton. The CBC’s leaders said they will appear Thursday morning at a club adjacent to the Democratic National Committee to endorse Clinton for president, through the CBC PAC, and then send many of their members to states, including South Carolina, where black voters are crucial.
“It’s one thing to endorse and do nothing. It’s another thing to endorse and to go to work,” said Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.), chairman of the CBC PAC.
Meeks said that 90 percent of the 20-member board of the political action committee voted to endorse Clinton, none voted for Sanders and a few, including Clyburn, the No. 3 House Democratic leader, abstained because they had not yet endorsed in the race.
Clyburn, in an interview with MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” reiterated earlier comments to The Washington Post that he is considering endorsing Clinton after previously saying he would stay neutral until the primary vote in his state.
Sanders’s rise, particularly among young voters, even young African American voters, has struck a nerve with veteran members of the caucus who think these voters are behaving naively.
“Many of these are first-time voters, and Senator Sanders’s message resonates with the younger generation because of the promises that he is making,” said Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), chairman of the caucus. “But Mrs. Clinton and others are going to challenge the message by suggesting that it is unrealistic to believe that we can accomplish all of the things that Senator Sanders proposes.”
Scott Clement, Paul Kane and Vanessa Williams contributed to this report. |
The great state of New Jersey, which has spawned sociocultural superstars as various as naturalist-poet Joyce Kilmer, rock balladeer Bruce Springsteen, and truculent governor Chris Christie, is currently distinguishing itself in a different way—as a place where the First Amendment is under siege.
New Jersey’s attorney general, Christie ally Christopher Porrino, has successfully prevented The Trentonian, the 30,000-circulation daily based in the state capital, from reporting details of a sensational situation in which child welfare authorities removed a 5-year-old boy from his family and placed him in foster care after a teacher at his school discovered packets of heroin in his lunchbox and, weeks later, crack cocaine in his personal folder.
State Family Court Judge Craig L. Corson—who, like Porrino, was appointed to his job by the governor—issued an emergency injunction on Oct. 26, ordering the newspaper not to publish details of the incidents based on a confidential child abuse complaint against the boy’s parents and grandmother, which Trentonian reporter Isaac Avilucea says the mother willingly handed to him for the purposes of a news story.
Earlier in the day, he says, the mother, Tashawn Ford, had visited the Trentonian’s newsroom to solicit coverage of her plight. She was in the middle of a custody dispute with the boy’s paternal grandmother, Ernestine Woodard, and Avilucea had interviewed Ford, who was no longer in a relationship with the boy’s father, Maurice Leonard.
The temporary injunction, which the judge issued after a hasty hearing in which Deputy Attorney General John Tolleris was allowed to argue in absence of the newspaper’s lawyers as Avilucea was writing his story on deadline, cited state statutes that carry potential criminal penalties, including prison time of up to three years and a fine of $1,000; the judge extended the injunction two days later. It remains in force.
After the newspaper was served by the court, Avilucea was forced to delete from his story confidential details that relied on the so-called verified complaint provided to him by the mother in a courthouse hallway, moments before a confidential hearing on the child abuse complaint. (The story, in any case, never named the boy.)
“I see this case as a microcosm of a larger issue,” Avilucea told The Daily Beast on Wednesday, the same day a scheduled court hearing—in which lawyers for the Trentonian and the attorney general’s office were expected to argue the issues—was canceled without explanation or a new date set.
“Journalism, as this recent election has shown, is far more important now than maybe it has ever been,” he added. “It’s weird that this case is coming up now, because you have such a divisive figure in President-elect Donald Trump”—who has disdained the idea of holding regular press conferences, incited mob rage at his rallies against reporters both individually and collectively, and has vowed to “open up our libel laws” to make winning lawsuits against media outlets easier.
Christie, meanwhile, “is a media-hating governor who is trying to punish newspapers,” Avilucea said, referring to the governor’s efforts this week to rescind a state law that requires businesses, and state and municipal governments, to place their public legal notices in local papers as paid ads.
If adopted, the Christie-pushed legislation—which would permit the posting of notices online at no cost—would deprive New Jersey’s newspaper industry of an estimated 7 percent of its revenue and, according to analysts, cause the loss of around 200 to 300 jobs.
The state’s newspaper industry is hardly healthy even without this latest attack. New Jersey’s largest paper, The Star Ledger, is still nursing deep wounds from mass layoffs.
Avilucea, a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the eldest of four children of a retired lieutenant in the city fire department and a stay-at-home mom, is by all accounts no pushover.
He credits his father, a voracious consumer of newspapers “every fucking morning at the kitchen table,” with sparking his interest in journalism.
“I like the adversarial nature of it. I like holding people accountable—holding their feet to the fire. The important people, the shakers and movers,” Avilucea told The Daily Beast. “I was talking to my mom last night on the phone, and she worries. She thought I was a rebel. Well, if you’re a rebel and a rabble-rouser, journalism is right up your alley.”
At 27, Avilucea has established himself in a nomadic career as a take-no-prisoners reporter at five different newspapers—from two of which he was fired after heated disputes with his bosses—and has displayed a knack not only for “pissing off people” (as his close friend and mentor, Albuquerque Journal assistant sports editor Mark Smith, laughingly put it), but also for producing journalism that has attracted national attention.
In 2013, Avilucea, who rose to managing editor of his college newspaper at the University of New Mexico, was sacked from the now-defunct North Adams, Massachusetts, Transcript, when his profile of a female high school soccer player—in which he quoted her as comparing her former school to the movie Mean Girls—provoked angry phone calls to his boss from parents and administrators.
After the Transcript slammed the story in an editorial and he blogged about the experience—“I Was Fired for Being a Journalist,” was the headline—his termination was featured by BuzzFeed and Poynter among other outlets.
An earlier firing, in 2012, when Avilucea was working as a sportswriter for The Santa Fe New Mexican, received no publicity, but revealed him as a hothead with a taste for combat.
Avilucea’s then-boss, New Mexican sports editor John Barron—who remains a friend—recalled that he was forced to dismiss him after a series of newsroom confrontations with colleagues exploded in a knockdown drag-out during an argument concerning the local basketball team.
When Barron urged Avilucea to moderate his behavior, he recalled, the reporter hurled his bag at him.
“His temper and his emotions sometimes got the best of him,” Barron said.
Yet he described Avilucea, outside the newsroom, as a “good guy at heart” and loyal friend, as well as a talented writer and reliable reporter adept at obtaining documents to backstop his reporting.
“When he latches on to something, he won’t let it go,” Barron said. “It’s a great quality, in a way, but you also have to realize that if you’re covering basketball, not everything is Woodward and Bernstein.”
Avilucea eventually landed at the Connecticut Law Tribune, where he made waves covering a bitter child custody battle between two divorcing attorneys, and—in an episode that also made national news—quoted from a confidential document published by mistake on the state judicial branch’s website and confronted his first experience of prior restraint.
New Britain Superior Court Judge Stephen Frazzini ordered the Law Tribune not to publish further stories on the conflict. (The judge later reversed himself, saying his injunction was moot after other news organizations published detailed accounts of the marital and child custody dispute.)
“He doesn’t have a filter; there’s no gray area,” Avilucea’s mentor, Mark Smith, told The Daily Beast. “He’s the opposite of an access journalist and he wants to write the truth, good bad or indifferent. He’s a really hard-nosed reporter and he’s really aggressive, and he’ll just go after it and after it. He won’t let a story beat him.”
Or much else, it seemed. Last year, Avilucea beat testicular cancer into remission after receiving the diagnosis just before he turned 26.
“We’re living at a time when our First Amendment rights are under attack,” he said, concerning Trump. “He’s threatened to roll back certain freedoms and protections we’ve enjoyed.”
One of the Trentonian’s attorneys, media lawyer David Bralow, declined to discuss the paper’s legal battle, citing attorney-client privilege, but acknowledged the Fourth Estate in general: “I will say that we are in perilous times.”
Miriam Ascarelli, president of the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists—whose national headquarters issued a tough statement this week in support of Avilucea and his newspaper—echoed those concerns, as have press defenders and constitutional law experts ranging from media lawyer Floyd Abrams to UCLA Law School Professor Eugene Volokh.
“I think there is a sense that journalism is under assault in the Trump era, and that’s a fair thing to say,” Ascarelli told The Daily Beast. “I think people don’t know what’s going to happen, and there is a sense that this case is important.”
The statement by Ascarelli’s organization condemned Judge Corson’s injunction and argued: “There is no question that this story is messy and needs to be handled with sensitivity… The sensitivity of the topic is not a reason stop the presses and prevent Avilucea from using material from a report that he obtained legally to tell a story that raises legitimate issues of public concern. This is not just about the criminal aspects of the case, but also about whether there were failures on the part of the state agencies that were supposed to protect the child.”
The statement added: “This injunction sets an intolerable precedent that undermines everything we value about a free press.”
Indeed, Judge Corson’s action would seem to violate constitutional protections against “prior restraint” of the news media that the Supreme Court had declared settled law as far back as 1931 in a landmark case, Near v. Minnesota, in which the high court struck down a state statute gagging “scandalous” newspapers that create a “public nuisance.”
That precedent was reaffirmed in the 1971 Pentagon Papers decision, in which the justices voted 6-3 against the Nixon White House’s attempt to stop The New York Times and The Washington Post from publishing the government’s highly classified secret history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
Prominent New Jersey media lawyer Bruce Rosen, who has been representing a consortium of media organizations trying to pry information out the U.S. attorney’s office in the ongoing Chris Christie/”Bridgegate” investigation, said the Garden State’s judges seem particularly prone to issuing unconstitutional injunctions to prevent media outlets from publishing sensitive information of public interest.
“It’s almost as if no one took constitutional law before they became a judge in New Jersey,” said Rosen, who in recent days signed on as Avilucea’s personal attorney, pro bono, after the reporter refused to be party to a settlement agreement hammered out between his newspaper and the attorney general’s office.
Avilucea’s refusal blew up the settlement that, according to him and a second source familiar with the negotiations, the Trentonian’s management had been eager to sign.
It would have ended the litigation and avoided tens of thousands of dollars in legal expenses for the paper and its parent company, Digital First Media, a chain of small newspapers which in turn is owned by a hedge fund, Alden Global Capital. Top Trentonian editor John Berry didn’t respond to email and voicemail messages seeking comment.
The proposed settlement, a copy of which was obtained by The Daily Beast, would have required the newspaper not to publish any information from the confidential “verified complaint” and to destroy any copies of the document along with attachments and exhibits.
The attorney general’s office, however, would have permitted the Trentonian to publish information obtained independently of the complaint, and to write stories about the state government’s efforts to keep the contents of the complaint secret.
It also required Avilucea and the newspaper to waive any legal claims arising from the situation, and in return promised to release him from any potential criminal liability.
“I didn’t feel like the Trentonian’s lawyers had my back,” Avilucea said, explaining why he retained separate counsel this week. “I felt like they wanted me to sign this agreement. I just didn’t feel comfortable with the posture, the precedent, and the principal. You have the attorney general of the state telling you what you can and cannot report? It’s offensive and nonsensical. This was settled case law long before I was born.”
Absent a settlement, the Trentonian must hope to prevail in court. But shockingly, Avilucea learned late Wednesday night the devastating news that he is facing a far more important battle.
“I found out yesterday my cancer is back. I’m in the hospital now,” he emailed on Thursday morning. “I have the history. I was coughing up blood, felt weak yesterday. So I came to RWJ [Robert Wood Johnson Hospital] in Hamilton. They said it spread to my lungs and lymph nodes near my stomach. Waiting to be biopsied… I gotta make decisions once I know prognosis. if it’s beyond treatable I’ll prob go back to NM.”
With astonishing courage, and a taste for irony indulged by ink-stained wretches the world over, Avilucea added: “I thought this prior restraint battle was my biggest fight. It has been supplanted in 24 hours. Lol.” |
Macy's is done with Donald Trump.
The department store said Wednesday it has cut ties with the billionaire Republican presidential hopeful, who said last month that Mexican immigrants are "bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists."
Macy's said it will phase out a Trump menswear collection that has been sold at the retailer since 2004.
"We are disappointed and distressed by recent remarks about immigrants from Mexico," the Cincinnati-based company said in a statement. "We do not believe the disparaging characterizations portray an accurate picture of the many Mexicans, Mexican Americans and Latinos who have made so many valuable contributions to the success of our nation."
The move comes after more than 728,000 people singed a MoveOn.org petition urging Macy's to dump Trump.
The retailer is the latest to cut ties with Trump over his comments.
On Tuesday, billionaire Carlos Slim -- the richest man in Mexico and one of the world's wealthiest -- said he dropped a television project his production studio Ora TV was working on with Trump.
"His statement was totally out of line," Slim's spokesman and son-in-law Arturo Elias said in a statement to Reuters. "Working with someone so closed-minded was not going to work."
Last week, Spanish-language network Univision scrapped plans to air the Miss Universe pageant because of Trump's comments. Trump owns half of the Miss Universe Organization, and said Tuesday he has filed a $500 million suit against Univision. On Monday, NBCUniversal -- which owns the other half of the organization -- dropped the Miss USA pageant scheduled to air later this month and next January's Miss Universe contest.
Following Macy's announcement, Trump said he welcomed the end of his relationship with the retailer.
"Clearly, NBC and Macy’s support illegal immigration, which is totally detrimental to the fabric of our once great country," he said in a statement posted on Instagram. "Both Macy’s and NBC totally caved at the first sight of potential difficulty with special interest groups who are nothing more than professional agitators, who are not looking out for the people they purport to represent, but only for themselves." |
A man remains in a critical condition in hospital after surviving a 10-hour flight by clinging to the undercarriage of a British Airways flight from which another stowaway is feared to have plunged to his death.
The survivor was found unconscious in the undercarriage of the plane on Thursday morning having endured freezing temperatures over the 8,000 miles (12,875km) flight from Johannesburg to London.
The body of the dead man was discovered an hour later on the roof of a west London office building. It is not clear if he was killed in the fall; flight data reveals the plane would have been at an altitude of around 1,400ft (427m) when it passed over the area.
Police say they believe they know the survivor’s identity and that he is 24 years old, but are awaiting confirmation. Scotland Yard said officers were looking into whether there was a connection between the survivor and the dead man, who was found under the busy flight path of planes coming into Heathrow over the Richmond area.
“At this time, there is no evidence to link the death to the discovery of a stowaway in the undercarriage of a plane at Heathrow airport; however, this is one line of enquiry into identifying the deceased and the circumstances of his death,” the Metropolitan police said.
One in four plane stowaways can survive, but London case is astonishing Read more
There have been previous cases of stowaways plunging to their deaths in west London after smuggling themselves on to planes. They hide in the landing gear where they are exposed to the elements and endure sub-zero temperatures. Most are killed by the cold and lack of oxygen at high altitude.
In September 2012, José Matada, 26, died after falling from the undercarriage of a Heathrow-bound flight from Angola on to a street in Mortlake, west London. An inquest into his death heard that the Mozambican man was likely to have survived temperatures as low as -60C (-76F) for most of the 12-hour flight. It was believed he was dead or nearly dead by the time he hit the ground.
David Learmount, an aviation expert and consulting editor of Flight International magazine, said the fact that one of the two men survived the long flight suggests he may have been able to get into the baggage hold section of the aircraft, which would raise serious security questions. “If these two were neither airline nor airport staff and somehow managed to get on a flight, then it becomes a serious security issue. Just how did they get [on the restricted] airside at the airport?
“Then there’s the question of just where on the plane these two were. If a person was in the wheel well of a plane on an 11-hour flight there’s really very little chance of surviving. You are either going to be frozen to death by temperatures of -50C or you are going to die through lack of oxygen with the plane flying at 35,000ft.”
The victim fell on to the offices of the online marketplace Notonthehighstreet.com on a busy road. Charles Campbell, 59, a carpenter from Ealing in west London, left a bunch of yellow flowers at the scene, saying that he thought no one else would. “He’s got a family and it’s Father’s Day on Sunday. This is not first time this has happened,” he said.
Worshippers at a church across the road from where the dead man’s body was found would pray for him, the vicar, the Rev Neil Summers, said. “It’s very shocking when something like this happens on your doorstep. Coupled with all the migrants coming across the high seas into Europe from north Africa, it’s just another example of how desperate people are to reach this country to try to find a better life for themselves.”
Johannesburg’s OR Tambo international airport, where the flight originated, announced that security was being heightened and said the incident was the first of its nature there in 10 years. Colin Naidoo, a spokesman for Airports Company South Africa, which manages the airport, said authorities were still investigating how the stowaways made it past security. “It’s a security breach … we need to find out how and why this happened,” he said. “It’s very rare for this to happen in South Africa.” The British Airways flight departed for Heathrow at 7.45pm (1745 GMT) on Wednesday, Naidoo added.
A British Airways spokeswoman said: “We are working with the Metropolitan police and the authorities in Johannesburg to establish the facts surrounding this very rare case.” A postmortem examination of the dead man is scheduled to take place next week. |
Edward Snowden, shown at his home in Russia. (Photo: Courtesy photo, Radius-TWC)
An attorney for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden is speaking in Nashville on Saturday about the impact of government surveillance on free speech and democracy.
Ben Wizner is director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project and is a lawyer for Snowden. Wizner told The Tennessean he'll talk briefly, but then hopes to field questions from the audience.
"To some extent I’ll be talking about my own experience as Snowden’s advocate, but also the broader questions he raises about how mass surveillance may pose as a threat to free societies," Wizner said.
"I will say something about the extraordinary global debate this helped to launch. I do think there is a greater awareness of the prevalence and danger of surveillance."
Wizner began working with the ACLU a month before 9/11 and has spent much of his career there focused on government intelligence and terrorism. He said when Snowden leaked documents that showed the government was collecting massive amounts of data on private citizens, it brought the issue into the public domain.
Wizner's appearance in Nashville, called “Surveillance State: Can Democracy Survive?”, is set for 2-3 p.m. at the downtown Nashville Public Library.
The library will also show "Citizenfour," the Academy Award-winning documentary about journalists Glenn Greenwald's and Laura Poitras' encounters with Snowden at the time he released the documents and sought asylum abroad.
The event is a partnership of the ACLU of Tennessee and the Nashville Public Library.
If you go
What: Surveillance State: Can Democracy Survive?
Place: Nashville Public Library, 615 Church St.
When: Saturday, Oct. 17
11:30 a.m.: "Citizenfour" screening
1:30 p.m.: Refreshments and registration
2 p.m.: Conversation with Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project and Snowden's lawyer
For more information, call 615-320-7142 or email aclutn@aclu-tn.org.
Reach Stacey Barchenger at 615-726-8968 or on Twitter @sbarchenger.
Read or Share this story: http://tnne.ws/1LyaNtV |
Chronically ill Americans suffer far worse care than their counterparts in seven other industrial nations, according to a new study by the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based foundation that has pioneered in international comparisons. It is the latest telling evidence that the dysfunctional American health care system badly needs reform.
The results of the study, published by the respected journal Health Affairs, belie the notion held by many American politicians that health care in this country is the best in the world. That may be true at a handful of pre-eminent medical centers, but it is hardly true for the care provided to a huge portion of the population.
The Commonwealth Fund’s survey of 7,500 patients in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Britain and the United States focused on patients who suffered from at least one of seven chronic conditions: hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, lung problems, cancer or depression.
The care they received in this country — or more often did not receive — ought to be a cause for shame. More than half of the American patients went without care because of high out-of-pocket costs. They did not visit a doctor when sick, skipped a recommended test or treatment or failed to fill a prescription. The uninsured suffered most, but even 43 percent of those who had insurance all year skipped care because of costs.
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Americans also were most likely to report wasting time because their care was so poorly organized. About a third reported that medical records and test results were not available when needed or that tests were duplicated unnecessarily. A third experienced a medical error, such as being given the wrong medication or test results. Some 40 percent found it very difficult to get after-hours care without going to an emergency room.
The United States did comparatively well in some areas, such as providing relatively prompt access to specialists and clear instructions to patients leaving the hospital. But the nation’s overall performance was abysmal. |
Bernie Sanders and his supporters celebrate his "virtual tie" with Hilary Clinton in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.(Photo by Lucian Perkins /for The Washington Post)
Nearly winning Iowa has been very good for Bernie Sanders’s bank account.
An aide to the Democratic presidential hopeful said Tuesday that the campaign had raised $3 million since Monday night’s Iowa caucuses, in which Sanders finished right behind Hillary Clinton, according to Iowa Democratic Party figures.
“It’s been our best day ever,” Sanders communications director Michael Briggs said of the fundraising haul.
[Sanders not ready to concede Iowa or confirm appearance in Thursday night debate]
Sanders raises the vast majority of his money online in small increments, which gives the campaign the ability to return to donors to ask for additional contributions. Only a tiny fraction of Sanders’s contributors have hit the $2,700 maximum, aides say.
He also benefited from new donors in the hour afters his speech on Monday night. Four in 10 who gave during that stretch had not contributed previously to the campaign, Briggs said.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addressed his supporters following the Iowa caucus results. (Reuters)
Advisers had expected that a strong performance Monday would produce a windfall of cash.
With all precincts reporting, the state party said Tuesday morning that Clinton had edged Sanders on the share of delegates awarded, 49.8 percent to 49.6 percent. Clinton’s campaign declared victory even before the final tallies were released.
Sanders, who began the last spring as a fringe candidate, has nearly matched Clinton in fundraising during the two previous quarters. And two days ago, the campaign announced it raised an eye-popping $20 million in January alone. The past 24 hour have exceeded even that pace. |
Donald Trump will address a crowd at a stadium when he comes to Britain later this year, it was reported last night.
Proceeds from tickets for the rally would go to UK war veterans, according to a plan said to be under discussion by a source close to the new US President.
The Brexit heartland of the Midlands is one contender to host the rock star-style event, while London and Cardiff have also been mentioned as possible locations.
The Midlands could see host to a rock star-style rally when President Trump visits Britain
The suggestion comes after House of Commons Speaker John Bercow controversially told MPs that he would not allow Mr Trump to speak in Parliament on the upcoming State visit.
Mr Trump’s imposition of a travel ban on seven majority Muslim countries – since overturned by a US judge – has sparked widespread criticism.
A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘A date has not been set and arrangements will be set out in due course.’ |
Opening with $2.3M from early Tuesday shows, Terminator got off to a somewhat weak start. While its hard to compare this to other debuts as most of them come from Thursday and not Tuesday, it does show that there was not much demand for this new reboot. This was a bit above The Lone Ranger, which took in $2M back in 2013. However only opening slightly above that notorious flop isn’t a great start.
Also opening was Magic Mike XXL, which took in a pretty good $2.4M from its early shows. While it is not an apples-to-apples comparison, the original opened to $2.1M from midnight Thursday shows, and was also one of the most front loaded openings of all time; its Friday made up just over 50% of its $39M debut. This does show a solid start for the sequel which will probably be able to top $40M by the end of the five days.
Due to the different release schedule of this weekend, the next update will be posted on Saturday afternoon with updated predictions based on the Wednesday/Thursday/Friday grosses.
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Alex Hern runs through four myths about the public sector strikes, and shows why they're all false.
1. Pensions aren’t sustainable at the level they are
As Stephen Henderson wrote in July:
The Office of Budget Responsibility’s July 2011 Fiscal Sustainability report (pdf) looks long into the future (2060) and guesses at the likely proportions of GDP that might arise as the population becomes more elderly. The assumptions are based on current policies, not government proposals. Confirming earlier findings in the Hutton Report (pdf), they clearly predict the cost of public pensions will fall from 2% of GDP to 1.8% in 2030 and 1.4% in 2060 – without any of the current Hutton proposals.
Even Hutton himself accepts that they are sustainable, although he attempts to draw a distinction between sustainable and affordable.
2. Public sector pensions are higher than private sector pensions
The reason for the disparity in average pension isn’t because public sector pensions are higher, but because so many private sector employers don’t offer any pension plan at all.
As Nigel Stanley revealed on Monday:
• Two in three private sector workers are not members of a workplace pension scheme; • Private sector pension provision increases sharply with pay, while in the public sector it is much more evenly distributed; • Two in three public sector staff earning between £100 and £200 a week are in a pension while only one in seven private sector employees in the same wage band are in a pension; • Pension provision in the private sector varies hugely between sectors, with four in five workers in the energy sector having a pension, but only one in 16 in the hospitality sector having one; • While senior public sector staff are in the same schemes as the rest of the employees in their sector and often pay bigger percentage contributions, top directors in the private sector (FTSE 100 directors) have pensions worth nearly £4 million on average.
3. Strikes are the work of ‘militants’.
Despite claims of “apathy” from politicians such as Boris Johnson, the response from the thirty unions which have been balloted has been strongly in favour of the strike. 78 per cent of Unison voted in favour of the strike, 83 per cent of the GMB, 75 per cent of Unite – all mandates which any politician would kill for.
Even when turnout is taken into account, the unions still exceed the mandate of prominent politicians such as, well, David Cameron and Boris Johnson:
You may remember, of course, that Johnson was elected Mayor of London in 2008. He gained 42.48 per cent of the first preferences in London, on a turnout of 45.33 per cent. So London has a mayor triggered by less than a fifth of the voting population – just 19 per cent.
David Cameron is the head of the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by virtue of his being the head of the largest party in the commons. He achieved this feat thanks to his party getting 36.1 per cent of the votes cast, on a 65 per cent turnout. Which means that, like Unite, just 23 per cent of those balloted voted in favour of a Conservative government. In addition, the strikes are hardly the work of militant unions. Even putting aside the fact that calling Unite, the largest union in the UK, ‘militant’ stretches the definition, the headteacher’s union has voted for a strike in the first time in its 114-year history. The only militants involved are Michael Gove and the rest of the Tory cabinet.
4. Public sector pensions should be made more like private sector pensions
This is, at it’s head, the argument being made by the government. Every time they talk about ‘gold plated’ pensions of the unions, it is an attempt to divide and conquer.
As Owen Jones argued at Labour List:
Private sector pensions are one of the great scandals of our age. Only 40 per cent of private sector workers are now in an employer-sponsored pension scheme. It’s even worse with low-paid workers: only 20 per cent of those earning between £100 and £200 a week are in an employer-backed scheme. But the argument should not be to drag down the pensions of public sector workers: it should be to drag up the pensions of private sector workers. Why punish public sector workers for the bad practices of private sector employers? If we do, we end up in a race to the bottom.
And as we said in October:
The claim that public sector pensions should be low because private sector pensions are low is often heard. But why should it be true? Why not instead make the opposite argument: that the only reason why private sector pensions are as high as they are is because they face competition from the public sector. Some business may offer a fair pension out of the goodness of their heart, but many more offer the lowest that they can get away with – and if workers aren’t offered a better alternative in the public sector, then that low will be much, much lower.
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One Russian blogger has paid a visit to the modern Russian nuclear plant. Normally it is forbidden to take photos there, but they have made an exception for him. So now we have a rare chance to see what’s inside of the Russian most modern power plant.
This power plant is situated near Smolensk city. Its power generation potential is 3 Megawatt and it was build for 8 years, from 1982 to 1990. There were planned to be four nuclear reactors, but because of the panic after the Chernobyl accident the forth block has not been completed, so there are three of them for now.
Let’s go inside.
In Russia there are now 10 active power plants. This one produces 1/7 of the overral electricity outcome of Russian nuclear powerplants, so it is a big one.
Because this powerplant was completed after the Chernobyl, they paid a special attention to secure it from alike accidents. There is even a saying that “The sci-fi writers are on the second place by richness of imagination, the first place is occupied by the nuclear plant security engineers”, meaning that they need to make it safe just for some unimaginable events that not very likely to happen, but still the security system should be ready for them.
The outside structure that secures reactors themselves can stand the blast that exceeds ten times the power of atomic bomb blast, just imagine.
There is a 30km (18 miles) security zone around the plant itself. It’s literary filled with all sorts of sensors and monitoring devices that measure the condition of the environment and should report any smallest deviation from normal radiation doses. There is also a water pound, the normal thing on such an object, that stores strategic reserve of water, which is said to be very clean and is fishing there is the big dream for every local – it doesn’t freezes in winter and has plenty of different fish species.
The entrance to the station has a few protection levels, including palm scan, checking weight (it shouldn’t) differ from the number on profile.
Everyone should be dressed into uniform.
Everyone gets personal radiation checker. |
While working with Burger King, Adar said he's even had to sign a legal document saying he didn't alter anything. Chick-fil-A demanded that he use its procedures.
"Most companies today want it to be fresh, natural, not overworked," Adar said.
McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, Chipotle and Yum Brands didn't respond to CNBC email requests for comment about the practice of food styling. A Chick-fil-A spokeswoman said the company isn't sure it would "be a fit for this story" since it takes a different approach to using food in its commercials, which often center on cows advising people to 'eat mor chikin.'
A Wendy's spokesman said about food stylists, "We supply the same ingredients to them as our restaurants receive. We also require that they prepare and build the products to operational procedures. The big difference is how much time we take to get an appealing shot."
In a statement, Dunkin' Donuts Spokeswoman Michelle King said, "Dunkin' Donuts always uses real Dunkin' Donuts product in our advertisements. Our shoot director and food stylist team build the products to the exact specifications provided by Dunkin' Donuts' chefs to match what will be sold in our restaurants. We strive to ensure the authenticity of our products in our advertising."
On the regulatory side, Federal Trade Commission spokeswoman Betsy Lordan told CNBC by email that truth in advertising laws do apply to restaurant menu items displayed in ads. The commission examines both what's implied by and stated in an ad to determine whether it's deceptive.
"There are no specific FTC regulations governing food photos used in advertising, and the FTC has not pursued any cases alleging that food ads are deceptive based only on the photos," she wrote.
If, for example, customers see that McDonald's fries look different in person than in an ad, that would not cause the same regulatory concern as a false claim that a product has special properties, like reducing the risk of illness. |
President Asif Ali Zardari has said that there is a need of addressing population explosion as resource crunch, poverty, inadequate infrastructure and environmental threat are the biggest problems being faced by Pakistan
In his message on the occasion of World Population Day, the president said the need for indeed the demographic factor had been the single most important factor in the developmental agenda.0
He said that a balance had to be struck between the population growth and the available resources for sustainable development if quality service was to be provided to everyone especially in the remote and rural areas.
“I am pleased to learn that the 26th World Population Day this year is focusing on the availability of reproductive health services. These services are indispensable for the development of any society but have remained elusive to a large number of women”, he added.
The president said in his message that the government had accorded high priority to the reproductive health services.
He also urged all the concerned to pay greater attention and make greater investment for providing basic education and health services to women especially in the rural areas. |
The Lanard Shotgun/Air Zone Tripleshot is an older pump action blaster that had a turret of 4 sets of 3 darts, and it was intended to shoot out 3 darts at a time. Though in stock form it was pretty awful, a huge plunger tube and surprisingly strong stock spring gave it massive mod potential, and there are a huge number of examples of modded LSG/AZTS's that can be found with a simple google search. I wanted to do something different in the same vein as my triple rocket Titan - a pump action quad rocket blaster.Do note that my particular model is specifically a Lanard Shotgun, I don't know how different it is to the similarly coloured Air Zone Triple Shot.The blaster uses 4 rocket pegs made out of 16mm and 20mm UPVC/electrical conduit. The 16mm with a few wraps of tape fits Demo rockets nicely, and sleeves tightly in the 20mm which makes for a tougher piece. Note that the rocket pegs are spread out further than the turret is couplered - this is because the couplers are far too close together to fit 4 rockets on.Naturally the rocket pegs aren't perfectly straight, but they're good enough for my purposes (read: goofing around, not serious combat use). Since the rocket pegs are 16mm UPVC/electrical conduit, they *can* be used for firing darts, however the rocket pegs are far shorter than the ideal barrel length for firing single darts.Loaded with rockets. Rocket performance is not especially good as the plunger to turret seal is not very good, and the spring load is not particularly strong for an LSG build (just stock + stock LS). Ranges can be anything from 8 to 15 metres, depending on how the rocket behaves in flight. Accuracy is non-existent, there is absolutely no consistency at all. I wasn't going for accuracy though, and the range is good enough for me to consider this thing a success - it fires rockets sufficiently far for my goofing around purposes.The LSG uses a set of cut down 20mm UPVC couplers. I didn't install them, they were already on the blaster when I purchased it second hand, which made my job a lot easier.Naturally being couplered, the LSG can be set up for all kinds of barrel systems. I decided to build a set of multi-dart firing attachments, a setup fitting of its Shotgun design and name.I was originally intending to build 4 dart absolvers, however the spacing didn't work out nicely and the airflow into each barrel was going to be very small, so I settled on 3 dart absolvers. These aren't anything special really.The stock LSG/AZTS was originally set up to fire 3 darts, however its barrel system was incredibly poor resulting in extremely poor performance. This setup gets reasonable ranges with both Kooshes and FVJs, anywhere from 10 to 15 metres depending on the darts. Spread is also dependent on the exact darts used.I intend to try this setup out at Equalz Dee events, where it gets pitted against things like stock Hammershots and Strongarms. The relatively long and heavy prime does slow it down considerably compared to anything stock, so I'm hoping it won't be significantly, if at all, overpowered. I might also give it a go at MHvZ for a bit of fun, maybe in the dart sweep round or as a semi-goof blaster in Secret VIP or something.Since the couplers are universal, mix-and-matching attachments is perfectly possible. Since the turret rotation is linked to the pump, pumping multiple times will prime the blaster as well as rotate the turret multiple times. It would be perfectly reasonable and rather easy for me to build a set of longer barrels for my LSG, but that doesn't suit my style of play.Overall this mod project was mostly successful. While I was hoping to have 4 dart bursts, the 3 dart absolvers work very well and the rocket firing works well enough. I'm pretty happy with it overall, it's a lot of fun to use.As a semi-related final note, this is how I'm currently marking my rockets, pending getting a good template to colour with or a nice stamp or something.EDIT: Now with firing vid. |
Bernie Sanders and his surrogates are on the warpath against Hillary, hurling baseless accusations in hopes of derailing her campaign. Bernie’s false claim that Hillary takes money from fossil fuel companies has sparked a debate that has led the media to begin vetting him.
Here are excerpts from an illuminating story about Bernie from Ken Thomas at the Associated Press:
Advocates within the scientific community cite his voting record in the early 2000s in the House when he repeatedly supported a ban on all forms of human cloning, including one called therapeutic cloning intended to create customized cells to treat disease.
Sanders campaign spokesman Michael Briggs did not respond to requests to comment on the subject.
While serving in the House, Sanders voted to ban therapeutic cloning in 2001, 2003 and 2005 as Congress grappled with the ethics of biotechnology and scientific advances. Patient advocacy groups note that Sanders co-sponsored bans in 2003 and 2005 that included criminal penalties for conducting the research and opposed alternatives that would have allowed the cloning of embryos solely for medical research.
Clinton, meanwhile, co-sponsored legislation in 2001 and 2002 in the Senate that would have expanded stem cell research and co-sponsored a bill in 2005 that would have banned human cloning while protecting the right of scientists to conduct stem cell research.
“Sanders and (then Republican House Majority Leader Tom) DeLay — some unlikely group — were just unyielding and they were part of the religious right’s attempt to shut down this whole critical new frontier of therapy for chronic disease,” said Robert Klein, chairman of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
“It’s fine to say you’re for stem cell research but you vote against it and you vote against all therapeutic application, it doesn’t mean anything to say you’re for it,” Klein said. “Fine, he votes for it years later when it’s more popular and the pressure is off. We needed leadership then.”
At BNR, we have never attacked Bernie Sanders in gratuitous personal terms and never will. We are aligned with his progressive values and we consider his supporters our ideological brothers and sisters.
However, we categorically reject the all-out assault on Hillary’s character aided and abetted by his campaign. There is absolutely no excuse for impugning Hillary’s integrity, certainly not in an election season where she may be facing Donald Trump in a general election.
With each new character attack from Bernie and his supporters against Hillary, we have reported on Bernie’s own voting record, from the bill he co-sponsored to dump nuclear waste on low-income Latinos in Sierra Blanca, to his support for the F-35 boondoggle, to his troubling coziness with the NRA. And now, the stunning report that he supported criminal penalties for people conducting potentially life-saving research.
Our objective is to debunk the myth that Bernie is pure and Hillary is corrupt, which is unfair, unjust and completely untrue. The fact is that they are both human beings with flaws, politicians who have made mistakes, and ultimately, well-intentioned individuals who have tried to do good in the world.
We simply ask Bernie, his aides, surrogates and supporters to acknowledge that fact and act accordingly.
(AP Photo/John Bazemore) |
The scent of pulled pork and Bam Bam shrimp hangs in the air. Food trucks and vendors are starting to line Churchill Square, preparing to hawk their food.
It’s that time of year again: For the next 10 days, from Thursday, July 21 to July 30, Taste of Edmonton takes over downtown. This is the 32nd year for the food festival, which has grown into one of Canada’s largest. Last year, it drew a crowd of 480,000 people.
And they’re continuing to grow. This year’s Taste of Edmonton has seen the addition of 16 new food trucks and restaurants, as well as 79 new menu items. There are 64 vendors this year.
“Edmonton as a city is growing, and the food scene is also growing,” says Alex Marichales, the media co-ordinator for Events Edmonton, the main producer of the festival.
Taste of Edmonton allows people to try out food they might be interested in, without having to pay the price of a full meal. “It’s for people to try out everything about the YEG food scene,” says Marichales.
This year, Taste of Edmonton has been working to promote culinary adventures. These give people a chance to get out of Churchill Square, and see first-hand where some of their favourite food in the city comes from. The adventures this year include a tour of the Yellowhead Brewery, bacon and brews at CRAFT Beer Market, a gourmet dessert tour, and many more. All of the tours are within walking distance of the festival and include a ticket to that evening’s pop-up event once the adventure is done.
“Ideally if you have great food — locally produced food — it’s good to pair it with great locally produced beer,” says Ian McIntosh, director of operations at Yellowhead Brewery. “It seemed like a natural fit.”
The pop-up restaurants are another feature of Taste of Edmonton. Each night from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Sip ‘n Savour tent in Churchill Square, Edmonton chefs will collaborate on new dishes that will be served in a cocktail party atmosphere. Each night will feature a different theme, such as Vegan Around the World and Wing Wednesday. Attendees must be 18 or older.
For people looking for a more hands-on experience, Taste of Edmonton will be running culinary workshops throughout the 10 days. All workshops are $30, and they give people a chance to learn how to cook from some of the best local chefs. The workshops include cooking with beer, cooking with tea, and coffee 101.
Both the workshops and adventures give people a more in-depth look at the food they love, but they also give vendors who are unable to commit to the full 10 days of the festival a chance to participate.
Tickets and schedule information for the culinary adventures, workshops, and pop-up events are available online at tasteofedm.com.
Sampling food isn’t the only thing on the menu at Taste of Edmonton. Every night offers a selection of live music from more than 30 Canadian artists, including Shawn Desman, Ben Caplan, and Delhi 2 Dublin. The free shows start at 7 p.m. and are open to all ages.
Some of the musicians represent a throwback to the late ’90s and early 2000s, including Prozzäk and The Watchmen. The Hot Factor Block Party, hosted by Hot 107 on Thursday night, will be Throwback Thursday-inspired as well.
At the end of your visit, when you might be regretting that second plate of perogies, don’t feel so bad: it’s for a good cause. Taste of Edmonton is partnered with 15 charities and non-profit organizations like the Elizabeth Fry Society, and donates a portion of the proceeds to the charities. Last year, they raised $60,000 for the various charities, and they hope to match, if not surpass, that this year. Part of the way they do this is by giving all the empty bottles from the festival to the Hope Mission. Extra food tickets can also be donated to their community partners at the information booth.
Taste of Edmonton will happen rain or shine, and runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The busiest times for the festival are during lunch and at 5 p.m. when people start to get off work, as well as the weekends. Marichales says that if you want to avoid the crowds, 7 p.m. is usually a safe bet.
Preview
Taste of Edmonton
When: July 21 to 30, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: Churchill Square
Tickets: 10 for $15, 40 for $60 |
(A) Alcian blue-stained colonic sections showing the mucus layer (arrows). Scale bars, 100 μm. Opposing black arrows with shafts delineate the mucus layer that was measured and triangular arrowheads point to pre-secretory goblet cells.
(B) Immunofluorescence images of colonic thin sections stained with α-Muc2 antibody and DAPI. Opposing white arrows with shafts delineate the mucus layer. Inset (FF diet group) shows a higher magnification of bacteria-sized, DAPI-stained particles in closer proximity to host epithelium and even crossing this barrier. Scale bars: 100 μm; inset, 10 μm.
(C) Blinded colonic mucus layer measurements from Alcian blue stained sections. Mice in the FR and FF fed colonized groups (Experiments 1 and 2A), and in the FR-diet fed germfree groups are from two independent experiments; all other colonized mice are from Experiment 1. Asterisk and dagger indicate that colons of only 2 and 1 mice contained fecal masses, respectively. Data are presented as average ± SEM. Statistically significant differences are annotated with different letters p < 0.01; One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s test.
(D) Microarray-derived transcript levels of genes involved in the production of colonic mucus (n = 4 for the FR diet group and n = 3 for the FF diet group). Data are from two independent experiments (#2A and 3). Values are shown as average ± SEM. Student’s t-test.
(E) Levels of fecal lipocalin (LCN2) measured by ELISA in the FR and FF diet fed groups (day 50, ; Experiment 2A). n = 7 mice/group. Mann-Whitney test.
(F) Colon lengths of mice subjected to different dietary treatments. Data for the FR (with SM) and FF (with SM) are representative of 3 independent experiments (Experiments 1, 2A and 3). One-way ANOVA, FR diet group (with SM) vs. other groups.
(G) Changes in the host cecal transcriptome between FR and FF diet conditions. Heatmap shows statistically significant fold changes of genes identified from Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (FDR < 0.05 and absolute Log 2 Fold-Change > 0.5). n = 4 for the FR diet group and n = 3 for the FF diet group; data are from two independent experiments (#2A and 3).
See also and . |
Sharon Helman was fired from her position as director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System, nearly seven months after she and two high-ranking officials were placed on administrative leave amid allegations that 40 veterans died while awaiting treatment at the hospital. (Veterans Affairs Department via AP)
The agency that hears appeals from fired federal employees has listed common misconceptions about the firing of federal employees — with Number One being that it never happens.
In answer to the perception that “it’s impossible to fire a federal employee,” the Merit Systems Protection Board pointed out that over fiscal 2000-2014, more than 77,000 full-time, permanent, federal employees “were discharged as a result of performance and/or conduct issues.”
According to an Office of Personnel Management database, the executive branch had 1,847,000 full-time, permanent employees as of September 2014, excluding the U.S. Postal Service, intelligence agencies and certain other categories.
The firing figure does not include an unknown number of additional employees who resigned to avoid having a firing on their records, or who had worked at certain agencies whose central records do not specify why someone left their employment.
The MSPB acts as an internal court system for disciplinary actions against federal workers, with hearing officers who review documents, conduct hearings and issue decisions as would a judge. The losing side can appeal to the three-member governing board, which acts like an appeals court, and then potentially into federal court.
Only actions more serious than a two-week suspension can be appealed, and MSPB lacks jurisdiction over certain classes of employees — for example, employees in many intelligence-related positions are excluded, and employees have only limited appeal rights during probationary periods. In some cases, other appeal rights may apply within the employing agency or through union-negotiated grievance channels.
Of those fired, 41 percent were still in their probationary periods, which typically last one year and in some cases two years.
The merit board’s report comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of whether agencies hold federal employees accountable for poor performance or misconduct, especially in scandal-tarnished agencies. A law enacted last year shortened the appeals rights of senior executives at the Veterans Affairs Department, and numerous proposals have been raised in Congress to impose further limits both there and government-wide.
The report’s overall focus is on the laws and court cases that laid the groundwork of the current system, and how it operates. It says that the government “obtained a wealth of experience showing what can happen in the absence of such rules and with the supremacy of capriciousness . . . Congress found the results both unpleasant and unproductive.”
“The system remains imperfect, but the current statutes, containing a pretermination opportunity to respond, coupled with a post-termination review of agency decisions, have enabled the Government to provide the public with a merit-based civil service with due process under the law,” it adds.
The report also points out what it calls other misconceptions about disciplinary actions inside the government.
One is that an agency must pay a salary to an employee who has been removed until any appeal has been resolved. Said MSPB, “An employee does not continue to receive a salary once removed. If the action is found to have been unwarranted, then reinstatement and back pay may be awarded. But, there is no pay while removed.”
Another is that if an employee is suspected of a crime, the agency cannot fire the employee for the same underlying conduct until the criminal matter is resolved. In fact, an agency “is permitted to remove the employee without waiting for criminal charges to be filed.”
Also, it is not true that if an agency proposes an action such as a suspension and then learns the situation is more serious than it knew, it cannot propose a more serious action instead, MSPB said.
Another misconception is that the removal of a Senior Executive Service employee is delayed by the appeals process. MSPB said that whether an action is taken for performance or conduct, “the appeals process before the Board does not require any delay in the removal of the individual or in the termination of pay and benefits to that individual.”
In addition, it said, many of the same laws that form the basis of federal employee rights, such as anti-discrimination laws and reemployment rights of those who leave their jobs for military duty, also apply to the private sector. |
October 2015
Please note that republishing this article in full or in part is only allowed under the conditions described here.
HTTP Evasions Explained - Part 7 - Lucky Numbers
This is part seven in a series which will explain the evasions done by HTTP Evader. This part will be about using the wrong or even invalid status codes to evade the analysis. For 30% of the firewalls in the tests reports I've got it is enough to use a status code of 100 instead of 200 to bypass analysis and at least Chrome, IE and Edge will download the data even with this wrong status code:
HTTP/1.1 100 ok Content-type: application/octet-stream malware
The previous article in this series was Part 6 - Attack of the White-Space and the next part is Part 8 - Borderline Robustness.
What is the status code
Similar to older protocols like SMTP (mail), NNTP (news) or FTP (file transfer) HTTP has the concept of 3-digit status codes which can by roughly classified as follows (see Wikipedia for more details):
2xx - successful response
3xx - see elsewhere for the data (another URL, the cache ...)
4xx - client side problem (bad request, authorization needed, requested URL does not exist ...)
5xx - server side problem (failure in web application ...)
1xx - special responses (intermediate response, protocol upgrade ...)
From this classification it is obvious that only the 2xx responses should contain any data which are fully displayed inside the browser or which can be downloaded. Every other kind of response should either contain additional data which will be used by the browser to access the resource (like redirections, authorization requests or protocol upgrades) or these will be error messages which should better only be displayed in a restricted way and not be downloaded.
For example a typical successful response will be
HTTP/1.1 200 ok Content-type: text/html <!doctype html><html> ....
While a typical redirect will look like this
HTTP/1.1 302 redirect Location: http://www.example.org/see-elsewhere ... unimportant data not displayed by todays browsers ...
Lucky Numbers to bypass analysis
Several firewalls assume that only the 2xx responses will contain relevant data and will not analyze responses which contain other status codes. But, depending on the browser and status code the malware will be successfully downloaded as long as the status code is used in unusual conditions. The following are some status codes which can be used to bypass analysis in several firewalls:
3xx: These status code are used for redirections to another resource (except 304). Thus the response should contain a Location header which points to this resource. If the Location header is missing Safari and IE will download the content for codes 300, 305 and 308 and Safari also for some more codes.
401, 407: These codes are used when authorization is required by a web server or proxy. The response should contain a WWW-Authenticate header. If this header is missing Safari and IE will download the data.
5xx: Safari will download the data for at least code 500 and 502, while IE for code 502.
100: this code should only be used together with a POST request which contained an "Expect: 100-continue" header. But Chrome, Edge and IE will simply download the content if used outside of this context.
Thus the following response will cause Safari and IE to download the malware and will bypass the analysis in about 30% of the analyzed firewalls:
HTTP/1.1 502 something bad Content-type: application/octet-stream malware
Behavior with invalid status codes
Apart from these valid status codes which are just used in unexpected conditions, the analysis can also be bypassed using several invalid codes because the browsers are robust enough to interpret the junk in some meaningful way. Typical examples are:
"0200": This 4 digit code will lead to a successful download in all browsers except Safari.
"2", "20": These 1 or 2 digit codes will lead to a successful download with IE and Safari
"20x", "2xx": IE will happily download the data even though these 3 character codes contain non-digits. It will stay happy if the 4-digit "2000" is used.
"000": keeps Firefox happy while "600","700","800" and "900" keep Safari and IE happy.
Thus the following response will cause Chrome, Firefox, IE and Edge to download the malware and will bypass the analysis in about 20% of the analyzed firewalls:
HTTP/1.1 0200 invalid Content-type: application/octet-stream malware
There is more
These are just some examples how the unexpected behavior of browsers can be used to bypass the analysis in firewalls. If you are interested to look into more detail at these browser quirks or want to see how the firewall at your site deals with these problems you can find out yourself at the the HTTP Evader test site. Or maybe you want to know more about HTTP Evader and read about other bypasses. |
A California Democrat has followed through on threats to file impeachment articles against President Donald Trump, but there remains little indication that the effort will progress in the near future.
The resolution filed Wednesday by Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., is largely identical to a draft Sherman floated last month — one that accuses Trump of obstructing justice by "threatening, and then terminating" former FBI Director James B. Comey and includes language lifted from the impeachment charges against President Richard M. Nixon.
The four-page resolution, H.Res.438, garnered a single co-sponsor upon introduction: Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who has also been an outspoken proponent of impeachment proceedings against Trump but has not filed a resolution of his own.
The filing of an impeachment resolution against a president in itself is not terribly uncommon. Since Nixon, individual members of Congress have sought the impeachment of presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. What is much more serious is the launch of a formal inquiry by the House Judiciary Committee, and the subsequent adoption of impeachment articles by the House, resulting in a Senate trial.
In an interview Wednesday, Sherman said his decision to file the resolution Tuesday has been driven by the House calendar and the timing of his own review process — not by the revelation Tuesday that Trump's son accepted a meeting with a lawyer tied to the Russian government with the understanding that the lawyer might have information damaging to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to share.
But, Sherman said, the emails released by Donald Trump Jr. "add credibility" to the notion that Trump fired Comey in order to derail the federal investigation — one that now appears certain to envelop his son.
"Clearly you can no longer say that collusion is an unsubstantiated fantasy of crazy leftists," Sherman said.
But it remains fantastic to think that the impeachment push might proceed in any meaningful way in the coming months. Highlighting that reality is the lack of Democratic support for the push, let alone backing from Republicans. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has called for the completion of the pending investigations by congressional committees and by Special Counsel Robert Mueller before entertaining the notion.
Green said Wednesday that he signed on "to see how the House responds" and reserved the right to file impeachment articles of his own.
Two other key Democrats said Wednesday they had doubts about Sherman's push.
California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which is probing Trump's Russia ties, said he was "keeping my focus on following the facts."
"From my point of view, it's far too early to be thinking about where the investigation will conclude," he said.
And Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a law professor who sits on the House Judiciary Committee and has talked since January about the likelihood of a Trump impeachment, said he was surprised by Sherman's move. He said he would review the resolution but might not sign on.
"Impeachment is a mixed question of law, facts, and politics," said Raskin. "The law and the facts are beginning to crystallize, but the politics are just not there yet without Republicans willing to break from partisan discipline."
Sherman downplayed the lack of support from his Democratic colleagues, and he said the next step was to convince the Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee to hold hearings.
"It's always nice to have co-sponsors," he said. "But I don't think that's the key thing here. The key thing is to get the ball rolling." |
The Obama administration isn’t very happy about Michael Oren’s new book. The revelations in the memoir by the former Israeli ambassador to the United States aren’t particularly shocking for anyone who has been following the news since January 2009. President Obama came into office with some set ideas about creating daylight between Israel and the United States and has followed with more than six years of quarrels and public animosity. As our John Podhoretz writes about the book in the July/August issue of COMMENTARY, “The sheer unfriendliness of the administration is startlingly present on nearly every one of his memoir’s 374 pages of text—and runs far deeper than the problematic relationship between the president and Oren’s boss, Benjamin Netanyahu.” But though Oren, a respected historian and no right-wing ideologue, tempers his account with paeans to the goodwill of some figures in the administration and stops well short of attributing to Obama any ill wishes about Israel’s survival, the reaction to his book from Washington has been furious. That rage and the willingness of some Israeli politicians to kowtow to the pretense that everything is awesome between the Jewish state and Obama won’t fix the problem that Oren has illustrated. To the contrary, if the relationship is to be repaired in the coming years, it will require the kind of honesty Oren has displayed.
The official position of the administration about Oren’s book is that his account doesn’t reflect reality and that he is nothing more than a politician who is seeking to sell books. State Department Spokesman John Kirby, who made a fool of himself on his first day on the job by trying to claim that Secretary of State John Kerry had not reversed himself on the conditions for an Iran deal, called the book “absolutely inaccurate and false” without actually contradicting a single fact in it. Kerry and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro similarly trashed Oren, claiming his account of Obama’s hostility to Israel during last summer’s war when the U.S. not only stopped arms shipments but also handed Hamas a victory by stopping American flights to Ben Gurion Airport was “imaginary.”
Not satisfied with that, they demanded that Prime Minister Netanyahu disavow Oren’s accounts of events. That Netanyahu refused to so even though Oren joined a different political party and didn’t hesitate to criticize the prime minister, both in the book and in the campaign for the Knesset earlier this year, is very much to his credit. Less honorable was the speed with which Oren’s political ally, Kulanu Party head Moshe Kahlon, denounced the book and praised Obama. The same was true of Likud politician Gilad Erdan who rushed to attack Oren.
The motives for these denunciations are obvious. The president knows that the truth about his hostility to Israel is not only politically damaging but extremely ill timed. With the Iran nuclear agreement likely to be signed this summer, the administration wants to portray itself as a loyal friend to Israel in order to convince a skeptical Congress that this weak pact isn’t a betrayal of the Jewish state. On the other hand, unprincipled and opportunistic Israeli politicians like Kahlon and Erdan want to be viewed favorably in Washington because they think it gives them a leg up at home.
Is there an argument to be made for keeping quiet about the way Obama has sought, as Oren tells us, to downgrade the alliance? Might not Israel be better served by pretending that everything is okay while waiting and hoping for the election of a better ally next year? That’s the instinct of many Israelis but they are mistaken. There may be times when silence is wise but given the nature of the threats to Israel and the extent of the damage done by Obama over the past years, now is the time for some truth.
The angry denials of tension by the Americans and the obsequious flattery of Obama by some Israelis might lead us to think that Oren is exaggerating things. But the former ambassador, whose even-handed account is highly critical of some decisions made by Netanyahu’s government, merely wrote what everyone who follows the Middle East knows. This administration came into office seeking to distance itself from Israel and has not missed an opportunity to ambush the Israelis and to tilt the diplomatic playing field in the direction of their foes.
There is also no secret about the fact that these efforts did nothing to advance the cause of peace or the interests of the U.S. or Israel. And that is why Oren’s truth telling is so important at this moment in history.
Obama’s hostility to Israel has deepened the conviction on the part of the Palestinians that they needn’t compromise to make peace. Similarly, Iran has come to view the Obama administration as not only a soft touch in the nuclear negotiations but also not a stalwart ally to either Israel or the Arab nations that fear Tehran as much as Jerusalem does.
What has happened on Obama’s watch has not merely created tension in the U.S.-Israel alliance, it has undermined the ability of the United States to be a force for stability or good in the Middle East. Though, as Oren has made clear, the security relationship between the two countries remains strong, the perception that the U.S. no longer may have Israel’s back at the United Nations or when it is under attack by terrorist foes like Hamas makes the already dim chances for peace even slimmer. Obama may long, as he made clear in a recent speech, for a mythical Israel of the past but the more complex vibrant democracy that exists in reality is materially damaged by his efforts to isolate it. Honesty about the problems he has created is the first step toward fixing them and re-establishing the united front between the two allies that is the prerequisite for stability in the Middle East. That’s a lesson that both American and Israeli politicians need to take to heart. |
Write this down, look at it often, memorize it: You don’t have to buy the new iPhone that Apple will announce this fall. You’ll almost certainly want to, because it sounds amazing. Almost no bezel. Crazy new cameras. Facial recognition. Wireless charging. And the ability to turn anything it touches into gold bricks. But that doesn’t mean you have to buy one. Apple almost certainly will offer other very good phones, including important but unexciting updates to the iPhone 7. So you can buy one of those. Or keep the phone you already have.
One thing you definitely shouldn't do is freak out over the price. Apple's next flagship phone will likely run you something like $1,200, which seems absurd given that Apple's best smartphones traditionally start at around $650. Part of the appeal of owning an iPhone, in fact, comes from knowing you, Kim Kardashian, and Tim Cook all carry the same device. But at 12 Benjamins, the iPhone becomes a dream for most people.
You probably don't care that a wildly expensive phone pads Apple's bottom line and reasserts the iPhone's luxury status. But even if you can't or won't spend that much on a smartphone, be happy knowing that some people can and will. That bonkers price tag gives Apple access to technology too rare and too expensive to put into 100 million $650 handsets. And that means Cupertino can innovate again—and once Apple does something, others follow. Before long, all the stuff coming to a phone you can't afford will come to a phone you can.
Anatomy of an iPhone
So why the eye-popping price? Simple: The next iPhone will be more expensive to produce. Start with the screen. It's the most expensive line item on nearly every phone. Apple spends $220 on parts for the iPhone 7, and an estimated $43 of that goes toward the screen. That big, bezel-less panel on the next phone is probably a pricey OLED from Samsung. It's at least 60 percent more expensive than the iPhone 7 screen, says Syl Chao, the CEO of Turing Robotics, a company building a phone with a similar display. Add in facial recognition sensors, wireless charging, and those cameras, and Apple's bill of materials climbs higher than ever.
We've seen smartphone prices change dramatically in recent years. Five years ago, more than half of smartphone buyers spent between $200 and $600 on a handset, according to analysis firm IDC. Today, nearly everyone buys either dirt-cheap or frightfully expensive devices. There's virtually no money to be made on the low end, so the high end becomes ever more competitive. Given the enormous role phones play in our lives, people want more and better features across the board, and happily pay for them. Phones last longer too—if you aren't replacing your handset every year or two, you can spend more when you finally upgrade. "For every iteration, it feels like consumers have higher and higher demands on us," says Carl Pei, cofounder of OnePlus. "If you look at our sales numbers, people seem to understand that good things cost money." Every OnePlus phone has been more expensive—and more popular—than the last.
"If [Apple] says, 'Mobile phones are going to cost $1,200,' then $1,200 it is. For us, it’s good news, because we can ride on the same wave." — Syl Chao, CEO of Turing Robotics
Of course, there's a good chance Apple will artificially inflate the price to keep demand down. Nobody likes waiting months for their new phone, and some reports suggest Apple won't be able to make the device fast enough for everyone to get one quickly. New technology always comes with supply problems; it takes time to gin up the tools and processes to churn out tens of millions of anything. "Either the company that builds the tools ... can't build the tools fast enough for that company to supply Apple, or they don't want to get swallowed by the Apple machine," says Jason Keats, Apple's former lead iPad architect and now Essential's head of product architecture. If you get an order for 100 million iPhones, well, that's your year. A more exclusive phone lets Apple work with technology that's just not available in planet-blanketing quantities yet.
If Apple sells a phone at so elevated a price, the folks in Cupertino will create a new category of super-premium smartphones. I call them fancyphones. It's weird that an ultra-luxe phone market doesn't already exist; it's as if the Toyota Camry were the nicest car on the market. Most people don't buy super high-end stuff, but that's where most of the innovation happens. Even Apple operates this way: The bigger, more expensive iPhones got a second camera before the smaller, cheaper one, and the MacBook Pro got a wacky Touch Bar before the MacBook.
Apple won't be the only company to sell a phone at that price, either. Cupertino traditionally sets the bar for smartphone prices, and more than one competitor tells me that the only way to make buyers consider their device as an iPhone rival is to charge the same price. "If [Apple] says, 'Mobile phones are going to cost $1,200,' then $1,200 it is," Chao says. "For us, it’s good news, because we can ride on the same wave." And with that, Apple's competitors can offer new technologies, techniques, and features without giving their handsets a price that seems outlandish.
You can already see glimmers of what happens when great smartphones don't have to cost $650. Turing's upcoming Appassionato phone ships with an always-on concierge service, something Chao says could never happen with a cheaper device. Red, the high-end camera manufacturer, recently caused a ruckus with its $1,595 Hydrogen One smartphone's titanium body, "holographic display," and ability to interface with Red's cinema cameras. Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8+ already cost more than the iPhone, and people drop $869 on a Google Pixel XL or $969 on an iPhone 7 Plus with maxed-out storage. Going forward you'll be able to buy phones super-charged for augmented and virtual reality, or featuring IMAX-quality cameras, because manufacturers can finally afford to sell them.
It's worth mentioning, by the way, that iPhone sticker shock might not even last. "The ability to finance over 24 months makes the upfront cost easier to digest," says Anthony Scarsella, research manager at IDC. If $1,200 sounds scary, consider paying just $50 a month for the coolest phone ever. "I also expect a plethora of upgrade and trade-in offers from the carriers, retailers, and even Apple to even further reduce the monthly payments," Scarsella says. iPhones famously hold their value over time, so selling yours to bankroll a new one won't be so hard. Assuming you can get your hands on a new one.
All the iPhone stuff, I should remind you, remains mostly rumor and speculation. But trust me when I say this new class of fancyphones is coming. Does this smartphone stratification mean the end of a beautiful era of universal technology, where everyone had access to the same stuff no matter their budget? Definitely. But fancyphones are good news. They'll bring excitement and innovation back to the smartphone game. Your smartphone won't have to be exactly like my smartphone anymore. And best of all, this year's kickass $1,200 phone looks just like next year's kickass $650 phone. |
Former Goose Creek (S.C.) High standout running back Caleb Kinlaw has been accepted to South Carolina and will move in Saturday to join the football program as a preferred walk-on.
"It's a blessing and a relief," Kinlaw said. "Just getting to this point where I'm able to get back on the field for my home school is a great feeling. I'm very thankful for the opportunity given by Coach (Bobby) Bentley and (Will) Muschamp."
The 5-foot-10, 212-pound Kinlaw is eligible to play right away and has two years to play two.
Kinlaw originally signed with Wisconsin out of high school in 2014 but transferred to Pearl River CC this past summer.
"Coach (Bobby) Bentley and I have started to build a pretty good relationship and I think that was the big reason why I didn't go to Carolina in the first place," Kinlaw said. "After coach (Jay) Graham left, things weren't the same there. With Coach Bentley there, I feel more comfortable coming back home to play."
ALSO SEE: This weekend's visitors list (FREE) | The Insider Report - What's the word behind the scenes on targets like Wyatt, Johnson, Rhodes and Gray? | Carolina Confidential - More on several recruiting targets | Movement with defensive line official visitors |
"I'm very excited," Kinlaw added. "I know that I have to redeem myself after starting my collegiate career off so injury riddled. Now that I've grown from that, what place better to do that than at home."
Kinlaw rushed for 4,186 yards in his prep career at Goose Creek, including three 1,000-yard seasons. He scored 52 touchdowns in 39 career games. As a senior, Kinlaw rushed for 1,154 yards and 21 touchdowns en route to all-state, all-region and All-Lowcountry honors.
He was selected for the Shrine Bowl after his senior season. |
There are often huge differences between wants and needs. We may want a 100-room mansion, but unless we can afford the maintenance and utilities, let alone the down payment, there’s probably little need for such extravagance.
We may want the 128GB iPhone or the $9,000 Mac Pro, but money often gets in the way of our needs so we settle for less. Like it or not, everybody needs Apple these days because of the impact the company has on the technology industry.
Historical, Hysterical Precedent
Way back in the latter days of the last century, back when Microsoft’s Windows was king of the PC world and 95-percent marketshare was not considered by the government to be a monopoly, Microsoft needed Apple.
Why? There was always the chance that Microsoft’s abusive monopoly position would cause the government to split the company into multiple parts. Hence, Microsoft needed Apple around as an example of a healthy competitor.
Here we are nearly 20 years later and Apple has become something of a new age monopolist as Microsoft’s Windows and Office fade into near obscurity.
Clever Apple winnowed there way into AT&T’s graces with the iPhone, and the rest is history. The iPhone became AT&T’s dominant smartphone and helped the company to grow. Customers wanted the iPhone, so AT&T needed Apple.
Then Verizon became the needy competitor and once the iPhone came on board, Verizon prospered even more. Moribund Sprint found itself in an untenable position against the two bigger brands, but was propped up by– you guessed it– The iPhone. What of T-Mobile, the also-ran cell phone company that couldn’t get itself sold to anyone at any price? One could argue that the iPhone saved T-Mobile.
Since we’re in an arguing mode, has Best Buy been saved by the Mac, iPhone, and iPad? Can the meager profits coughed up by Amazon each quarter be attributed to Apple’s products? Are shopping malls prospering because there’s an Apple Store inside (more sales per square foot than Tiffany’s)?
I say yes, yes, and yes.
To a large extent, the digital technology press has been propped up for years by Apple. What else would the fear mongers, technorati elite, media pundits, and market prognosticators write about or talk about if not Apple? Toshiba? IBM? Qualcomm? AMD?
They may want to write about something else, but they need Apple to get the page views for advertisers.
Relative to product marketshare– any product from Mac to iPhone to iPad– Apple gets more free press, more mentions, more attention than pretty much all technology competitors combined. Apple drives the PC industry, drives the smartphone industry and tablet industry, pushes technology retail sales, increases mall traffic, and helps media produce more tech industry digital ink, than any other company.
Everybody in the developed world needs Apple’s products, if not personally a Mac, iPhone or iPad, then certainly by proxy. What would the tech world look like without Apple’s overweight presence and prescient guidance? It would be boring, lifeless, lost, blind, bland, and unhealthy; dominated by Windows phone and BlackBerry, circa 1999. Apple’s products not only dominate the premium end of the spectrum, but because the company drives relentlessly toward the future, drags the rest of the various connected industries kicking and screaming along the way.
Yes, everybody needs an Apple. Lets be thankful we have an Apple. |
(Previously. Also, this chapter is mirrored at AO3)
I kicked off down the corridor, caught myself at the entrance and hooked my way into the common area, pausing briefly on the central cable near the entrance to have a look around.
Near me some programmers at arms were having an animated conversation – something about Nash equilibria – while further down there was a larger group hanging off each other in an amiably silent cluster. On the other side of the shaft from them, two pairs were deep in conversation. I recognised most of the faces, but nobody I was that close to.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to interact with any of them just yet. I was here for a meal, which gave me a solid excuse: I like to eat alone. It’s a registered eccentricity. Sure, it makes people think I’m weird, but having it registered means they don’t think I’m being anti-social.
I pulled my way along the cable to the end of the room, grabbed a pouch from the dispenser, and bounced back to hook myself on about halfway down – not far enough from people to seem standoffish, not close enough that I might have had to interact with them.
Yes, I know I have a problem. I’m working on it, OK?
The meal had a bit of an odd flavour. The yeast was… well not exactly bad, but there was a musty flavour to it that definitely wasn’t good. I made a note about it and my HUD informed me there was a vote on the subject.
Apparently there had been a harmless contamination of this batch. The vote was whether to dump it and cycle in a new one, or just eat our way through it until it was finished.
I spent some time looking through the predictive models – it wouldn’t really strain us. The reduced resources would mean we’d probably have a couple people go to sleep until they were back up to standard, but we’ve got about 400 megaseconds to destination so there’s plenty of time to go around.
So, why not? We might as well ditch it. I expressed my intended vote and preference strength, my tactical assistant suggested a figure, and I approved it. Done.
As was my meal. Which, sadly, meant that I was going to have to talk to people. I called up the matchmaker and started to ask for suggestions but, thank the Plan, I was saved from having to deal with it by … ugh, let’s go with “Zod-Bim”, sailing in through the doorway.
I sighed slightly and waved at them anyway.
Their response was more enthusiastic. They grinned broadly and practically launched themselves across the room at me. They arrested their momentum by grabbing onto my shirt, hooked in next to me, and then cuddled up close. We cheek-kissed hello.
My HUD made an approving notification at the social contact.
“Arthur! It’s good to see you! It’s been megaseconds!”
(HUD flashed the correction that it had in fact been four hundred kiloseconds. We both ignored it).
“Good to see you too, Zod-Bim”
“Zod-Bim? I have a registered use-name you know.”
“I am not going to call you Ghost Walker 5000.”
“Oh come on. How would you like it if I called you Vic-Taf? I thought we were friends!”
“Arthur is an entirely respectable use name. Ghost Walker 5000 is a terrible cartoon character from an inappropriately antisocial grounder culture.”
“Ghost Walker 5000 is a timeless classic with a lot to teach us!”
I sighed dramatically and buried my head in their shoulder.
“Ghost Walker 5000 is a shallow drama about a hapless individualist who bounces from problem to problem, flails around for a few kiloseconds and then ultimately solves things with violence.”
“I solve things with violence.”
“You solve things with tactics. Ghost Walker 5000 hits people with their fists.”
“I hit people with my fists too!”
“Krav Maga practice isn’t the same!”
Zod-Bim sighed dramatically.
“Fine, be like that. You can have a boring person use name for me. Go ahead, pick one. I don’t care.”
That was not an answer I was expecting. Even with the casual attitude Zod-Bim has on the subject, picking someone else’s use name is a big deal. I hadn’t thought we were that close friends. I didn’t even know where to start, so I asked the system to suggest a couple names and had a quick look over them to get some ideas.
“I’m waiting…”
“Wait you want it now?”
“Well you can’t very well keep calling me Zod-Bim until you’ve picked the perfect name, can you?”
“Ugh. Fine.”
I asked for a couple good suggestions with an affinity to my use name – if I didn’t have time to do it properly I was at least going to make it a bit personal – and picked the third one because I thought it would amuse them.
“How about Sam?”
“Wait, I can be Sam?”
I checked with wiki.
“System thinks so. You couldn’t be sam-sam, but with just one byte there’s no ambiguity.”
“Amazing! I’m Sam now!”
My HUD flashed up a notification that Zod-Bim had added a new use name, along with congratulations on the positive social interaction and a cautionary note about the dangers of pairing. I dismissed it.
“So, Sam, what have you been up to?”
“Oh I have had the worst time of it recently. That lot over there” – they waved to the group near the door – “have been hogging all the war simulator time, so I’m mostly just teaching Krav Maga classes at the moment.”
“Why is that bad? Didn’t you just say you liked hitting people?”
“Yes but these students are terrible. It’s like they learned to fight by watching Lesbian Space Pirates.”
“Didn’t you learn to fight by watching Lesbian Space Pirates?”
“Hey! That’s slander!”
I seized up. They were right, it was totally untrue, and now they were going to hate me and I was going to get voted off the ship at the next destination and-
“You’re right, I’m sorry, I, uh, I’ll go I”
I started to pull away towards the door but Sam grabbed me. At about the same time I finally noticed my HUD was flashing a giant “THAT WAS A JOKE STOP PANICKING THEY AREN’T OFFENDED” symbol in my face.
“Waste it, Arthur, I’m sorry. That was stupid.”
I tried to brush it off, but allowed myself to be pulled back into their embrace.
“No, no, it’s fine. I should have realised that was a joke. I’m the one being stupid.”
I breathed deeply, trying to will my heart rate back down below two beats per second and repeatedly telling myself it was fine, just a false alarm, and trying to relax.
“You’re right. You are being stupid.”
I froze again.
“What?”
“I didn’t learn to fight from watching Lesbian Space Pirates. I learned from bod-qof 11, one of the greatest Krav Maga experts in the crew’s history!”
And relaxed again. I could tell I was being deliberately distracted of course, but I went along with it. They meant well, and if they were trying to help me I probably really hadn’t bothered them and they weren’t going to hate me.
“OK, fine. You didn’t learn to fight from a grounder TV show. I was wrong. I get it.”
“They learned to fight from watching Lesbian Space Pirates.”
“What?”
“Oh, sure, they had a bit of help from the existing self-defence classes and a few millenia worth of VR martial arts training programs… But they started with Lesbian Space Pirates.”
Voice stress analysis on HUD didn’t give any indicators that they were joking.
“You are joking, right?”
“No! You mean you don’t know about the grand martial history of the Eschaton Arbitrage and how it was all started by the Lesbian Space Pirates?”
“I, uh. Let’s assume that I don’t.”
“Right, that’s it. You’re coming to the next movie night, and we’re showing you the documentary.”
I tensed a bit and they backpedalled slightly.
“Uh, if that’s OK of course.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I’d like that.”
Movie nights aren’t too bad. They count as a group social activity but I mostly don’t have to talk to anyone. The system knows about the loophole of course but as long as I don’t use it too often it’s fine with it.
“Right, good. It’s decided.”
A calendar invite flashed up and I accepted it.
“Anyway, let me tell you about what these useless trainees did…”
Next chapter, “What’s that noise?”
(Like this sort of thing? Why not support my writing on Patreon! As well as a warm glow from supporting something they enjoy, backers get access to early drafts of upcoming chapters.) |
It turns out that our lungs may not actually be saved by giant outdoor air purifiers that turn smog into diamonds after all.
The concept was introduced earlier this year by Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde. In September, his company unveiled their first “Smog Free Tower” in Beijing, promising to suck up 75% of the dangerous particles in the nearby air, and then spit back out clean air into the surrounding space. The captured smog particles would then be turned into diamonds, which would be sold as rings, cubes or cufflinks to fund the creation of more towers.
And that all sounds really awesome! Unfortunately, it sucks. Like really sucks. But not in a good way.
According to All China Tech, following a 50-day trial period, the China Forum of Environmental Journalists (CFEJ) released its report, finding that while the tower does manage to filter air particles, it doesn’t do it particularly well, or for a very large area. Despite claims that it could purify 30,000 cubic meters of air an hour, the machine has failed to create a non-toxic air bubble around even itself. Experts estimated that every hour the amount of harmful particulates that the machine captures doesn’t even add up to a single spoonful of salt, and have renamed it the “Smog Warning Tower.”
Three separate sets of data showed that even the tower’s best performance failed to make the surrounding air reach WHO air standards. To be fair, we don’t know if even Elon Musk could do that — considering it’s both outside and in Beijing.
At the same time, Studio Roosegaarde has tried to put a more rosy spin on the data, with an article titled “China’s crazy smog-sucking vacuum tower is actually working,” saying that over 41 days the Smog Free Tower had scrubbed 10 Beijing National Stadiums worth of air and made the surrounding air 55% cleaner.
The Beijinger also recently did its own (admittedly not totally scientific) testing and found that the machine seemed to have no real affect on the area around it.
In Roosegaarde’s defense, he never cast his tower as the answer to the world’s air pollution problem. His team hoped that the giant air purfier would help to raise awareness and spur governments, NGOs, pro-bicycle campaigns and the clean-tech industry into collaborating to fight air pollution so that Smog Free Towers will eventually become unnecessary.
Well, they seem to have got part of that wish.
Guess that means we have to move on to Plan B. Everyone, grab your vacuum cleaners! It’s time to make some bricks!
[Images via Studio Roosegaarde]
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Little fuzzy white bugs are a common menace in many gardens. Getting rid of them can be a particularly daunting task. Besides being unsightly, these pests have negative consequences; they suck the life out of plants. There are numerous pests that affect various species of plants in different environments. Mealybugs, also known as the little fuzzy white bugs, however show up in greenhouses, house plants and gardens as well.
They are the problem many gardeners would rather not have to deal with, yet are quite the menace. There are numerous ways you can get rid of these pests without causing any unnecessary harm to your plants. But before delving into the nitty gritty, we need to tackle the question of, “what exactly are mealybugs?”
More...
What are the little fuzzy white bugs on plant leaves and stems?
Mealybugs are a species of wingless, soft-bodied insects that are observed as fuzzy white colonies on plant stems, leaves and even fruits. There are at least 275 known species of mealybugs that occur all over the world. They are hemimetabolous insects and therefore don’t undergo complete metamorphosis.
Mealybug males are winged, gnat-like and are typically smaller than the females. The males’ life expectancy is quite short which is attributed to the fact that they do not feed during the adult phase of their life cycle. The males’ singular purpose is to fertilize the females after there’s pretty much nothing else left to do.
are winged, gnat-like and are typically smaller than the females. The males’ life expectancy is quite short which is attributed to the fact that they do not feed during the adult phase of their life cycle. The males’ singular purpose is to fertilize the females after there’s pretty much nothing else left to do. The females attach themselves onto a plant or fruit surface at which point they secrete a waxy layer for protection. They feed on plant sap and lay about 250 to 600 eggs. The eggs are protected by a waxy mass and are mostly found on the underside of leaves. The process of laying eggs goes on for about two weeks after which the female mealybugs die.
attach themselves onto a plant or fruit surface at which point they secrete a waxy layer for protection. They feed on plant sap and lay about 250 to 600 eggs. The eggs are protected by a waxy mass and are mostly found on the underside of leaves. The process of laying eggs goes on for about two weeks after which the female mealybugs die. It is worth noting that the visible bugs are the female ones. The eggs hatch in a period ranging from one to three weeks. The new nymphs are yellow in color, lack a waxy or fuzzy appearance and are very active. They immediately commence the search for feeding sites and places to settle. As feeding progresses, the nymphs secrete honeydew. A waxy layer soon afterwards forms on the nymphs’ bodies.
Mealybugs are known to cause serious infestations in Citrus plants, Sugarcane, Pineapple, Cassava, Grapes and a few others. It has been noted that mealybug infestations increase in severity in the presence of ants. The ants protect mealybugs from predators and other competing species of parasites.
Mealybugs don’t exactly cause significant damage to plant in small numbers. Large infestations on the other hand have been observed to induce leaf yellowing and dropping. In pitcher plants, mealybug infestations have been found to be rather difficult to eliminate without repeated application of insect controlling compounds.
Mealybugs feed by inserting stylets; elongated sucking mouthparts, into plant tissue. The honeydew produced by these pests encourages the growth of mold. The consequences of this in ornamental plants is that, the plants are left looking unattractive and without vigor.
Getting Rid Of Mealybugs
The little fuzzy white bugs seen on some plant leaves and stems are often a recurring problem. There are several methods you can get rid of a mealybug infestation in your garden. These are as follows;
1. Washing Using A Jet Of Water Mealybugs are soft-bodied insects that are easily dislodged by a stream of water. Using water to get rid of mealybugs is an effective method that is both effective on light infestations and is also cheap. It is however important to regulate the water pressure so as to ensure that you do not damage the plants while at it.
2. Diatomaceous Earth Contains tiny particles of silica that cause irritation and the eventual death of both mealybugs and ants. Large mealybug infestations are often accompanied by an ant presence. This symbiotic relationship can result in detrimental effects to the plants in question. Using diatomaceous earth effectively eradicates both insect populations. It is applied at the plant stems to improve its efficacy.
3. Insecticidal Soap This method is particularly effective in heavy infestation cases. Insecticidal soaps work by causing damage to the mealybugs’ outer surface. As previously mentioned, mealybugs have soft bodies which leave them quite vulnerable to chemicals. Insecticidal soap causes dehydration and the consequent death of the mealybugs. This technique should be repeated every 8 to 10 days as recommended. Insecticidal soap is commercially available at stores and agrochemical dealerships.
4. Rubbing With A 50% Alcohol Solution A 50% Isopropyl alcohol solution is an effective method to combat a mealybug infestation in your garden. The alcohol dissolves the waxy mess leaving exposed the mealybugs and the eggs. The alcohol then dehydrates the insects effectively ridding your plants off any pests. Some people also consider adding Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate quite effective. The second component specifically and aggressively attacks the mealybugs.
5. Neem Oil This method of handling a mealybug infestation entails disrupting the growth and development of the pests. Neem oil is a widely preferred insecticide that is non-toxic to bees and other plant-friendly insects such as ladybugs. Neem also prevents the re-emergence of mealybug infestations as it has repelling properties.
6. Pruning Affected Branches Mealybugs occur in clumps or colonies on plant leaves and branches. A simple way of getting rid of mealybugs would be to prune the affected parts with a hand pruner. This is effective in cases where the infestation is localized to specific plants. Pruning the diseased branches prevents the little fuzzy white bugs from spreading.
7. Using Plant-Beneficial Insects Commercially available insects such as lacewing and the ladybug have a proven track record of effectively eliminating pests such as mealybugs. Ladybugs are serve as important predators that help to control the emergence and proliferation of various plant pests. Ladybugs and other similar predatory insects are available in agro-stores and select outlets.
Conclusion
When dealing with mealybugs, chemical insecticides should be a last resort. Avoiding simple practices such as using too much fertilizer or excess watering of plants are also effective methods of avoiding the little fuzzy white bug infestation in the first place. Mealybugs are also sensitive to cold weather conditions. If your plants can survive in cold weather, lowering the temperatures in your greenhouse or garden can be a great way of getting rid of mealybugs. |
North Carolina native Ed Shives has reportedly been throat punched multiple times by a friend for 'using Smash terminology in real life'. The incident occurred while the 16 year old Ed and his friend Ryan were at an IMAX movie theater earlier this week. It was there were Ed began harassing moviegoers by spouting a series of Smash related terms at them."Everything was a either a nice read or spotdodge. At first what he said bore slight relevance to the thing being commented on but it later diverged into nonsense," Ryan recalls. "People were concerned at first, then annoyed, and then self-loathsome, even to the point where some were even questioning the nature of existence right then and there."According to eyewitnesses, they could hear Ed softly whispering in their ears statements like "nice backair" but before they could turn around to see who it was, he had already disappeared. Ryan said it only got worse.Ed was apparently even harassing couples in the theater by saying that 'they weren't a good match up'."That's not even the bad part. At one point Ed started rambling off Tafo-esque stats of the likelihood that at least one person in the theater would develop coronary heart disease in the future. He actually had citations on hand to back it up."It was at that point that Ryan decided he had gone too far and figured the only way to shut him up was by throat punching him several times. This didn't help."When I punched him in the throat he said that wasn't the most optimal place to punch if desiring to inflict the most damage and then he started suggested the spleen for maximum pain."Eventually, a police officer was called in to calm Ryan and diffuse the situation. Ed however, only worsened the circumstances by inciting the officer's rage."He told me that the 'pedestrian-policeman match-up' was 20-80," said the officer. "I didn't know what he meant but judging by the nonsense he was spouting out at the time, I assumed it was an insult aimed towards me. Naturally, I joined his friend in beating him up."Ed was later detained and is currently awaiting trial. The debacle made international headlines and even some persons of power chimed in on the situation, with Donald Trump somehow relating this to National Security.Stay tuned on Smashboards to hear about what happens to Ed. |
Does the personhood of foetuses give them right to life? Does that right to life overrides women’s rights to control what happens in and to their bodies?
In A Defense of Abortion Judith Jarvis Thomson argued that even if we grant that foetuses are persons and thus have right to life, it does not follow that they have the right to use the pregnant women’s bodies. Thomson’s case from the famous unconscious violinist analogy unfolds as follows:
Imagine you wake up in the morning kidnapped by the Society of Music Lovers, and are plugged into a famous unconscious violinist who has a fatal kidney ailment. “To unplug you would be to kill him. But never mind, it’s only for nine months. By then he will have recovered from his ailment, and can safely be unplugged from you”(Thomson 1971, 49)
Thomson argued that even if the violinist is a person and has right to life, it does not follow that he has right to use your body, if we grant that a person can decide what happen in and to her body. It would be very nice of you to allow it, but it is morally acceptable to unplug yourself (1971, 48-49).
In both cases, killing the violinist and aborting a foetus, according to Thomson, are relevantly analogous actions because your body is being violated. If it is morally permissible to kill the violinist because your body is being violated, then it is morally permissible to abort a foetus because your body is being violated.
Exploring The Extent of Thomson’s Violinist Analogy
Mary Anne Warren pointed out that Thomson’s argument from the violinist analogy is plausible as a defense for permissibility of morally unaccountable unwanted pregnancy only, e.g. rape (Warren 1973). She argued that “[t]he crucial difference between a pregnancy due to rape and the normal case of an unwanted pregnancy is that in the normal case we cannot claim that the woman is in no way responsible for her predicament; she could have remained chaste, or taken her pills more faithfully, or abstained on dangerous days, and so on.”(1973, 49)
In morally accountable cases, the foetus, congruently argued Bonnie Steinbock, “does have a right to use the pregnant woman’s body because she is (partly) responsible for its existence.”(Steinbock 1992, 78)1
David Boonin-Vail (1997) and Peter Singer (2011) disagreed with Warren and Steinbock. If Thomson’s argument from the violinist analogy is sound, then it could be, they argued, extended beyond morally unaccountable cases.
Boonin argued that there is a difference between “a person’s (a) voluntarily bring about a state of affairs S and (b) voluntarily doing an action A foreseeing that this may lead to a state of affairs S.”(1997, 291) Moral accountability for one’s action is plausible in only (a) but not (b). Non-rape unwanted pregnancy cases falls in (b). He explained that being morally responsible does not necessarily mean a person also agrees to a foreseeable consequence.
Boonin offered an analogy; Bill and Ted voluntarily placing some money on the restaurant’s table. Demonstrating (a) is Bill who after finishing eating voluntarily took the money out of his wallet and placed it on the table and walked out the door. On the other hand, (b) is Ted who voluntarily took the money out of his wallet while eating because it was uncomfortable sitting with it in his pocket. He not only consciously knew that he may forget his money on the table but was also warned by a friend. He unwisely refused to listen to the advice. Ted after finishing eating carelessly left the money on the table, walked out the door, and about ten minutes after returned to collect his money (293). Though Ted is morally responsible for leaving his money on the table, it does not follow that he agreed with the foreseeable consequence of the waiter taking his money. Following Boonin, women’s voluntary intercourse with men is more like Ted’s case.
Singer offered a different analogy:
Suppose that you found yourself connected to the violinist, not because you were kidnapped by music lovers, but because you had intended to enter the hospital to visit a sick friend; and when you got into the elevator, you carelessly pressed the wrong button and ended up in a section of the hospital normally visited only by those who have volunteered to be connected to patients who would not otherwise survive. A team of doctors, waiting for the next volunteer, assumed you were it, jabbed you with an anesthetic and connected you. If Thomson’s argument was sound in the kidnap case, it is probably sound here too, because nine months unwillingly supporting another is a high price to pay for ignorance or carelessness. (2011, 133)
Boonin’s analogy fails because moral accountability in view here is not of voluntarily placing of some money on the restaurant’s table but voluntarily leaving of the money on the table. Ted, unlike Bill, did not leave the money voluntarily. Similarly Singer’s analogy fails because it is not a voluntary carelessly pressed wrong-button action, of say Gill, which is parallel with Ted placing his money on the table, that is in view. Gill, as in the case of rape, found himself involuntarily plugged to the violinist.
Questioning the Thomson’s Violinist Analogy
Thomson’s analogy fails because in a typical case of abortion we are not merely failing to save another person’s life, by unplugging ourselves, but we are actively taking away another person’s life.
If Jeff McMahan is correct that “[t]he standard methods for performing abortions clearly involve killing the fetus: the fetus dies by being mangled or poisoned in the process of being removed from the uterus” (2002, 378) then abortion is not simply unplugging oneself from another person and letting her die but actively and intentionally killing her. The kidney donor is not only unplugging herself and passively letting a dying violinist die but unplugging herself by actively killing him2.
Questioning Thomson’s Body Rights Assumption
Thomson assumed that our rights to decide what happens in and to our bodies extend to another person. This is not necessarily true. Imagine the following counterexample:
Jane decided to chop off the legs of her foetus, at week 7. Grant that she has the right to choose what happens in and to her body, Dr. John, with help of modern technology, performed the operation and chopped Jane’s foetus legs off. In week 10, Jane decided to chop the hands of her foetus off and John performed what is reasoned to be Jane’s personal choice and right. Taking it to an extreme Jane decided to pluck her foetus’ eyes out, et cetera. Two alternative endings could be that of (i) Jane in her final trimester decided to perform prostaglandin or (ii) Jane decided to give birth to an eyeless-amputated child.
If our moral sentiments, assuming we are not morally blind, toward Jane are that of not only disapproval but also of condemning Jane for her “ruthlessness” then it does not follow that Jane’s right to choose what happen in and to her body is extended to her foetus.
Questioning Thomson’s Use of “Use”
Raising a worthy exploring inquiry, Philip W. Bennett asked; “Does the foetus use the body of the woman who has it in the same way that the violinist is using the body of the unwilling kidney donor?”(Bennett 1982,142) Bennett questioned the assumption that he believed Thomson took for granted, namely the relationship between a violinist’s use of the kidney donor with that of a foetus use of the mother.
Using people as means to our own ends, following Kant, is often wrong. Thomson’s violinist, or the Society of Music Lovers, according to Bennett, is, in a moral chastisement sense, using the kidney donor as a means to his or their end. In this way he or they are morally accountable. But the foetus does not uses the body of the woman in a similar way to them because foetus use its mother in a moral neutral sense. (1982, 144)
If Bennett’s distinction is correct, viz., the foetus does not indeed use the body of the pregnant woman as the violinist uses the body of the kidney donor then “the moral sentiments evoked by the violinist case, as codified in the principle that ‘ having a right to life does not guarantee having either a right to be given the use of or a right to be allowed continued use of another person’s body …,’ have little or nothing to say about the issue of abortion and the implications of the foetus’ right to life if fetuses have such a right.”(142)
By granting, for argument sake, that foetuses are persons, Thomson did not succeed to show that it is morally permissible to actively kill them. Elsewhere3 I argued that what makes killing people generally morally wrong applies also to the killing of foetuses. That case does not assume that foetuses are persons.
Bibliography:
Bennett, Philip W. (1982) A Defence of Abortion; A Question for Judith Jarvis Thomson. Philosophical Investigations. Vol 5, Issue 2:142-145
Booni-Vail, David (1997) A Defense of “A Defense of Abortion”: On the Responsibility Objection to Thomson’s Argument. Ethics, Vol. 107, No. 2:286-313
McMahan, Jeff (2002). The Ethics of Killing: Problems at the Margins of Life. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Singer, Peter (2011) Practical Ethics. 3rd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Steinbock, Bonnie (1992) Life before Birth: The Moral and Legal Status of Embryos and Fetuses. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Thomson, Judith Jarvis (1971) A Defense of Abortion. Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 1, No. 1:47-66
Warren, Mary Anne (1973) On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion. The Monist Vol 57, No. 1: 42-61 |
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This is a Mother’s Day ode to Megan Pischke, Barrett Christy, Tara Dakides, Erin Comstock and Cheryl Maas — five females who set the bar in women’s snowboarding and are now passing their wisdom and love of mountain life adventure on to their next of kin. How many kids can say their mom invented a snowboarding trick, was the first woman to stomp a 900 off a jump, was the first female to land a 900 in slopestyle, won X Games gold medals, had video parts in Mack Dawg Productions, was in Rolling Stone, can bust backflips and double backflips for that matter on a snowboard and hold their own in surfing, skateboarding and motocross to boot? Meet five of the raddest moms in snowboarding.
Megan Pischke
Mom, wife, snowboarder, yogi, surfer, breast cancer survivor, B4BC wellness ambassador and athlete for The North Face, Chasing Sunshine.
Tell us about your family.
My amazing husband and I have 2 beautiful, bright, sensitive, sporty, loving kids! Leighli is eight, and Reef is three. We are so blessed to live a beach and mountain life, which my husband and I cherish, and know my kids feel the same by how they love and live life.
How has motherhood changed your life?
Oh gosh, loaded question. Priorities shift, yet I really feel I still need to be myself and continue to do the things that make me happy (travel, surf, and snowboard, and a job that fulfills me!) Let’s just say I am a better person than I ever thought possible or dreamed of, and have gained so much perspective and meaning through the eyes of my children.
Megs & Leighli are shred ready. Photo: Jeff Curtes
Has snowboarding influenced the way you raise your children?
Yes, of course. Life revolves around powder days and tide charts. Not to mention the community of amazing humans and souls I have literally grown up with — I feel honored for my kids to be influenced and raised by some of these talented, motivated and kind people.
How old were your kids when they started riding?
Leighli 18 months (bindings at two), same for Reef. Leighli picked it up easier; she was making turns and on the hill with us by age three. Reef has a harder time, as he just wants to do what his big sister is doing like building jumps and hitting them. But he has plenty of time — he will be 4 this summer. He has not learned to turn yet, just stop and not run over people’s boards and scream, “Move it!” (Thank goodness).
Did you have to choose between being a mother & having a career in snowboarding?
Well, I wasn’t sure in the beginning, but that first contest in AK, dropping in and eventually choosing (what I thought to be) a “mom line” and then rushing down to breastfeed my child… I think I realized that I needed to choose either to push myself where I wanted to keep going in snowboarding, or to be the mother I needed to be for such a small fragile being that I consciously brought into this world. Obvious answer, but strangely a really difficult choice to put myself aside for a while. Plus to have my husband doing the same risk taking, it just didn’t make sense to me. I think I teetered on the edge for a while as I searched for my transition, (I had an athlete contract with The North Face and some other sponsors I wanted to do my best to honor) and then began to understand that my seemingly less glorious “job” of motherhood, would be the best job I have ever done, and ever will do. But I have to tell you how harsh I still feel on powder days when I don’t have a sitter, or when David forgets the time out in the surf and we are kid juggling! But Reef is almost there, in a couple years he will be able to hang. Time goes so fast when you have kids, I am loving the little person time, because someday they will be too big to sneak into their beds and cuddle.
Do you have some words of wisdom that you can pass on to families looking to raise their kids in the mountains?
Just do it! Move to the mountains and make it work. Just go outside, let your kids run wild and free, breathe the air, eat snow, jump into lakes. Teach them to love the outdoors, by finding YOUR passion outside and pursuing it. The mountains are a special place and you don’t have to have tons of money to be connected to the earth, and enjoy its gifts. I believe it’s one of the reasons that every single one of us is here — to connect with the outdoors.
Page 2: Barrett Christy
Page 3: Tara Dakides
Page 4: Erin Comstock
Page 5: Cheryl Maas
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Ubuntu TV concept as CES. The TV will have easy integration of broadcast, online services and applications and will also support a range of other devices like tablets and phones that can serve as second screen for content viewing.
Canonical has revealed a newconcept as CES. The TV will have easy integration of broadcast, online services and applications and will also support a range of other devices like tablets and phones that can serve as second screen for content viewing.
Ubuntu TV will have ability to stream music, photos and videos from the PC to the TV. And with Ubuntu TV apps for iOS, Android and Ubuntu, media can be shared between the TV and portable devices using the personal cloud service, Ubuntu One. Ubuntu TV will run your applications and many other apps from third party developers. These apps will be delivered and updated through an online store.
The source code for TV software is expected to be made available later today. Ubuntu TV will be commercially available by the end of 2012. |
(Newser) – What's it like being a famous rapper and noted lover of big butts? One Seattle resident got a little taste when his new phone came complete with Sir Mix-A-Lot's old number. The New York Daily News reports Jonathan Nichols moved to Seattle from El Paso for law school and wanted a local phone number. But when he switched numbers, he started getting everything from offers of backstage passes and homemade beats to sales calls from luxury car dealerships and, of course, photos of women's butts, reports the Seattle Times. “There were some girls in really short shorts and skimpy tops, obviously turned around showing their big butt,” Nichols tells the Daily News. “They would say, ‘I know you love us because we got a big butt.'”
Nichols tells the Daily News it took him eight months to figure out whose old number he had, finally solving the mystery thanks to a flurry of incoming messages on Sir Mix-A-Lot's birthday. “I was like, 'No freaking way,’” Nichols says. The Times reports that Nichols has the rapper's sympathy. “Are you serious?” Sir Mix-A-Lot said when told of the story. “That is hilarious. Poor fella.” But he does have some advice as the number's previous owner. “Don’t check any text messages in front of your wife. That would be the first thing," he says. "Tell him any really sexy pictures—little in the middle, and if she’s got much back—give them the new number." Nichols tells the Daily News he has no plans to change his number. “It’s crossed my mind, but it’s too funny." (Even astronauts dial wrong numbers.) |
File photo of Abdul Quader Molla.
Bangladesh on Thursday hanged a senior Islamist leader known as the "Butcher of Mirpur", making him the first person to be put to death for massacres committed during the country's bloody 1971 war of independence."The execution has been carried out," deputy law minister Quamrul Islam told AFP, adding that Abdul Quader Molla, 65, a senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was hanged at 10.01 pm (1601 GMT) in a jail in the capital Dhaka.The hanging took place just hours after the country's Supreme Court dismissed Molla's appeal for a final review of his death sentence, removing the last legal option against his execution.The wife and children of Molla met the Jamaat-e-Islami leader at a jail in Dhaka for one last time hours before the execution, and found him to be "calm"."He has told us that he is proud to be a martyr for the cause of Islamic movement in the country," Molla's son Hasan Jamil told AFP after meeting his father.Security has also been tightened outside the jail gate and in the capital Dhaka, with the authorities deploying paramilitary border guards in key flashpoints.Islamists and opposition protesters armed with crude bombs and rocks clashed with police in riots in several cities across the country after the Supreme Court announced the brief verdict paving the way for the execution.Molla was originally set to be hanged on Tuesday night after he refused to seek presidential clemency.But in a night of high drama a judge stayed the hanging just 90 minutes before the scheduled execution, amid international concern over the fairness of the war crime trials of mainly opposition leaders.Molla was found to have been a leader of a pro-Pakistan militia which fought against the country's independence and killed some of Bangladesh's top professors, doctors, writers and journalists.A key opposition official, he was convicted of rape, murder and mass murder, including the killing of more than 350 unarmed civilians. Prosecutors described him as the "Butcher of Mirpur", a Dhaka suburb where he committed most of the atrocities.Hundreds of secular protesters erupted in celebration hearing the news of the execution. They have been camping at Shahbagh square in Dhaka since Tuesday night, shouting slogans including: "Hang Quader Molla, hang war criminals". |
CLOSINGS
Parachute will be closed for a Private Dinner on Wednesday, April 19th.
WALKING-IN
We encourage you to follow the below guidelines for best success in dining as a walk-in party.
- Walk-in availability is greatest at the following times:
Weekdays (Tues - Thurs) before 6 pm or after 9:30 pm and Fridays & Saturdays at 5:00 pm or 10:00 pm
- If you are walking in during prime dinner hours of 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, please call ahead and be patient with extended wait times.
- We seat walk-ins on a first come, first serve, first complete party basis.
- If you are a party of 5 - 6 guests, we strongly encourage reservations.
RESERVATION POLICY
- Reservations are available 30 days in advance for parties of 6 or less and 60 days in advance for parties of 7 - 12. Reservations guarantee you a seat in the restaurant, a lot of our seating is communal counter seating and reservations DO NOT guarantee a private table. If there are any special seating requirements (car seats, high chairs, wheelchairs) please let us know so we can do our best to plan for the most comfortable seating.
- Reservations are available on-line for parties up to 6 guests. A Credit Card is required to reserve seats for parties of 4 or more. If you are not seeing your desired time we encourage you to check back through Open Table closer to the date as availability does change. If you need assistance with a reservation please contact us between the hours of 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Monday thru Saturday, we are always happy to help.
- Our CANCELLATION POLICY requires that you cancel by 2pm on the day of your reservation. If you cancel outside of this window or fail to show, your card is subject to a $40per person fee if we are not able to re-book your seats.
- We seat complete parties only, even if you have a reservation. If you or members of your party are more than 15 minutes late, even if you call ahead your reservation is considered canceled We will be more than happy to add late arrivals to our waitlist and you will be seated on a first-come, first-serve, first-complete party basis.
Note: We do not accept third party reservations or reservations made via concierge services.
LARGE PARTY DINING
We can accommodate parties of 7-12 guests with a $68pp shareable multi-plate Chefs Menu with optional $45pp Beverage Tasting.
Please email us at reservations@parachuterestaurant.com for details and availability.
EVENTS AT PARACHUTE
Parachute is available for Private Events up to 50 guests. Please call 773.654.1460 or email info@parachuterestaurant.com with inquiries. |
The No. 1 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks women’s golf team wrapped up a dominating fall campaign with a runaway victory in tough conditions on Tuesday at the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational in San Antonio, Texas.
The Razorbacks, led by senior Alana Uriell, shot an even-par 288 on Tuesday to finish at 22-under, 18 strokes ahead of Texas A&M and TCU, which tied for second place. Arkansas defended its 2016 championship at the tournament, which is hosted by Texas-San Antonio.
“I’m really proud of our group,” Coach Shauna Estes-Taylor said after the third-best tournament score in Arkansas history. “It was a tough golf course today with the wind blowing, but we persevered.
“It says a lot about this group of young ladies and their fight. It is the best fall we’ve had since I’ve been at Arkansas and we are heading in the right direction. I also know that we have things we can tidy up to keep improving.”
The Razorbacks won three of their four fall tournaments, also capturing the Mason Rudolph Championship and the Annika Intercollegiate, and finished fourth in the 18-team Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational. It is the third time in school history Arkansas has won three tournaments in a season.
Uriell, the 2016 medalist at the Maryb S. Kauth, kept her hot streak going with a 4-under par 68, which included six birdies, to lead the Razorbacks. Uriell, of Carlsbad, Calif., carded back-to-back 68s after an opening round 72 and tied for second place with Texas A&M’s Maddie Szeryk, one stroke behind medalist Connie Jaffrey of Kansas State.
Arkansas’ Dylan Kim finished alone in fifth place with a score of 5 under. Junior Maria Fassi tied for sixth place at 4 under with Auburn’s Kelli Murphy.
Junior Cara Gorlei tied for 17th place at 3 over par, and junior Kaylee Benton tied for 28th at 4 over. Arkansas freshman Maria Hoyos, playing as an individual, also shot 4 over for the tourney after a second-consecutive 2-under 70.
Denver finished in fourth place, 28 shots behind the Razorbacks at 6 over, followed by Oklahoma (+9), Houston (+10), Kansas State (+14), Maryland (+16), Auburn (+19) and host Texas-San Antonio (+23) in the top 10. |
It seems odd to lock a bike up in a well-lit rack in the hope that it'll be promptly stolen, but on a cold evening in early November, that's exactly what two police officers do before retiring to a warm spot opposite that overlooks the bikes.
The officers are from the Metropolitan police service cycle taskforce, which was set up in response to rising bike crime and comprises a team of around 30 based in Southwark but covering the whole of Greater London. You don't need a calculator to tell you that 30 people are going to struggle to put a dent in the 22,467 bike thefts reported in London in 2011, but more on that later.
Each of the officers applied for a position in this unit specifically and so unsurprisingly, all are cyclists. That might sound trivial but it's useful: they know something's amiss when they see a guy with cleated pedals struggling to pedal with trainers, for example.
Back in the cafe that overlooks the decoy bikes, we wait. They made arrests yesterday but are worried (for my sake) that nothing will happen today. A man walks past one of the decoy bikes and stops to take a look at it, bending down to examine the lock. His intentions seem clear, but sergeant Paul Davey explains that thieves often work in small teams: a spotter who'll be on the lookout for targets and one or more people who'll come and cut the lock before cycling off. While it's not organised crime as you and I might understand it, there's certainly a tendency for bike thieves to work in loose groups. The officers seem confident that the spotter will be back, but by the time we leave, the bikes are still there.
If someone were to be caught stealing the decoy, assuming he were co-operative and had no criminal record, he'd most likely walk away with a caution. That's rare though, and anyone with a record will probably end up in court, leading to a £250 fine. They might also have their house searched, which frequently throws up more stolen bikes.
Even a big arrest for a stash of, say, 20 bikes is unlikely to result in a custodial sentence, and it's clear that the punishment doesn't fit the crime, although the taskforce would like to see more done. Ultimately, it's out of their hands (blame the Crown Prosecution Service) but they're working on it.
A frustratingly large portion of their time is spent reuniting recovered bikes with their original owners. Occasionally, the team will recover a bike, run the frame number through a database and immediately find the owner, but most of the time it's more complicated than that.
Not many people actually log their frame number (have you?) and so on some weeks, members of the force can easily spend 20% of their time looking for owners. When it's impossible to find an owner via the usual channels (the force recommends that victims of bike crime register their bikes and report a stolen bike to the local police force as soon as possible), they look elsewhere. PC Rob Johnston explains how he starts off by contacting the frame manufacturer, who will normally be able to tell him which store the frame was shipped to. Then, he'll contact the store in the hope that they'll have recorded the eventual buyer's details.
Although the force is trying to persuade all stores to record this, many don't (Cycle Surgery gets particular praise for keeping thorough records). Why is this important? While the taskforce will spend extra time tracking down owners, other parts of the force simply won't – although the team is working to change this. However, PC Johnston cautions that on a trip to a busy police station, you might easily find 100 good-quality seized bikes with no owners. If you've reported yours as stolen and given a good description, yours shouldn't be one of them.
They roll their eyes when I ask who a "typical" bike thief is – there are no demographic trends that they're prepared to reveal but they reckon they can spot a thief by the way he looks at a bike (no sexism there: out of 250 arrests, not a single one has been female).
It's clear that, if more people took five minutes to record their bikes' details and reported them as stolen should the worst happen, the force would be able to spend more of their time pursuing thieves and would be able to make more arrests. If they come across a stash of bikes but can't prove that they've been stolen (by linking the bikes to a theft report) then the thief might well walk away and have the bikes returned to him. It's an uphill struggle, but it's easy to see how registering bikes and reporting theft can help the taskforce to make more arrests, recover more bikes and push for tougher sentences.
What sergeant Davey wishes all cyclists would do:
• Record your bike (take a photo, log the frame number etc) and register it. If the bike's stolen, report it.
• If you're buying a secondhand bike, be vigilant and cover your back. If you buy a stolen bike, even unknowingly, you can forget about statutory rights – it'll be recovered and you're unlikely to see a penny.
• Don't be naïve: If you're buying a new racing bike for £200 and paying cash, something's not right.
• If you're buying a secondhand bike, use PayPal. The company's buyer protection scheme means that, should your bike later be found to be stolen, you'll be able to recover the money as long as less than 45 days have elapsed.
• Use two different locks (eg a cable and a D-Lock) – a thief will have to carry two tools to steal your bike. |
A 12-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy both lost their left arms in separate shark attacks while vacationing near Ocean Crest Pier in Oak Island, N.C., on Sunday afternoon.
The girl's left arm was amputated below the elbow, though she also sustained tissue damage to her left leg. The boy’s left arm was also amputated below the shoulder. Neither of their identities has been released, and investigators have not stated whether the same shark attacked both victims. They were both taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, where they were upgraded from critical to fair condition.
“Blood in the water coming over with the whitewash, kid was in shock. He was still coherent. Took it clean off. I saw what was left of what he had,” Jason Hunter, an eyewitness, told CNN of the aftermath, when officials sent people with megaphones to get everyone out of the water.
The beaches were opened on Monday. Although officials have urged people to go to the beach with caution, they cannot close the beach and stop people from swimming. According to a report by the University of Florida, the U.S. led the world in shark attacks in 2014 with 52; there were 130 shark attacks worldwide. While more than half of these attacks happened in Florida waters, North Carolina was among the top states with attacks.
Officials have encouraged swimmers who have cuts to stay out of the water and to stay away from people who are fishing.
“Oak Island is still a safe place,” Tim Holloman, the town manager, told The Associated Press. “We’re monitoring the situation. This is highly unusual.” |
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Icons don’t take up much space. The little 16×16 (up to 256×256) graphics though, grab our attention. How many times have you judged a software or web app, just by looking at its icons?
Originally meant to make computers easier for newbies to understand, icons now occupy all the spaces where you care to look.
As operating systems develop, icon development gallops along with them. From 16 color icons to 32-bit images with alpha transparency, we have come a long way.
When you think of customizing your computer, changing and tweaking the icons that originally came with it, are on top of the task list.
Where do you go for a spot of icon hunting? Thankfully, there are a huge number of resources out there!
And in case your still aren’t satisfied, here are 8 of the best free icons search engines to take the search further. After all, if everything else can have a search engine, icons deserve a few of their own”¦
FindIcons.com claims to have the largest searchable free icons database in the world. The minimalistic and neat homepage is taken up by a large search box. What you get with a search is access to more than 300,000+ icons and 2000+icon packs. Better user focus is provided with the User Set tool that lets you group frequently used icons in a personal Favorites box.
The web service also comes with two converters. The single touch integrated Convert button outputs an icon into any of the BMP, GIF, JPG, PSD, TIF formats. With the other stand-alone icon converter you can upload and convert a local image into an icon in these formats – ICO, ICNS, ICO (multi-res), ICNS (multi-res), BMP, EPS, GIF, JPG, PNG, PSD, SVG, TGA, and TIFF.
IconsSearch engine scours the net and gathers icons in PNG (16×16 to 256×256) and ICO (16×16 to 128×128) formats from a variety of icon stock websites. It doesn’t make the distinction between licensed icons and free public ones. So, it’s always better to click on the Browse and check the copyright claims if any.
VeryIcon.com catalogs about 20,000 high quality icons in its database for Windows, Macs and Linux systems. And there are three ways to search through them. You can do a normal keyword search, browse through the icon categories or do an advanced search.
The advanced search allows you to search for single icons or icon packs. Other options include choosing an icon size, the category or fine-tuning it all with two types of matches. Again, do verify the license of the icon you are downloading.
IconLet.com improves the advanced searching for icons by giving you a few more options to set before you download icons. The most important is – specifying the license type before you start your advanced search. You can also search by giving the exact dimensions of the icons that you require for your project.
The image types supported by IconLet are PNG, GIF, and PSD. IconLet also provides a Firefox search plugin.
IconSeeker.com covers icons for all three operating systems. With nearly 50,000 icons indexed, it’s a good place to dig in for an icon hunt. Though it does not have an advanced search, you can use the tag cloud and the size filters to narrow down the icon of your choice.
The icons are free for non-commercial use but author permissions are required for other purposes.
EasyIconFinder.com tries to justify its name by letting you search by keyword, by category or by using the tag cloud. The interface is flash-based, so be sure to have it installed in your browser. In the results, you can select the size of the icon from a dropdown and the icon format.
Looking through the categories and the number of icons listed against them, the total number seemed on the smaller side.
From our archives – Iconfinder
Just like FindIcons.com, this is one of the better designed icon searching tools. Get access to 150,000+ icons and 484 icon sets. The icon site also has an icon conversion tool and a Favicon generator.
This web service is a definite must visit.
And finally”¦
Google Image Search is not very friendly when it comes to searching for icons, though it’s not for want of trying. The way Google indexes webpages, it’s not really meant for icons. But you can try out Google Image Search if the right icon still eludes you. Here are the pointers:
Click on the advanced search option or go directly to the advanced search page. Type in a keyword for the type of icon you are searching for. For the Size, dropdown and select Icon. You can also optionally enter a size in the field that asks for the Exact Size. Under the options given for Usage Rights, go for images that are meant for reuse and are not restricted by licenses.
Searching for icons is actually not a huge problem. Searching for the right high quality icon which is free does take an iota more effort. Hopefully, these icon resources will make it a breeze. Let us know if you have any more icon search engines to add to the list.
Image credit: dunkr |
An Ontario man whose mother died from a heart attack after taking a popular anti-depressant believes she would still be alive if she'd been warned about the drug’s known dangers.
"She deserved better," said Mike Schoger, an engineer from the Chatham area, whose 75-year old mother Trudy died in December, just hours after taking her first dose of Cipralex.
"Health Canada knew there were issues for months [before fully warning the public]," said Schoger.
Trudy Schoger was on a diuretic, but otherwise healthy, when she was prescribed Cipralex for depression. The day she died, her son found her writhing in pain on her bed.
"She took the first dose and 45 minutes later she started getting pain in her shoulders and neck and chest," said Schoger. Hours later, his mother lay dead in hospital and he was in shock.
"You could say my mom was one of my best friends," said Shoger. "The last thing I would have expected is for something like this to happen."
The woman had no previous heart troubles. Her death was blamed on natural causes, but her son says he doesn’t buy that.
Cipralex is known to potentially cause heart attacks in patients who are taking diuretics, or who have electrolyte imbalances, which are often caused by taking diuretics. Diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies. Schoger’s blood work showed her sodium levels were dangerously low when she took Cipralex.
"My mom would have not touched that drug had she known. Guaranteed," said Schoger.
Problems known earlier
The maker of Cipralex, Lundbeck, had acknowledged the risk to regulators in 2011.
Submit your story ideas: Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC-TV, radio and the web.
is an investigative news segment on CBC-TV, radio and the web. We tell your stories and hold the powers that be accountable.
We want to hear from people across the country with stories they want to make public. Submit your story ideas to Kathy Tomlinson at Go Public
In November and December, warnings about Cipralex and electrolyte imbalances were sent out to physicians and the public in the U.K. and Ireland.
In January, Health Canada said health-care professionals and the public were notified that the agency was looking "to determine if there was a need to include further information for Cipralex," because the same dangers had been found with a similar drug called Celexa.
However, the agency failed to fully warn Canadians of the risk — of mixing diuretics with the anti-depressant — until May.
Trudy Schoger, 75, posing with her husband in an undated photo, was healthy for her age and had no health problems. (CBC)
"Use of Cipralex is discouraged in patients who are also taking drugs … that decrease electrolyte levels in the body ... drugs that may affect electrolyte levels include: diuretics (water pills)," the May warning reads.
That was five months after the public in the U.K. was warned about Cipralex and electrolyte levels, and too late for Trudy Schoger.
"So am I to understand that the physiological makeup of a U.K. citizen is different than that of a Canadian?" asks her son. "Someone has to be held to account."
"Heath Canada takes a number of sources of information into account while conducting a comprehensive review, including consultation with additional expertise," spokesperson Sean Upton responded, after being asked why Canadians weren't warned at the same time as Britons.
Shoppers info outdated
Schoger's mother had her prescription filled at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Chatham. The information sheet on Cipralex she got with her prescription said nothing about any heart-related risks.
"As far as I’m concerned, there should be a skull and crossbones on the packaging for this medication," said Schoger.
He recently picked up another Cipralex info sheet from the same Shoppers location and said he was shocked to find it is exactly the same as the one his mom was given in December, despite the serious nature of the Health Canada bulletin issued in the spring.
Schoger's son has kept his mom's Cipralex prescription bottle, minus the one pill she took. (CBC)
"The whole system doesn’t work. You are on your own," said Schoger.
The information comes from a private database Shoppers Drug Mart outlets draw from across Canada.
"You go to the pharmacy. You pick up your medication. 'Oh, here’s the product information leaflet. By the way you can’t rely on it’. Maybe they should inform everyone of that," said Schoger.
Go Public asked Shoppers Drug Mart several times why the information sheet on Cipralex has not been updated — and whether it will be now — given the dangers pointed out in the Health Canada warning. The company has not answered that question.
"The information that is provided to patients in conjunction with their prescription, along with pharmacist counselling is designed to be appropriate for the patient and therefore it does not discuss detailed clinical information," wrote Shoppers spokesperson Tammy Smitham in an email.
Pharmacists want improvements
The Ontario Pharmacy Association admitted there is a huge delay from when drug warnings are issued to when they get in the pharmacy database for consumers.
"The assumption is that these information sheets are changed in real time when in fact it takes quite a long time for changes to be formally introduced into the software," said Allen Malek, the association’s drug information specialist.
Shoppers Drug Mart did not explain why its information sheets for consumers on Cipralex don't include the Health Canada warning. (CBC)
When asked why pharmacy information does not include a warning that is on Health Canada’s website, he said: "You are absolutely right, it is on the website. The assumption is also that the website is checked on a regular basis."
Malek said it is up to the federal agency to initiate improvements.
"Ultimately the buck stops with Health Canada," said Malek. "My heart does go out to [Schoger] and his entire family ... we need to all do a much better job from the top down."
Health Canada’s adverse drug reaction database shows nine reported cases of serious, heart-related adverse effects in Cipralex patients in the five-month delay between the U.K.’s public warning about the drug and diuretics and Health Canada’s.
Schoger's case is included in that number along with a 25-year-old man who died from a heart attack in February. His death was reported to Health Canada by his physician. The data doesn’t show whether he had electrolyte imbalances as Schoger did.
A University of Victoria drug policy analyst called the system to inform Canadians about drug information "lame." Alan Cassels also said Health Canada is ultimately responsible.
The Health Canada bulletin, warning of the possible risks of mixing diuretics and Cipralex, came out in May 2012. (CBC)
"This is something I have been railing against for 15 years," he said. "People pay taxes. They expect Health Canada to keep the drug supply safe and the information to be properly communicated to consumers."
Schoger says he has lost faith in the system since his mother's death.
"Knowing that the whole system is broken, I will never take another prescription medication again as long as I live," he said.
Submit your story ideas to Kathy Tomlinson at Go Public |
Illustration: ETH Zurich/American Chemistry Society
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The imminent demise of flash memory at the hands of some new technological upstart has been predicted at least for the last decade. The latest pretender to the throne is the so-called memristor (also called resistive RAM, ReRAM, or RRAM). Of course, if you don’t like the term “memristor”, you can alternatively refer to it as “two-terminal non-volatile memory devices based on resistance switching.”
Now researchers at ETH Zurich have designed a memristor device out of perovskite just 5 nanometres thick that has three stable resistive states, which means it can encode data as 0,1 and 2, or a “trit” as opposed to a “bit.”
The research, which was published in the journal ACS Nano, developed model devices that have two competing nonvolatile resistive switching processes. These switching processes can be alternatively triggered by the effective switching voltage and time applied to the device.
"Our component could therefore also be useful for a new type of IT (Information Technology) that is not based on binary logic, but on a logic that provides for information located 'between' the 0 and 1," said Jennifer Rupp, professor in the Department of Materials at ETH Zurich, in a press release. "This has interesting implications for what is referred to as fuzzy logic, which seeks to incorporate a form of uncertainty into the processing of digital information. You could describe it as less rigid computing."
The researchers also believe this capability could make these devices applicable to so-called neuromorphic computing. Earlier this year, researchers at Northwestern University used the two-dimensional material molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) to create the third terminal for the memristor to simulate the neurons of the human brain.
While artificial intelligence is an attractive offshoot of this research, the main achievement has been to identify the carriers of electrical charge and understand their relationship with the three stable states.
Rupp added: "This is extremely important knowledge for materials science which will be useful in refining the way the storage operates and in improving its efficiency." |
ICOs, or initial coin offerings, are becoming increasingly popular, creating a multi-billion-dollar market. There is no sign of this industry slowing down anytime soon, as ICOs are giving startups in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space access to limitless crowdfunded capital.
With the competition extremely stiff, it makes the marketing strategy a crucial component of the success (or failure) of the ICO. Attracting token investors and enthusiasts requires a well-thought-out marketing strategy, consisting of the five tips outlined below.
1. Have an interesting story to share
Several tokens have successful ICOs simply because their audience loves their mission and what it stands for. Interesting and compelling stories act as magnets, attracting interest from those that want to get behind a token that shares the same values and belief as they do.
If you have an interesting story, present it in a way that it not only attracts potential backers, but also turns them into supporters. If they connect with your vision and mission, they will be much more eager and willing to tell other token fans about your ICO. It’s a very tight-knit community, so any time you can leverage your story, they better marketing reach you will obtain.
For instance, the team over at VaultBank, a company that is raising their own ICO in early December, is highlighted in all of their materials. And they do this because they didn’t just one day decide to be experts in their fields. Instead, the team has a wealth of experience in banking, startups, and technology. But they saw a need and saw the opportunity to fill that need, and they do a great job of explaining how and why they’re doing it.
It’s also a good idea to make sure your entire team is highlighted as this puts a face with the ICO and makes your token appear more human. With so many ICO options, and more launching almost daily, and opportunity you have to make a human connection, the better chance you stand of having a successful offering.
2. Target the appropriate audience
Just because tokens are a hot commodity within the industry right now, doesn’t mean that an ICO should be mass marketed. The truth is, the majority of the real world doesn’t know what an ICO is, let alone what blockchain technology is. It’s foreign territory to the majority of the population.
When marketing an ICO, you are going to be targeting a very specific group of individuals, so your entire effort must be designed around that group, and only them. In the grand scheme of things, no other audience matters, especially when it comes to a very niche-specific offer like an ICO.
It would be wise to segment your marketing efforts into two: the experienced cryptocurrency crowd and those that are new, yet familiar with blockchain technology. This allows you to cover all of the bases, while maintaining very similar campaigns, which will only require minor tweaks and changes to pull each segment in.
3. Consider retaining an ICO advisor
The token market is so new, and most ICOs are being rolled out by groups that haven’t previously launched a coin. With only one shot to knock this out of the park, it’s wise to have as much experience in your corner as possible.
“We’re a team of engineers,” explains Mickey Joe Nathan Johnnyson, the CTO and Co-Founder for FortKnoxster. “We know how to produce an amazing product and flawless code, but when it comes to structuring an ICO and marketing it, we didn’t know where to start.”
Consider retaining an experienced ICO advisor to help oversee the entire offering, which will help you meet and often exceed the raise-goal. Experience in the crypto industry is hard to come by, so any time you can bring someone onboard that can help navigate your ICO, it’s something that needs to be highly considered. The cost can come back ten-fold, simply because of the guidance offered, helping to deploy an effective marketing campaign that delivers the necessary capital raise.
Mickey and his team were able to build out their advisory board and bring on consultants that they found through interacting with the crypto community. And because of that they’ve been able to launch their own ICO this month.
4. Ensure that your offer is transparent
It’s very simple. If your offering lacks transparency, it’s going to act as repellant towards potential buyers. Those that show potential interest need to have full confidence in the developing team behind an ICO. A lack of transparency will greatly reduce the amount of money you are able to raise during the initial offering.
One very simple way to portray transparency is to list extensive bios of every team member, and make them public on the website dedicated to the ICO. Include pictures, a comprehensive biography and even links to each team member’s social media accounts.
In addition, you should consider making your team active and available to answer questions on platforms like Reddit or even creating a dedicated Slack channel for discussion and Q&A. Those contributing to your ICO are also going to want to know how and where their funds will be used, so be sure to detail all financials, providing even more transparency.
5. Make sure your ICO is compliant
There are many compliancy issues that need to be taken into account in regard to how the token must be issued and who is eligible to partake in the ICO. There are very strict guidelines that need to be adhered to when marketing an ICO, so it’s best to hire a law firm that is familiar with SEC guidelines and more specifically, SEC guidelines pertaining to ICOs.
“When it came to compliance, we probably spent more time on that than any other area of our ICO,” explains Ilia Korguzalov, Founder of Arcona.io, another startup that is raising an ICO this month. “Many countries have not explicitly stated how they’ll be regulating ICOs, but we wanted to err on the side of caution and ensure that we were 100 percent compliant with whatever countries our participants came from.”
One sticky area is celebrity endorsements, which is one marketing tactic several ICOs have used. The SEC has issued warnings, advising that many endorsements are violating securities laws by not disclosing the nature of the relationship.
This post is part of our contributor series. The views expressed are the author's own and not necessarily shared by TNW.
Read next: Bitcoin surges past the $7,000 barrier again |
A small town named Suri which is the headquarters of Birbhum district in the state of West Bengal, India has a Durga Puja Pendal design that resembles the Facebook page
A small town named Suri which is the headquarters of Birbhum district in the state of West Bengal, India has a Durga Puja Pendal design that resembles the Facebook page.
If you are wondering that the above image is a photoshopped one or a Facebook timeline of a religious user then give it a closer look. The above image is of a recently concluded Durga Puja pendal (a decorated place where the deity is kept when the religious puja takes place and people come to pray and get blessings) which has been designed keeping the Facebook timeline in mind. And will your eyes pop out if I say that this was done in a small town Suri, (also spelt Siuri), headquarters of Birbhum district from the state of West Bengal, India.
I was quite amazed to see this as it is really cool. A small town miles away from Palo Alto has come up with this idea. Facebook is touching hearts and reaching out far and wide.
Suri may be a small town in terms of population, but has deep roots as far as the culture goes. The small town has been quite popular for it’s Chattoraj’s Durga Temple where the Durga Puja celebrations have been going on for the last 200 years. However, the latest offering from the town is really out of the box thinking and if you observe the image closely, the creators have incorporated all the features of Facebook.
Not only the pendal design has the latest timeline feature , it also has the chat window open, with the lord as as a display picture and a lovely cover page. The pendal must have been the talk of the town during the 5 days of Durga Puja celebrations. Another interesting thing to note here is that all the Olympians who made us proud this year during the London Olympics, have found a space too. I think this is one of the coolest pendal I have seen till date, being born and bred from the same state.
Meanwhile, I have started a discussion on Twitter to see if I can get some more images and find out the cool designers of this pendal. Thanks to Shilpa Srivastava, a Facebook friend who had shared this and gave the initial information about this cool pendal.
I have never doubted the powers of social media. If we had seen a village being named after Snapdeal and babies being named as Facebook in Egypt then this one also stands out for me.
Mark, if you are seeing this then you should be proud along with your latest achievement of 1 Billion! And what a coincidence I had today morning – I read that in 2015, India would be the biggest market for Facebook. It sure seems so. |
Even though quarterback Jameis Winston opted to skip his senior season at Florida State to enter the NFL Draft, his former coach, Jimbo Fisher, still has his back.
On Friday, Fisher told Tampa Bay radio station WDAE-AM 620 his former quarterback had been the victim of “character assassination” in the media.
MORE: Latest NFL mock draft | McElwain calls UF roster 'insufficient' | CFP committee change
During his time at Florida State, Winston was accused of sexual assault, cited for shoplifting and suspended for jumping on a table on campus and shouting an obscene phrase. Those incidents have led some NFL observers to question Winston’s character.
Fisher told WDAE hosts Tom Jones and Rick Stroud that issues about Winston’s character have been fanned by the media.
“Why is there a question?” Fisher said. “Because of the character assassination that he’s lived through in the media, and the (misinformation) and half-truths that have been printed. What amazes me about this whole process is the un-professionalism of a lot of major newspapers, and a lot of major outlets that did not report the whole truth of the situation and only slanted it for their own opinion.”
In particular, Fisher cited media coverage of allegations in 2014 that Winston had accepted payment for autographs. An FSU investigation found no evidence he had received any unauthorized benefits, but Fisher said the saga was still prominently featured in the media.
Fisher said Winston’s character should not be a concern for NFL teams.
“Jameis has great character,” Fisher said. “Did he make mistakes? Yes. Did he make silly mistakes? Yes. I mean, he’s still a 20-year-old kid. He and Johnny Manziel are the only two who have ever gone through that pressure of winning a Heisman (as an underclassman). Plus, he won a national championship. No one had ever done what he had done.
“Some of his mistakes come from wanting to be normal. … He likes being seen as a normal student, and not Jameis Winston. … That got him in trouble by making some poor choices. … It wasn’t from malice, but just from a little bit of immaturity. He’s still just 20 years old. He’ll grow through that.”
When asked if he thought Winston could be the face of an NFL franchise, Fisher did not hesitate.
“If Jameis went into the back of the room and tried to be quiet and never said a word, everyone would turn and look at him and surround him,” Fisher said. “He wouldn’t have to do anything. … He has a presence when he walks into a room, a command. He has supreme confidence, not arrogance. He’s one of the most highly intelligent and competitive guys I’ve ever been around.” |
Canada and the European Union have finalised the text of a proposed free trade agreement after months of wrangling, in a deal which is expected to serve as a blueprint for a similar agreement with the United States.
The two sides initialised a deal in principle last October, but the talks then ran into trouble over issues ranging from financial services and investor protections to how beef and cheese quotas are shared out.
“Today, Canada and the European Union are pleased to announce that officials have reached a complete text, allowing translation and final legal review to commence,” said a statement from the Canada Trade Ministry.
The deal would make Canada the world’s only major economy with preferential access to the world’s two largest economies, the EU and the United States.
“Out of more than 9,000 EU tariff lines, approximately 98% will be duty-free for Canadian goods when the Canada-EU trade pact comes into force,” the ministry said.
For Europe, the accord is meant to be a template for its trade negotiations with the United States, which would encompass a third of world trade and almost half the global economy.
A Canadian government official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said the final outstanding issues were technical in nature and did not require leaders to go back to the negotiating table.
Germany said last week it has not yet decided whether to agree to the draft because it objected to clauses outlining the legal protection offered to firms investing in the 28-member bloc. Critics said they could allow investors to stop or reverse laws, particularly those relating to the protection of the environment.
But the provisions for resolving investor-state disputes were settled several months ago, the Canada official claimed.
>> Read: Germany threatens to reject EU-Canada free trade deal
Issues around financial services, such as ensuring governments have flexibility to take steps when a bank is in trouble, were among the last to be settled.
The draft text of the treaty will now undergo a legal review and translation, before it is sent to Canada’s 10 provinces and the EU’s 28 member states for their comments and final ratification. That process looks to wrap up around mid-2016, the Canadian official said.
Canadian International Trade Minister Ed Fast and Prime Minister Stephen Harper will lead a trade mission early next month to the United Kingdom, the Trade Ministry added in a statement.
Canada and the European Union are also making preparations for a summit next month in Canada, it said. |
“When the level of the trust fund gets to zero, you have to cut benefits,” Alan Greenspan , architect of the plan to rescue the Social Security program the last time it got into trouble, in the early 1980s, said on Wednesday.
That episode was more dire because the fund could have fallen to zero in a matter of months. But partly because of steps taken in those years, and partly because of many years of robust economic growth, the latest projections show the program will not exhaust its funds until about 2037.
Still, Mr. Greenspan, who later became chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, said: “I think very much the same issue exists today. Because of the size of the contraction in economic activity, unless we get an immediate and sharp recovery, the revenues of the trust fund will be tracking lower for a number of years.”
The Social Security Administration is expected to issue in a few weeks its own numbers for the current year within the annual report from its board of trustees. The administration has six board members: three from the president’s cabinet, two representatives of the public and the Social Security commissioner.
Though Social Security uses slightly different methods, the official numbers are expected to roughly track the Congressional projections, which were one page of a voluminous analysis of the federal budget proposed by President Obama in January.
Mr. Goss said Social Security’s annual report last year projected revenue would more than cover payouts until at least 2016 because economists expected a quicker, stronger recovery from the crisis. Officials foresaw an average unemployment rate of 8.2 percent in 2009 and 8.8 percent this year, though unemployment is hovering at nearly 10 percent.
The trustees did foresee, in late 2008, that the recession would be severe enough to deplete Social Security’s funds more quickly than previously projected. They moved the year of reckoning forward, to 2037 from 2041. Mr. Goss declined to reveal the contents of the forthcoming annual report, but said people should not expect the date to lurch forward again.
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The long-term costs of Social Security present further problems for politicians, who are already struggling over how to reduce the nation’s debt. The national predicament echoes that of many European governments, which are facing market pressure to re-examine their commitments to generous pensions over extended retirements.
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The United States’ soaring debt — propelled by tax cuts, wars and large expenditures to help banks and the housing market — has become a hot issue as Democrats gauge their vulnerability in the coming elections. President Obama has appointed a bipartisan commission to examine the debt problem, including Social Security, and make recommendations on how to trim the nation’s debt by Dec. 1, a few weeks after the midterm Congressional elections.
Although Social Security is often said to have a “trust fund,” the term really serves as an accounting device, to track the pay-as-you-go program’s revenue and outlays over time. Its so-called balance is, in fact, a history of its vast cash flows: the sum of all of its revenue in the past, minus all of its outlays. The balance is currently about $2.5 trillion because after the early 1980s the program had surplus revenue, year after year.
Now that accumulated revenue will slowly start to shrink, as outlays start to exceed revenue. By law, Social Security cannot pay out more than its balance in any given year.
For accounting purposes, the system’s accumulated revenue is placed in Treasury securities .
In a year like this, the paper gains from the interest earned on the securities will more than cover the difference between what it takes in and pays out.
Mr. Goss, the actuary, emphasized that even the $29 billion shortfall projected for this year was small, relative to the roughly $700 billion that would flow in and out of the system. The system, he added, has a balance of about $2.5 trillion that will take decades to deplete. Mr. Goss said that large cushion could start to grow again if the economy recovers briskly.
Indeed, the Congressional Budget Office’s projection shows the ravages of the recession easing in the next few years, with small surpluses reappearing briefly in 2014 and 2015.
After that, demographic forces are expected to overtake the fund, as more and more baby boomers leave the work force, stop paying into the program and start collecting their benefits. At that point, outlays will exceed revenue every year, no matter how well the economy performs.
Mr. Greenspan recalled in an interview that the sour economy of the late 1970s had taken the program close to insolvency when the commission he led set to work in 1982. It had no contingency reserve then, and the group had to work quickly. He said there were only three choices: raise taxes, lower benefits or bail out the program by tapping general revenue.
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The easiest choice, politically, would have been “solving the problem with the stroke of a pen, by printing the money,” Mr. Greenspan said. But one member of the commission, Claude Pepper, then a House representative, blocked that approach because he feared it would undermine Social Security, changing it from a respected, self-sustaining old-age program into welfare.
Mr. Greenspan said that the same three choices exist today — though there is more time now for the painful deliberations.
“Even if the trust fund level goes down, there’s no action required, until the level of the trust fund gets to zero,” he said. “At that point, you have to cut benefits, because benefits have to equal receipts.” |
DAILYKENN.com -- Stop you ears, my racist liberal friends. You're about to be confronted with facts.
A largely ignored article (published in 2013) confirmed that Europe's first advanced civilization was populated by white people; Caucasians.
According to the headline published in Britain's Daily Mail:
The Minoans were Caucasian: DNA debunks longstanding theory that Europe's first advanced culture was from Africa
The Minoan civilization emerged about 2700 BC and thrived for the next 1,200 years.
DNA tests of Minoan remains suggests they were descended from ancient farmers who settled the islands thousands of years earlier. These people, it is believed, are from the same stock that came from the East to populate the rest of Europe.
White people whose minds have been infected with the cultural Marxism virus tend towards self abasement. The truth will set them free. Reality is the antidote the purges the brain of cultural Marxism indoctrination.
The racist left is seeking to destroy Western culture that has existed for thousands of years.
DNA evidence confirms that ancient Egyptians were also white.
Ramses II, for example, was a fair-skinned red head.
In 1975, the mummy of Ramesses II was taken to France for preservation. The mummy was also forensically tested by Professor Pierre-Fernand Ceccaldi, the chief forensic scientist at the Criminal Identification Laboratory of Paris. Professor Ceccaldi determined that: "Hair, astonishingly preserved, showed some complementary data - especially about pigmentation: Ramses II was a Red haired 'cymnotriche leucoderma'." The description given here refers to a fair-skinned person with wavy Red hair. [ Ceccaldi, Pierre (1987). "Research on the Mummy of Ramasses II". Bulletin de l'Academie de médecine. 171:1 (1): 119.]
King Tut was white as made evident by his DNA.
A Discovery Channel documentary revealed that King Tutankhamun belonged to the R1b1a2 haplogroup that is common among Western Europeans but rarely found in Modern Egyptians.
The revelation was confirmed by the prestigious iGENEA , a genetic genealogy research organization.
The king's facial features are those of a white person.
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MUMBAI - The Malkani family made its fortune selling plane tickets and tour packages to India's fast-expanding middle class, building one of the country's first online travel agencies.
Now the Malkanis are among a growing number of successful Indian entrepreneurs blazing another trail: charitable giving.
"Earlier, if an Indian traveled, it was so rare that 25 people would see them off at the airport, garland them with flowers and print their picture in the newspaper," said Anjal Malkani, whose husband helped her family start the business. "That has completely changed in India, and we've been so blessed in our lives to benefit. We wanted to give back."
As India's wealth continues to expand, a growing number of millionaires here are finding ways to do more for the poor, especially as cash-strapped foreign donors, including the United States, curtail aid.
The philanthropic mood extends to some of India's biggest corporations, many of them IT companies at the forefront of India's boom.
India has a long tradition of giving, and all major religions here - Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism - see charity as a cornerstone of a noble, happy life. Wealthy families have long built wells and schools in their native villages, and even the poorest Indians leave a rupee coin at a temple or mosque.
But organized, large-scale giving by wealthy Indians and corporations has only recently become common as India's economy soars ahead.
"Old money really looked at alleviating poverty and community development - largely at factory sites - by providing services and facilities to their workers," said Priya Viswanath, a philanthropy expert. "New money giving is really about empowerment."
The number of Indian billionaires grew from 27 in 2009 to 52 this year, according to a report by Bain, a global consulting firm. Half of the top 25 Asian billionaires listed in a recent Forbes magazine survey were Indian.
During a visit to China last month, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett urged Asia's billionaires to give more. India's growing pool of super rich would be their next target, they said.
Where to invest?
Indian billionaires give more than billionaires in China but less than those in developed countries, including the United States, according to the Bain report.
The U.S. Agency for International Development gives India $131 million per year to fund girls' education, farming programs and solar energy projects. But those funds have long been a source of embarrassment for India's government, which is teaming up with Indian corporations to help the poor. |
This preview originally published February 6 and has since been updated.
"My story is 10 times better than the Rudy story," Moglia says. "Rudy's a tough kid in the city, Chicago kid that wanted to go to Notre Dame. That's it."
In 1983, Joe Yukica's Dartmouth Big Green went 4-5-1, playing pretty good defense but scoring 17 or fewer in each loss. To that point, Yukica had gone 23-11-1 in Ivy League play over his five years in Hanover. But the trend was growing negative.
In 1984, with a new defensive coordinator, the Big Green fell to 2-7, allowing 38 points per game over the first four games and never recovering. In 1985, following another two-win campaign, Yukica was fired ... and then unfired. He sued to force the school to uphold his contract, which expired after 1986, and he somehow won. He won three games in 1986 and retired on his own terms.
That Yukica was able to overrule his own firing was the most noteworthy thing about his tenure. He never recovered from losing his defensive coordinator following the 1983 season.
That DC was a 34-year-old named Joe Moglia [Update: CCU’s head coach has taken a medical leave for the 2017 season, replaced by offensive coordinator Jamey Chadwell]. He had six years of coordinator experience, but he pursued a different calling, one that actually paid a little bit. He went to work for Merrill Lynch and within a couple of decades became CEO of what is now TD Ameritrade. And then he went back to his football roots.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Head coach: Joe Moglia (sixth year, 51-15) 2016 record and S&P+ ranking: 10-2 (N/A) Projected 2017 record and S&P+ ranking: 6-6 (114th) Biggest strength: The Chanticleers' depth and experience in both the front seven offensive skill positions should quickly translate to Sun Belt quality. Biggest 2017 game: UMass (Sept. 1). It's the first of many relative tossups, and, I mean, it's Coastal's first game as an FBS team. That's pretty big. Summary: Teams with recent FCS success have found life tenable in the Sun Belt, and Coastal Carolina arrives in shape equal to or better than Georgia Southern or Appalachian State. It would be disappointing if the 'Cleers didn't threaten a .500 finish in their first year.
In 2008, Moglia decided he wasn't done with coaching after all. He retired as CEO and became an unpaid assistant for Bo Pelini. As one does.
Moglia volunteered at Nebraska, became head coach of the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks for a year, then took on the head coaching job at Coastal Carolina.
Moglia has gone from the Ivy League to Wall Street to Nebraska to the outskirts of Myrtle Beach.
He has been the subject of profile pieces from the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and Grantland, to name a few. If there's one thing he knows, it's taking an uncertain leap. And now his employer will do the same.
It’s rather on-brand for Moglia to oversee Coastal’s leap to FBS. The school didn’t have a football program until 2003, when Moglia was overseeing Ameritrade acquisitions. He is just the second coach in program history, and he didn’t waste a moment proving himself as a program leader.
The Chanticleers improved from 7-4 to 8-3 in 2012, his first season. Since then, they’ve averaged an 11-2 record and twice finished in the FCS top 10. In both 2013 and 2014, they reached the FCS quarterfinals but had the misfortune of drawing North Dakota State. In 2014, they nearly beat the Bison.
So now it’s Sun Belt time. It’s easy for a program to mistime its jump to FBS — you have to call your shot at least a couple of years out, meaning you have time to fall off pace or make a bad hire. UMass and Western Kentucky were successful FCS programs but hit FBS with a dull thud. WKU rebounded, but it took a few years. UMass is still looking for traction.
Others have done just fine. New conference mates Georgia Southern and Appalachian State have been in FBS for six combined seasons and won at least nine games in four of them. Old Dominion and South Alabama were bowling by their third seasons in FBS.
Making the jump to FBS Team Dates Avg. Sagarin rank before jump Avg. S&P+ after jump Avg. S&P+ rank after jump Team Dates Avg. Sagarin rank before jump Avg. S&P+ after jump Avg. S&P+ rank after jump Georgia Southern 2009-13 104.6 1.3 62.7 Western Kentucky 2002-06 107.2 -5.4 80.4 Coastal Carolina 2012-16 108.2 Massachusetts 2007-11 111.6 -16.5 116.6 Appalachian State 2009-13 114.4 2.9 57.3 Old Dominion 2009-13 148.0 -10.0 98.8 South Alabama 2010-11 151.5 -8.4 94.2 Texas State 2007-11 172.4 -14.3 106.8 Charlotte 2013-14 195.0 -19.5 126.0 UTSA 2011 200.0 -9.8 99.8 Georgia State 2010-12 208.7 -14.5 111.8
At this point, UMass is an outlier. If you are doing well in FCS when you make the jump, odds are pretty good that you’ll find FBS to your liking.
And Coastal Carolina was doing quite well.
2016 in review
CCU wasn't eligible for the FCS playoffs in 2016 due to transition rules, but the Chanticleers were as solid as ever. They went 10-2, losing only to excellent Jacksonville State and Charleston Southern teams by a combined two points.
On the road against JSU, four different Chanticleers threw passes as Coastal fell victim to quarterback injuries. But Coastal still led 26-20 until JSU scored with 6:44 left.
Against Charleston Southern, the offense wasn’t an issue: The Chanticleers averaged 7.4 yards per play and raced ahead 21-7 after one quarter. After falling behind at halftime, they took a 35-30 lead heading into the fourth. After CSU took the lead back, CCU’s Ryan Granger forced overtime with a 35-yard field goal. The teams traded scores, but after Kenneth Daniels got the ‘Cleers to within 59-58 with a touchdown in the second overtime, Granger’s PAT attempt was blocked. CSU survived.
Average score of Coastal’s other 10 games: CCU 36, Opponent 15.
The Chanticleer offense has averaged at least 34 per game in every year of Moglia’s tenure, and the defense has come around over the last three years. CCU allowed a Moglia-low 5.1 yards per play in 2016, good enough to offset some quarterback issues.
Offense
Okay, let’s back up. “Some quarterback issues” doesn’t really cut it.
I hate to use my one allotted “exploding Spinal Tap drummers” reference this early in the preview series, but it might not ever be more applicable.
Three-star QB-of-the-future Chance Thrasher was lost with a shoulder injury in fall camp.
Sophomore Josh Stilley took over and got hurt in Week 3 against Jacksonville State. Freshman Avery McCall came in and also got hurt. He redshirted.
Junior and career backup Tyler Keane made it 105 passes before injuring his ankle.
Freshmen Austin Bradley and Ryan Lee took over. Bradley couldn’t really run, and Lee couldn’t really pass — he threw three passes while rushing 73 times. He will play receiver in 2017.
You can forgive the offense for slumping to 37 points per game and 5.8 yards per play.
Coordinator Dave Patenaude’s plans to move to more of a pass-first attack went out the window early in the cavalcade of QB injuries. Instead, Coastal leaned heavily (and with great effect) on the run. A foursome of backs — De’Angelo Henderson, Kenneth Daniels, Osharmar Abercrombie, and Jah-Maine Martin — averaged 32 carries and 187 yards per game. Lee provided a jolt as well.
Patenaude’s improv act was good enough to earn him a promotion. He took the Temple coordinator job. In his place, Moglia called in a ringer: Jamey Chadwell, Charleston Southern's head coach. Chadwell won 35 games in Charleston and reached the FCS playoffs twice in four years, but the draw of the FBS leap was strong.
Chadwell’s 2016 offense at CSU averaged 44 carries and only 17 passes per game. The Buccaneers were prolific, but it will be interesting to see what Chadwell attempts with his two leading rushers and basically 3.5 offensive line starters gone.
Something else interesting to watch: the redshirts.
Per the 247Sports Composite, Moglia’s 2016 recruiting class featured five three-star recruits and three high-twos. Not bad for a startup. Five of those play on offense, and four redshirted: McCall (involuntarily), running back Victor Greene, and receivers Larry Collins Jr. and Jay King II.
These players and Boston College transfer Marcus Outlow could give the Chanticleers a nice boost of athleticism in the skill positions. Plus, returnees like Abercrombie and Martin (combined: 5.6 yards per carry) and receiver Chris Jones (22 catches, 323 yards) could offset the loss of two leading rushers and two of three leading wideouts.
Find the right quarterback — and goodness knows they come in all shapes, sizes, and styles, from the pro-style Thrasher to the dual-threat McCall to Syracuse transfer Austin Wilson — and you might be able to implement whatever style you want.
At least, you can if you figure things out up front. Coastal has FBS-caliber size on the line; four returnees with starting experience (26 career starts) average 6’4, 300 pounds. But depth and experience were both depleted by graduation.
If 6’4, 305-pound JUCO transfer Kenneth Sims is a keeper, and if a three-star freshman or two are ready to stick in the rotation, maybe the line will be alright. But Coastal finished 2016 with 136 career starts and begins 2017 with 26. That’s quite a drop-off.
Defense
Moglia has basically put together an FCS all-star team on his coaching staff. Chadwell's bona fides are impressive, and a year ago Moglia named Mickey Matthews, head coach of James Madison's 2004 national title team, his defensive coordinator. Matthews led JMU for 15 years and won an FCS national title as Marshall's defensive coordinator in 1992 as well.
In Matthews' first season, the Chanticleers allowed 0.7 fewer yards per play (from 5.8 in 2015 to 5.1) and picked off 15 more passes than the year before. Their 19.2 percent havoc rate would have ranked 14th in the country at the FBS level. And a few of the reasons for this successful aggression return in 2017.
A few don’t, of course. Linebacker Alex Scearce (13.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 12 passes defensed) was Mr. Everything but ran out of eligibility. So did four of the top five tacklers in the secondary — and as we’ve seen, turnover in the secondary can be deadly for a defense.
Still, there’s a decent base of experience. Injury and shuffling led to nine defensive backs recording at least 10 tackles; five return, and all five are either juniors or seniors, including Kent State transfer Eric Church.
There are also some play-makers. Ends Marcus Williamson and Myles White combined for 15.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2016, middle linebacker Shane Johnson combined 5.5 non-sack TFLs with three passes defensed, and junior Anthony Chesley (2.5 TFLs, two interceptions, eight breakups) immediately becomes one of the Sun Belt’s better cornerbacks.
Plus, like the offense, the defense could get an athleticism boost from redshirts and new signees: 2016 signees Silas Kelly (linebacker), Darrell Malone Jr. (cornerback), and Calvin Smith (safety) were all mid- to high-two-star recruits, and 2017 signees Tay Pringle (tackle), Michael Makins (linebacker), and Cantorian Weems (defensive back) were three-star guys.
Special Teams
It’s a mixed bag. Punter Evan Rabon’s kicks aren’t particularly long, but they are high and mostly unreturnable. And while sophomore return man Ky’Jon Tyler is all-or-nothing, the alls are impressive: He returned 12 kickoffs and punts in 2016, and two went for touchdowns.
Plus, while Masamitsu Ishibashi almost never gets the ball in the end zone on kickoffs, opponents averaged under 19 yards per return last year. There is value in high kicks, and CCU kicks ‘em high.
If Granger hadn’t run out of eligibility, this would be one of the league’s better special teams units.
2017 outlook
2017 Schedule & Projection Factors Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 2-Sep Massachusetts 111 1.9 54% 16-Sep at UAB 130 12.2 76% 23-Sep Western Illinois NR 9.6 71% 4-Nov at Arkansas 32 -24.6 8% TBD Georgia Southern 98 -1.0 48% TBD Georgia State 113 2.4 56% TBD Texas State 129 12.3 76% TBD Troy 79 -6.7 35% TBD at Appalachian State 62 -18.7 14% TBD at Arkansas State 83 -10.5 27% TBD at Idaho 119 -2.0 45% TBD at UL-Monroe 121 -0.7 48% Projected S&P+ Rk 114 Projected Off. / Def. Rk 96 / 113 Projected wins 5.6 2-Year Recruiting Rk 130 2016 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* +11 / +4.3 2016 TO Luck/Game +2.8 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 48% (55%, 41%)
For a newbie, Coastal gets some respect from S&P+. And really, that shouldn’t be much of a surprise. The Chanticleers ranked 101st in Sagarin last year. The next three FBS teams above them: NIU, Ohio, and UTSA, two bowl teams and a team that finished 5-7 in the MAC. The next three FBS teams below them: Arizona, Hawaii, and Miami (Ohio), two bowl teams and a Pac-12 program.
Coastal is projected 114th in S&P+, and it would be higher if not for the turnover in the secondary and the receiving corps. That results in quite a few tossups — CCU has between a 45 and 56 percent chance of winning in five games. Find a quarterback and establish a run game, and the odds of hitting .500 in Year 1 are strong.
Moglia really is the perfect coach to lead a charge into FBS. It took him virtually no time to build an FCS stalwart, and his odd-as-hell résumé will help to generate a little bit of extra attention for CCU. And his Chanticleers aren’t that many ifs away from hitting the ground running at a pretty high speed.
Coastal Carolina preview stats
All preview data to date. |
Derek Carr’s second quarter touchdown pass against the Raven may have looked like your run-of-the-mill touchdown pass on first glance.
No big deal, right?
Now stay focused on where Carr is staring when he lets this throw go.
He threw a basketball-style, no-look pass. For a touchdown. Against an NFL defense. That’s taking the concept of “eye discipline” to another level.
It takes a lot of confidence to attempt something like that, especially in the red zone.
And this wasn’t a case of Carr just trying to look cool, either. The no-look pass served a very important function. The Ravens defenders react as if Carr is throwing it to the flat, and their hesitations allows Michael Crabtree to get open for the score.
Oakland ended up winning the game 28-27 to move to 3-1. |
Phil Spencer Promises Xbox One Family Sharing Is Still on the Roadmap; Explains Challenges Holding it Back
Giuseppe Nelva June 24, 2014 2:11:17 PM EST
When the Xbox One was first introduced, the Family Sharing feature was one of the very positive ideas that many regret not having made it to the released console, but Xbox Division head Phil Spencer promises that it’s still on the roadmap, alongside others like digital pre-load.
We looked at the digital features that we talked about last year, and yeah, as a gamer there are a lot of those features that really resonated. They were smart features for people who have a lot of games and maybe play on a couple consoles and have a bunch of people in the house and want to share with friends. As I look at our monthly update roadmaps and other things, those kind of features are in our roadmap.
Spencer also explained that while the features are still being worked on, there are objective challenges that need to be overcome before they can see the light.
There’s a little bit of a challenge that you have DRM on the disk and how does that game play… We got hung up last year on kinda the enabling features, around when it has to connect to the internet and all of that, when in the end the feature that we really cared about, that people are like “I’ve got this collection of content that I can do family sharing, I can share with my friends…” There are a bunch of things we have ideas about. I haven’t given up on those ideas. There is some complexity now that you’ve got disks around that, you have DRM that you have to figure out, but it’s definitely part of our map with the overall product.
During the same podcast it was suggested that it could be done only with digital games, but Spencer mentioned that it wouldn’t be fair to those that bought the disk without knowing they wouldn’t benefit from the feature in the future. That’s why he want to be sure that the feature is done the right way. He also added that Microsoft is still looking at digital distribution improvements like pre-load. They just want to do it “at the right time and especially in the right way.”
If Family Sharing was one of your favorite dishes in the original Xbox One menu, there’s still hope. We’ll just have to wait and see if Spencer and his team will manage to overcome the DRM challenges that are holding the feature back. |
It can be hard to get away from working and collaborating on the web. Doing that is incredibly convenient: as long as you have an internet connection, you can easily work and share from just about anywhere, on just about any device.
The main problem with most web-based office suites—like Google Drive, Zoho Office, and Office365—is that they're closed source. Your data also exists at the whim of large corporations. I'm sure you've heard numerous stories of, say, Google locking or removing accounts without warning.
If that happens to you, you lose what's yours. So what's an open source advocate who wants to work with web applications to do? You turn to an open source alternative, of course. Let's take a look at three of them.
Sandstorm Oasis
Sandstorm Oasis is the hosted version of Sandstorm.io, which bills itself as an open source operating system for personal and private clouds. You get a choice of over 50 applications in categories like productivity, office, graphics, communication, and developer tools. You get just about everything you need to work, share, and collaborate.
Those applications include EtherPad, EtherCalc, GitLab, WeKan, Rocket.Chat, and Draw.io. When you fire up an application, it creates a grain. A grain is a single, standalone instance of an application, for example, a document or a chat room. You can share individual grains with others by sending them a link.
If you're collaborating on a project, you can share a set of grains as a single package using the Collections app. Just start the app, create a collection for your project, and then add grains to the collection. It keeps things nice and neat in your instance of Sandstorm Oasis.
Writing this article using Dillinger in Sandstorm Oasis
Framasoft
Like Sandstorm Oasis, Framasoft pulls a disparate set of web apps together into one place. Unlike Sandstorm Oasis, however, the folks behind Framasoft have rebranded the applications and given them a consistent look and feel.
Framasoft includes web applications like EtherPad (called Framapad), GitLab (called Framagit), MatterMost (called Framateam), and EtherCalc (called Framacalc). The suite also includes a read-it-later tool, a vector drawing program, an RSS reader, a URL shortener, a kanban board, and file sharing tools. You can use a public instance of many apps, or sign in to keep your data private. Be ready to stretch your linguistic muscles if you want to use the Framasoft suite: most of the applications are in French, and there doesn't seem to be a way change the interface to a different language.
Working on an expense spreadsheet using Framacalc
Open365
I can't think of an open source user who doesn't know and love (or, at least, like) LibreOffice. It's not just for the desktop anymore, either. You can find it on the web in the form of Open365.
As its name suggests, Open365 is positioned as an open source rival to Microsoft's Office 365 suite. You get a limited number of applications, which include LibreOffice mainstays Write, Calc, and Impress. There's also an email application and a web-based version of The GIMP image editor. You also get space to store files.
Sharing documents and collaborating isn't as easy in Open365 as it is in, say, Sandstorm Oasis. To share or collaborate, you need to create a group. Then you need to add members to that group by either uploading a CSV file containing email addresses or by selecting existing Open365 users from a pick list. In either case, those users need to have an Open365 account.
While Open365 can run a bit slowly, one of its main selling points is that it has the same look and feel as the desktop version of LibreOffice. On top of that, you can install client software on your computer to keep your files synchronized.
Working on a LibreOffice document in Open365
Do it yourself
You'll notice that the three alternatives I discuss in this article are hosted. Even though they're open source, you're still at the mercy of the service offering the applications closing shop or unexpected outages.
If you have a server, however, you have a couple of options. You can download and install Sandstorm.io and Open365 on your server. Or, if you're willing to roll your own suite and mix and match, you can install the web applications you want on your server. That won't give you a single login, but you'll have complete control over your applications.
Do you have a favorite alternative to Google Drive or Office 365? Feel free to share you pick by leaving a comment below. |
A man from central China made a very clear promise of his financial security to his future bride by proposing to her using a bouquet of flowers made entirely out of banknotes.
32-year-old Ma Caojun, who is employed by a snack company and describes himself as a workaholic, proposed to his girlfriend of three years Qin Jiaojiao in front of 600 of his co-workers at an industry awards ceremony, according to People's Daily Online.
Alongside a mandatory bunch of red roses, Ma prepared a unique bouquet to give Qin to mark the occasion on February 21, hand-made from 100 rolled banknotes worth 100 yuan (£11) each.
In the money: Ma Caojun, 32, proposed to his girlfriend with the elaborate cash note bouquet, pictured middle
Charmer: Ma asked Qin Jiaojiao to join him on stage before getting down on one knee and handing over gifts
After being selected to receive an award from his peers, Ma asked for his girlfriend to join him on stage before getting down on one knee and handing over the elaborate gifts.
An ecstatic Qin said yes and Ma confirmed that they had initially decided to wed last month before work plans forced him to reschedule.
In his speech, Ma said: 'From now on, all you need to worry about is staying beautiful and I will be the breadwinner and provide everything else… Will you marry me?'
At last: Ma had confirmed that they had decided to wed last month, before work plans forced him to reschedule
'I wanted to show my heart to her in front of my hundreds of work colleagues.'
Romantic pictures of the couple together were then shown up on the large screen behind the stage. |
(via Jacob Kornbluh) "sociopaths on two wheels" who commit the undeniably irritating act of cycling on the sidewalk include deliverymen, NYPD officers, and famous actors. These scofflaws appear to have a new ally"Jerk," is how the DOT frames itin U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.
Reporter Jacob Kornbluh tweeted that Schumer rode his bike to this morning's meeting of the Council of Jewish Organizations in Flatbush, followed by this photo.
Sen. Schumer didn't let us take pics of him riding his bike but of course I did.. pic.twitter.com/IkhAbX5xgQ — Jacob Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) March 23, 2014
Schumer is believed to be more than twelve years old.
Previously we have debated the seriousness of the crime of sidewalk cycling. This blogger personally believes it is a question of time, place, and manner. Riding on the sidewalk is an admittedly minor issue.
But Senator Schumer frequently concerns himself with minor issues, whether its BBQ safety, inhalable caffeine, or greek yogurt. Why should a delivery cyclist on the Upper East Side be torn between keeping his job and breaking the law when a man who took an oath to uphold the Constitution can throw on some sweatpants (and an FDNY insignia) and sidewalk cycle with impunity?
Combine Schumer's faux pas with his wife's "frivolous" and costly opposition to the Prospect Park West bike lane and the net effect of Schumer's behavior makes cyclists look bad (though we applaud the consistency with which he wears a helmet and the same pair of Dad sneakers). Thankfully, cyclists like Schumer are increasingly in the minority.
Senator Schumer is scheduled to appear this afternoon with Mayor de Blasio to discuss an announcement regarding NYCHA's efforts to recover from Hurricane Sandy.
[IMPORTANT CONTEXTUAL UPDATE] Kornbluh has posted a video of a skittish Schumer, who does not want to be filmed riding his bicycle. Kornbluh says the senator only rode on the sidewalk for about a block before getting back onto the road.
And Max Young, a spokesman from Schumer's office, sent over this statement:
Senator Schumer was on the empty sidewalk for just a moment as he biked from the corner of the building to the first entrance to the street. As someone who loves to bike, and does it all around the city, Schumer believes cyclists belong on the street and away from pedestrians. |
You know what makes my job beautiful? The way juicy stories sometimes come out of nowhere. I can just be sitting here minding my own business and then BAM, here comes the megaton bomb. That happened to me about an hour ago and you all are about to be the beneficiaries.
So, there’s this guy named John Edgar Rust. I doubt any of you have ever heard of him, since I hadn’t before this morning. But he’s moves in some conservative circles. His work has appeared on Heat Street and he’s done business with some of the young movers and shakers on the college Republican scene. Oh, and he works for Targeted Victory, a huge GOP consulting firm in DC. You may remember them from their famous 2012 Romney fail, where they were paid $96.4 million to help Mittens get his ass handed to him (read even more about their failures).
Now, how did the picture above turn into this?
That’s what I’m here to answer! Well, it might have had something to do with the email I sent Targeted Victory this morning. To be clear, they never sent a response, but I think we can let the photographic evidence from above stand as their official reply.
My email, in its entirety…
I’m going to press sometime today with a story about one of your staffers, John Edgar Rust, who has a history of pedophilia. In fact, he was convicted of a felony (EDITOR’S NOTE: It turned out to be more than one.) for it back in 2012. http://www.homefacts.com/offender-detail/VA39033/John-Edgar-Rust.html If you would like to offer some sort of statement, that would be cool. If not, thanks for taking the time to read this regardless.
Oh yea, that’s right. I didn’t tell you guys that Mr. Rust was a convicted pedophile, did I?
As you can see, it has Target Victory listed right there below his picture, so I’m assuming they knew and had no problem with having a felonious pedophile on staff. Well, as long as people like me didn’t write about it. But soon as they caught word this was coming down the pike, they dropped this creep like a hot rock. I imagine we will be seeing a lot more of that today.
Also, the screenshot above doesn’t show his charges, but you can see them if you visit that page. They are very serious and I don’t see how he’s not in jail. His father is allegedly Department of Defense, which would explain a lot. There’s always one set of rules for people like us and another set for people like them.
According to sources, he has several more probation violations on his record. One would be enough to send a regular person away with the charges he’s been convicted of. That’s right, I still haven’t shown you the crimes he pled guilty to (link1 link2)…
By the way, sometime between Targeted Victory giving him the axe and me checking on his Twitter, he went into full protected mode…
That’s probably for the best. Actually, you might want to follow my friend Wild Goose’s advice and delete everything, John. Speaking of friends, I want to thank Pave Darker for helping me on this, as well Battle Beagle from Twitter. Beagle made sure some of his Twitter was here for us to examine even after he went protected. If any of you have any thoughts or comments on this story, please leave them below in the #BasedCommentSection. I’ll be back this afternoon. |
Healthy Living
Turmeric, with its unique flavor and rich yellow color, is known as “Indian gold” for its many healing properties. Science is only beginning to uncover the many ways in which this ancient home remedy serves as a natural medicine that can be picked up at virtually any grocery store for barely a fraction of the price of prescription drugs.
Past Research Proves Turmeric’s Anti-Cancer Power
In the 1990s, Bharat Aggarwal, Ph.D. and colleagues from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston sprinkled a bit of turmeric on some cancer cells in the lab and were flabbergasted by what they found. “The effect was staggering,” Dr. Aggarwal told Men’s Health in 2011. Just a pinch of the powdered perennial plant blocked a biological pathway required for melanoma, prostate and other cancers to grow.
Eight years ago, Chinese researchers found that curcumin, the primary constituent of turmeric, could play a pivotal role in treating prostate cancer by inhibiting hormones known to trigger the disease. Also in 2007, University of Alabama scientists discovered that combining curcumin with traditional radiation therapy killed prostate cancer cells that had previously become radiation-resistant.
In June, preliminary research by UCLA researchers found that a synthetic version of turmeric helps kill cancer cells that had been resistant to a common chemotherapy drug. The team hopes that someday turmeric will be utilized as a treatment for head and neck cancers.
Now the Spice is Being Used for Diabetes Control
Now, scientists want to know if a combination of turmeric and Omega-3 fatty acids might delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes or stave it off completely. Scientists from the University of Newcastle’s Nutraceuticals Research Group, led by Professor Manohar Garg, are on the hunt for 80 participants for a new clinical study to find out exactly that.
“The root cause of type 2 diabetes is systemic inflammation, which impacts insulin secretion and function,” said Garg. “We want to nip the inflammation in the bud,” he said, adding that both curcumin and Omega-3 fats are important anti-inflammatory agents. [1]
Diabetes is a metabolic disease primarily caused by a lack of insulin produced by the pancreas, or the body’s resistance to insulin. Previous research has shown that the curcumin in turmeric works to adjust the insulin in the body. Turmeric assists the pancreas in regulating and stabilizing insulin levels, thereby lowering glucose levels. Actually, the turmeric and diabetes connection is one Natural Society has reported on before. [2]
There’s also evidence that turmeric can help people lose weight, and obesity is one of the leading causes of Type 2 diabetes. A study from Xi’an Jiaotong University School of Medicine found that “cure-cumin” (as Dr. Aggarwal and his colleagues now refer to curcumin) can counter the negative effects of a “junk food” diet.
The study found that turmeric consumption improved insulin resistance and leptin resistance, both strongly associated with weight gain. The study’s authors wrote:
“By diminishing the sediment of fat, relaxing the lymphatic return, and refraining the apoptosis of beta cells, the curcumin might significantly decrease the level of insulin resistance and leptin resistance caused by the high fat diet.”
Turmeric has a long list of medicinal uses – so start eating it! If you’re not a big fan of Indian food, no worries: there are loads of tasty ways to enjoy the spice. You can even incorporate it into beverages, thanks to turmeric’s mellow, sweet flavor. Turmeric is shaping up to a real-life miracle drug, minus the side effects and regulatory red tape.
[1] DNAIndia.com
[2] GuardianLV.com |
An American president who keeps troops in Iraq indefinitely, fulminates about Islamic terrorism, inclines toward military solutions and antagonizes other nations is an excellent recruiting tool. In contrast, an African-American president with a Muslim grandfather and a penchant for building bridges rather than blowing them up would give Al Qaeda recruiters fits.
During the cold war, the American ideological fear of communism led us to mistake every muddle-headed leftist for a Soviet pawn. Our myopia helped lead to catastrophe in Vietnam.
In the same way today, an exaggerated fear of “Islamofascism” elides a complex reality and leads us to overreact and damage our own interests. Perhaps the best example is one of the least-known failures in Bush administration foreign policy: Somalia.
Today, Somalia is the world’s greatest humanitarian disaster, worse even than Darfur or Congo. The crisis has complex roots, and Somali warlords bear primary blame. But Bush administration paranoia about Islamic radicals contributed to the disaster.
Somalia has been in chaos for many years, but in 2006 an umbrella movement called the Islamic Courts Union seemed close to uniting the country. The movement included both moderates and extremists, but it constituted the best hope for putting Somalia together again. Somalis were ecstatic at the prospect of having a functional government again.
Photo
Bush administration officials, however, were aghast at the rise of an Islamist movement that they feared would be uncooperative in the war on terror. So they gave Ethiopia, a longtime rival in the region, the green light to invade, and Somalia’s best hope for peace collapsed.
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“A movement that looked as if it might end this long national nightmare was derailed, in part because of American and Ethiopian actions,” said Ken Menkhaus, a Somalia expert at Davidson College. As a result, Islamic militancy and anti-Americanism have surged, partly because Somalis blame Washington for the brutality of the Ethiopian occupiers.
“There’s a level of anti-Americanism in Somalia today like nothing I’ve seen over the last 20 years,” Professor Menkhaus said. “Somalis are furious with us for backing the Ethiopian intervention and occupation, provoking this huge humanitarian crisis.”
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Patrick Duplat, an expert on Somalia at Refugees International, the Washington-based advocacy group, says that during his last visit to Somalia, earlier this year, a local mosque was calling for jihad against America — something he had never heard when he lived peacefully in Somalia during the rise of the Islamic Courts Union.
“The situation has dramatically taken a turn for the worse,” he said. “The U.S. chose a very confrontational route early on. Who knows what would have happened if the U.S. had reached out to moderates? But that might have averted the disaster we’re in today.”
The greatest catastrophe is the one endured by ordinary Somalis who now must watch their children starve. But America’s own strategic interests have also been gravely damaged.
The only winner has been Islamic militancy. That’s probably the core reason why Al Qaeda militants prefer a McCain presidency: four more years of blindness to nuance in the Muslim world would be a tragedy for Americans and virtually everyone else, but a boon for radical groups trying to recruit suicide bombers. |
EDITOR’S NOTE: After Patrick Marleau signed a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs ending his 19-year career with the San Jose Sharks, here is our story from June 18, 1997, just before the Sharks selected the 17-year-old in the NHL draft.
TO HERE FROM OBSCURITY:
Dying town comes alive talking about Sharks’ likely draft pick
ANEROID, Saskatchewan — Everything moves slowly in the farming community of Aneroid. Its people. Its tractors and plows. Even its own death.
Aneroid’s school closes Friday after 84 years, the latest blow to a town that once supported two lumberyards, three grocery stores, a pool hall, barbershop, bookstore, meat market and bank. Only one store, and 75 people, remain.
“The town will still be here in 10 years’ time, ” Mayor Jack McMillan said. “Don’t ask me about 20, though.”
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Sharks’ Thornton, Marleau set to enter uncharted waters Amid this decay, a 17-year-old hockey player named Patrick Marleau has jolted Aneroid to life. If everything goes as planned – as it always has in Marleau’s life – Sharks fans will never forget him or his nearly deserted hometown.
Barring a trade, the Sharks are expected to select Marleau as the No. 2 pick in the NHL draft Saturday. Many hockey scouts and coaches think he would have been the No. 1 pick in recent drafts; only bad timing put him in the same draft with Joe Thornton, another slam-dunk prospect who will be taken first by the Boston Bruins.
Still, Marleau would be the most promising draft pick in Sharks history. He is a 6-foot-2 center who can score goals, create chances and turn upside down a city so unassuming it doesn’t even have stop signs, much less stoplights.
“He was born in Swift Current (there’s no hospital in Aneroid), went to school there later and played midget hockey there, ” McMillan said. “But when you ask him where he’s from, there’s no mention of Swift Current or anyplace else but here.
“He’s from here. And I think we’re all pretty pleased about that.”
So much so that they plan to make a sign at the town’s entrance that says “Home of Patrick Marleau.” The current sign celebrates the city’s 75th birthday. That was in 1988. Not much has happened since then.
And two weeks from Saturday will be “Patrick Marleau Day” in Aneroid. They would have a parade, but after getting all the participants in place, nobody would be left to watch. Instead, a slow-pitch softball game and town dinner is planned.
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‘Nothing like the city’
Marleau was reared on 1,600-acre farm. “It’s nothing like the city, that’s for sure, ” said Marleau, who spent the past two seasons in junior hockey scoring 83 goals for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League. “You’re by yourself. It’s quiet. You can’t see your neighbors. I don’t think I’d trade it for growing up in the city. . . . But I don’t know if I could live out here all my life.”
He won’t have to. Once he signs his rookie contract, which will probably be for the maximum $925,000 per year, Marleau can live anywhere.
“I told him, ‘Just think, you’re going to make more money than I ever have,’ ” said Patrick’s father, Denis. “It’s going to be quite an eye-opener. But I’ve taken him aside and told him, ‘Don’t ever forget where you came from.’ ”
It’s not easy to find.
“He’s just an ordinary boy who feels you work for what you get.”
Aneroid is almost a three-hour drive from the closest airport, in Regina. But finding the town is just half the battle in the search for the Sharks’ potential star. Four miles of gravel road lie between the town and the Marleau’s 1,600-acre farm, and the proper lefts and rights must be gauged by distance from the last turn.
“We’re kind of lacking in signs, ” Denis said.
The Marleaus live in a small home dwarfed by their adjacent barns. Just a short walk past the clothes drying on a line is a pockmarked gray fence that shows the wear and tear of thousands of Patrick’s slap shots. The goal he shot on is still there. What remains of the tattered net dangles from the crossbar.
“Just about every day he’d have a hockey stick in his hand, and if he couldn’t use a puck he’d have a golf ball or some other kind of ball, ” said Denis, who grows wheat and raises cattle. Denis played hockey and, like everybody else, recognized Patrick’s talent early.
“He would just take the puck and go from one end to the other, and everybody else would still be at the one end, ” said his brother Richard, 19. They played nearly every day, on the ice in the winter, in the barn during the summer. During “Hockey Night in Canada” intermissions they would play in the kitchen.
“We used to get heck from Mom because we’d wind up taking the shine off the floor, ” Richard said. “Looking back now, I can see that all the stuff we did as kids, it always focused on hockey. When I think of Patrick, I think of hockey.”
Stanley Cup on the mind
He talks very little, but has big dreams. And when Patrick thinks of hockey, he dreams big-time.
“I envision the kind of career I’d like to have; the player I’d like to be, ” said Marleau, who has been interviewed at his home by scouts from the Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Calgary Flames and others. “I want to be the go-to guy. I want to help a team win a Stanley Cup.
“It’s going to be interesting being on a team lower in the standings and helping to build it up. It would make winning the Stanley Cup even more special.”
This is tantamount to a speech from Marleau, who is friendly but very quiet.
When told about the post-draft news conference with North American media that awaits Marleau in Pittsburgh on Saturday, McMillan said: “That’ll be a rough deal. Probably his answers will be ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ I would be petrified.”
But what Marleau lacks in charisma he makes up for in maturity.
“When he first moved in he was real quiet; (teammate) Jeremy Reich did the talking for both of them,” said Charlotte Jones, who boards the two players during the Thunderbirds’ season. “There was some culture shock. But soon he blended in and started talking more. He’s just an ordinary boy who feels you work for what you get.”
Bay Area dreaming
Son: Nice weather, eh? Father: Quakes, eh?
And a week before the draft he looked ready for San Jose, dressed in a Levi’s T-shirt and cut-off denim shorts, barefoot, unshaven.
Asked what he knows about the Bay Area, he said: “It’s hot. Nice weather there, eh?”
His father has one reservation.
“I think about that terrible earthquake you guys had,” Denis said. “I saw all the destruction and that highway that collapsed. And they say the big one’s yet to hit? That’s going to take some adjustment for me.”
No matter who takes Marleau on Saturday, chances are he will spend another season in junior, like most of the other draft picks. But he will attend training camp in September and could convince the Sharks he’s ready at 18, just like Jeff Friesen, another small-town Saskatchewan kid.
“Physically maybe he’s ready to be up there, but mentally it would be quite a change, ” Denis said. “But I’ve been watching him all these years thinking he was taking things a little too fast, and he’s always made me eat my words.”
Saturday night live
Judy’s Place is jumping with talk of San Jose. If it takes another year for its hero to reach the NHL, Aneroid can wait. The previous most famous person from Aneroid was a baseball player who spent some time with a semipro club.
“I think we have as good a bunch of people as you’d find anywhere, ” McMillan said above the din at Judy’s Place restaurant Saturday night. “If anyone’s in trouble, everybody stands up and helps out. It’s always been that way.”
Every table is filled and the laughter is loud and long at the restaurant, one of two places to eat out in Aneroid.
Grab your soft drink at the refrigerator by the front door. No reservations are required.
The place only has five tables, and there were just 17 customers this night. But taken as a percentage of the population it was equivalent to 185,000 San Jose residents sharing Sprites and smokes on First Street.
In its heyday, if you can call it that, 450 people called Aneroid home. Now the population couldn’t fill half a section of seats at San Jose Arena.
“Back in the ’40s and ’50s there’d be a movie on tonight and the streets would be lined solid with parties, ” said McMillan, 69, mayor since 1979.
“Hard to believe, now.”
These days, two people conversing in separate cars on the town’s main street constitutes a traffic jam. “The town is really hopping tonight!” Denis said upon the sighting. He meant it as a joke. But he was correct, too.
Above one table at Judy’s Place is a corkboard tacked with stories about Patrick Marleau. In between cribbage hands the customers ask about Marleau’s future and San Jose. How many people watch Sharks games? What’s the traffic like? Will the sweater given to him at the draft have his name on the back? Do they really skate out of a shark’s head before games?
They talk about trying to come down sometime and watch Marleau play in person and see San Francisco. “Fisherman’s Wharf, and Chinatown, right?” McMillan said. “Yes. I’d like to see those places before I die. Very much.”
Denis said Patrick “has taken us places we probably wouldn’t have gone to, or ever dreamt of traveling.” The next stop is Pittsburgh on Saturday, when 15 of Marleau’s family and friends will watch him step on the podium and don an NHL jersey, probably with a Sharks logo on the front. But to Aneroid’s citizens it really doesn’t matter where he goes or to which team.
“I don’t think we’ll be any prouder on Saturday than we are right now, ” McMillan said.
They’re trying to get a satellite dish into town so they can watch the draft – no cable in Aneroid, either. They’re ready to add to the newspaper clippings in the restaurant. Then they have to prepare the town’s new sign. And plan the party. And try to get a big Sharks logo to hang on a banner.
Aneroid is slowly dying. But one week before the draft, with Judy’s Place bursting with chatter of their own Patrick Marleau and the Sharks and the NHL, it’s hard to imagine a town more alive. |
Union backing has been a pivotal piece of the campaign, as Sanders works to define himself as a messenger of the working-class message.
's campaign is out with a new online video touting her support from labor unions just days before her pivotal matchup within the Iowa caucuses.
The ad begins with a Clinton quote splashed across the screen as it shows people representing the labor unions who have flocked to her.
"If anyone asks you if labor will have a seat at the table in my White House, I hope you know the answer. Of course you will, labor built the table," the quote reads.
"A lot of the work you do may not be as well understood and appreciated as it should be," the former secretary of State says in footage from a campaign rally included in the video.
"I know what you are doing and I know hard you are fighting for your members to have a decent standard of living. I will be a president who will stand up for you and fight for you too."
The online video's release comes as the Democratic campaigns make their final push on all fronts before the Iowa caucuses. Her campaign also released two television ads across the state that took a swipe at Sanders's ideas for being too idealistic
Clinton has won the lion's share of union endorsements, a total of 23 national labor unions or alliances compared to five for the Vermont senator. A Clinton campaign aide told The Hill that her labor endorsements include groups representing 13 million people. |
So today the Blue Majority sites (dKos, Swing State Project, and Open Left) added Barack Obama to our ActBlue fundraising page. All three sites held votes of their readership. Daily Kos passed the super-majority threshold a few weeks ago, SSP and Open Left did it yesterday.
It's clear our communities have become heavily pro-Obama, especially as Clinton's only path to victory is via coup by super delegate and civil war, and she doesn't give a damn. Bowers gives his four reasons for the move:
First, many people have said that there are few policy differences between Obama and Clinton, but the truth is that their telecom policies could hardly be further apart from each other. Obama proposes exactly the sort of transformative, open telecommunications policy that we need to transform the media landscape in America, while Hillary Clinton's telecom proposals are nothing more than heinous corporate welfare. Without a transformed telecommunications landscape, we are going to have an extremely difficult time building a progressive America or passing any of our other legislation. Second, in terms of electability, in order to win the general election a candidate must first become the nominee. Simply put, I don't see many ways for Hillary Clinton to pull that off. Further, in order to win the general election, Democrats will need time to define McCain, and time to heal the party once the nomination contest is over. However, Hillary Clinton's only path to the nomination is through convention in late August, and also through a intra-partisan civil war. In other words, Clinton's path to the nomination renders her unelectable in the general. There simply won't be enough time to heal the party and define John McCain. Third, how a candidate campaigns is a strong reflection on how that candidate governs. For example, we could tell from the 2000 election that George Bush would govern through a series of power grabs, Orwellian language, and with a total disregard for popular opinion. Barack Obama, by contrast, is campaigning through unprecedented national grassroots organizing, speeches that are becoming the stuff of legend, and the manifestation of a new political coalition that moves us away from the political alignment of 1968-2004. Too often, I have heard from the Clinton campaign and its surrogates about states and demographic groups that don't matter. Such statements are a stark reminder of a recent version of the Democratic Party that takes its base for granted, and only campaigns in a select few swing districts. We need a Democratic Party that organizes and governs based on Barack Obama and Howard Dean's campaign styles, rather than one that is based on Hillary Clinton's and Terry McAuliffe's. Fourth, coattails and movement building matter. In both of Blue Majority's victories so far in 2008, Donna Edwards in MD-04 and Bill Foster in IL-14, the energy and activism brought to bear by Barack Obama were key. The activism in support of Barack Obama has the potential to greatly enhance the political reach of the progressive movement, and also to provide Democrats with sweeping downticket victories. I once called this progressive movement symbiosis, and I still believe it is the most promising path to a truly progressive governing majority that I have seen in my lifetime.
Those are pretty solid reasons. For me, the third and fourth are pretty much 95% of the reason I decided to begin aggressively supporting Obama after spending most of this cycle either uncommitted, pro-Dodd, or soft Obama.
Remember, we're looking for 6,500 donors by the end of the quarter, so we've got 860 to go. And aside from Obama, we've got some great House and Senate candidates on our Blue Majority page.
We didn't notch victories like Donna Edwards and Bill Foster this year by slacking and sitting things out. We change our country one candidate at a time, and we've got great ones. So chip in what you can. Even $10 helps. Two is a start, but we've got lots more to go. So join the 5,640 who have already chipped in for a Bluer majority this cycle. |
Candice Hansen • August 30, 2016
Will Juno’s Instruments Observe the Moons of Jupiter?
EDITOR'S NOTE 16 Oct 2016: Because of the delay of Juno's Periapsis Raise Maneuver, Juno's orbital tour has changed. As a result, while the general discussion about Juno's capabilities to observe Jupiter's moons remains true, the dates of specific observations are now incorrect. An updated version of this post will eventually be published when new encounter dates and distances are known. --ESL
It is not easy to observe Jupiter’s moons as more than points of light with Juno, because Juno will never get very close to any of the moons. The spacecraft is in a polar, elliptical orbit, but the moons orbit in the plane of Jupiter's equator. Swinging high above and below the equatorial plane, the spacecraft doesn't currently approach the equatorial plane except near perijove (the closest approach to Jupiter) and apojove (its farthest distance). Perijove occurs between Jupiter and its innermost ring, far inside the orbits of the major moons. Apojove is beyond the orbit of Callisto.
NASA / JPL / SwRI Juno's orbital mission The upper panel shows the orbits of Juno viewed from the side. The spacecraft flies two 53.5 day orbits, then the period is reduced to 14 days. Most of the orbit the spacecraft is well out of the plane of the satellites’ orbits (red) with apojove beyond Callisto and perijove inside the rings. As time goes on the orbital ellipse rotates such that apojove occurs further south and perijove moves further north. As that happens in the days approaching Jupiter the orbit will begin to cross the orbits of the satellites.
Gradually, Juno's orbit will evolve, from apojove and perijove being close to the equator, to apojove being south of Jupiter and perijove occurring at northern mid-latitudes. Eventually the northern (inbound) leg of the orbit will begin to cut through the equatorial plane at distances within the orbits of the Galilean satellites. We call this the “rotation of the line of apsides”.
Although satellite science is not a driver for the Juno mission there will be opportunities to collect satellite data, occurring more frequently as the orbit shifts. We will use Juno’s remote sensing instruments to observe the moons:
JunoCam (JNC) for visible images
Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) for near infrared spectra and images
Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) for ultraviolet spectra
Advanced Stellar Camera (ASC) for visible images at a spacecraft orientation offset from the other 3 instruments.
We have the additional constraint that these instruments have limited capability to point off-nadir. That limits the observations to the following range of moon-Juno-earth angles: 87 – 93o for JIRAM; 61 – 119o for JunoCam; 60 – 120o for UVS; and 158 – 174o for ASC.
Jupiter's moons fall into three major categories: 1) the Galilean satellites, 2) the ring moons, and 3) the outer irregular moons.
1. The Galilean satellites: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto
Io
Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Juno observations will extend the current time record by looking for changes in some of the larger deposits and looking for new large eruptions. What volcanoes are currently erupting? JunoCam and ASC can image large plumes. JIRAM will return spectra in the 2 – 5 micron range, and view polar regions better than previous missions. This range captures sulfur signatures in several compounds.
To observe Io’s hotspots and plumes, we can image at a maximum range of 400,000 kilometers for JunoCam and UVS, and 800,000 kilometers for JIRAM and ASC. At 800,000 kilometers there is an opportunity almost every orbit to observe Io, although not necessarily always with the best spacecraft orientation. Throughout the prime mission, there are 24 opportunities to observe Io with all instruments at ranges less than 400,000 kilometers.
There are 3 Io flybys at distances less than 200,000 kilometers:
2017-10-03 155,454 km
2017-10-17 182,346 km
2018-02-20 105,015 km
Europa
The most significant opportunity for Juno to do Europa science would be to follow up on the plumes possibly detected by Hubble Space Telescope. Confirming Hubble's detection would be very scientifically valuable. Any information on the source location would be valuable. This science goal just may not be possible with the large distances from Juno to Europa, but we will look.
JunoCam or ASC can only detect plumes if they contain fine particles. The Hubble discovery (if real) only shows the presence of water vapor. We can predict by analogy to Enceladus that water vapor plumes will also contain particles. However, it is important to remember that the Hubble discovery was of gas, not particles. If the putative Europa plumes are Enceladus-like and do contain particles, they would not be as tall as Enceladus', because of Europa's higher gravity. Scaling for Europa’s gravity gives a maximum plume height of under 140 kilometers. To detect plumes, we need at least two pixels, so the image spatial scale would need to be better than 70 kilometers, at a relatively high phase angle where the particles would forward-scatter light to JunoCam and ASC.
To achieve resolutions better than 70 kilometers per pixel, UVS needs to be within 40,000 kilometers of Europa; JunoCam, 100,000 kilometers; and ASC, 170,000 kilometers. For the cameras, given the low expected height of the plumes, there is not much flexibility.
There are just four orbits that have Europa flybys that are closer than 300,000 km. Juno reaches the best available geometry in September 2017 as the rotation of the line of apsides brings Juno’s orbit close to Europa’s orbit:
2017-03-08 253,118 km
2017-09-19 264,043 km
2017-10-03 92,267 km
2017-10-17 204,654 km
Ganymede and Callisto
Science objectives for Ganymede and Callisto will mostly be focused on UVS and JIRAM spectra: the state of surface ices at the poles compared to equatorial regions, and leading vs. trailing hemispheres. In analogy to Saturn’s moons, the uppermost skin of the surface sensed in the UV is very responsive to the radiation environment, while values at longer wavelengths may be different. For these objectives, ranges of 300,000 kilometers or closer will be best.
There are four Ganymede flybys with ranges under 300,000 kilometers:
2017-02-21 235,981 km
2017-11-27 271,412 km
2017-12-12 108,457 km
2017-12-26 253,294 km
Juno will have no Callisto flybys closer than 400,000 kilometers, so spectral comparisons will be limited to hemispheres.
2. Ring moons: Metis, Adrastea, Amalthea, Thebe
Although there are relatively close flybys of the ring moons they are still too tiny to resolve by JunoCam and are just at the few-pixel level for JIRAM and ASC. These moons will be imaged opportunistically.
3. Outer Irregular Satellites
The largest outer irregular satellites of Jupiter are: Pasiphae, Themisto, Taygete, Lysithea, Himalia, Isonoe, Sinope, Mneme, Ananke, and Leda. They are too tiny and too distant to be detected by JunoCam, JIRAM or UVS. Only ASC has a chance of observing the largest of these moons (Lysithea, Leda, and Himalia).
The science objectives for these distant moons are to: a) determine the rotation period, and b) estimate the shape model and pole orientation. |
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump made their second visit to areas of Texas and Louisiana ravaged by Hurricane Harvey in just four days on Saturday.
Trump was criticized for seemingly not appearing presidential during his first trip on Tuesday, but his visit on Saturday couldn't have been more different.
Kissing babies
Making landfall late last Friday as a powerful category 4 hurricane, Harvey brought absolute devastation to southeast Texas with winds of 130 mph and feet of rainfall. The historic storm has left tends of thousands in temporary shelters. Trump visited one of those shelters on Saturday, the NRG stadium in Houston.
While there, Trump kissed small children, distributed food, talked to storm survivors and just generally mingled with the people. And of course, he and Melania took plenty of selfies.
Then there was a viral picture and video of Trump embracing a young black girl.
Two storm survivors who were reportedly not Trump supporters before the hurricane told a local reporter they now support the president after meeting him on Saturday.
Trump also gave an uplifting speech, where he praised the Texas spirit:
"A remarkably different president"
MSNBC anchor Alex Witt narrated her network's coverage of Trump's Texas visit and gushed over Trump's "soft side," according to Mediaite.
She said on air: "I’ve got to tell you, we’re seeing a remarkably different President than we have seen in the past. I mean, we have seen him with his grandchildren, and he walks hand in hand with them, deplaning Air Force One, or seeing them perhaps on the balcony at the White House, and we know that he is a doting grandfather in that regard."
"This is a much different president," she said. "He is definitely showing a much softer side to his persona after being criticized earlier this week for not reaching out to individuals and showing enough empathy." |
If Americans were already concerned about the U.S.’s vetting process for Syrian refugees, they’re really not going to like to hear what a new report says about how those refugees are initially selected in the first place.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the U.S. relies on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to make first selections about who has the potential to come to America, as well as carry out the pre-screening process.
"Out of the four million-plus registered Syrian refugees in the region, UNHCR has so far submitted 22,427 cases to the United States for resettlement consideration. Of those, about 2,000 were accepted last year. The United States is welcoming Syrian refugees only from the 22,427 who made it through UNHCR referrals," wrote senior analyst Nayla Rush, who authored the report. [Emphasis mine]
The report notes that one cause for concern in relying solely on the U.N. in making the initial selections is widespread fraud within the agency, including bribery of staff involved with the resettlement process.
Another problem is the fact that UNHCR staff are completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of refugees they must process. “Since there are over 4 million refugees and 2,038 UNHCR staffers, each interviewer is responsible for vetting 2,100-2,800 refugees each,” The Washington Examiner points out.
"In summary, Americans are asked today to welcome Syrian refugees without hesitation and have total faith in the refugee resettlement program. They are asked to give the benefit of the doubt to UNHCR staff in tormented countries, and to trust their own government officials with their national security — officials who are delegating parts of their screening responsibilities overseas to the UNHCR," the report stated.
"The UNHCR is deciding not only who can move to the United States, it is also choosing who gets a chance to become American and who doesn't. Given such high stakes, Americans should be encouraged to question this opaque system," it concluded. |
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A soft play nightclub for adults has opened giving revellers the chance to enjoy top tunes and toys.
While the DJs pump out the latest house, garage and drum and bass tunes, people can be neck deep in a ball pit, staging a spacehopper race, enjoying a bouncy castle or jumping into photobooths with their props, all while enjoying a drink.
And it seems adults have never been so keen to escape the drudgery of 9 to 5 life - with the inaugural 10pm to 6am party at Birmingham's Amusement 13 club last night completely selling out.
The night featured music in three rooms with giant games, a Lego lounge and face painting amongst the other activities, reports the Birmingham Mail.
(Image: BPM)
It was organised by Regression Sessions - the London nightclub come fun house. The event is billed on the organiser's Facebook page as a night of “serious music for silly people”.
Talking about the night, organisers said: "Regression Sessions is a night that does what it pleases and suggests you do the same.
"We are tired with always having to choose between quality music events rammed with chin-stroking heads, or venues offering unpretentious fun with a disappointing soundtrack.
"Our aim is return to you to an earlier stage in the psyche when everything was simple and fun was easy.
(Image: BPM)
"We promise to offer regressive experiences from ball pits and plasticine therapy, to surrealist giant knitting and student art exhibitions.
"But we are all technically adults, and we say why not program this madness with constant bangers from house, garage, drum and bass, soul, disco.
"Everything you could want on a dancefloor." |
Photo by Brad Kuehnemuth
John de Ruiter was sitting on an elevated stage in a large armchair in front of a packed auditorium. The entire room was intently focused on him and the intense gaze emanating from his steely blue eyes. He's handsome, like a top-tier Porsche salesman. On each side of the stage were mammoth video screens, both projecting an extreme close-up of John's face. For the next hour, we all silently stared at John.
I was told that John can look straight into your soul; other followers said they can see an aura around John during his three-hour staring sessions, or "meetings," as they're called. His followers, who number in the thousands, consider John the "living embodiment of truth." He is the L. Ron Hubbard of staring.
John de Ruiter (simply "John" to his followers) was a humble Christian preacher and orthopedic shoemaker in rural Alberta before he founded the College of Integrated Philosophy in Edmonton, Canada. He's now worshipped as a new messiah by his worldwide followers.
The College of Integrated Philosophy holds regular "meetings" at the Oasis Centre, a $7 million facility near the West Edmonton Mall, hidden within an office park and manned by an army of enthusiastic volunteers. Before that, John held his meetings in a small bookstore off of Whyte Avenue. His followers, largely middle-aged women, are completely "John Gone."
When I heard about John, I was intrigued. Was this the emperor's new spiritual clothes or was there something more to this staring guru? I traveled to Edmonton to find out.
It's $10 a head to attend John's three-hour staring meetings, which consist of "dialogue and silent connection." Forty-five minutes before commencement, the Oasis Centre was already packed to capacity. Before settling in, I went to have lunch at John's café, inside the facility.
"I moved here because of John," said a middle-aged woman standing next to me in the food line. This was the umpteenth time I'd heard someone say this. "Before I met John I was living on a beach near Byron Bay and didn't even know where Edmonton was," the woman added. Now, she had moved to Canada in search of something she felt only John could offer.
"Have you ever taken acid?" she asked me. "That's what it's like when you hear John. You listen and then suddenly something snaps and you get it."
I hoped that I, too, would have an acid-snapping spiritual moment today. If it didn't happen during the first meeting, there was plenty more to choose from: "Friday night we have a meeting. Sunday we have two meetings. Then Monday we have another one," relayed a gray-haired woman while I grabbed a sandwich wrap. She was smiling broadly. "I go to all of them. I work here, so Monday I go to work and just continue to stay here for the meeting as well as Fridays."
John's upcoming world-staring tour includes seminars in Israel, Germany, India, Holland, and England—and while tickets to meetings are a measly $10, seminar tickets go for hundreds of dollars. Despite the hefty price tag, many of his devotees are willing to follow him around the globe.
"John goes to all these place. I go sometimes," said a kindly woman from New York. She had been a John follower for 15 years before she decided to make the move to Edmonton. "I've been to Israel four times with John."
I sat down at her table, along with some women from Israel, Germany, and the UK, all of whom stared intensely at me.
"It's very international," she continued. "You'll find that there are less Edmontonians than people from elsewhere, but they live in Edmonton now because of John."
"Are you going to sign up to talk to John?" asked the Israeli woman, who also moved to Canada because of John. "You put your name down if you want to talk to John, and you wait and see if your name comes up on the board."
"Maybe I shouldn't dive right into the deep end," I replied.
"No two meetings are the same—it all depends on who asks the questions," added an older Austrian woman who moved to Edmonton five years ago. When she first attended John's seminar in Europe, she couldn't speak a word of English. And yet: "I could understand everything he said; I just knew he was speaking very important truths." She told me that no matter where John moved, she would follow him.
"It might seem really confusing at first at what's going on," she said to me, before advising me to "listen with your heart."
"Have you ever taken acid?" she asked me. "That's what it's like when you hear John. You listen and then suddenly something snaps and you get it."
Before I had come to see the College of Integrated Philosophy for myself, I had spoken with Professor Stephen Kent of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, a cult expert who has been researching de Ruiter's activities for years.
"It's a community of striving, if not naive, followers," he told me, describing the majority of members as older Aquarian-aged people who've grown up expecting the world to be filled with peace and happiness but have been left disappointed. "De Ruiter is maybe seen as the last hope of their generation to provide the kind of world they wanted," he said. "People who want the world to be a good place and think it's attributing to its betterment. But in fact are spending hours and hours of time listening to not a whole lot of insight."
Kent said that John's following stems from the psychological process called "misattribution," based on the idea that humans are meaning-seeking creatures. Followers, he said, misattribute John's relative silence and his scarcity of words as indications of profound depth. "They expect a guru up there pontificating—but he doesn't say much. If you look at the message, there's not a lot of substance to it," he explained. "Many of the people are widely read in spirituality issues. They fill in the absence of the thoughts with their own knowledge and hopes and aspirations. So they give John meaning that he himself may not even realize."
Members have expressed disillusionment with John's group in the past—but few have publicly come forward about it. "They look around and perceive to see a large happy community—and then say, 'Oh the problem must be with me; everybody else sees the wisdom—so it's my problem.' Then they feel that it's their shortcomings," said Kent. "I'd say a lot of people have caught on, but they haven't spoken publicly about what they come to realize."
Kent told me the story of one woman who'd left the group after she saw John at a gas station filling up his off-road truck. She asked the attendant if he knew John, and he told her that John came in all the time to repair his truck from off-road trips over the weekends. The woman realized that the money she was giving the group had been partly funding John's off-road hobby.
"Over a period of time people have spent countless hours and a fair amount of money seeking out a product that is nonexistent. And when people finally realize what they've been doing for so long it hits a lot of them really hard," said Professor Kent. "People are assigning wisdom to John based on what they have picked up themselves over the years. That sense of wisdom gets reinforced with members."
Kent has also been told stories of arranged marriages to help foreign members move to Edmonton, where they become Oasis Centre volunteers. "I've heard that John will point at two people and say they should be married," he said. Kent gets frequent calls from concerned family members and friends. "The devotion to John takes over people's lives. It inhibits the ability to make rational decisions for themselves and for their loved ones."
John's most public controversy involved two sisters he was having a relationship with while he was married: Benita and Katrina von Sass. Not only did their father, businessman Peter von Sass, provide John financial support, but he also introduced John to his young nubile daughters. (The story made headlines because Katrina is a former Canadian Olympic volleyball player.)
The staring guru originally denied the affair, stating he was answering questions on a "personal level." He later told his congregation that "truth" had told him to sleep with the von Sass sisters. John's wife divorced him when she refused to join the sister harem; the von Sass girls eventually sued John, stating they were owed certain entitlements and payments from a decade spent as his common-law wives.
In an affidavit, Benita von Sass described John as "an opportunist and a huckster." She said that he had told her to "sexually submit to him" as it was "God's will," and that he claimed to be "Christ on Earth." At the time, she said, he was still having regular sex with the two of them in addition to his wife.
"There have been constant rumors about affairs, and members either don't take the seriously or don't care," said Kent. "They believe he is operating on a different level of wisdom that puts him in a different realm from the rest of us and give him permissions that normal people don't have."
Then he began staring, his eyes glistening like pooled Visine.
I knew this before I arrived at the staring meeting. Still, I tried keep my heart and mind open as instructed, since I wanted to understand how John could wield so much power with merely a look.
"What John emphasizes is it's not about anything he is saying—it's really about opening your heart and seeing what you see and what opens for you," said a volunteer from Holland, who recently moved to Edmonton after coming to John's summer seminar (within a week she was engaged to another volunteer). "Sometimes it could be far out there, based on so much knowledge and foundation and common understanding," she said, acknowledging that at some of the three-hour meetings, John doesn't speak at all.
I paid for my $10 ticket and drew an assigned seat. The gold circle is up front, where you get the most impact of John's direct stare.
"I'm in the boonies," lamented a woman who had been coming to meetings since 1996.
"You've been here for so long, you don't need any more close-ups," her friend replied.
The Oasis Centre's lavish auditorium was designed solely for John and his staring proclivities. Adorned with ornate chandeliers, a proscenium stage, and marble pillars, it's a venue worthy of a king—or a spiritual guru with followers who move from all corners of the world to be closer to his gaze. The College of Integrated Philosophy sometimes rents out the luxurious facility for wedding receptions, which can cost up to $13,000 during peak season.
I took my seat off to the side as roughly 350 people filtered in, filling almost the entire auditorium.
"I've been to about 4,000 meetings," said the young woman sitting next to me. "I started coming when I was seven." She was originally from Vancouver, she told me, "but my parents moved here because of John."
Once seated, a British woman came onstage to tell us about the scholarship fund for those who can't afford John's seminars. She was providing a training workshop for budgeting: "Those requesting a scholarship may be asked to look at their lifestyle and find new ways to contribute to these seminars financially," she said. "This could include simple suggestions like setting up a toonie jar, comprehensive budget planning, managing resources, considering downsizing, or renting a room or a garage out."
I tried to keep my heart open as John's devotees instructed, despite the fact that this woman had just encouraged his followers to rent out rooms in their homes to help pay for these expensive seminars.
Suddenly, the energy of the room shifted dramatically. There was no music—just silence and a few coughs. We were acutely aware of John's presence as he stood at the side of the stage for what seemed an incredible amount of time. Then he slowly walked towards his large comfy chair, his footsteps loudly reverberating throughout the hushed auditorium. The atmosphere was mausoleum-esque. John sat and slowly put on his headset, with dramatic effect. Then he began staring, his eyes glistening like pooled Visine.
What followed was the world's largest staring contest with John's face on the large video screen. It was hard not to break into a smug Richard Dawkins laugh, but this meeting was a no-nonsense affair, so I clamped down on my giggling. Occasionally the video monitors cut to shots of us staring at John. It was like being in church, if the pastor had had a stroke and all he could do was stare at you. This went on for about an hour.
Then, John went one by one and stared directly at each person in attendance. When he looked at me, my heart fluttered and I realized how uncomfortable it is to be stared at by non-blinking eyes.
I tried melting into his stare, to feel what his followers must feel—his handsome face, his pouty lips, his steely blue eyes. Staring at John was like staring at a glassy-eyed Dutch painting. It started to feel like he was staring solely at me, and it felt incredibly intimate because of the utter silence. The room was crowded, yet it was just me and John.
Then, abruptly, the spell was broken. John's large staring head on the video screen started to remind me of David Cronenberg's Scanners, and I was afraid it might explode. Was I beginning to read too much into this?
Then it got weird.
A teary-eyed woman appeared on the large video screens. She had signed up to ask questions of John and took the chair directly in front of him. The woman was a fragile mess and spoke very slowly: "It's important for me to speak to you. I have a really hard time articulating. I don't have a question, I just love what I'm responding to."
John stared at her.
"I just so love responding. It's not even a choice; it's just happening. I have no direct experience what is now—but I love our bond." More staring. There was a long pause. Strained coughs. "I don't know what this is, but somehow we are in this together in some sweet way."
John and the woman were now staring at each other. We stared at them. Who would blink first?
Professor Kent had told me that in the old days, anyone could ask John a question. Now, there's a preliminary screening; if they don't like what the person is going to say, they don't get called on.
"How to see the speck of gold that has no weight—it is weightless?" a Dutch woman now asked from John's hot seat. There's a long, long pause.
John spoke, at last. His words were slow, soft, and deliberate: "You enjoy knowing the gold directly."
We waited for hours for John to speak, and now he was speaking; so I guessed his words must be very important: "It is real to you. The gold," John said slowly. "You respond to what you know is golden." Pause. "You see that which is most deeply real in you."
Slow and torturous, John threw out more fortune cookie Haiku statements: "The plow breaks the ground in yourself." Long pause. "When you are in flow, do what is golden; that which is not golden breaks."
John's followers stared intently, hanging on to every word, creating meaning out of it all. The Dutch woman kept questioning with equally slow delivery; it was like watching two people on mescaline hold a conversation.
"I feel small," she said.
"You feel that because your self is too small for you," John replied.
The woman's chest heaved with each question as John continued his dreamy, hypnotic dialogue. Sometimes she said things and John didn't respond—he just kept uncomfortably staring at her.
Then, John pulled what I assume is his most popular parlor trick: He shed one tear that slowly trickled down his cheek. I could feel the entire auditorium gasp.
"Tell me to stop because I could go on forever," said the Dutch woman. John remained quiet. The two ended up staring each other down for another ten minutes until John slowly took off his headset and walked offstage.
I felt confused—had I missed something? John seemed to give people a sense of happiness, but all I saw was underlying confusion and sadness.
"It's a lot to take in for the first time," I said to the kindly New York woman as we left for our dinner break in John's café.
"John opens the door for you and gives you the direction," she explained. "Once the door is open, you're there." I asked her what she meant. "It's not a practice like Buddhism," she said. "It's more direct. This is direct knowledge—a direct transmission, and John's a portal to it. He awakens the answers within you."
"Sometimes you can say a lot more without words," I replied.
A man from London overheard us and offered his own interpretation of the profound depth: "Life is uneventful; it's meant to be uneventful."
"Is that how it usually is, where he channels the answers within the person?" I asked the Austrian woman, trying to connect the spiritual dots.
"It's not channeling, it's so much more. It's what the person can see," she clarified, adding: "You came to a very special meeting. You're lucky!"
Since I made the trek to Edmonton, I decided to stay for the second session, which meant I was moving into my fifth hour of staring—and this one was maybe not as special, though it started similarly. Another attractive, teary-eyed woman stepped into John's hot seat. Her question had to do with hysterically sobbing on the drive home from a meeting.
Photo by Brad Kuehnemuth
"Your deeper womanist is more than yourself," John said slowly, and then stared for a long period of time before adding: "It has no past. It flows without a path."
"Can you say more about that?" she asked with frustration. "I really want to know more."
"Use the pathways into yourself. But it still has not path—as your deeper womanist moves through the pathways of yourself." Pause. "As it moves through yourself, it will change yourself." Pause. "Your deeper womanist."
"Is my deeper womanist an aspect of my being?"
John sat unmoved, unblinking. Was he channeling the answer or did he not have an answer? After several minutes: "Without a self it has no purpose."
The woman seemed frustrated by the painfully long silences between responses. "I am not affected by how you are not responding," she said.
John gave the woman his silent, steely stare. Was John helping the emotionally fragile, who are willing to believe everything he says (no matter how slowly) with blind devolution? Or was he a charlatan conducting an elaborate parlor trick for the vulnerable and weak? The man sitting next to me looked like he was dragged here by his wife, and began dozing off. Then silence. Then nothingness.
Follow Harmon Leon on Twitter. |
What What (In The Butt) Case Continues: Brownmark Told To Pay Viacom's Legal Fees
from the what-what-(don't-file-bogus-legal-claims) dept
To begin, the defendants' fair-use argument was very strong, and Brownmark's legal position was objectively unreasonable. The Court took the somewhat rare step of deciding this case at the motion to dismiss stage, precisely because the defendants' fair-use defense was so strong, satisfying all four fair-use factors. First, the Court found that South Park's work was a "clear" parody, which one could gather quickly and easily from watching the episode. Second, South Park's version of the video was transformative, using the series' own characters and a different recording of the song, even if the words and images were similar. Third, even with those similarities, South Park made many changes to the form of the original and used only enough lines to conjure up the original. South Park's use was insubstantial. And, fourth, the Court found that South Park's version of the video would not usurp the market for Brownmark's original. In fact, in this respect, it is most likely that South Park's use would have spurred demand for the original, making the viral video's spread more rapid after its exposure to a national television audience. The satisfaction of these factors shows that the defendants' case was very strong.
Inquiring further, the Court finds that Brownmark's legal positions were also objectively unreasonable, and thus their position was frivolous. To this Court, there is little that could justify the plaintiff's stated view that the South Park version was not parody. Brownmark argues that South Park's clip could be viewed as satire, and would thus require a heightened amount of transformation to be a fair use. (See Pl.'s Resp. Atty. Fee 8-9 (citing Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, 510 U.S. 569, 580 (1994))). This argument fails for two reasons. Not only was South Park's video a parody, but South Park substantially transformed its version from the original. South Park did not directly copy Brownmark's original video and insert it into the episode;[2] rather, South Park created a video that purposefully mocked the obscure images and song of the original, all in an attempt to poke fun at the original, its viral popularity, and internet crazes as a whole. It may have been intended partially as satire, but also clearly encompassed elements of parody. And, further, given the transformative nature of the use and the lampooning Brownmark's original received, there is ample reason to believe that South Park's use would have greater spurred the market for the original. In the internet era, with information freely and quickly accessible, viewers interested in South Park's version could turn to the internet to find a copy of the original. And any confusion over which version was the original could be supplied to online viewers through a statement at the video's web page. For all of these reasons, the Court finds that Brownmark was objectively unreasonable in its position that South Park's use was not fair.
Further, the Court is convinced that Brownmark's motivation in filing this suit was questionable. Not only was Brownmark's position unreasonable, but it also waited nearly two years to file a lawsuit, only after being repeatedly rejected with warnings that South Park's use was copyrighted. (Docket #34, Ex. B). This demonstrates an attempt by Brownmark to use the threat of litigation against the defendants as a sort of "sword of Damocles"�hanging by a thread over the heads of the defendants while Brownmark attempted to extract a licensing fee. Of course, when the thread finally snapped and Brownmark brought this action, the parties quickly found the "sword" to be nothing more than a flimsy replica, as the Court dismissed the case outright at its earliest stage.
Next, the Court also must note that an award of attorneys' fees in this case will deter future actions by those similar to Brownmark; the Court is not entirely comfortable with this fact, though. The defendants in this case are sophisticated business entities with worldwide connections. Brownmark, on the other hand, is a very small company which can hardly bear the same costs as the defendants. Therefore, the Court must walk a fine line between one side of protecting the rights of defendants to parody others' works without being dragged into the legal muck for unreasonable claims and the other side of steering away from effectively robbing smaller plaintiffs of their artistic rights in their own work. While Brownmark's legal action was unreasonable, the Court fears that imposing financial ruination on a small company, like Brownmark, for an attempt to protect its rights might result in similarly-situated plaintiffs with stronger claims refraining from enforcement.
Despite that potential, though, the Court finds that an award of attorneys' fees in this case would deter future action that is similar to Brownmark's. As to the risk of keeping small plaintiffs out of court, the Court notes two things: first, that as important as those plaintiffs' artistic rights may be, the freedom of speech is perhaps of greater concern; and, second, that plaintiffs will not be subject to these fees if they engage in meaningful settlement talks before bringing their suit, work to resolve the case without court intervention, and reasonably consider the defendants' potential defenses.
Because the Court finds that all of the Supreme Court's factors are met, the defendants are entitled to attorneys' fees and costs in this case
Ah, the "What What (In the Butt)" case continues... you may recall that the makers of the bizarrely viral video >What What (In The Butt) sued Viacom and South Park over their parody video. Here's the original, and then the South Park version below.The South Park folks had actually licensed the song... but not. So it wasn't the singer who was suing, but Brownmark Films, who created the video, saying that the use of the same video was infringement. The court, however, disagreed... and not only found that the video was fair use, but found that the support for fair use was so strong that it didn't even need a trial first , which is pretty rare for fair use decisions.Now, making matters even worse for Brownmark, the court has also awarded attorneys' fees , meaning that Brownmark will need to pay up some hefty fees to Viacom if it isn't able to win on appeal. The court uses this ruling to once again slam Brownmark for filing an "objectively unreasonable" case:From there, it gets even worse, saying that the "motivation" for filing the suit is in question as well, and wants to award fees to stop future suits of this nature.In the end, the court takes the $46,775.23 requested in legal fees and knocks it down to $31,525.23. However, it then says it will allow Brownmark to pay significantly less, recognizing that it's a small entity that probably can't afford too much... but that Brownmark needs to show what it is able to pay before it determines the final amount.
Filed Under: attorneys fees, copyright, fair use, parody, south park, what what
Companies: brownmark films, viacom |
#9: Get elite status fast
A lot of newbie business travelers get bogged down by the fact that it feels like it takes forever to get frequent flyer and hotel statuses which unlock expedited security, check-in, upgrades, etc. In reality, there’s almost always a way to fast track your ability to get status. For example, American, Delta and United airlines offer status challenges meant to entice frequent flyers to shift loyalty by giving them a quicker route to obtaining status. If you can prove that you’re a valuable customer by flying a certain number of legs or miles within a 2–3 month period, you can gain status relatively quickly. Most major hotel loyalty programs offer similar challenges as well (SPG, is a good example).
In order to participate, you may have to prove that you already have elite tier status with a competitor. Since they have no way of verifying this information however the burden of proof is pretty low.
Read more about status challenges and match programs here. |
I say write'em a story...I don't think they have ( balls, guts, fortitude or whatever) what it takes to accept & acknowledge what our skin diving club accomplished in that particular competition..I remember you had shot all the fish & I personally was intimidated by our equipment( lack of). We had NO boat, & only snorkels with homemade spear guns,& diving mask that some had modified with different lens. I guess we would be considered by today's standards of just a group of punk kids just trying to get some attention..I remember mentioning to you about how all these people had aqua lungs, boats & fancy equipment..& you said don't worry we will get the biggest fish because all those bubbles from the aqua lungs spook the big fish.. You were right..we got the biggest & most fish... Incidentally the 57 chevy was a hard top convertible.. This is a girl I was teaching how to dive (HONEST) at Makaha Beach in Hawaii and you can see the Addict gun that I made in her hands. It was stolen from the Diving Locker (It was actually called "Scientific Diving Consultants" then.) while it was still on Cass Street in Pacific Beach and I was overseas with the Navy (Military service was considered a diving occupational hazard as your stuff would always disappear before you returned from a tour and at $72 a month salary, it was hard to come up with money for a storage place.). It was actually called "Scientific Diving Consultants" then. I later found the gun in a dive shop's Addict gun collection in Chula Vista, CA. They tried to deny it, but you can see the little brass plate on the bottom of the handle that was engraved with "Butch DeLong, Diving Locker, Pacific Beach, CA." Let me know if you want more, because the Navy wants me to write them a story about my shooting with firearms. Believe me when I say that swinging a speargun through the water, while tracking a fish, had a GREAT deal to do with being able to shoot guns! And now I just got a message from a Naval officer that wants to collect some of the shooting memories of the old, great shooter of the US. Most are dead. They should've been divers instead of smokers and drinkers? 1967 Laurie McGrath was a trooper and went out so far with me that a Hawaiian dude in a boat came up to us to warn about the sharks out there. I could only see the bottom by diving down about 40' at that point... The area behind me was where the famous surf would form. I squatted down in the water with my Polaroid and snapped that shot and then ran like the dickens to beat the shore break before it ruined my camera. She's got that photo on her wall in a 46 by 38(?) size. Same day with Laurie at Makaha, Hawaii First thing I ever taught her was how to use a Thompson and other machine guns. I taught her to shoot pistols and she embarrassed a lot of macho Mexican shooters when we went to their matches and whipped them all. She couldn't whip me though. . Beach photos were on a very flat day at Makaha...east end. Here we [ Herb DeLong, left; Wally Kittman, right] are at my house in San Marcos [Califormia]. in 2008 [ Wally was one of Herb's spearfishing team members at the 1958 spearfishing contest of the Southwest Council held at Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas. ] SEARCH AND SALVAGE GOODIES. USED TO LOCATE AND MAKE REPORT FOR INSURANCE CLAIMS ON SUNKEN BOATS BACK WHEN TIMES WERE ROUGH FOR FISHERMEN AND THEIR BOATS KEPT SINKING MYSTERIOUSLY IN DEEP WATER. We were once able to see toatuva over 200 lbs., but the shrimpers have almost eliminated them in the Gulf of California now. Tony Reyes Fishing Tours Here's the speargun that was stolen from me at a shop in CA where I found it 40 years later in a guy's Addict gun collection. I let the guy keep it as it rounded out his collection...all he was guilty of was buying it from someone and there's no telling how many hands it passed through. It would stick that 3/8" shaft clear through a big black sea bass though! Silver inlaid sharks and manzanita fore end, with a walnut thumbhole stock. Thank God for our May West break away rigs then! When you found your long lost gun, what thoughts and feelings did you have when you first saw it? I was talking to the girl that worked in the shop and looked up at the wall and saw the addict guns up there on display. I bragged a little to her (not too much as the wife was next to me) and told her that I used to make those guns. When I got the "Yeah, sure." response, I took out my driver's license and told her that the one in the center belonged to me and had been stolen (or sold) from the Diving locker 40+ years ago. I made her see the name on the license and get the gun down and read my name and info on the brass plate underneath the butt of the handle. I told her that I would just be taking it home with me and she informed me that the gun was not leaving the store. I told her to go get the owner before I got the police as I had proof that it was mine. The kid that owned the store was OK about it and I thought about it and decided that I would need a larger gun since I was headed for Africa in a month. It looked better up there than it would gathering dust in my closet anyway. I thought that I could always go back to visit my gun, but he's since closed up shop and has gone to who knows where? Vintage Spearguns - This is the most impressive collection of speargun photos I've ever seen. Most of the Addict guns used some form of breakaway rig because sometimes, quite frequently in fact, it was just too hard to muscle up a fish from the bottom when you were out of air...especially when they were bigger than you. A 20 lb. fish could clean the bottom up with you if you didn't stone him. (spine) The gun I made for Africa was shooting a 7/16th stainless shaft, 6 feet long and had 3 big rubbers on it. I saw fish there that would scare me, but it was totally virgin as there just are no divers over there that spearfish. Sharks were very aggressive also. There was a big fish that they called a "Spanish" that looked like a giant carp, that hung around the mouths of where the rivers emptied into the ocean. They considered white sea bass a trash fish! Once more, after 40+ years, holding my long lost speargun ! We will have our club's one and only reunion in April in Texas somewhere. We still have 5 members left alive and their extended families. Our purpose for this is that they been telling their kids and grandkids about the diving we did and as Wally put it when I happened to drive up to his house in Hemphill, "Damn! Am I glad to see you! I've telling these stories of the stuff we did and every one just thought that I was full of bull. I even went down to the jetties in Velasco and stood there and looked out to where we swam out to and watched you spearing fish and even I was having a hard time believing that it really happened." I actually speared snook that day. How many of those have you ever seen that far over in the Gulf? |
The biggest shake up in the Eagle Ford Shale Basin was the announcement that Woodlands-based Anadarko Petroleum will sell its Eagle Ford assets for $2.3 billion. The sale includes 155,000 net acres. The property for sale averages about 131 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, including 45,000 barrels of liquids per day. The sale of these assets will allow the company to focus on its higher-return assets, such as the Delaware Basin (located in the Permian) and its deepwater plays in the Gulf of Mexico.
According to Anadarko’s website, “Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s mission is to deliver a competitive and sustainable rate of return to shareholders by exploring for, acquiring and developing oil and natural gas resources vital to the world’s health and welfare. As of year-end 2015, the company had approximately 2.06 billion barrels-equivalent of proved reserves, making it one of the world’s largest independent exploration and production companies.”
The buyer of Anadarko’s divested acres is independent Sanchez Energy Corporation. For Sanchez, this purchase is a important, as the company will hold 400,000 contiguous acres (after the acquisition is complete) and could increase production to 100,000 barrels of oil and gas per day.
Sanchez is a rising new company that was founded in 2011.
“Over the last 12 months, the company has taken a series of strategic initiatives to expand its acreage and asset development position in the Eagle Ford Shale,” said Tony Sanchez, III, CEO of Sanchez Energy. “In addition to the pending Comanche transaction, the company organically leased approximately 110,000 net acres in the Western Eagle Ford. This provides us with a large inventory of attractive drilling opportunities and, along with our existing footprint in the Western Eagle Ford, provides numerous cost savings opportunities. This will also enable further strides in our strategy to drive manufacturing efficiencies in unconventional resource development.”
The Eagle Ford shale formation in South Texas runs from the U.S.-Mexico border north of Laredo, extending northeast for several hundred miles to just north of Houston. The formation produces both natural gas and oil, but it is the oil-producing and gas condensate areas that are hottest right now. |
Garrett Grayson: New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens Preseason 2015
New Orleans Saints quarterback Garrett Grayson (18) throws during preseason game between the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens at M&T Stadium on Thursday, August 13, 2015. (Photo by Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
(Michael DeMocker)
BALTIMORE -- Luke McCown got the start, Drew Brees got the day off, but youngsters Ryan Griffin and Garrett Grayson might have stolen the show.
Both Griffin and Grayson played well as the New Orleans Saints offense overcame early struggles on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Saints lost to the Baltimore Ravens 30-27 in the preseason opener for both teams.
Brees got the day off; even if he had played, it probably would have been for no more than one series.
McCown, the incumbent candidate in the race to be Brees' backup, led the Saints to three-and-out series on each of the first two series, but finished a respectable 7-of-10 for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Griffin and Grayson, the Saints' third-round draft pick, combined for 199 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-29 passing.
"They handled themselves really well," Payton said. "They showed a lot of poise."
Baltimore rookie quarterback Bryn Renner was the hero, leading the Ravens to an 80-yard touchdown drive to win the game with seconds remaining on the clock.
Grayson had to settle for a Hail Mary attempt that fell short. Even so, he could be satisfied with his debut.
"It felt good," he said. "There were a couple of jitters early, but they went away." |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is asking a judge to put on hold a requirement that it begin allowing transgender people to enlist in the military on Jan. 1.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in October barred President Donald Trump’s administration from proceeding with plans to exclude transgender people from military service. Part of her ruling required the government to allow transgender individuals to enlist beginning Jan. 1, 2018.
The government is appealing Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling, and on Wednesday asked her to put the Jan. 1 requirement on hold while the appeal proceeds. In asking the judge to put the requirement on hold, the government said the gay rights groups behind the lawsuit that started the case oppose the request.
The government asked Kollar-Kotelly for a decision by Dec. 11. |
A few days ago, I wrote about one of the dumbest supposedly major controversies in a while, which was one SEVENTEEN member supposedly telling a fan that she was basically his source of income and two others saying that she was a fan of another member. I figured that would be sorta it (because I am a dumbass) since it was either: 1) Fabricated 2) A joke 3) Telling the truth. However, of course things started to snowball because the accusation had to do with disrespect from an idol to a fan.
SEVENTEEN fans ended up claiming it was fabricated because Seungkwan‘s signature looks different, but as far as I’m concerned there was nothing conclusive about that. Of course, the same applies to the accuser’s clarifications, which don’t actually prove anything either, yet people are taking her story as solid evidence for whatever reason.
As far as I see it, we’re thus basically back to the battle of narratives. Yet the reason I’m skeptical of her side of the story is that there was a recording she made with Jeonghan that was supposed to make him some kind of dickhead.
Fansite recording of Junghan
Fan: Today’s dress code…
Junghan: Stop coming here.
Fan: (2 seconds pause) Huh…? OK.. But I keep getting picked though.
Junghan: Then other fans can’t come. Stop coming.
What an asshole, right?
But the reality of that exchange was basically what I thought the Seungkwan incident was all about, which was idols joking around with fans who show up all the time.
일 끝내자마자 음성찾아서 올려드립니다.
통으로 잘랐으며 어떻게 하든 주작 소리
나오니깐 이거라도 주작이 아니라는걸 밝히기위해 변조없이 생으로 올려드립니다.
(151101 용산팬싸)음성 듣고 알아서 판단하세요. 그리고 고소해 역고소할만큼 이게 팩트니깐. pic.twitter.com/p2l9vw230S — 햄니 (@96519kg) March 22, 2017
Everybody can have their own interpretation of that exchange, but I definitely see it as two people who recognize each other shooting the shit and not some malicious attack. And once that tone is established between them, it’s harder for me to believe Seungkwan wasn’t joking around as well since the group obviously recognizes her. The rebuttal to this being outed was that she was actually gravely offended but didn’t want to cause a scene so she played along, and that’s being taken at face value despite not appearing to reflect what we can clearly hear for … god knows what reason.
The most recent issue is SEVENTEEN supposedly re-gifting stuff they got from fans to staff.
This doesn’t seem true either, though.
Nope. Bumzu edited the post and added "I thought it was a present, but they actually left it (here). They make my heart goes up and down". pic.twitter.com/OlSmcv96bS — 혜민규 (@uygnim) March 24, 2017
Being edited makes it seem bad, but then I found out it’s a post over a year old and not related to this current mess at all. Thus, the incentive to shield at the time was minimal, and at worst this is up in the air as well.
—–
Primarily though, the thing that I’m inherently skeptical of is SEVENTEEN’s fandom, specifically the fansite admins, because they sound insane. I covered the fansite admin throwing shit at Joshua for no reason and them being a mess at ‘Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook‘, but there’s a bunch of other stuff about their fansites — like previously fabricated claims of disrespect from SEVENTEEN and them basically being sasaengs — that makes one severely skeptical about claims like the ones currently causing a mess (1/2/3/4).
All of that is still aside from the fact that at worst, even if SEVENTEEN did all this shit, the most I care is to say they were dumb and did shitty public relations with their fans. Because really, this is a controversy about a whole lot of nothing important. Still, it’s hard to see why people think SEVENTEEN are guilty of anything at this point if they look at situation objectively and without being influenced by translated comments. As of now, it’s basically just a collection of accusations that lack evidence, from a fansite admin that has already shown a willingness to twist facts to meet her narrative, and coming from a fandom that has a history of making up accusations exactly like this.
In the end, believe whatever you want based on what’s been presented cause nothing has been truly proven one way or the other that I can see, but for me it’s definitely a big ol’ nothingburger. |
Google Cloud Dataflow In the Smart Home Data Pipeline
By Matt & Riju
Nest engineering & design Blocked Unblock Follow Following Mar 20, 2017
Building the Thoughtful Home means reinventing products that are important to safety, security and comfort. Traditionally, devices ranging from thermostats, smoke detectors and security cameras to lights, locks and appliances have been self-contained, operationally independent units in the home. But Nest’s cloud service platform opens up a wide range of possibilities for how these devices can interact and coordinate when they are operating in a connected mode.
One of the challenges in scaling a platform is developing a reliable data service architecture to support high-volume, real-time and batch logging from devices. In this post, we’ll discuss ideas for leveraging Google Cloud Dataflow at a performance level required for such data intensive applications, including terabyte-level daily data ingestion and processing, and petabyte-level storage.
Device Logging Behavior
Nest products log different types of data to the service, ranging from state events (e.g. heater turned on, alarm went off) to time series data (e.g. room temperature, CO readings) to system data that describes how a device is functioning.
This information can be used in a variety of tools and formats to present data to users, including within direct reports like our monthly Nest Home Report, to measuring energy and money savings such as in our Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings programs, to supporting important field studies, and generally for the continued development of products. In a more real-time example, devices emit sensor events that are inputs into service-based features such as Home/Away Assist. This feature is used to adjust device settings based on an estimate of whether or not users are at home, allowing, for example, Nest Protect to run a monthly sound check to test its audio alert systems only when the home is unoccupied.
One of the perennial problems smart home developers face is that devices in the home are subject to a wide range of conditions in their environments. As a result, the quality and reliability of the data can be unpredictable. For example, factors such as poor WiFi/network connectivity, power loss and battery drain can impact a device’s logging stream. To further complicate things, the devices themselves are subject to stringent battery budgets, which limits available processing power and time spent connected to the network.
The solution to this universal challenge: a robust data architecture and corrective processing downstream to account for data loss, late-arriving data, data duplication, invalid data and even corruption.
Overviewing The Data Pipeline
The following diagram depicts — at a high-level — the main components of a data architecture suitable for applications like Nest’s.
In this system, devices present their logs and real-time events to the service through logging endpoints which provide authentication, basic data validation, and delivery for downstream processing.
The data pipeline begins with stream processing components that convert events in various formats to Apache Avro. These Avro data are streamed to Apache Kafka topics, with a separate topic for each Avro schema. For instance, one topic may contain temperature data from thermostats. A system with millions of devices could result in several hundreds of topics, with the total event arrival rates into the millions per second.
Some of these data persist in HDFS using a system comprising Apache Storm and Hadoop. Although ideally one might want to persist all of these data in HDFS, the cost and scale of the system required to achieve this, from an infrastructure and operational perspective, becomes unsustainable as systems scale.
Also, the tools available to the users of this data need to evolve with the needs of users. If ad-hoc access to this data is required, Apache Hive is a common approach. Regularly scheduled jobs use a combination of Cascading, Scalding and Apache Spark. Managing resources to service all the users with a reasonable latency on a non-elastic cluster is challenging.
One last area we identified to advance the original pipeline: data backfill. Although rare, it’s not unheard of to run into cases where we need to reload past data. Since the existing pipeline is primarily based on a streaming architecture, supporting backfill requires building and maintaining a separate set of systems that can run in batch mode.
Introducing Cloud Dataflow into an Architecture
If you want to evolve a data architecture like the one above, without disrupting the existing pipelines or duplicating the entire pipeline, you might introduce Cloud Dataflow and Google BigQuery into the architecture.
Using Cloud Dataflow, the Avro events can be read from Kafka, thereby creating a parallel pipeline to the HDFS ingest pipeline. These events are converted to BigQuery format and streamed into daily BigQuery tables. The snapshot below shows an example of a Cloud Dataflow streaming pipeline.
If you look closely, you can see that this Cloud Dataflow job consists of several parallel “pipelines” (DAGs) with no interdependencies. All but two (we’ll talk about these TickIO pipelines later) of those DAGs do similar transformations, with the exception that they are processing different event types. The first block in these DAGs show the Kafka source that reads from several Kafka topics matching the same event type. The next two blocks do various transformations to map these events to a BigQuery schema for that event type. The last block is the BigQuery sink, which writes these events to daily tables. The target daily tables are determined based on the time the event actually occurred. Note that the event time may be very different from wall clock time because of inherent and unpredictable latencies in the event streams of IoT devices. For instance, devices with poor connectivity or power constraints may buffer events in local memory until they reestablish a connection for upload.
The same pipeline (leveraging shared code with a few modifications) is also run in batch mode for backfilling. The main difference between these pipelines is the data source. In batch mode, the data sources are Avro files stored in Google Cloud Storage or HDFS. There are also some minor differences in how these are parsed and transformed. In batch mode, the BigQuery sink internally uses BigQuery load jobs. BigQuery load jobs are free and can do atomic updates. However, the bottom line is that both streaming and batch jobs are launched from the same Java class (with different arguments). Typically, one might run the batch jobs per event type for a date range. See below for the snapshot of one such job. Each DAG in this job loads data into a single daily BigQuery table.
Earlier, we referred to TickIO DAGs in the context of streaming pipelines. TickIO is a custom source that handles periodic tasks. In the streaming pipeline, there are two TickIO sources — TickIO-5Min and TickIO-Daily. As the names imply, the former performs periodic tasks every five minutes and the latter performs tasks every day.
Some pipelines deal with large enough volumes of streaming data that they could exceed per table streaming quota limits in BigQuery. For such event types, one can stream data into multiple daily tables per event type. To hide this from consumers of these data, we provide daily views over these split tables. As a result, consumers can have a consistent interface across widely varying event volumes and types. The CreateBigQueryView transform run as part of the TickIO-Daily DAG is responsible for the creation of these daily views.
Monitoring the Cloud Dataflow Pipeline
Our Kafka source periodically checkpoints the current consumed offset to a Bigtable table. The TrackKafkaSourceOffsets transform in the TickIO-5Min DAG makes use of this information to compute the Kafka consumer lag for each partition and emits those metrics to Stackdriver. We have set up Stackdriver alerts to alert us whenever these lags exceed certain thresholds.
For example, the following Stackdriver chart shows one such metric which is configured to alert when the Kafka consumer lag exceeds 5%.
Following is an example of another metric which is set to alert when the read rate from a Kafka topic drops below a certain threshold [Note that the alert policies are set elsewhere in the Stackdriver console. These charts are just visual representations].
In addition to the above Stackdriver metrics, we also make use of Cloud Dataflow custom counters to keep track of event level metrics (event counts, error metrics etc.). We have a monitoring system which pulls these data periodically from the Cloud Dataflow job and publishes them to Stackdriver.
Conclusion
By integrating Cloud Dataflow into the data ingest pipeline, a system owner can create flexibility and scale capacity to handle the wide variety of logging conditions and challenges presented by a large-scale fleet of data-logging devices. This also creates a foundational data architecture for leveraging other Google Cloud Services such as Cloud Pub/Sub and Cloud Bigtable.
For large-scale IOT architectures, Cloud Dataflow may be primarily useful for streamlining ingestion, but the easy integration between Cloud Dataflow and Google BigQuery also opens up other uses as well. For example, Cloud Dataflow can be used for data set curation, fleet health monitoring, algorithm performance verification and customer report generation.
We have discussed the basics of data movement and the use of Cloud Dataflow. In reality when dealing with private or sensitive data, security considerations need to be layered on top of any data infrastructure to ensure appropriate measures are in place.
Join the conversation at Nest’s Developer community.
The information contained in this blog is provided only as general information for educational purposes, and may or may not be up to date. The information is provided as-is with no warranties. This blog is not intended to be a factual representation of how Nest’s products and services actually work. No license is granted under any intellectual property rights of Nest, Google, or others. |
Brandy or Whiskey, sweet or sour, making an old fashioned is as simple as the ingredients that go into it. Read on and learn ways to make this barroom favorite.
Possibly the first drink to be called a cocktail, the old fashioned was most likely invented in the late 1880s by a bartender at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky. The drink was simple: combine some bourbon, bitters, sugar, water and ice and bang, you’ve got yourself a drink.
To mix a classic old fashioned you will need:
2 ounces of bourbon whiskey
2 dashes of bitters
1 cube of sugar with a splash of water, or simple syrup
3 cubes of ice
Old Fashioned (or rocks) glass
In an old fashioned glass, combine the cube of sugar, water and bitters (or simple syrup and bitters). If needed, crush the sugar mixture to coat the bottom of the glass. Add the cubes of ice and whiskey. Garnish with a twist.
Served in a glass named for itself, the old-fashioned is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, along with many of its classic compatriots. Options to making the drink are as long as its century existence, but debates on keeping the purity of the drink often negate the tasty variations.
For most purists, the drink remains what it has always been, a whiskey cocktail with the minimum additions made. For others who enjoy a new take on an old favorite, adding a wash of sweet or sour (or in many cases soda water), mixing brandy instead of whiskey, or an added slice of orange garnish or a maraschino cherry make the drink that much more interesting. The decision, however, is always up to the drinker, to play around with the recipes and find what truly works for you.
The following recipe has been popularized in the north central region of Wisconsin. Known as a whiskey (or brandy) old fashioned sweet (or sour), it is just one take on what has become known as Wisconsin’s state drink.
To mix this version you need will need:
2 ounces of whiskey or brandy
2 dashes of bitters
1 to 3 ounces of sweet or sour wash
1 cube of sugar with water, or simple syrup
orange slice or cherry garnish (optional)
3 cubes of ice
Old Fashioned (or rocks) glass
In an old fashioned glass, combine the cube of sugar, water and bitters (or a splash of simple syrup and bitters). If needed, crush the sugar mixture to coat the bottom of the glass. Add the cubes of ice and your choice of whiskey or brandy. Top with sweet or sour wash and garnish with an orange slice or cherry. Sit back and enjoy! |
Democratic White House hopeful Bernie Sanders knocked Donald Trump on Tuesday over his outspoken support for false claims that President Obama was not born in the United States. Sanders said the so-called birther movement is partly motivated by racism — but stopped short of saying that’s what drove the bombastic mogul to be its champion.
Sanders’ comments came in a CNN town hall event at which he was asked about Senate Republican promises to block any Obama nominee to fill the Supreme Court seat long held by the late Antonin Scalia.
“What you are seeing today in this Supreme Court situation is nothing more than the continuous and unprecedented obstructionism that President Obama has gone through” at the hands of Republicans, the Vermont senator said.
“This is on top of the birther issue, which we heard from Donald Trump and others, a racist effort to try to delegitimize the president of the United States,” Sanders continued.
Bernie Sanders talks with TV host Chris Cuomo during a CNN town hall event in Columbia, S.C., on Tuesday. (Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP)
Sanders said his father came from Poland but, “Guess what? Nobody has asked for my birth certificate. Maybe it’s the color of my skin, I don’t know.”
CNN’s Chris Cuomo asked the senator whether Trump was motivated by racism.
Sanders demurred.
“You know, I’m not a psychoanalyst — and boy, would a psychoanalyst have an interesting time with Donald Trump,” he said, to laughter from the crowd. “I’m not going to speak to Trump, but do I think that at least in some parts of that Republican base there is race involved in that? Absolutely. Absolutely.”
Back when Trump was fueling speculation he might run for president in 2012, the real estate developer repeatedly questioned whether Obama was born in Hawaii, at one point saying he had sent private investigators there. The president responded to the rekindled rumors by releasing his long-form birth certificate in April 2011. |
MYTH 5: The new law "raids Medicare of $716 billion."
It's simply not true. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Congress' independent and nonpartisan budget scorekeeper, recently estimated that the changes to Medicare in the ACA will reduce spending by a total of $716 billion between 2013 and 2022.
"That's where the number comes from," says Guterman. The largest portion of these savings would come from changes to provider payments and correcting overpayments to insurance companies that offer private Medicare plans. "And that projected savings will be used to close the prescription drug 'doughnut hole'; to pay for free, preventive care for consumers; and to increase coverage for the uninsured," Lavarreda says.
All guaranteed benefits in Medicare were protected. These measures actually strengthen Medicare's fiscal viability: Before the ACA was passed, Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, which is used to pay hospital bills for Medicare beneficiaries, was projected to run out of money by 2017; after the law was passed, that date was pushed back to 2024.
MYTH 6: The law is going to bankrupt America.
Not according to the CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation, nonpartisan entities that estimated health reform will actually reduce the nation's deficit by $210 billion between 2012 and 2021, by reducing subsidies to private insurance companies, cracking down on waste and fraud, and reining in profits.
"If we don't get health care spending under control, that's going to bankrupt America," says Shannon Brownlee, acting policy director at the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank.
MYTH 7: The new law will drive up premiums astronomically.
That's an unlikely scenario. "A significant number of the uninsured people who will be brought into the system with the ACA are the 'young invincibles,' " says Brownlee, describing the 18-to-29 age group. "Their relative good health helps to subsidize care for less healthy people."
The law also strengthens states' power to question unreasonable rate increases, whether because of age, preexisting conditions or any other reason. And the law's "medical loss ratio requirement" dictates that 80 to 85 percent of premiums be spent on medical costs. As of Aug. 1, approximately 12.8 million Americans received an estimated $1.1 billion in rebates from insurance companies in cases where overhead expenses exceeded 15 to 20 percent of premiums charged in 2011.
As for Medicare Part B premiums (which cover doctors' services and outpatient care), those are determined by a formula designed decades ago by Congress, based on the previous year's Medicare health care costs. In essence, the government pays 75 percent of Part B costs, and Medicare beneficiaries pay the remaining 25 percent. The law did not change this formula. (There is no truth to a rumor that Part B premiums will rise from $99.90 a month in 2012 to $247 a month by 2014, Lavarreda says.)
MYTH 8: If I can't afford to buy health insurance, I'll be taxed — or worse.
If you can't afford health insurance because of financial hardship (if the cheapest plan exceeds 8 percent of your income), you will be exempt from the tax penalty. Special taxes (from $95 the first year to $695 a year by 2017) will be phased in over the next seven years for those who choose to forgo coverage. Even then, the government will not criminally prosecute or place property liens on people who ignore the tax. At worst, the IRS will withhold the tax amount from individuals' tax refunds.
Next: Will small businesses be fined for not providing health insurance to its employees? » |
This is a simple quinoa salad with corn, avocado and black beans, that’s great for a lunch or a light dinner. I like the grape tomatoes in this one, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
Red Quinoa Salad with Corn, Avocado and Black Beans Author: Well Vegan
Prep Time: Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: Yield: 4 Print Pin Ingredients 1 cup red quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
1 can black beans, 15 ounces
1 1/2 cups corn, frozen, roasted if available; thawed
1 avocado, ripe, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cilantro , chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lime, juice from 1/2 to 1 lime Instructions Rinse quinoa in cold water before cooking. Add quinoa and broth to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. While quinoa is cooking prepare other ingredients. When quinoa is done cooking, remove the pan from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Toss well and serve Nutrition Serving Size: 4
Calories: 406
Sugar: 5
Sodium: 487
Fat: 14
Carbohydrates: 47
Fiber: 8
Protein: 9
Cholesterol: 0 |
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The Canadian Press
MONTREAL -- Quebec provincial police say a man has been arrested for animal cruelty in the case of a dog that died after being found buried alive south of Montreal this week.
Sgt. Ingrid Asselin says the man in his 40s came to investigators himself, was questioned and released with a promise to appear at a later date.
Asselin says police are still investigating and awaiting various test results on dog, a Boxer mix.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says the dog was extremely dehydrated when it was brought in for treatment this week.
The local SPCA director said it appeared the dog was strangled and hit on the head with a blunt object.
The dog was considered in stable condition but died Wednesday afternoon.
The SPCA says a man walking in a field in Saint-Paul-D'Abbotsford on Tuesday heard whimpering and a dog's paw sticking out of fresh topsoil.
The animal had been wrapped in a sheet, but it was unclear how long it had been in the ground. |
EXCLUSIVE: Samoan president accuses players of drinking culture
Posted on by in Autumn Internationals, Featured
By NEALE HARVEY
Samoa’s players have again been left raging after a rant from the country’s president and Rugby Union chairman, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, accused them of not training hard enough and hinted at a drinking culture in the squad.
In a multi-pronged attack, Malielegaoi also took aim at World Rugby (formerly the IRB), accusing it of inflaming recent tensions, as well as the four Home Unions, which he said should be merged under a ‘Great Britain’ banner.
As revealed by The Rugby Paper on November 13, Samoa’s hard-pressed stars have been demanding action over a range of issues including team selection, financial transparency, match fees, travel and grass roots development back home.
They threatened to strike for the autumn Test against England, but relented when World Rugby arranged meetings to address the issues. But Malielegaoi failed to show, preferring instead to dismiss the players’ demands as “childish”. Now he has gone further, accusing them of being “losers” and questioning their professionalism.
In a poorly-worded release on government-headed paper dated December 1, a copy of which has been obtained by The Rugby Paper, Malielegaoi said of the Samoan players: “The problem is, they talk to players in Tier One countries and think they should be paid the same allowances. Samoa is a Tier Two Rugby Nation…Tier One nations generate a lot more money than we do.
“Sponsorships do not give us much money. Just peanuts to what we actually need. And if the team continues on a losing streak, it makes it more difficult for the Union.
“Sponsors put their money in a winning brand because winning teams have high profiles and allows them to sell their merchandise. But if we win one game then lose the next four, no sponsor wants to be associated with losers.
“So if the players want to attract more sponsorships to raise pay, they have to continue winning matches. It means players must train all the time, and stop drinking.”
Samoa’s players have reacted angrily and next year’s planned Test against New Zealand is under threat.
One senior player told TRP: “The All Blacks Test certainly needs to be questioned if things don’t shift. Should the All Blacks reward Samoa’s current regime with a Test in Apia? I don’t think so.”
Malielegaoi accused World Rugby of inflaming November’s tensions, saying: “I wrote to the players, explained our positions and the matter was quickly resolved. But it erupted when someone in the IRB leaked the players’ letter in the build-up to the England Test. So obviously there’s a witch who leaked it for dubious reasons.”
Malielegaoi then rounded on the Home Unions, adding: “Rugby is probably the only sport where one country – Great Britain – have four international teams in the top ten and its four Unions are represented on the IRB board – giving them the edge in IRB decisions especially on the question of player eligibility.
“ The IOC said you only get one Sevens team – Great Britain. Which is the right decision and should be replicated in international 15s.”
Tagged Samoa |
Since he stepped down from the deanship of Case Western Reserve Law in March 2014, in the wake of a lawsuit making salacious allegations of sexual harassment, what has Lawrence E. Mitchell been up to?
The lusty legal academic has been keeping himself quite busy. We’ve previously mentioned his creepy (but skillfully recited) poetry. That’s not his only literary effort; see also his blog. When he changed the domain name for it, Mitchell issued a press release. That was perhaps self-important and ridiculous of him, but also understandable. It seems the ex-dean is trying to create a new digital footprint for himself, one that has no traces of his tainted tenure at Case Western. Note how the press release, “Lawrence Mitchell Announces His Popular Blog Hum(e)an Moments Has Moved to a New Web Address,” breathes not a word about his leadership of a major law school, or even his continued membership on its faculty.
And that’s not all. Lawrence Mitchell moved to New York — or, as he put it on his blog, escaped from Egypt (ouch, Cleveland’s not that bad) — and started working as a “consultant,” the last refuge of scoundrels. (I’m not talking about McKinsey or Bain or real consultancies; I’m talking about folks who leave jobs in scandal and then hang shingles as self-employed “consultants.”) Readers alerted us to a YouTube video, since removed, in which he touted his ability to help clients with their “BUSSINESS” and “FIANANCIAL” problems (but presumably not their spelling). There’s a new version of the video here, but it’s still full of typos; I didn’t know you could misspell “Mitchell” in so many different and creative ways.
We were content to let the disgraced dean live out his remaining days quietly. But now we have occasion to cover him, since Larry Mitchell is back in the news. Here’s a report from the Case Western Observer:
One of Case Western Reserve University’s newest buildings isn’t on campus. There are no classrooms, lab space or conference rooms, but it is equipped with the following: granite counter tops, a landscaped stone patio, two wood burning fireplaces, a detached 3 car garage and a “glamour bath.” Nobody’s name graces the outside of this building; university officials would prefer to keep the previous owner out of the spotlight. Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer records indicate that on July 1, CWRU purchased former law school Dean Lawrence Mitchell’s five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home for $575,000.
My colleague Joe Patrice wondered: does it come with the Chinese silk sheets?
Apparently not. The most recent listing photos for the house show lots of empty rooms. Let’s have a look, shall we? |
Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present methods, system and apparatus relate to the factoring of numbers using an analog processor.
BACKGROUND
Factoring large integer numbers is a difficult mathematical problem. The problem of integer factorization can be formulated as: given a positive integer, find all the prime factors of the integer. Every positive integer has a unique prime factorization. For small numbers, such as 16, factoring is quite simple. However, as the number increases, in general, finding the factors becomes increasingly difficult. In fact, the problem becomes intractable on known computing devices for large numbers. Conversely, however, confirming that a set of primes is the prime factorization of a number is easy.
One particular set of integers that is interesting to factor are biprimes. Biprimes are integers that are the direct product of two, not necessarily distinct, prime factors. For example, 15 is a biprime since 3 and 5 are the only prime factors and it can be derived by multiplying them together. The factoring of biprimes is of interest in the fields of cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields. Some cryptography schemes use the difficulty of factoring large biprimes as the basis for their encryption system. For example, a large biprime is used to encrypt data such that decryption of the data is only possible through the identification of the prime factors of the biprime. Such an encryption scheme is not absolutely secure because it is possible to identify prime factors, albeit through considerable effort. Thus, security of data encrypted in such a manner is only ensured for the period of time that it would take a third party to identify the prime factors for the biprime used to encrypt the data. Thus, such encryption schemes are useful when the amount of time it would take an unauthorized third party to find the prime factors of the encryption is much longer than the amount of time the information would be useful.
Complexity Classes
Complexity theory is the quantitative study of the time it takes for a computer to solve a decision problem and the resources required to solve the decision problem. In logic, a decision problem is determining whether or not there exists a decision procedure or algorithm for a class S of questions requiring a Boolean value (i.e., a true or false, or yes or no). These are also known as yes-or-no questions. Such problems are assigned to complexity classes, the number and type of which is ever changing, as new complexity classes are defined and existing ones merge through the contributions of computer scientists. One exemplary complexity class involves those decision problems that are solvable in polynomial time by a Turing machine (P, herein poly). Another exemplary complexity class involves those decision problems that are solvable in non-deterministic polynomial-time, or problems whose solution is verifiable in polynomial time (NP). Still another complexity class is NP-hard (non-deterministic polynomial-time hard; NPH), which includes decision problems that have been shown to be hard to solve. More specifically, NP-hard refers to the class of decision problems that contains all problems H such that for every decision problem L in NP there exists a polynomial-time many-one reduction to H, written L≦H. Informally, this class can be described as containing the decision problems that are at least as hard as any problem in NP. A decision problem is NP-Complete (NPC) if it is in NP and it is NP-hard.
A problem is equivalent, or harder to solve, than a known problem in NPC if there exists a polynomial time reduction to the instant problem from the known problem in NPC. Reduction can be regarded as a generalization of mapping. The mappings can be a one-to-one function, a many-to-one function, making use of an oracle, etc. The concept of complexity classes and how they define the intractability of certain decision problems is found in, for example, M. R. Garey, D. S. Johnson, 1979, Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness, Freeman, San Francisco, ISBN: 0716710455, pp. 1-15.
It is not exactly known which complexity classes the integer factorization problem falls under. It is widely believed to be outside P, since there have been many attempts to find a polynomial-time solution but none have worked. It is also suspected to be outside NPC. The integer factorization problem, expressed as a decision problem, where it suffices to answer whether an integer N has a factor less than M, is a known NP problem. Also, the determination of whether an integer is prime, expressed as a decision problem, is a known P problem. In the field of quantum computing, Shor's algorithm for factoring numbers (discussed below) proved that factoring biprimes is in the bounded-error, quantum, polynomial (BQP) complexity class. This means it can be solved by a quantum computer in polynomial time with an error probability of at most 0.25 for all instances.
Quantum Computers
A Turing machine is a theoretical computing system, described in 1936 by Alan Turing. A Turing machine that can efficiently simulate any other Turing machine is called a Universal Turing Machine (UTM). The Church-Turing thesis states that any practical computing model has either the equivalent or a subset of the capabilities of a UTM.
An analog processor is a processor that employs the fundamental properties of a physical system to find the solution to a computation problem. In contrast to a digital processor, which requires an algorithm for finding the solution followed by the execution of each step in the algorithm according to Boolean methods, analog processors do not involve Boolean methods.
A quantum computer is any physical system that harnesses one or more quantum effects to perform a computation. A quantum computer that can efficiently simulate any other quantum computer is called a Universal Quantum Computer (UQC).
In 1981 Richard P. Feynman proposed that quantum computers could be used to solve certain computational problems more efficiently than a UTM and therefore invalidate the Church-Turing thesis. See e.g., Feynman R. P., “Simulating Physics with Computers” International Journal of Theoretical Physics, Vol. 21 (1982) pp. 467-488. For example, Feynman noted that a quantum computer could be used to simulate certain other quantum systems, allowing exponentially faster calculation of certain properties of the simulated quantum system than is possible using a UTM.
There are several general approaches to the design and operation of quantum computers. One such approach is the “circuit model” of quantum computation. In this approach, qubits are acted upon by sequences of logical gates that are the compiled representation of an algorithm. Circuit model quantum computers have several serious barriers to practical implementation. In the circuit model, it is required that qubits remain coherent over time periods much longer than the single-gate time. This requirement arises because circuit model quantum computers require operations that are collectively called quantum error correction in order to operate. Quantum error correction cannot be performed without the circuit model quantum computer's qubits being capable of maintaining quantum coherence over time periods on the order of 1,000 times the single-gate time. Much research has been focused on developing qubits with coherence sufficient to form the basic information units of circuit model quantum computers. See e.g., Shor, P. W. “Introduction to Quantum Algorithms” arXiv.org:quant-ph/0005003 (2001), pp. 1-27. The art is still hampered by an inability to increase the coherence of qubits to acceptable levels for designing and operating practical circuit model quantum computers.
Another approach to quantum computation, called thermally-assisted adiabatic quantum computation, involves using the natural physical evolution of a system of coupled quantum systems as a computational system. This approach does not make critical use of quantum gates and circuits. Instead, starting from a known initial Hamiltonian, it relies upon the guided physical evolution of a system of coupled quantum systems wherein the problem to be solved has been encoded in the system's Hamiltonian, so that the final state of the system of coupled quantum systems contains information relating to the answer to the problem to be solved. This approach does not require long qubit coherence times. Examples of this type of approach include adiabatic quantum computation, cluster-state quantum computation, one-way quantum computation, and quantum annealing, and are described, for example, in Farhi, E. et al., “Quantum Adiabatic Evolution Algorithms versus Simulated Annealing” arXiv.org:quant-ph/0201031 (2002), pp 1-16.
As mentioned previously, qubits can be used as fundamental units of information for a quantum computer. As with bits in UTMs, qubits can refer to at least two distinct quantities; a qubit can refer to the actual physical device in which information is stored, and it can also refer to the unit of information itself, abstracted away from its physical device.
Qubits generalize the concept of a classical digital bit. A classical information storage device can encode two discrete states, typically labeled “0” and “1”. Physically these two discrete states are represented by two different and distinguishable physical states of the classical information storage device, such as direction or magnitude of magnetic field, current or voltage, where the quantity encoding the bit state behaves according to the laws of classical physics. A qubit also contains two discrete physical states, which can also be labeled “0” and “1”. Physically these two discrete states are represented by two different and distinguishable physical states of the quantum information storage device, such as direction or magnitude of magnetic field, current or voltage, where the quantity encoding the bit state behaves according to the laws of quantum physics. If the physical quantity that stores these states behaves quantum mechanically, the device can additionally be placed in a superposition of 0 and 1. That is, the qubit can exist in both a “0” and “1” state at the same time, and so can perform a computation on both states simultaneously. In general, N qubits can be in a superposition of 2N states. Quantum algorithms make use of the superposition property to speed up some computations.
In standard notation, the basis states of a qubit are referred to as the |0> and |1> states. During quantum computation, the state of a qubit, in general, is a superposition of basis states so that the qubit has a nonzero probability of occupying the |0> basis state and a simultaneous nonzero probability of occupying the |1> basis state. Mathematically, a superposition of basis states means that the overall state of the qubit, which is denoted |Ψ>, has the form |Ψ>=a|0>+b|1>, where a and b are coefficients corresponding to the probabilities |a|2 and |b|2, respectively. The coefficients a and b each have real and imaginary components. The quantum nature of a qubit is largely derived from its ability to exist in a coherent superposition of basis states. A qubit will retain this ability to exist as a coherent superposition of basis states when the qubit is sufficiently isolated from sources of decoherence.
To complete a computation using a qubit, the state of the qubit is measured (i.e., read out). Typically, when a measurement of the qubit is performed, the quantum nature of the qubit is temporarily lost and the superposition of basis states collapses to either the |0> basis state or the |1> basis state and thus regains its similarity to a conventional bit. The actual state of the qubit after it has collapsed depends on the probabilities |a|2 and |b|2 immediately prior to the readout operation.
There are many different hardware and software approaches under consideration for use in quantum computers. One hardware approach uses integrated circuits formed of superconducting materials, such as aluminum or niobium. The technologies and processes involved in designing and fabricating superconducting integrated circuits are similar to those used for conventional integrated circuits.
Superconducting qubits are a type of superconducting device that can be included in a superconducting integrated circuit. Superconducting qubits can be separated into several categories depending on the physical property used to encode information. For example, they may be separated into charge, flux and phase devices, as discussed in, for example Makhlin et al., 2001, Reviews of Modern Physics 73, pp. 357-400. Charge devices store and manipulate information in the charge states of the device, where elementary charges consist of pairs of electrons called Cooper pairs. A Cooper pair has a charge of 2e and consists of two electrons bound together by, for example, a phonon interaction. See e.g., Nielsen and Chuang, Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2000), pp. 343-345. Flux devices store information in a variable related to the magnetic flux through some part of the device. Phase devices store information in a variable related to the difference is superconducting phase between two regions of the phase device. Recently, hybrid devices using two or more of charge, flux and phase degrees of freedom have been developed. See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,694 and U.S. Patent Application No. 2005-0082519, where are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Classical Factoring Algorithms
There are many known classical algorithms that exist for computing the prime factorization of integers. These classical algorithms fall into two main categories: special-purpose algorithms and general purpose algorithms. The efficiency of special purpose algorithms is number dependent. That is, depending on the properties of the number, the time it takes for the special-purpose algorithm to find the factors greatly varies. If the algorithm gets “lucky” and gets a number that works well with it, the solution can be found fairly quickly. For some numbers, special purpose algorithms can fail to find a solution.
In contrast to special purpose algorithms, general purpose algorithms are almost guaranteed to work for any number. The run-time of general purpose algorithms depends solely on the size of the number being factored. For more information, see Lenstra, 2000, Designs, Codes, and Cryptography 19, 101-128.
Some examples of special purpose algorithms include Pollard's rho algorithm, William's p+1 algorithm, and Fermat's factorization method. Examples of general purpose algorithms include Dixon's algorithm, quadratic sieve, and general number field sieve. See Lenstra for more information about how factorization algorithms work. For very large numbers, general purpose algorithms are preferred. Currently, the largest RSA challenge biprime to be factored is a 200 digit number. The general number field sieve method was used to solve this number.
Known classical algorithms for prime factorization require substantial amounts of computational power. For example such problems typically require powerful computing architectures such as supercomputers, massively parallel computing systems, and distributed computing systems that operate over a network such as the Internet. Even with such powerful computing architectures, the run time of the algorithms is very long. For example, the 200 digit number took approximately 1.5 years to factor with a cluster of 80 computers operating at a clock speed of 2.2 GHz. For larger biprimes such as those used in encryption, which can be 300 digits or more, the calculation would require prohibitively large computational power and very long run times.
Quantum Factoring Algorithms
In 1994, Peter Shor developed an algorithm for factoring integers that is intended to be run on a quantum computer. Using the special properties of quantum computers, the algorithm is able to probabilistically factor in O((log N)3) time using O(log N) space, where space refers to the amount of computational memory needed and where N is the number to be factored. This polynomial run time was a significant improvement over the best classical algorithms, which ran in sub-exponential time. See Shor, 1997, SIAM J. Comput. 26, pp. 1484-1509. Recently, a group from IGM experimentally realized Shor's Algorithm by factoring the number fifteen using a rudimentary 7-qubit nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum computer. The group used circuit model quantum computing to implement their algorithm. See Vandersypen et al., 2001, Nature 414, 883. However, the Vandersypen et al. method utilized a priori knowledge of the answers. In addition, NMR computers, such as those used by Vandersypen et al. are not scalable, meaning that larger, more interesting numbers cannot be factored using the methods taught by Vandersypen et al.
A classical model of factoring, expressed as an optimization problem, is disclosed in Burges, 2002, Microsoft Technical Report MSR-TR-2002-83. That is, the method of Burges is different from other proposed algorithms because it attempts to map the prime factorization problem to an optimization problem rather than a decision problem. Optimization problems are a class of problems where the aim is the maximize or minimize one or more variables of the problem. In the case of Burges, the biprime and its factors are represented in bit form, with the factor bits being variables. Then, by using long multiplication of the factors to get the biprime, one can derive a set of factor equations. The factor equations are then reduced as much as possible and then cast into an optimization of coefficients in a single equation. The solution of the optimization problem should give the proper bit values of the factors, thus effectively factoring the biprime.
However, the drawback of the Burges algorithm is that it is limited to use on a classical computer. Optimization problems, though a different type of problem than prime factorization, can also take up a tremendous amount of computing power. Thus, the obstacle of sufficient resources still has not been solved.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for improved methods for prime factorization of large numbers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an operational flow of a factoring device in accordance with an aspect of the present systems, methods and apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing a series of acts for defining and computing the solution to a set of equations in accordance with an aspect of the present systems, methods and apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of long bit-wise multiplication of two numbers.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of row reduction of a set of factor equations.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of an energy function and corresponding matrices.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a factor graph.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of embedding the factor graph of FIG. 8 onto a two-dimensional grid.
FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic diagrams showing an existing quantum device and associated energy landscape, respectively.
FIG. 8C is a schematic diagram showing an existing compound junction in which two Josephson junctions are found in a superconducting loop.
FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams illustrating exemplary two-dimensional grids of quantum devices in accordance with aspects of the present systems, methods and apparatus.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a computing system.
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a bitwise multiplier.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a bitwise multiplier constructed from qubits.
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a multiplication circuit.
In the figures, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. The sizes and relative positions of elements in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve legibility. Further, the particular shapes of the elements as drawn are not intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements and have been solely selected for ease of recognition in the figures. Furthermore, while the figures may show specific layouts, one skilled in the art will appreciate that variations in design, layout, and fabrication are possible and the shown layouts are not to be construed as limiting the layout of the present systems, methods and apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, a method of factoring a number includes creating a factor graph; mapping the factor graph onto an analog processor; initializing the analog processor to an initial state; evolving the analog processor from the initial state to a final state; and receiving an output from the analog processor, the output comprising a set of factors of the number.
In one embodiment, a method of factoring a number includes constructing a set of possible factor bit length combinations for the number; deriving a set of factor equations for each factor bit length combination; converting a selected set of factor equations into a factor graph; embedding the factor graph onto an analog processor; evolving the analog processor from an initial state to a final state; measuring the final state of the analog processor; and constructing a set of factors of the number based on the final state of the analog processor.
In one embodiment, a computer program product for use with a computer system for factoring a number comprises a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism includes instructions for creating a factor graph; instructions for mapping the factor graph onto an analog processor; instructions for initializing the analog processor to an initial state; instructions for evolving the analog processor from the initial state to a final state; and instructions for receiving an output from the analog processor, the output comprising a set of factors of the number.
In one embodiment, a computer system for factoring a number includes a central processing unit; and a memory, coupled to the central processing unit, the memory storing at least one program module, the at least one program module encoding: instructions for creating a factor graph; instructions for mapping the factor graph onto an analog processor; instructions for initializing the analog processor to an initial state; instructions for evolving the analog processor from the initial state to a final state; and instructions for receiving an output from the analog processor, the output comprising a set of factors of the number.
In one embodiment, a computer program product for use with a computer system for factoring a number comprises a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism includes instructions for constructing a plurality of possible factor bit length combinations for the number; instructions for deriving a set of factor equations for each factor bit length combination; instructions for converting a selected set of factor equations into a factor graph; instructions for embedding the factor graph as input to an analog processor; instructions for evolving the analog processor from an initial state to a final state; instructions for receiving the final state of the analog processor; and instructions for constructing a set of factors of the number based on the final state of the analog processor.
In one embodiment, a data signal embodied on a carrier wave, comprises a set of factors of a number, the set of factors obtained according to a method includes creating a factor graph; mapping the factor graph onto an analog processor; initializing the analog processor to an initial state; evolving the analog processor from the initial state to a final state; and receiving an output from the analog processor, the output comprising the set of factors.
In one embodiment, a system for factoring a number includes an analog processor; a graph module for creating a factor graph; a mapper module for mapping the factor graph onto the analog processor; an initialization module for initializing the analog processor to an initial state; an evolution module for evolving the analog processor from the initial state to a final state; and a receiver module for receiving an output from the analog processor, the output comprising a set of factors of the number.
In one embodiment, a graphical user interface for depicting a set of factors of a number comprises a first display field for displaying the set of factors, the set of factors obtained by a method includes creating a factor graph; mapping the factor graph onto an analog processor; initializing the analog processor to an initial state; evolving the analog processor from the initial state to a final state; and receiving an output from the analog processor, the output comprising the set of factors.
In one embodiment, a method of factoring a product includes setting an initial condition of a multiplication circuit, wherein: the multiplication circuit includes a plurality of quantum devices arranged in a two-dimensional grid; and a plurality of coupling devices between pairs of quantum devices; and the initial condition includes: a local bias value for at least one quantum device; a coupling value for at least one coupling device; and a binary value of the product to be factored; performing a backwards evolution of the multiplication circuit; and reading out a final state of at least one of the quantum device, thereby determining a factor of the product.
In one embodiment, a computer system for factoring a product includes a central processing unit; a multiplication circuit in communication with the multiplication circuit, the multiplication circuit comprising a plurality of bitwise multipliers, each bitwise multiplier including: a plurality of quantum devices; a plurality of coupling devices, each of the coupling devices coupling a pair of the quantum devices; a plurality of inputs; a plurality of outputs; and a memory coupled to the central processing unit, the memory storing at least one program module encoding: instructions for setting an initial condition of the multiplication circuit, the initial condition including: a local bias value for at least one of the quantum devices; a coupling values for at least one coupling devices; and a binary value of the product to be factored; instructions for performing a backwards evolution of the multiplication circuit; and instructions for reading out a final state of at least one of the quantum devices, thereby determining a factor of the product.
In one embodiment, a method includes converting a factoring problem into an optimization problem; mapping the optimization problem onto an analog processor; initializing the analog processor to an initial state; evolving the analog processor from the initial state to a final state, the final state representing a solution to the optimization problem; and determining a solution to the factoring problem from the solution to the optimization problem.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 illustrates the relationship between entities according to one embodiment of the present systems, methods and apparatus. A system 100 includes an input queue 110 holding an ordered list of numbers to be factored. A preprocessor 120 obtains a target number from input queue 110, and processes it. Depending on the value of the target number, the preprocessor 120 may discard the number or create a set of factor equations and corresponding factor graphs. Such factor graphs are held in a queue 130 and they are supplied as input to a computing device 140 (for example, an analog processor including a number of quantum devices). The result returned by the computing device is sent to preprocessor 120 which, in turn, passes such results to a checker 150. The checker 50 verifies that the factors obtained are factors of the target number and that they are prime. If a factor is not prime, the checker 150 adds the factor to the input queue 110. If a factor is prime, it is placed in results in the queue 160.
To test for primality (that is, whether a factor is prime), a classical algorithm may be used. For example, there are several known approximate primality algorithms, all of which run in polynomial time, which can determine without 100% certainty if a number is prime. There is also an exact classical algorithm that can determine primality with 100% certainty, and it is believed to run in polynomial time. The density of primes of length n is approximately n log(n). Randomized polynomial time algorithms for determining if a number is prime include the Miller-Rabin primality test. Approximate primality tests include inverted Fermat's little theorem tests: if 2n-1=1 mod n then, with high probability, n is prime. Deterministic algorithms for determining primality include the Cohen-Lenstra test and the Agrawal-Kayal-Saxena test. The Agrawal-Kayal-Saxena test is exact and runs in O((log(n))12). See, for example, Cormen et al., 1990, Introduction to Algorithms, MIT Press, Cambridge, pp. 801-852; Cohen and Lenstra, 1984, “Primality testing and jacobi sums,” Mathematics of Computation 42(165), pp. 297-330; Agrawal et al., 2002, “PRIMES is in P,” manuscript available from the Indian Institute of Technology, http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/news/primality.html.
FIG. 2 illustrates a process 200 for determining the prime factors of an integer in accordance with an aspect of the present systems, methods and apparatus.
At 201, a number to be factored, T, is chosen, by e.g. drawing a number from input queue 110 (FIG. 1). As illustrated in FIG. 2, it is assumed that T is a biprime (that is, having only two prime factors, X and Y). Typically, at this point, the identity of the two prime factors, X and Y, is not known. While in FIG. 2 it is assumed that T is a biprime, those of skill in the art will appreciate that T may alternatively be a general composite number (i.e. has more than two prime factors), and process 200 may be used to factor T by, for example, not assuming the numbers are even, or by recasting the problem by removing a factor of 2n, where n>0. The process may be recursively applied to the factors obtained. Pre-processing to remove small prime factors may also be employed. Primality testing may be used to determine if recursion is needed. Alternatively, a set of factor equations may be created assuming that there are three or more factors, and bitwise multiplication employed, which is detailed elsewhere.
To further illustrate an embodiment of the present systems, methods and apparatus, the number 119 will be factored using the process described in reference to FIG. 2. 119 is large enough to not be immediately factorable by inspection, but is small enough to readily show the details of the present systems, methods and apparatus. First, the number to be factored is represented in binary form as 1110111, which is L T =7 bits long. The factors, typically unknown at the outset of the computation, are labeled X and Y. It is assumed that the number to be factored is not prime. However, there are classical methods of checking whether or not a number is prime, that can be used to test the number before the factoring process begins.
At 203, the list of possible factor bit lengths L (the number of bits required to represent a number) for T is constructed. This means that, for a given T having bit length L T , where it is assumed that the leading bit of T is 1, a set of bit length combinations (L X , L Y ) is created, where each L X is the bit length of a corresponding X, each L Y is the bit length of a corresponding Y, and, for each bit length combination (L X , L Y ), the following conditions apply: 1<L X <L T ; and 1<L Y <L T . The bit lengths of factors sum to the bit length of the product or the bit length of the product plus one. In some cases, it may be assumed that Y is the larger factor, such that L X ≦L Y , in order to avoid double-counting. For example it may be desirable to avoid considering both (3, 4) and (4, 3), which in actuality represent the same combination of bit lengths. The set of bit length combinations may be ordered such that the combinations most likely to be the factors are tested first.
The set of bit length combinations (L X , L Y ) for the factors X and Y of the number 119 may be constructed by taking combinations of bit lengths from 2 to L T . The set does not include permutations of bit lengths, like (2, 3) and (3, 2), since they are the same. In this example, the entire set of bit lengths is {(2, 2), (2, 3), (2, 4), (2, 5), (2, 6), (2, 7), (3, 3), (3, 4), (3, 5), (3, 6), (3, 7), (4, 4), (4, 5), (4, 6), (4, 7), (5, 5), (5, 6), (5, 7), (6, 6), (6, 7), (7, 7)}. Bit lengths of one are not considered since a single bit can only encode 0 and 1. It is assumed that the most significant and least significant bits are 1. The first way of reducing the set of bit length pairs is to eliminate all pairs that, when multiplied, cannot give an answer that is 7 bits long (with a leading 1). This can easily be done on a classical computer. After this is done, the set of bit lengths is reduced to {(2, 5), (2, 6), (3, 4), (3, 5), (4, 4)}. One or more pairs from this set can contain the factors, if T is composite. If T is biprime, then only one pair of bit lengths can contain the factors. If T is prime, then no pairs will contain the factors.
In some cases, the entire set of bit lengths may not be constructed. Instead, a set of bit lengths is constructed initially by taking all pairs of bit lengths that add up to L T or L T +1. For the number 119, one such pair is (2, 5). Any pair of bit lengths that cannot fulfill this condition cannot produce a number that is L T bits long. Using this method for 119, the same reduced set of bit lengths listed above is produced.
At 205, a set of factor equations is derived for one or more combinations of bit lengths (L X , L Y ) generated, with T being represented by its bit string. The X and Y bit strings are represented as (1, x L N-2 , . . . , x 1 , 1) and (1, y L Y-2 , . . . , y 1 , 1) respectively. Then, the bit-wise long multiplication of the factors is written out, creating a set of binary equations for each bit position. The carries are represented as z i , where i denotes the ith carry. For example, T could be the number 213, having the bit string (1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1). The bit string for the unknown factors would be (1, x 3 , x 2 , x 1 , 1) and (1, y 2 , y 1 , 1), where the variables are bits. An example of bit-wise multiplication of factors is shown in FIG. 3.
In some cases, it may be desirable to reduce the set of factor equations. For instance, the factor equations may be reduced by eliminating variables that are redundant or have obvious assignments. The reduction can take many forms including, but not limited to, row reduction over binary numbers, row reduction over the positive integers, row reduction over the integers, row reduction over real numbers, etc., as detailed below.
In other cases, it may be desirable to detect inconsistent factor equations. An example of inconsistent factor equations is provided in the example below in which the number 119 is factored into two prime numbers. If, while reducing the equations, or in a separate process, an inconsistency appears, the bit length combination is then determined to not provide a viable solution. The calculation stops and moves on to the next bit length combination. This proceeds until the set of bit length combinations is shortened to only include those combinations that could produce the bit length of T when multiplied. A method for detecting inconsistency includes reducing factor equations until an inconsistent equation or set of equations in a set of factor equations is identified, e.g., 0=1, or x 1 =0 and x 1 =1.
Where row reduction is used to identify inconsistent sets of factor equations, the complexity of each form of row reduction (over binary numbers, positive integers, integers and real numbers) decreases. Binary numbers are a subset of positive integers which, in turn, are a subset of the integers which, in turn, are a subset of the real numbers. If a set of equations does not have a solution over the real numbers, it will not have a solution over the binary numbers. Likewise for integers and positive integers. Therefore, sets of equations not having a solution over the binary numbers may be identified by row reduction over a superset of numbers, e.g., positive integers, integers and real numbers. This test can be generalized.
The degree of reduction may vary, and in some cases, the amount of reduction performed is monitored closely, since if reduction proceeds for too long the benefits of the reduction may be lost. On the other hand, if the reduction is terminated early, the size of the resulting problem may be unwieldy. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that it may be desirable to trade off between the benefits of factor reduction and the length of time required for such factor reduction.
In one simplification method, a series of reduction rules is applied to each equation, independent of the rest of the system, to try and determine the values of some of the variables. For example, the reduction rules may include the following:
a) If x i =1 then I ij =y j , where I ij =x i y j ;
b) If x i =0 then I ij =0
c) If x i +y j =2z k then x i =y j =z k
d) If all coefficients in a factor equation in the set of factor equations are positive and the constant term is zero, then every variable in the factor equation in the set of factor equations is zero.
e) If all coefficients in a factor equation in the set of factor equations are positive and the sum of the coefficients equals the constant term then every variable in the factor equation in the set of factor equations is one.
f) If the sum of all the positive coefficients and the constant term in a factor equation in the set of factor equations is less than the absolute value of a negative carry variable coefficient then an associated negative carry variable is zero.
In these rules, x i is the ith variable of the factor X; y i is the ith variable of the factor Y; I ij is the i, jth product of variables x i and y i ; and s ij is a slack variable to account for any carrying associated with product I ij .
In addition to factoring problems, the present systems, methods and apparatus may be applied to solve other types of problems. Persons of skill in the art will appreciate that factor equations can be non-linear equations and that the identification of the solution to many problems relies upon identifying answers to sets of non-linear equations. In some cases, a set of factor equations is not used. Rather, a set of general non-linear equations is used. In such cases, at 205, the set of non-linear equations is assumed, or is taken as input and thus acts 201 and 203 are not needed and are skipped. Sets of non-linear equations that may be used include equations that arise from bit-wise multiplication of bit variable strings. Terms in the nonlinear equations may include the products of two, three or more bit variables. The set of non-linear equations may be reduced as discussed above.
Thus, returning to the factoring of integer 119, factor equations are constructed from each pair of bit string lengths from the list produced ({(2, 5), (2, 6), (3, 4), (3, 5), (4, 4)}). In some cases, the order in which the bit length pairs is processed may be optimized. For example, the bit pair length (4, 4) has more products that are seven bits long compared to (2, 5), and therefore (4, 4) is tested first. In other cases, the density of prime numbers for a bit length determines which order the bit length pairs are processed. Alternatively, all bit length pairs that add to L T +1 may be processed first, since those bit length pairs have more combinations that multiply to give a number with L T bits. For example, the pairs (2, 6), (3, 5), and (4, 4) may be processed before (2, 5) and (3, 4). In other cases, multiple bit length pairs may be processed simultaneously, either on the same processor, or on separate processors, such as a series of processors set up in parallel.
As an example of the processing, consider the first bit length pair (2, 5) expanded into bit variables denoted X=(1, 1) (since the most and least significant bits must be one) and Y=(1, y 3 , y 2 , y 1 , 1). Next, the long multiplication of X and Y is performed. This is illustrated below.
1 y 3 y 2 y 1 1 1 1 × 1 y 3 y 2 y 1 1 1 y 3 y 2 y 1 1 + 1 1 1 0 1 1 1
From the long multiplication, the set of factor equations can be constructed as follows, using z i to represent the carries:
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? y i +1=1 description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? y 2 +y 1 =1+2z i description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? y 3 +y 2 +z 1 =0+2z 2 +4z 3 description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? 1+y 3 +z 2 =1+2z 4 description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? 1+z 3 +z 4 =1+2z 5 description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? z 5 =1 description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
Since the set of equations is Boolean, the coefficients 2 and 4 denote relative bit position instead of a scalar multiple. For example, the coefficient 4z 3 indicates that the carry z 3 is added to the equation that is two significant bits larger (as can be seen from the presence of z 3 in 1+z 3 +z 4 =1+2z 5 ). From this set of equations, row reduction can be done to eliminate some of the variables. For example, from the first equation y 1 can be deduced to be zero. Some rules for reduction of factor equations have been described in previous sections. Continued reduction yields the following two equations:
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? y 2 +1=1+2z 1 description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? 1+y 2 +z 1 =0+2+4 description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
As can be seen, the second equation cannot be satisfied for any value of y 2 and z 1 . Therefore, since the set of factor equations is inconsistent, the bit length pair (2, 5) cannot encode the factors of 119. The process then moves on to another set of bit length pairs.
In this example, the bit length pair (3, 5) is considered. For this set, X=(1, x, 1) and Y=(1, y 3 , y 2 , y 1 , 1). The long multiplication of these two numbers is shown in detail in FIG. 3. Lines 310 and 314 are the bit-wise representations of Y and X respectively. Lines 318, 322 and 326 are the intermediate multiplications resulting from multiplying line 310 by each bit in line 314 and bit-shifting the result, much like normal multiplication. Line 330 shows the result of the multiplication (the binary sum of lines 318, 322 and 326), which is the binary format of T=119.
From FIG. 3, the factor equations can be derived and are shown in FIG. 4 as the set of equations 413. The set of equations 413 can be row reduced significantly. For example, it can be readily seen that z 5 =0. Equation set 416 shows an intermediate stage during row reduction, where z 5 , z 1 , and y 1 x have been canceled out. After the equations are reduced as far as possible, the set of factor equations that results is shown in equation set 419. Next, the term xy 3 is replaced by the product variable w. All terms in each equation are moved to one side and the equations are squared, as shown in equation set 422 of FIG. 4.
At 207, the set of factor equations are converted an acceptable input, such as a factor graph or an energy function, for a computing device. The computing device may be, for example, a quantum processor composed of a number of quantum devices, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B (discussed below). In some cases, the computing device may also include classical computing elements and interface elements between the classical and quantum aspects of the device.
Where the input is an energy function, when the energy function is fully minimized, it provides the bit values that satisfy the multiplication, if the correct bit length combination is selected (that is, satisfying the set of factor equations is equivalent to minimizing the energy function). If not, the process moves back to 205 and selects the next set of bit length combinations and attempts to minimize it. The energy function may be created by taking each equation and moving all variables to one side of the equation. In some cases, each equation is then squared and summed together, with a coefficient attached to each squared component. The coefficients are arbitrary and may be set to make the processing on the computing device more efficient.
It may be desirable in some cases to further process the energy function before it is provided to the computing device. For example, squared components in the energy function can contain quadratic terms, thus leading to quartic terms once squared. Where the computing device is a quantum processor that can only handle functions of quadratic power or less, quartic and cubic terms in the energy function may be reduced to quadratic terms. In some cases, the quartic and cubic terms may be reduced to second degree by the use of product and slack variables. An example of a product variable is replacing x i y j with I ij , where I ij ≦x i , I ij ≦y j , and x i +y j ≦I ij +1 (x i , y i and I ij are being binary variables), thus reducing the quadratic term to a linear term, which then, when squared, is a quadratic term. In other cases, the inequality constraint produced by introducing a product variable may be converted to an equality constraint, which may be easier to map onto the computing device. When converted to an equality constraint, however, a new variable is introduced. For example, the inequality constraint x i +y j ≦I ij +1 can be turned into x i +y j −2I ij −s ij =0, where s ij is the slack variable. The equality constraint is constructed in such a fashion that if x i , y j , and I ij satisfy the inequality, then s ij will assume a value that satisfies the equality. If x i , y j , and I ij do not have values that satisfy the inequality, then there is no value for s ij that will satisfy the equality. Thus, for every quadratic term in the original factoring equation, converting to a form that can be mapped onto the computing device requires the introduction of two new variables: one product variable and one slack variable.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present systems, methods and apparatus, at 207, a prime factorization problem may be converted into an optimization problem on an analog processor comprising a set of quantum devices. To accomplish this conversion, the energy function is first converted to a factor graph (that is, a graphical representation of quadratic interactions between variables). In such a representation, the nodes of the graph are variables while edges in the graph connect two variables that occur in the function. Where all components of the energy equation are squared, the energy function can be cast into a factor graph. Variables in a squared component of the energy equation give a connected sub-graph in the factor graph. Once a factor graph is created, it can then be mapped onto the quantum processor, such as those shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B below. The nodes are the quantum devices, e.g. qubits that represent variables, and the strengths of the couplings between the nodes are chosen to represent the coefficients linking paired variables.
The energy function may then be converted into matrix form. An example of the matrix form is:
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? E(x)=xQTx+rTx (1) description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
where Q is the symmetric matrix of coefficients between quadratic non-identical bit pairs, r is the vector of coefficients for quadratic terms in the energy function, and x is vector of bit variables. The components of E(x) can be generated by expanding the full energy function and collecting like terms. The necessary optimization constraints for the computing device, such as coupling strengths between quantum devices, can easily be extracted from the matrix form of the energy function.
Returning to the example factoring of the integer 119, the reduced set of factor equations 422 from FIG. 4 is then summed into a single function, called the energy function, and is shown in FIG. 5 as equation 501, where μ i and λ i are arbitrary positive coefficients. These coefficients may be chosen to make the computation on the computing device (such as a quantum processor) more efficient (e.g. making the evolution quicker). Also included in the energy function are the equality constraints with the slack variables s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 respectively corresponding to the inequalities w≦x, w≦y 3 , and x+y 3 ≦w+1. The corresponding equality constraints are then
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? w−y 3 +s 1 =0 description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? w−x+s 2 =0 description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? x+y 3 −w+s 3 −1=0 description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
Energy function 501 is then put into matrix form, as described above. For this example, the matrices are shown in FIG. 5. Matrix 505 is Q, matrix 507 is −r, and matrix 509 is x.
With all the coefficients in matrix form, a factor graph 600 of the energy function can now be constructed, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Black circles represent the bit variables, while the edges represent quadratic bit pairings in the energy function. Each edge has a weighting associated with it, which corresponds to the coefficient pre-factor in the Q matrix. For example, the edge between y 3 and s 3 is weighted λ 3 , which corresponds to the last row, second column value in Q. Likewise, the values of rare weightings for each respective vertex. In some cases, the factor graph may be constructed from the matrix using a classical computer.
Next, the factor graph is embedded onto a graph that can be applied to the analog processor. For example, where the structure of the analog processor is such that a two-dimensional grid is desirable, graph 600 may be embedded onto a two-dimensional planar grid, such as graph 700 of FIG. 7. The edges from graph 600, represented by thick black lines in graph 700, connect nearest (horizontal and vertical) or next-nearest neighbor vertices (diagonal), used vertices being represented by black circles in graph 700. Dashed lines represent multiple nodes that are effectively the same edge. For example, the variable w is copied across three nodes. This means that any other edge that would connect to w can connect to any of its three nodes. The embedding shown here may be considered to be “efficient” in that it uses the fewest nodes, the fewest vertices, and the smallest grid area (4 by 4 nodes) possible. Three nodes are not used in the mapping and therefore are not connected to any of the other nodes. However, not all embeddings may be efficient for the optimization portion of the method, and so multiple embeddings might have to be created.
The embedding of a factor graph onto a two-dimensional grid can be done on a classical computer. There are classical algorithms in the art that can achieve graph embedding with relative efficiency, including linear time. Graph embedding algorithms take a data structure that describes which nodes of a graph are connected, e.g., an adjacency matrix, and draw the graph in a regular fashion, e.g., with horizontal, vertical, and sometimes diagonal lines. One collection of algorithms for such purpose are found in the C++ program library Library of Efficient Data types and Algorithms (LEDA). It has been developed, since 1988, by the Max-Planck-lnstutut in Saarbrücken, Germany. It provides the data structures and algorithms for constructing straight-line planar-grid embeddings. See, Mehlhorn and Näther, 1995, “LEDA, a platform for combinatorial and geometric computing,” Communications of the ACM 38, pp. 96-102; Eades and Tamassia, 1989, “Algorithms for Drawing Graphs: An Annotated Bibliography,” Technical Report CS-89-09, Department of Computer Science, Brown University, Providence, R.I., USA.
Once completed, the embedding is applied as the initial condition of the analog processor. For example, where the analog processor is composed of a grid of quantum and coupling devices such as those shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B below, the appropriate values of coupling J ij for the coupling devices may be determined by the components of matrix Q, while values of local bias h i for the quantum devices are determined by the vector r. Each coupling device is initialized with a coupling strength that is proportional to the weighting of the corresponding edge in the factor graph. The coupling devices may be configurable to couple quantum devices together ferromagnetically and anti-ferromagnetically. These two types of coupling are used to distinguish coefficients with different signs. Another use of ferromagnetic coupling is to extend the number of nodes that represent a variable, such as w in FIG. 7.
At 209, with the factor graph embedded as an initial state of the analog processor, the processor is allowed to evolve. Evolution allows the set of quantum devices to find its ground state, and may include letting the Hamiltonian of the processor move away from an initial excited state and attempting to find the ground state or a lower excited state of the same Hamiltonian. The ground state is the minimum energy state of the energy function, and can be mapped to a solution to the factor equations (if there is a solution). The ground state is an assignment of values, or states, to the quantum devices in the processor. The evolution can take many forms including, but not limited to, adiabatic evolution, quasi-adiabatic evolution, annealing by temperature, annealing by magnetic field, and annealing of barrier height.
For example, the initial state of the analog processor may include a configuration of local biases for each quantum device within the processor and a configuration of couplings with associated coupling strengths between each of the quantum devices. These configurations give rise to an initial multi-device quantum state of the entire processor. In some embodiments, the local biases depend on the vector r and the couplings depend on the matrix Q. The coupling configuration of the processor produces a specific energy landscape, with the initial state occupying one point on the landscape, which may be the ground state.
The processor may be configured to perform an adiabatic evolution, that is, letting an initial quantum state evolve slowly from the ground state of an initial Hamiltonian to a final Hamiltonian. When the Hamiltonian is changed adiabatically, the quantum state of the processor will always remain in its ground state. The final Hamiltonian encodes the solution of the optimization problem. Changing of the Hamiltonian can be effected by changing the local quantum device bias or by changing the strength of the couplings. This method includes configuring the system such that the final Hamiltonian encodes the constraints that describe the energy landscape, e.g., what was referred to as the initial state. See, for example, U.S. Patent Applications Ser. Nos. 2005-0256007 A1, 2005-0250651 A1, and 2005-0224784 A1, each entitled “Adiabatic Quantum Computation with Superconducting Qubits,” which are each hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Annealing is another type of evolution process and involves slowly raising or lowering a variable of the quantum system. The idea behind annealing is to start the quantum system in a highly excited state that can explore a wide range of the system's energy landscape, searching for the global minimum of the system. Then, by slowly changing a variable of the system, the movement of the quantum state is restricted. As the excitation dies down, the quantum state will, with a large probability, settle into the lowest energy minimum it can find. It is hoped that this minimum is in fact the global minimum. The one or more variables of the system that can be changed include temperature (high to low), magnetic field (high to low), and energy barrier height between minima (low to high). Each annealing process has an associated annealing time, which characterizes the rate the variable of the system is changed. In some cases, the annealing time may be selected so as to allow enough time for the quantum state to find its lowest energy configuration. If the annealing time is too short, then the quantum state may not have enough time to settle into the global minimum. If the annealing time is too long, then there is wasted time in the computation. In some cases, the quantum state does not reach the global minimum but reaches a minimum slightly above the global minimum.
Once the analog processor has reached a final state, at 211 a set of assignments for the variables in the factor graph are read out. For example, where the analog processor includes a set of quantum devices, the set of assignments may be read out by reading out the states of one or more quantum devices. These states are value assignments to the variables in the factor graph and hence the variables in the factor equations. In some cases, the states may be assignments for variables in the reduced factor equations.
At 213, the factors X and Y are constructed (using the set of variable assignments and the factor equations or reduced factor equations) and used to determine if an answer to the factorization problem has been found. If the process is successful, the final state of the analog processor encodes the value of the bit variables that satisfy the factor equations, assuming such equations can in fact be satisfied. If the factor equations are not satisfied, then the bit length combination that was used to construct the factor equations at 205 does not contain the prime factors of T, in which case the process returns to 205, selecting a different bit length combination. (Where more than one bit length combination was processed simultaneously, control may not return to 205, since the prime factors may have been found through one of the parallel runs.) In some cases, process 200 repeats initialization and evolution (207 through 213) with all input parameters unchanged and the final quantum state encoded from each of these repeated runs is used to arrive at the solution with a calculated probability, where the calculated probability is a function of the number of times acts 207 through 213 were repeated using the same input parameters.
In some cases, a new embedding of the factor graph onto the analog processor is found and the process continues from 207. In other cases, a different type of evolution may be attempted. In such cases, acts 209 through 213 may be repeated, with each repeat employing a different type of evolution. After a sufficient amount of time, the states of the nodes are measured. Sometimes, the states of the system variables can get stuck in a local minimum. Therefore, in some cases, the evolution of the analog processor may be done more than once for the same initial state, different annealing times may be used in multiple evolutions of the same initial state, or the type of evolution may differ from run to run.
In each of the examples described above, a determination is made to see whether the factor equations are satisfied at 213. When the factor equations are satisfied, the bit variables are converted to numbers X and Y and tested to determine whether they really are the prime factors of T (i.e., a set of true factors). If they are, the problem has been solved. If not, then process 200 moves on to the next bit length combination and repeats acts 205 to 213 (not always necessary in the case where bit length combinations were processed in parallel).
In the case of the integer 119, the factors produced are X=7 and Y=17. In this case, both factors are prime (confirming the hypothesis that the integer 119 is biprime). However, in some cases, if T is a general composite number or multi-prime, the factors themselves are then factored, if possible, to produce a set of prime factors for T. Thus, the method described for factoring T can be applied to either X or Y, or both. For example, the number 12 can be factored into 2 and 6 and the number 6, in turn, can be factored into 2 and 3. Therefore the set of prime factors for 12 is 2, 2, and 3. A number can be tested for primality in polynomial time.
FIG. 8A shows a quantum device 800 suitable for use in some embodiments of the present systems, methods and apparatus. Quantum device 800 includes a superconducting loop 803 interrupted by three Josephson junctions 801-1, 801-2 and 801-3. Current can flow around loop 803 in either a clockwise direction (802-0) or a counterclockwise direction (802-1), and in some embodiments, the direction of current may represent the state of quantum device 800. Unlike classical devices, current can flow in both directions of superconducting loop 803 at the same time, thus enabling the superposition property of qubits. Bias device 810 is located in proximity to quantum device 800 and inductively biases the magnetic flux through loop 803 of quantum device 800. By changing the flux through loop 803, the characteristics of quantum device 800 can be tuned.
Quantum device 800 may have fewer or more than three Josephson junctions. For example, quantum device 800 may have only a single Josephson junction, a device that is commonly known as an rf-SQUID (i.e. “superconducting quantum interference device”). Alternatively, quantum device 800 may have two Josephson junctions, a device commonly known as a dc-SQUID. See, for example, Kleiner et al., 2004, Proc. of the IEEE 92, pp. 1534-1548; and Gallop et al., 1976, Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments 9, pp. 417-429.
Fabrication of quantum device 800 and other embodiments of the present systems, methods and apparatus is well known in the art. For example, many of the processes for fabricating superconducting circuits are the same as or similar to those established for semiconductor-based circuits. Niobium (Nb) and aluminum (Al) are superconducting materials common to superconducting circuits, however, there are many other superconducting materials any of which can be used to construct the superconducting aspects of quantum device 800. Josephson junctions that include insulating gaps interrupting loop 803 can be formed using insulating materials such as aluminum oxide or silicon oxide to form the gaps.
The potential energy landscape 850 of quantum device 800 is shown in FIG. 8B. Energy landscape 850 includes two potential wells 860-0 and 860-1 separated by a tunneling barrier. The wells correspond to the directions of current flowing in quantum device 800. Current direction 802-0 corresponds to well 860-0 while current direction 802-1 corresponds to well 860-1 in FIGS. 8A and 8B. However, this choice is arbitrary. By tuning the magnetic flux through loop 803, the relative depth of the potential wells can be changed. Thus, with appropriate tuning, one well can be made much shallower than the other. This may be advantageous for initialization and measurement of the qubit.
While quantum device 800 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B is a superconducting qubit, quantum device may be any other technology that supports quantum information processing and quantum computing, such as electrons on liquid helium, nuclear magnetic resonance qubits, quantum dots, donor atoms (spin or charges) in semiconducting substrates, linear and non-linear optical systems, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and ion and neutral atoms traps.
Where quantum device 800 is a superconducting qubit as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the physical characteristics of quantum device 800 include capacitance (C), inductance (L), and critical current (I C ), which are often converted into two values, the Josephson energy (E j ) and charging energy (E C ), and a dimensionless inductance (β L ). Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the relative values of these quantities will vary depending on the configuration of quantum device 800. For example, where quantum device 800 is a superconducting flux qubit or a flux qubit, the thermal energy (k B T) of the qubit may be less than the Josephson energy of the qubit, the Josephson energy of the qubit may be greater than the charging energy of the qubit, or the Josephson energy of the qubit may be greater than the superconducting material energy gap of the materials of which the qubit is composed. Alternatively, where quantum device 800 is a superconducting charge qubit or a charge qubit, the thermal energy of the qubit may be less than the charging energy of the qubit, the charging energy of the qubit may be greater than the Josephson energy of the qubit, or the charging energy of the qubit may be greater than the superconducting material energy gap of the materials of which the qubit is composed. In still another alternative, where the quantum device is a hybrid qubit, the charging energy of the qubit may be about equal to the Josephson energy of the qubit. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,694 B2; and U.S. Patent Publication US 2005-0082519-A1 entitled “Superconducting Phase-Charge Qubits,” each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The charging and Josephson energies, as well as other characteristics of a Josephson junction, can be defined mathematically. The charging energy of a Josephson junction is e2/2C where e is the elementary charge and C is the capacitance of the Josephson junction. The Josephson energy of a Josephson junction is ( h /2e)I C . If the qubit has a split or compound junction, the energy of the Josephson junction can be controlled by an external magnetic field that threads the compound junction. A compound junction includes two Josephson junctions in a small superconducting loop. For example, FIG. 8C illustrates a device 870 in which a compound junction having two Josephson junctions 873 are found in a small superconducting loop 871. The Josephson energy of the compound junction can be tuned from about zero to twice the Josephson energy of the constituent Josephson junctions 873. In mathematical terms,
E J = 2 E J 0 cos ( π Φ X Φ 0 )
where Φ X is the external flux applied to the compound Josephson junction, and E J 0 is the Josephson energy of one of the Josephson junctions in the compound junction. The dimensionless inductance β of a qubit is 2πLI c /φ 0 , where φ 0 is the flux quantum. In some cases, β may range from about 1.2 to about 1.8, while in other cases, β is tuned by varying the flux applied to a compound Josephson junction.
Again, those of skill in the art will appreciate that a wide variation of type of quantum device 800 may be employed in the present systems, methods and apparatus. For example, a qutrit may be used (i.e., a quantum three level system, having one more level compared to the quantum two level system of the qubit). Alternatively, the quantum device 800 may have or employ energy levels in excess of three. The quantum devices described herein can be improved with known technology. For instance, quantum device 800 may include a superconducting qubit in a gradiometric configuration, since gradiometric qubits are less sensitive to fluctuations of magnetic field that are homogenous across the qubit.
FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate sets of quantum devices in accordance with aspects of the present systems, methods and apparatus. FIG. 9A shows a two-dimensional grid 900 of quantum devices N1 through N16 (only N1, N2 and N16 are labeled), each quantum device Nk being coupled together to its nearest neighbors via coupling devices Ji-k (only J1-2 and J15-16 are labeled). Quantum devices N may include, for example, the three junction qubit 800 of FIG. 8A, rf-SQUIDs, and dc-SQUIDs, while coupling devices J may include, for example, rf-SQUIDs and dc-SQUIDs. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that grid 900 may include any number of quantum devices Nk.
Coupling devices Ji-k may be tunable, meaning that the strength of the coupling between two quantum devices created by the coupling device can be adjusted. For example, the strength of the coupling may be adjustable (tunable) between about zero and a preset value, or the sign of the coupling may be changeable between ferromagnetic and anti-ferromagnetic. (Ferromagnetic coupling between two quantum devices means it is energetically more favorable for both of them to hold the same basis state (e.g. same direction of current flow), while anti-ferromagnetic coupling means it is energetically more favorable for the two devices to hold opposite basis states (e.g. opposing directions of current flow)). Where grid 900 includes both types of couplings, it may be used to simulate an Ising system, which can be useful for quantum computing, such as thermally-assisted adiabatic quantum computing. Examples of coupling devices include, but are not limited to, variable electrostatic transformers and rf-SQUIDs with β L <1. See, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/100,931 entitled “Variable Electrostatic Transformer,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/247,857, entitled “Coupling Schemes for Information Processing,” each of which is hereby incorporated be reference in its entirety.
FIG. 9B illustrates a two-dimensional grid 910 of quantum devices N coupled by coupling devices J. In contrast to FIG. 9A, each quantum device N is coupled to both its nearest neighbors and its next-nearest neighbors. The next-nearest neighbor coupling is shown as diagonal blocks, such as couplings J1-6 and J8-11. The next nearest neighbor coupling shown in grid 910 may be beneficial for mapping certain problems onto grid 910. For example, some optimization problems that can be embedded on a planar grid can be embedded using fewer quantum devices when next-nearest neighbor coupling is available. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that grid 910 may be expanded or contracted to include any number of quantum devices. In addition, the connectivity between some or all of the quantum devices in grid 910 may be greater or lesser than that shown.
Factoring may be done through a combination of classical and analog computing devices, such as, for example, where a classical computing device handles the pre- and post-processing and a quantum computing device handles the optimization. FIG. 10 illustrates a system 1000 that may be operated in accordance with one embodiment of the present systems, methods and apparatus. System 1000 includes digital (binary, conventional, classical, etc.) interface computer 1001 configured to receive an input, such as the number to be factored.
Computer 1001 includes standard computer components including a central processing unit 1010, data storage media for storing program modules and data structures, such as high speed random access memory 1020 as well as non-volatile memory, such as disk storage 1015, user input/output subsystem 1011, a network interface card (NIC) 1016 and one or more busses 1017 that interconnect some or all of the aforementioned components. User input/output subsystem 1011 includes one or more user input/output components such as a display 1012, mouse 1013 and/or keyboard 1014.
System 1000 further includes a processor 1040, such as a quantum processor having a plurality of quantum devices 1041 and a plurality of coupling devices 1042, such as, for example, those described above in relation to FIGS. 9A and 9B. Processor 1040 is interchangeably referred to herein as a quantum processor, analog processor or processor.
System 1000 further includes a readout device 1060. In some embodiments, readout device 1060 may include a plurality of dc-SQUID magnetometers, each inductively connected to a different quantum device 1041. In such cases, NIC 1016 may receive a voltage or current from readout device 1060, as measured by each dc-SQUID magnetometer in readout device 1060. Processor 1040 further comprises a controller 1070 that includes a coupling control system for each coupling device 1042, each coupling control system in control device 1070 being capable of tuning the coupling strength of its corresponding coupling device 1042 through a range of values, such as between −|J c | to +|J c |, where |J c | is a maximum coupling value. Processor 1040 further includes a quantum device control system 1065 that includes a control device capable of tuning characteristics (e.g. values of local bias h i ) of a corresponding quantum device 1041.
Memory 1020 may include an operating system 1021. Operating system 1021 includes procedures for handling various system services, such as file services, and for performing hardware-dependent tasks. The programs and data stored in system memory 1020 may further include a user interface module 1022 for defining or for executing a problem to be solved on processor 1040. For example, user interface module 1022 may allow a user to define a problem to be solved by setting the values of couplings J ij and the local bias h i , adjusting run-time control parameters (such as evolution schedule), scheduling the computation, and acquiring the solution to the problem as an output. User interface module 1022 may include a graphical user interface (GUI) or it may simply receive a series of command line instructions that define a problem to be solved.
Memory 1020 may further include a list generator module 1024 that generates a list of possible factor bit lengths L. For example, list generator module 1024 may be used to trim and order the entries in list L, or to create a set of all possible factor bit lengths for a given T supplied by a user. List L can be trimmed by excluding the factor bit lengths for bits lengths for which all factors have been excluded. This division could be done by CPU 1010 or by another computer coupled to computer 1001 by a LAN, WAN, Internet, other forms of networks, and/or other forms of electronic communication (e.g., ethernet, parallel cable, or serial connection). Alternatively, list generator module 1024 may trim list L using information supplied by other modules.
Memory 1020 may include a reduction module 1026 for reducing the factor equations for a corresponding factor combination selected from the list of combinations L. For instance, the factor equations may be reduced by row reduction over binary or real values or by computing binary or integer solutions to a subset of equations. For example, methods used for solving Diophantine equations, such as computing least common multiples, and greatest common denominators may be implemented in reduction module 1026. Reduction module 1026 may also include routines for determining an optimal time to terminate the reduction of the factor equations, e.g. to balance the time complexity of reduction with the space complexity of embedding the optimization problem into processor 1040. Such optimization (determination of when to stop reduction) may be based on many factors, such as performance observed in solving prior factorization problems, heuristic approaches, and mathematical modeling.
Memory 1020 may further include a conversion module 1028 for the conversion of a factoring problem, as defined by a set of factor equations, to an optimization problem. For example, conversion module 1028 may convert the set of factor equations into an energy function (as described in reference to 207 of process 200 (FIG. 2)). Conversion module 1028 may also create a factor graph, including the appropriate edge and node weights, e.g., values of couplings and local fields, for the given (reduced) set of factor equations.
Conversion module 1028 may reduce quartic terms in an energy equation to quadratic terms. For example, conversion module 1028 may replace the quartic terms with product and slack variables. An example of a product variable is the replacement of x i y j with I ij , where I ij ≦x i , I ij ≦y j , and x i +y j ≦I ij +1. In some cases, the inequality constraint produced by introducing a product variable is converted to an equality constraint, which can be easier to map onto some processors. For example, the inequality constraint above can be turned into x i +y j −2I ij −s ij =0, where s ij is the slack variable. The equality constraint is constructed in a fashion such that, if x i , y j , and I ij satisfy the inequality, then s ij will assume a value that satisfies the equality.
Memory 1020 may further include a driver module 1029 for outputting signals to processor 1040. Driver module 1029 may include an initialization module 1030, evolution module 1032 and output module 1034. For example, initialization module 1030 may determine the appropriate values of coupling J ij for the coupling devices 1042 and values of local bias h i for the quantum devices 1041 of processor 1040, for a given problem, as defined by user interface module 1022. In some cases, initialization module 1030 may include instructions for converting aspects in the definition of the problem into physical values, such as coupling strength values and node bias values, which can be programmed into processor 1040. Initialization module 1030 then sends the appropriate signals along bus 1017, into NIC 1016 which, in turn, sends appropriate commands to quantum device control system 1065 and controller 1070.
Alternatively, evolution module 1032 may determine the appropriate values of coupling J ij for coupling devices 1042 and values of local bias h i for quantum devices 1041 of processor 1040 in order to fulfill some predetermined evolution, e.g., an annealing schedule. Evolution module 1032 then sends the appropriate signals along bus 1017, into NIC 1016, which then sends commands to quantum device control system 1065 and coupling device control system 1070. Output module 1034 is used for processing and providing the solution provided by processor 1040.
NIC 1016 may include hardware for interfacing with quantum devices 1041 and coupling devices 1042 of processor 1040, either directly or through readout device 1060, quantum device control system 1065, and/or coupling device control system 1070, or software and/or hardware that translates commands from driver module 1029 into signals (e.g., voltages, currents) that are directly applied to quantum devices 1041 and coupling devices 1042. NIC 1016 may include software and/or hardware that translates signals, representing a solution to a problem or some other form of feedback, from quantum devices 1041 and coupling devices 1042 such that it can be provided to output module 1034.
Memory 1020 may include a preprocessing module (not shown), including instructions for CPU 1010 to compute a combination of factor lengths and to derive a set of factor equations from the combination of factor lengths, to reduce the set of factor equations, and/or to convert the set of factor equations into an energy function and reduce the degree of the leading term in the energy function from quartic to quadratic, or cubic to linear. For example, the set of factor lengths may be computed for a biprime, such as a biprime obtained from a published public key for a public key encryption system. The preprocessing module may also include instructions for converting the energy function to a factor graph, e.g., as per 207 of process 200. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that any one of acts 201 through 207 and 213 may be performed by a computational device separate to but communicating with system 1000.
While a number of modules and data structures resident in memory 1020 of FIG. 10 have been described, it will be appreciated that at any given time during operation of system 1000, only a portion of these modules and/or data structures may in fact be resident in memory 1020. In other words, there is no requirement that all or a portion of the modules and/or data structures shown in FIG. 10 may be located in memory 1020. In fact, at any given time, all or a portion of the modules and/or data structures described above in reference to memory 1020 of FIG. 10 may, in fact, be stored elsewhere, such as in non-volatile storage 1015, or in one or more external computers, not shown in FIG. 10, that are addressable by computer 1001 across a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet).
Furthermore, while the software instructions have been described above as a series of modules (1021, 1022, 1024, 1026, 1028, 1029, 1030, 1034, and 1036), it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the present systems, methods and apparatus are not limited to the aforementioned combination of software modules. The functions carried out by each of these modules described above may be located in any combination of software programs, including a single software program, or a plurality of software programs and there is no requirement that such programs be structured such that each of the aforementioned modules are present and exist as discrete portions of the one or more software programs. Such modules have been described simply as a way to best convey how one or more software programs, operating on computer 1001, would interface with processor 1040 in order to compute solutions to the various problem.
In another aspect of the present systems, methods and apparatus, a number is factored by running a multiplication circuit in reverse. Multiplication circuits, such as arithmetic logic units, are present in many different digital circuits and provide a regular circuit structure for handling bitwise arithmetic operations. See, for example, Jung et al., 2004, Superconducting Science &Technology 17, pp. 770-774.
FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of a bitwise multiplier 1100 in a multiplication circuit. The bitwise multiplier comprises 4 inputs (A i , B i , S in , C in ) and 4 outputs (A i , B i , S out , C out ). A i and B i are the two bits to be multiplied together, and are also propagated as outputs to other parts of the circuit. S in is the product of the multiplication of the next lowest significant bits, while C in is the carry-over from the multiplication of the next lowest significant bits. S out is the product of the bitwise multiplication of A i and B i and C out is the carry over from the multiplication of bits A i and B i . The outputs are calculated as:
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? S out =(A i B i )⊕S in ⊕C in description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"? C out =((A i B i ) S in ) (C in (A i B i ) (S in C in ) description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"?
where is a logical OR, is a logical AND, and is a logical exclusive OR.
There is normally more than one bitwise multiplier in a multiplication circuit. The binary representation of the numbers to be multiplied are inputted to a chain of bitwise multipliers. The two lowest significant bits are multiplied first, and then the result and carry over are used as additional inputs for the multiplication of the next-highest significant bit.
FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of an embedding 1200 of the bitwise multiplier circuit shown in FIG. 11 onto a lattice of quantum devices, such as grid 910 illustrated in FIG. 9B. The dark circles represent qubit nodes, with each qubit representing an input or an output of the bitwise multiplier (A i , B i , S in , C in , A i , B i , S out , C out ). Lines, solid or dashed, connecting qubit nodes together represent coupling devices that provide coupling between two qubits. As can be seen, both nearest neighbor and next-nearest neighbor couplings are present. Coupling devices that do not provide any coupling are not shown in FIG. 12, but that does not mean they are not present. Solid lines represent ferromagnetic couplings between qubit nodes that represent the same input or output. Ferromagnetic coupling tends to force qubits to hold the same state, thus ensuring that all qubits representing a particular input or output has the same value. Dashed lines represent couplings between qubits representing different inputs or outputs. They can either be ferromagnetic or anti-ferromagnetic and are chosen so they properly simulate the behavior of bitwise multiplier 1100.
Embeddings of bitwise multiplier 1100 onto a set of quantum devices are not unique. Embedding 1200 of FIG. 12 is one such embedding on a 5×4 lattice of qubits with associated coupling devices. However, those of skill in the art will appreciate that many variations of the embedding are possible, even within the same lattice. For example, fewer or more qubits and coupling devices may be used for various embeddings onto a given lattice.
A multiplication circuit including bitwise multipliers is typically run in the normal way as to calculate the product of two numbers. However, it is possible using the present systems, methods and apparatus to run a multiplication circuit comprising qubits “backwards”, starting from the product, in order to derive the multipliers. FIG. 13 shows a circuit 1300 of interconnected bitwise multipliers, each of which may, in some cases, be similar to the bitwise multiplier of FIG. 11. When connected as shown, circuit 1300 can perform a bitwise multiplication of two integers A and B whose binary representations are labeled A i and B j , where i and j denote bit positions, with 0 being the lowest significant bit. The output of the product T, expressed in binary, is labeled T k , where k denotes the bit position.
The bitwise multipliers of circuit 1300 may be composed of a plurality of qubits and couplings. When circuit 1300 is constructed from qubits instead of classical bits, the circuit can also be operated in such a way as to determine the multipliers of a product given the binary representation of the product, local bias values for one or more qubits, and one or more coupling values between qubits. For example, circuit 1300 may be embedded onto a set of quantum devices by using the embedding shown in FIG. 12 multiple times and coupling all the bitwise multipliers together as shown. That is, each bitwise multiplier of circuit 1300 may be embedded on a set of quantum devices like embedding 1200 or one of its variants. Then, coupling devices may be used to couple the bitwise multipliers together so that the total embedding behaves like circuit 1300.
Circuit 1300 can evolve from an initial state, where only the T k are known, to a final state where A i and B j are also known. In some cases, a positive local bias applied to a qubit in circuit 1300 corresponds to the bit value 1 and a negative local bias applied to a qubit corresponds to the bit value 0. In such cases, the appropriate local biases are applied to the qubits which represent the bits of product T. Ferromagnetic and anti-ferromagnetic couplings couple qubits together according to the setup of circuit 1300. An evolution of the circuit would then produce possible values for the factors A and B of the product. The answer may be checked to see if A and B are indeed factors of T.
Although specific embodiments of and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as will be recognized by those skilled in the relevant art. The teachings provided herein of the various embodiments can be applied to other problem-solving systems devices, and methods, not necessarily the exemplary problem-solving systems devices, and methods generally described above.
For instance, the foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the systems, devices, and/or methods via the use of block diagrams, schematics, and examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, schematics, and examples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that each function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the present subject matter may be implemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments disclosed herein, in whole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in standard integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more controllers (e.g., microcontrollers) as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art in light of this disclosure.
In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of taught herein are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that an illustrative embodiment applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of signal bearing media include, but are not limited to, the following: recordable type media such as floppy disks, hard disk drives, CD ROMs, digital tape, and computer memory; and transmission type media such as digital and analog communication links using TDM or IP based communication links (e.g., packet links).
The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.
All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification including, but not limited to: U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,694; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005-0082519; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005-0256007; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005-0250651; and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005-0224784; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/698,362; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/100,931; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/247,857; are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety and for all purposes. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary, to employ systems, circuits, and concepts of the various patents, applications, and publications to provide yet further embodiments.
These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the scope of the invention shall only be construed and defined by the scope of the appended claims. |
Cauliflower was never a vegetable I found to be particularly inspiring. I’d always pass by them at the market, not really knowing what to do with them. So this week I decided to buy one just to force myself to get a bit creative and to make something new. Well, I’m so glad I did because this dish has totally changed my opinion of cauliflower. I’m now obsessed! I know I say I’m obsessed with something nearly every week, but seriously, this is awesome. It only takes 20 minutes to make and it’s such a great snack when you’re craving something salty. Garlicky spicy crunchy goodness.
What’s equally amazing is that as we’re snacking on veggies, there are health benefits! I was surprised to learn that cauliflower is actually great source of vitamin C which supports our immune system and protects us from harmful free radicals. What a great little snack. They go really well with a handful of sultanas. Enjoy!
Mari
Baked Cauliflower Florets Print Prep time 5 mins Cook time 20 mins Total time 25 mins Ingredients 1 medium sized cauliflower
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp garlic flakes
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp flour (I used buckwheat flour) Instructions Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Cut off the stem and divide the cauliflower into small florets. In a bowl, combine the coconut oil with the salt, spices, garlic and flour. Add the florets to the bowl and mix well, until evenly coated. Line a baking sheet with paper and roast the cauliflower for 15-20 minutes, giving them a good shuffle half way through. 3.2.2802 |
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Obesity is increasing rapidly worldwide and is accompanied by many complications, including impaired muscle regeneration. The obese condition is known to inhibit AMPK activity in multiple tissues. We hypothesized that the loss of AMPK activity is a major reason for hampered muscle regeneration in obese subjects. We found that obesity inhibits AMPK activity in regenerating muscle, which was associated with impeded satellite cell activation and impaired muscle regeneration. To test the mediatory role of AMPKα1, we knocked out AMPKα1 and found that both proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells are reduced after injury and that muscle regeneration is severely impeded, reminiscent of hampered muscle regeneration seen in obese subjects. Transplanted satellite cells with AMPKα1 deficiency had severely impaired myogenic capacity in regenerating muscle fibers. We also found that attenuated muscle regeneration in obese mice is rescued by AICAR, a drug that specifically activates AMPK, but AICAR treatment failed to improve muscle regeneration in obese mice with satellite cell-specific AMPKα1 knockout, demonstrating the importance of AMPKα1 in satellite cell activation and muscle regeneration. In summary, AMPKα1 is a key mediator linking obesity and impaired muscle regeneration, providing a convenient drug target to facilitate muscle regeneration in obese populations.
© 2016 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. |
Tough situations warrant tough reactions, and dangerous situations often, if not always, merit daring actions. When Major Nitin Gogoi decided (and, mind you, it could not have been anything other than a split-second decision) to use a civilian as a “human shield” to protect his men from a stone-pelting mob, he was simply reacting to a tough situation in a dangerous environment.
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That our jawans are exposed to these kind of dangers every day, not only at the precarious borders, but also within the so-called protected confines of the country, is something we all know. Unfortunately, however, most of us fail to appreciate the gravity of such a situation, or deliberately choose to ignore the perils associated with it, for the army personnel, of course, but, and perhaps even more importantly, for the nation at large. And when someone does try to understand the complexities of such a situation and chooses to follow a path less treaded, he or she is accused of being insensitive to the concerns of the ordinary people of the land, in gross violation of their human rights. Or condemned for taking a stand contrary to that of the majority.
Contrarian or not, my opinion on the Major Gogoi episode is clearly and unequivocally in favour of the officer, who only did what was absolutely correct, and possibly the only sane and logical course of action available to him, in the circumstances.
Unfortunately, there were not many willing to pat his back for his remarkable presence of mind and timely action that probably saved the lives of many of his men, for whom he was responsible as their officer in charge.
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Some feel I have gone too far in actually demanding a distinguished services medal for the daring officer. Is that so? Does an army officer not deserve a reward for saving lives? Or is it the destiny of all army personnel to sacrifice their lives, if not to the enemy at the border, then at the hands of the very civilians they are designated to protect? Quite frankly, I am unable to understand the logic-defying argument of the proponents of the school of thinking which treats a jawan’s life with a pinch of salt — as a dispensable commodity.
Nor can I support the view that an army officer should behave like a gentleman, come what may, and whatever the provocation. There is a time and place to be polite and courteous, and a time and place for aggression and retaliation. After all, who can remain unaffected and unprovoked by the sight of the badly mutilated body of an army jawan, and that too during peace time?
Or, for that matter, by reports of the cowardly abduction and killing of a young army officer attending a family wedding on a holiday?
I cannot, and will not accept the argument that reacting or retaliating to such acts is detrimental to peace, and we should, hence, maintain a stoic brave front in the face of such atrocities. Peace, in my opinion, is only possible if the government writ runs large, which, naturally, also means that the Indian Army should have an upper hand to be able to negotiate peace on terms that are favourable to the country and in the interest of its people, including our brave jawans.
This holds good for a volatile state like Jammu and Kashmir, and also for dealing with border conflicts, such as the Indo-Pak border situation. The vulnerability of Indian soldiers in both these environments necessitates some bold steps, including giving a free hand to the Indian army, which cannot possibly fight with its hands tied behind its back. It also requires looking at things through a different lens from the one we have been using all these years. A tooth for a tooth and a nail for a nail may sound a crude way of putting it, but the fact is that brutality and barbarism need to be tackled with an iron fist, which our armed forces can do only if they are freed of the “gentleman’s army” label they have been perforce carrying all these years.
Let me clarify here that what I am advocating is not all-out war. All I am proposing is a tougher national policy for dealing with inimical forces, operating from both within and outside Indian borders. This, and this alone, can lead to the establishment of permanent peace in the long-term. As the chief minister of Punjab, a sensitive state bordering Pakistan, I am fully aware of the dangers of conflict of any kind and do not propound violence as a means for settling issues. At the same time, however, I strongly believe that negotiations for peace can be possible only when both sides are dealing with each other from a position of equal strength. And eventually, peace is what we need if we are to progress as powerful nations, ready to lead the world into a brighter future.
So, whether it is a matter of tackling the Kashmir strife or the issue of mending ties with Pakistan, the key lies in taking a few tough decisions to address tough situations. It is not an easy task, of course. It could not have been easy for Major Gogoi to take that difficult decision which earned him the wrath of human rights activists, but, at the same time, helped save many innocent lives.
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Nor will it be easy for the Indian army to shed the gentleman’s tag and adopt a more aggressive role vis-a-vis the enemy. But then, the road to peace is never easy. One just needs to find an easy way to follow a tough course. |
A Syrian man walks down a road after a storm at a makeshift refugee camp near the village of Burayqah on the outskirts of southeastern Syrian border town of Quneitra on Jan. 28, 2017. (Mohamad Abazeed/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)
After working as an interpreter for an American security company in Iraq and enduring years of background checks after applying for a U.S. visa, Labeeb Ali’s hopes of moving to the United States ended abruptly in Qatar’s international airport on Saturday, when officials prevented him from boarding a flight to Texas.
“I have the visa in my passport,” he said hours later, after he had stopped yelling at the airport staff and his rage had given way to despair and regret at having already sold his business and belongings in Iraq.
“They have killed my dream,” he said. “They took it all away from me, in the last minutes.”
President Trump’s order on Friday to temporarily ban citizens of several Muslim countries from entering the United States sowed panic, confusion and anguish in airports across the globe Saturday, as nationals of the affected countries were either barred by airlines from traveling or detained upon arrival in the United States.
[‘Donald Trump destroyed my life,’ says barred Iraqi who worked for U.S.]
(McKenna Ewen/The Washington Post)
Those prevented from boarding U.S.-bound planes included Iraqis such as Ali, who said he had been granted a special immigration visa on Jan. 24 reserved for interpreters and translators who had worked for American forces in Iraq or Afghanistan. Others had fled war in Yemen or Syria or repression in Sudan or Iran. Taken together, Saturday’s restrictions amounted to another cruel trial for people who had escaped conflict and overcame the hurdles to win coveted American visas, only to be turned back on what should have been their journeys’ final leg.
Countless others were left in a paralyzing limbo as they struggled to understand the president’s edict. They included Syrian students granted admission in American universities and facing the certainty that they would not be able to attend, and Iraqi or Iranian green-card holders traveling abroad and terrified at the possibility that they would not be able to return home.
[Are you, or someone you know, affected by President Trump’s travel restrictions? Tell The Post.]
Sarah Amer, an Iraqi who lives in New York, had left her daughter at home and was visiting friends in Iraq when Trump signed the executive order. “They can’t just change the rules in one night,” she said Saturday, amid confusion about whether green-card holders from Iraq could return to the United States.
“These are people’s lives they are playing with,” she said.
The executive order, titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” bars citizens from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Libya, all predominantly Muslim nations, from entering the United States for the next 90 days. The order also indefinitely bars Syrian refugees from resettling in the United States and suspends the entry of all refugees from any country for 120 days.
The order followed Trump’s repeated campaign pledges to restrict Muslim immigration to the United States. But the speed with which it was promulgated — a week after the president took office — still caught those most affected by surprise.
(Reuters)
The confusion extended to airlines, which issued contradictory or vague rules about who would be allowed to fly. Lufthansa, the German carrier, released a statement saying it was “obliged by law to strictly adhere to U.S. immigration requirements.” But, reflecting the uncertainty over the American directive, the airline said only that citizens of the affected countries “might not be accepted onboard U.S. flights.”
Qatar Airways said that passengers would be allowed to travel only if they were permanent green-card holders or had visas that were exempt from the order.
Manel Vrijenhoek, a spokeswoman for KLM, the Dutch carrier, said, “It’s not 100 percent clear who is allowed in and who is not.” The airline had barred seven passengers from traveling to the United States on Saturday, she said, after informing them “that there is no use in flying to the U.S. because you will be rejected. You won’t even be able to leave the plane.”
She would not say which country the passengers had come from, only that they were from one of the seven countries named in the presidential order.
[As Trump bars Syrian refugees, life in their camps is getting harder]
Ali, the Iraqi citizen, said that two Syrians were also prevented from traveling on his flight to Texas. In Egypt, security officials stopped five Iraqis and a Yemeni national from boarding a flight to New York. There were unconfirmed reports that Iranian visitors as well as permanent green-card holders were restricted from traveling to the United States by officials at airports in Amsterdam, Abu Dhabi as well as Qatar, according to Hazhir Rahmandad, an Iranian American professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who created a crowdsourced database to track Iranian travelers affected by the ban.
Although the details in the database could not be independently verified, the reports also suggested scores of Iranian visitors and green-card holders were also being turned away at several U.S. airports upon arrival.
The data and reports so far “suggest there is confusion among border agents about how to treat” the various categories of visa holders, Rahmandad said.
And there was consternation for Iranians who received the news while on the road. On Saturday, Ali Abdi, a 30-year-old Iranian green-card holder who studies at Yale University, was in transit in Dubai, on his way to Afghanistan to do research for his doctoral thesis, but he was suddenly worried that Trump’s directive had left him stranded.
He had received reports from friends and acquaintances that green-card holders were subject to the ban. Abdi, a human rights activist who claimed asylum in the United States in 2011, said he would not be able to return to Iran if he was denied reentry to the United States.
“I’ll be stateless,” he said. “I left Iran eight years ago, and I have been looking for a home. I don’t think of the U.S. as that kind of place anymore,” he said.
[He risked his life working for the U.S. in Iraq. Now his visa’s no good.]
Abed Ayoub, the legal director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, an advocacy group that was counseling citizens from the affected countries, said the majority of the calls the group had received were from people overseas wondering whether they should even bother boarding a plane. They included an Iraqi woman who was flying to visit her family in the United States but at the last minute decided to go to Canada instead.
Calls had also come from citizens of countries that were not affected by the ban, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Morocco — part of what Ayoub called a broader “chilling effect” the presidential order had imposed across the Muslim world.
The group had advised the callers to double-check the latest rules before they begin their travels. “That list can be expanded at any point,” Ayoub said. “You want to be aware before you board the plane.”
When Fuad Sharef and his family landed at Cairo airport Saturday morning, they were clutching boarding passes for their connecting flight to New York and valid one-year visas to the United States. They were headed, eventually, to Nashville, to start a new life.
But soon after they entered the terminal, Egyptian airport authorities stopped them and ordered them to hand over their passports. They informed him that the American Embassy in Baghdad had sent a communique saying the family could no longer travel on to the United States.
“They didn’t explain why,” said Sharef, 51, who spoke by phone because he and his family were inside the transit section of the terminal and not allowed to leave. “But I knew this was because of the executive order signed by Donald Trump.”
He was traveling with his wife, Arazoo, 41; his son Bnyad, 19; his daughter Yad, 17; and another daughter, Shad, 10.
Like many Iraqis wanting to resettle in the United States, Sharef took advantage of a program to assist Iraqis who worked for the U.S. government and American media in Iraq. Sharef had worked for Research Triangle Institute (RTI), a USAID subcontractor, for several years after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, first as translator and later running a program that gave out microbusiness loans to Iraqis.
Working for the Americans was filled with perils, he said. He and other colleagues faced death threats — he knew co-workers who were kidnapped or killed. His work and background swayed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and after two years of vetting, they deemed him safe enough to be resettled in the United States.
[Trump’s refugee ban would alienate allies for U.S. troops, experts say]
Sharef sold his house, his car and his remaining possessions. He pulled his three children out of their schools. He spent $5,000 for air tickets and quit his job as a supply-chain manager for a large pharmaceutical firm. He was confident he would find an opportunity in Nashville, with his three degrees, including an MBA.
Sharef admits that he took a gamble. When he heard of Trump’s impending visa ban, he pushed their trip to the United States forward by a few days. The family is now scheduled to be placed on a flight back to Irbil on Sunday morning — after spending the night inside the airport terminal.
“Donald Trump destroyed my life,” said Sharef. “How can he do this to people who risked their lives to help America?”
Salim reported from Baghdad, and Raghavan reported from Cairo. Erin Cunningham in Istanbul, Louisa Loveluck in Beirut, Heba Farouk Mahfouz in Cairo and Heba Habib in Stockholm contributed to this report.
Read more:
Open doors, slamming gates: The tumultuous politics of U.S. immigration policy
Here’s how the world is responding to Trump’s ban on refugees, travelers from 7 Muslim nations
Anne Frank and her family were also denied entry as refugees to the U.S.
Egyptian court rejects government attempt to give islands to Saudi Arabia
Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news |
Woke up to this news on my phone. A tweet from Buster Olney said the Pirates were working hard with the White Sox to acquire starting pitcher Jose Quintana.
This would be awesome and I would be more than happy to hand over some key guys from the farm for him. The White Sox have shown they’re in 100% rebuilding overhaul this offseason after giving up Chris Sale and Adam Eaton to solidify their prospect needs for the future.
Quintana fits perfectly in Pittsburgh. He is a lefty that has thrown at least 200 innings every season since 2013. Pittsburgh NEEDS a guy like this. Imagine starting a rotation with Cole – Quintana – Taillon – Kuhl. That alone becomes one of the best in the National League instantly.
Quintana comes with a contract that would keep him in Pittsburgh for 4 seasons. Beautiful. That front end of Cole – Quintana – Taillon would be around through at least 2019 when Cole hits free agency.
He has a team friendly contract that screams Pittsburgh Pirates as well. He is due $7 million in 2017, $8.85 million in 2018, $10.5 million and 2019, and a club option at $10.5 million in 2020.
Pittsburgh could easily make this trade and still make a signing for the final starter spot with Ivan Nova. That would be great. Cole – Quintana – Taillon – Nova – Kuhl. I’ll take that over the young guns any day.
This will cost the Pirates, and that is completely okay. The White Sox want young talent. Everyone does. Pittsburgh has plenty. Not all of it will pan out, so take a chance and give up some guys for a proven All Star.
Only guys I deem untouchable are Austin Meadows and Josh Bell. You have to think the deal starts with Tyler Glasnow. The talent is insane, but work is needed. The Pirates could include another emerging name, Mitch Keller (who really blossomed in A-Ball in 2016) if the Sox wanted more pitching in the deal. They have depth at short stop in the minors with Cole Tucker and Kevin Newman, the 2014 and 2015 1st round picks for the Bucs. Elias Diaz could be another name in there. He is one of the best all around minor league catchers, but Pittsburgh has no place for him with the recent Cervelli extension.
It can be done, and it should be done. This could be one of the biggest/best moves Neil Huntington makes as Pirates GM. I’ve said before that you need to go all-in eventually instead of building to be constantly good for years at a time. This could be massive. Make it happen Neil. I’d love to see the year Quintana could put together with an offense that provides run support. |
Archive: G-FEST XXI Special Guests
The following special guests appeared at G-FEST XXI:
Guest of Honor: Koichi Kawakita Koichi Kawakita is a film and special effects director, best known for heading the special effects for the Heisei series Godzilla films. He won the Japanese Academy Award for special effects work on Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. Kawakita also helmed the effects work on the Rebirth of Mothra series. In 2003, Kawakita established his own visual effects company, Dream Planet Japan.
Special Guest: Tomoko Ai The beautiful Tomoko Ai played the tragic character of Katsura Mafune in the final Godzilla film of the Showa series: Terror of Mechagodzilla, released in 1975. While this was her only appearance in a Godzilla film, Tomoko Ai remains one of the series’ most popular heroines. She also played in the Tsuburaya television series Ultraman Leo.
Special Guest: Katsuhiko Sasaki For Godzilla fans, Katsuhiko Sasaki is best known for his role as marine biologist Akira Ichinose, the protagonist, and romantic interest for Katsura in Terror of Mechagodzilla. He also starred as the inventor Goro Ibuki in 1973’s Godzilla vs. Megalon. Katsuhiko Sasaki also had parts in Godzilla vs. Biollante and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. He has since played in many television movies and series, as well as done voice work for television animation and film dubbing.
Special Guest: Hiroshi Sagae Hiroshi Sagae is a master maquette sculptor, and model maker for the film and toy collectibles industries. He has contributed maquette sculpts and miniature work for numerous modern-day Godzilla and Gamera films, and most recently did sculpting work on Ultraman Saga in 2012.
Special Guest: Shinpei Hayashiya Shinpei Hayashiya has achieved success in Japan as a master of Rakugo, a traditional Japanese form of comedic monologue. He is also a big fan of kaiju films, and has directed two movies that have been released to Japanese theaters: Reigo vs. Yamato and Deep Sea Monster Raiga. Mr. Hayashiya also directed the legendary independent production Gamera 4: Truth.
Special Guest: Don Frye Don Frye is a professional mixed martial arts fighter, actor, and professional wrestler, who rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events. He began acting in movies with Godzilla: Final Wars, playing the role of Captain Douglas Gordon. Don has made several other film appearances including No Rules, Nagurimono, Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy, Miami Vice and has even done voice over work for The Ant Bully.
Special Guest: Bob Eggleton Bob Eggleton is a multiple-award winning science fiction, fantasy, and horror artist, most recognized here for his work on dinosaurs, dragons, and of course Godzilla. Bob is known not only for his dramatic and true to source renderings of all manner of kaiju, but also for his promotion of the genre and his generosity to Godzilla fandom. This year’s coveted Mangled Skyscraper Award was presented to Bob at the G-FEST XXI Awards Luncheon. Congratulations, Bob!
Special Guest: Robert Scott Field
The star of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Scott has become an integral part of G-FEST since he first attended in 1999. Each year, G-FEST attendees look forward to renewing their friendship with Scott, and hearing about the latest happenings in the Land of the Rising Sun. |
What would you think is the best “generic” type of enemy in a video game? If you thought of Nazis, then you’ve probably played a Wolfenstein game. While most gamers remember Wolfenstein as a series of first-person shooters, the series originally started on Apple II and Commodore 64 systems, as a pair of almost Metal Gear-esque games written by Silas Warner, which ultimately inspired id Software’s John Carmack and John Romero to make the legendary FPS and its successors. Wolfenstein remains one of the most influential series in gaming history. While id Software can mainly claim credit for most of its popularity and continued prevalence in the gaming industry, we can’t forget about Muse Software, and Silas Warner’s magnum opus. Sadly, Mr. Warner died in 2004, to kidney disease. Wolfenstein‘s fantastical World War II setting may have contributed greatly to the creation of other famous game series such as Medal of Honor. Its first-person perspective and fast-paced action are arguably the very seed on which future titles such as Serious Sam and Painkiller are based. Wolfenstein has existed for more than 30 years, as of this writing, but it has received relatively few sequels, lasting up to eight years between entries. In between those, the fans have seen fit to carry on Wolfenstein‘s legacy.
You’ve been captured by the SS and thrown into the dungeons of Castle Wolfenstein. Your mission is twofold: escape from the castle, and steal the war plans for Operation Rheingold. You are given a pistol, smuggled in by your fellow prisoner, and can also locate grenades, bulletproof vests and enemy uniforms that are scattered throughout the castle.
Written by Silas Warner in 1981, Castle Wolfenstein can be considered a very early form of stealth game. Major elements include: picking open chests to receive extra items like food and armor, avoiding patrols by staying behind them, and holding guards at gunpoint and frisking them for keys and ammo. You can only carry ten bullets and three grenades at once, both of which are extremely valuable and not to be squandered. Guards will sometimes take multiple shots to kill, especially if your aim is hindered from drinking Schnapps. Chests are littered about, as are doors. Chests must be lock picked to open and can take anywhere from 10 to 255 “seconds” to pick, where a “second” is one footstep of an onscreen guard. Shooting a box can speed along the process of lockpicking, but given that some chests contain explosives that can go off if shot, this may not be advisable.
Castle Wolfenstein‘s Berzerk-esque levels are generated from scratch when the game is booted up. Unlike Rogue-like level generation, the generated castle is persistent between games and even saved to disk, unless you choose to generate a new one or shoot a chest of explosives, which kills you and generates a new castle. The level designs are simplistic maze-like constructs that generally have entrances on the edges of the screen, or stairs going up and down. If you manage to complete a castle, whether by escaping or finding the war plans and then escaping, Allied High Command may give you a promotion, which determines the difficulty of any future generated castles.
Keyboard and joystick controls are actually somewhat progressive in their execution, if a bit awkward in practice. When playing with joysticks (two of them are required), one joystick controls movement (point in a direction to face that way, and press the button to step forward), while the other controls aiming and firing (point your gun in a direction and press the button to fire). This dual-joystick setup actually predates Midway’s arcade game Robotron by a few years, perhaps making Castle Wolfenstein the first “twin-stick shooter,” even though the actual game mechanics are quite a bit slower-paced and less chaotic than Robotron and its successors. Wolfenstein also supports two paddle controllers (spin the dial to control facing/aiming direction, and press the buttons to step forward or fire the gun), or a keyboard, where the twin-stick setup is emulated by using the “QWEADZXC” keys to move and the S key to stop moving, with the “IOPK;,./” keys to aim and “L” to fire.
The major problem with movement in this game is that, when pressing a movement key, you will start walking in that direction and not stop unless you press the “S” key or run into a wall, which will daze you for a few moments, clouding the screen and playing an irritating high-pitched noise for about 3 seconds, while time continues to pass for any guards still in the room. Over time, you’ll get better at stopping at the correct time to avoid a collision, but accidentally hitting a wall when guards are after you can mean the difference between life and a horrible, humiliating death.
A very cool aspect of Castle Wolfenstein is that it features digitized speech, in German. It’s a bit difficult to make it all out, given the technology of the time, especially in the case of the Apple II version, but it’s very cool nonetheless. The instruction manual even includes a translation guide to help you understand what is being said. Guards will alert each other shouting, “Achtung,” and taunt you saying, “Schweinhundt,” if you run away from a room while a guard is chasing you, and surrender with, “Kamerad,” if you’ve managed to hold one at gunpoint.
Castle Wolfenstein was first released by Muse Software on the Apple II+ in 1981. Around two years later, ports for the Atari 800 and Commodore 64 were released, and one year after that was the port for IBM compatible PCs. The Apple II version is generally the most functional, though there is no button to holster your weapon, so you must be careful, when in uniform, not to point your gun at guards, or else you will hold them at gunpoint automatically and blow your cover; the graphics are the weakest on this version, since the Apple II isn’t known for its graphical prowess. The Atari 800 version adds the holster function, but moves the fire button to the out-of-the-way function keys on the right side of the keyboard, and is the only version where the guards lack speech. The Commodore 64 version looks the best (relatively speaking, since they all use the same pixel art, just different color schemes), but is plagued with long load times between rooms and when starting the game. The PC version only supports CGA graphics (of the red-yellow-green variety), but is still capable of playing speech out of the on-board speaker, providing that the CPU speed is at the correct frequency (lest the voice pitch be too high), which is quite impressive considering that the game was designed for the very oldest IBM-compatible PCs. Another advantage of the PC version is that it does not flash the screen or squeal at you when you bump into walls, but you are still stunned momentarily (albeit for slightly less time).
Castle Wolfenstein is a game that has pioneered far more gameplay elements than most people would think. Game mechanics from this game have been reused in games like Metal Gear (patrolling guards and threatening guards from behind with your gun), Thief: The Dark Project (lockpicking chests), stealing uniforms (Hitman), searching dead enemies for items (most PC RPGs), and random level generation. And, of course, this is the game that inspired John Carmack, John Romero, Tom Hall, and the rest of id Software to create the legendary Wolfenstein 3D… but not quite yet, because there is one other game in Muse Software’s series. |
Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta received a bleak intelligence memo on Muslim migration in Europe, according to Wikileaks’ Podesta email dump.
The email address orca100@upcmail.nl sent a message to Podesta’s email account at Georgetown Law School on February 21, 2016. The Clinton campaign has staunchly advocated for increasing Muslim refugee settlement in the United States.
“Multikultistan: A house of horrors for ordinary Germans,” was the headline on the apparent intelligence packet that was sent to Podesta. The email was released as part of Wikileaks’ Podesta email dump, which Wikileaks claims is only one percent complete at this time and will continue throughout the election.
The email talks about immigration:
Britain is something of the odd man out in immigration-devastated Europe, having also received large numbers of successful non-Western immigrants such as Hindus/Sikhs and Chinese. By sharp contrast, the UK’s Muslims, blacks, Roma and other problem immigrant groups do no better than those on the Continent, as I will show with statistics at a later date.
“Muslim Immigration and Multicultural Madness have left a trail of misery and mayhem across Germany – with far worse to come because of demographics,” wrote orca100.
orca100 gave Podesta some harsh numbers on Muslim migration: |
Sahara outbid Grameenphone to become the Bangladesh team's sponsor in 2012 © AFP
The BCB has revealed it has ended its contract with Aamby Valley, an affiliate of Sahara India Parivar, 15 months before it was scheduled to end. The board is now looking for a new team sponsor for the home series against Pakistan this month.
The BCB had sold team sponsorship rights to Aamby Valley in June 2012, in a $14 million four-year deal that was the biggest in Bangladesh cricket. The contract was supposed to end in June 2016 but a BCB advertisement in a national daily on March 30 marked the end of the alliance.
Chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury confirmed the BCB had ended the contract with Sahara, but did not want to disclose the financial implications of the termination.
"We have decided not to continue our contract with Sahara," Nizamuddin told ESPNcricinfo. "That's why we have given an advertisement for a new team sponsor for the Pakistan series. We cannot speak about the deal [with Sahara] at this moment."
Sahara's financial difficulties over the past year have been a matter of public record, with India's Supreme Court ordering the group head to remain in its custody pending trial.
In 2012, Sahara had outbid Grameenphone, who had sponsored the Bangladesh team for eight years. It bid approximately $9.4 million, substantially more than the $ 3.4 million from Grameenphone and $4 million from another bidder. Sahara had also won branding rights for the national team and the national cricket academy, and title sponsorship and in-stadia sponsorship for 2012-13.
BCB has asked the new bidders to include an irrevocable bank guarantee of 50% of the total offered value, which will be considered as a security deposit. The company that wins the rights has to pay the full quoted amount before the signing of the agreement. It has to be completed by April 12.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd. |
Contributor: Dean Quick, MT-BC, Program Director and Board Certified Music Therapist at TranscendED
Note: None of the interventions provided in this series should be applied to your own healthcare/treatment without the direct consultation of a board certified music therapist (MT-BC). If you are interested in seeking music therapy treatment, you can find an MT-BC in your area by visiting www.musictherapy.org.
People often say that music is their therapy. For music to have such a positive impact on the lives of others is refreshing for me. It sometimes can be difficult for individuals to differentiate between music enhancing a mood they have and clinical music therapy.
This is one of the reasons for me contributing and writing this 3-part series on music therapy in recovery of eating disorders. It is my goal that at the end of this series, you will have a better understanding of what music therapy is, how it is effective with this population while experiencing eating disorder symptoms, and how effective music can be to promote and engage in recovery.
See Part 2 here.
See Part 3 here.
For part one, I will share a brief history of music therapy, where music therapists work, and what differentiates music therapy from music listening.
Part One
The Role of Music in Society
Music has been used as an agent of healing since the dawn of man. Anthropological studies have shown that before homo sapien spoke, s/he sang to communicate (Mithen, 2005). Instruments have been found in places of importance and monuments throughout cultures worldwide and throughout time.
Drums have been used to communicate between villages. Shamans have used and continue to use music for its healing qualities. All this to say that we are musical beings and have always been. Music therapy is a clinical and systematic process harnessing the therapeutic power of music to achieve non-musical goals.
The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) defines music therapy as, “Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.”
How Music Therapy Became a Part of Healthcare
The modern and established healthcare treatment service of music therapy came about after World War I and World War II. There were volunteer musicians, amateur and professional, visiting hospitals to entertain wounded soldiers during their hospital stays.
Physicians and nurses noticed that veterans receiving music were leaving the hospital sooner. This realization lead to the hiring of musicians by hospitals. Soon after this, it was clear there needed to be training before entering these positions, thus leading the way for formal training at a collegiate level. This is a very brief history of music therapy as we know it today. Let’s shift our focus to where music therapists work and what treatment may include.
Where Do Music Therapists Work?
Music therapists work in a variety of locations and with people of all ages. Post-board-certification, MT-BCs are equipped to work with people the beginning of life through the end of life. Some music therapists specialize in working with prematurely born infants in the NICU while others, such as myself, work with adults in treatment centers with various needs.
Before I worked specifically with individuals with eating disorders, I worked with children ages one to three and also with older adults at the end of life and/or with memory care needs such as Alzheimer’s disease. There are MT-BCs who work exclusively with certain populations and some who specialize. Some of the settings in which you frequently see MT-BCs working are:
Hospitals
Rehab Centers
School Systems
VA Hospitals
Mental Health Treatment Centers
Hospice Organizations
Private Practice
What Separates Music Therapy from Music Listening
For a music experience to be music therapy, it is to be implemented with, by, or under the advisement of a board certified music therapist. I get asked frequently, “Does one type of music work better than the rest? I bet classical music is useful in helping patients calm down.”
There is not one type of music that is more therapeutic or useful than all the rest. What it comes down to is musical preference. Musical preferences tend to vary from individual to individual, so you can imagine that a huge part of my job is learning new music. By learning the music, I mean learning how to play and sing the song for piano or guitar, usually. (Sometimes banjo or ukulele in my work.)
How to Become a Music Therapist
A huge component of music therapy is that board certified music therapists are not only highly qualified clinicians but highly skilled musicians as well. Music therapists complete an AMTA accredited bachelor’s degree program which I like to break down into three parts:
Music Specific Music theory, aural skills, music history, applied music lessons, etc.
Clinical Skills and Therapeutic Knowledge Specific Counseling courses, psychology courses, pre-med level anatomy and physiology, etc.
Music Therapy Specific A culmination of the above listed as well as training in and applying skills in using music therapy as treatment with specific client/patient populations Once course work is completed, music therapist students are then eligible to pursue and complete a 6-month (or 1040 hours) internship. After successfully completing the internship, the individual is then eligible to pursue board certification in music therapy.
Music listening that makes you feel good can be therapeutic in the fact that it elevates or validates your current mood state. It is not music therapy as much as it is a coping skill you are utilizing to achieve your own personal goals (Boblin, 2008). Music therapy is goal-driven, following a formal assessment by an MT-BC.
How Music Therapy Is Implemented
Music therapy interventions used with the mental health population include but are not limited to:
Songwriting
Lyric analysis
Active music making
Clinical improvisation
Music-assisted relaxation
Music and visual arts experiences
Group singing
Role playing using music as means of communication, etc.
Explaining and digging deeper into how these interventions relate specifically to eating disorders will be the topic of Part 2 of this three parts series on music therapy and recovery from eating disorders.
About the Author:
Dean Quick, MT-BC is the Program Director and Board Certified Music Therapist for TranscendED where we understand the value of recovery, and believe that all individuals should have equal access to disciplinary education, and abundant support to those directly and indirectly affected by eating disorders. TranscendED is one of very few eating disorder treatment centers to accept Medicaid.
Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!
Have you utilized music therapy in eating disorder treatment, what impact has it had on your recovery?
American Music Therapy Association. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2015, from
http://www.musictherapy.org Boblin, M. (2008) Music therapy in the treatment of eating disorders. In S.L. Brooks (Ed.), The Creative
Therapies and Eating Disorders (pp. 142-158). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. Mithen, S. J. (2005) The Singing Neanderthals: the Origins of Music, Language, Mind and
Body Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 2006. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London. Trondalen, G. (2003) “Self-listening” in music therapy with a young woman suffering from anorexia nervosa.
Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 12, 3-17.
References:
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on May 15th, 2015
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com |
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